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Two Years Today

freeneasy
Member
0 20 4

Today,it's been 2 years since I inhaled a lungful of 7,000 chemicals,70 that cause cancer, poisonous gases-Carbon Monoxide ,Nitrogen Oxide, Tar, and of course nicotine the harsh and highly addictive substance that's been used to make insecticides and a small dose of radioactive material: AKA cigarette smoke.

The reason I quit was,as some know, is that I had a failed eye surgery for a detached retina 12/12. I needed to have another surgery and knew that smoking was not helping the healing process. It was a no brainer: What is more important to me smoking or my vision? That surgery also failed and I had to have another a month later. Subsequently, I had 2 more surgeries. One in 12/13 and another in 01/14 . I cannot see very well now with my right eye and I have made it through other personal setbacks, and challenges as we all have,but I kept my quit because of what I learned right here.

I found this site about a week after I quit and every day, until I went back to work in April, I spent hours reading and commenting and writing an occasional blog but mostly reading. I kept coming back almost daily and in Dec. 13 and Jan 14 when I was out for the last 2 surgeries ,I was here much of the time. I retired from my job in April and still spend a considerable amount of time here.

There are so many people here I have to thank. Thomas for his wonderful information filled blogs and ceaseless encouragement Nancy(Youngatheart) for her hand holding and encouragement.Prayers for her to recover soon from her most recent mishap. Giulia for her wit , wisdom and encouragement. This guy Dale, who convinced me to stop using the patch(after 5 months), he said I could get by without it and was right. There are many others -some who arrived here around the same time as me and some after I was here for a year or more. Some leave and come back, because the only reasons one needs to be here is to quit smoking, stay quit and to offer no strings attached advice and encouragement. Become an EX is the reason I am an EX and I have all of you to thank.

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About the Author
My name is Jim. I started to smoke at age 16 quit for four years when I was 21 started up again and smoked for about 33 years