Day 1

[kasey5]

Last cigarette was at 3:35 pm cst...so it has only been 3 hrs 10 minutes...how sad is that...thought it was so much longer then that. I have been working from home for about 5 months now, so I haven't even had to wait for a break to have a cigarette. And therefore my cigarette intake has doubled easily. Used to go 2 hrs between smokes at work with only slight cravings close to the end of those 2 hrs. Now, 5 mins is a month. I am constantly reaching for them and as I sit here now, I even glanced over to look for them as I type this. How insane is that....

I have never tried to quit before, I have thought about it, I have said this is my last smoke as I tucked them in a drawer knowing I would be back to them withing 20 mins tops. This time I smoked the last one in the pack from the last pack of the carton. I took my ashtrays and my lighters and every empty box that may have been laying around here and walked them to the trash at the end of the driveway (luckily it is trash day).

So, here I am. I have started on the triggers...every second of every day was a trigger because there was nothing to make me not have a cigarette. They passed laws in this state that now nowhere is ok to smoke. So, I do not go out to dinner in a sit down restaurant, I stopped bowling after it got too cold to stand outside for any length of time to smoke a cigarette. Again, how sad...ok enough with the pity party, this is my choice complaining about it is a total waste of time.

Reasons to quit: daughter's health, my health.....want to find that morning when I wake up and not hack up a lung for 20 mins before continuous smoking has manage to cut through all that junk in my lungs and kick it out....disgusting.

Ok, so goals: make it the next hour without walking (3 feet of snow here) to the corner store to buy a pack. Then every hour after that until 11pm when all the corner stores close....who thought I would be happy for living in a small town without a store open 24/7.

Almost wish it was spring so I could open up the house and air it out...although I have lost a lot of my sense of smell and taste due to 34 yrs of smoking, maybe someday I will smell the difference in my house. I have lived in a house with a smoker (mother first, then me) since the first day I remember, but I hear that it stinks a lot :).

Now it's 4 hrs and 10 mins...woot!!!

[joe57]

There is no denying that the first few days are the hardest and also the days and hours and minutes seem to by the slowest.  I am now on Day 40 and I have been through what you are going through.  In order to get through the first 72 hours (I'm taking Chantix) and get the nicotine out of my system, I put myself on lockdown.  I did not leave the house for 3 days because of fear of heading to 7-11 to buy cigarettes. 

I, like many others, will tell you that it will get easier.  You just have to bear with it, develop a support structure (especially for the hard times), pray, and just don't smoke.  Welcome aboard the Freedom Train.

[hwc]

It starts with the first three hours for each of us. Use that as a win to get through the next hour and so on and so forth.

Click the lobster and go my profile page here for sixty podcast quitting lessons. I spent my first three days as an ex-smoker listening to these around the clock. Each one will get you through a crave and help you understand the addiction and what you will experience as you successfully remove the ball 'n chain.

[gelfling]

Hi Kasey I too work from home.  when my company sent me home about 8 years ago it never occurred to me to put any restrictions on when, where, how much or how often I could smoke(who knew?)  Like you, every waking second of every day was a trigger/habit for me.  Just wanted to let you know, I'm on day 29 (Iguess technically 30 since its after midnight) it is difficult but not impossible.  Stay Strong, you CAN do this!

[onelasttime]

SPEND YOUR X SMOKING TIME DESMELLING YOUR HOUSE BECAUSE ON ABOUT DAY THREE OR FOUR YOU WILL FIND THE SMELL AWFUL. WASH CURTAINS WALL COATS RUGS AND SO ON IT WILL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO PASS THE TIME U SPENT SMOKING. I KNOW I HAVE NEVER SMOKED IN OUR NEW HOME BUT THE SMELL OF OTHER SMOKERS AND IF I AM AROUND IT AND IT GET ON MY CLOTHES I CAN'T WAIT TO GET HOME TO CLEAN IT.YOU WILL BE AMAZED HOW BAD WE USE TO SMELL. YOU HAVE TO FIND OTHR THING TO DO OR THAT NIC DEMON WILL TAUNT U EVERY CHANCE HE GETS. I AM TAKING CHANTIX IT WORKS WELL FOR ME YOU STILL HAVE TO HAVE THE WILL POWER BUT IT REALLY HELPS.THERE ARE PLACES TO HELP BUY IT IF U DON'T HAVE INSURANCE TO PAY FOR IT. BUT NO MATTER WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO DO STAY STRONG U CAN DO IT. I SMOKE FOR OVER 37 YEARS AND IT HAS BEEN 23 DAYS AND I AM SO FAR FEELING BETTER BREATHING BETTER AND REALLY SMELLING BETTER SO JUST HANG IN THERE MY THOUGHTS WILL BE WITH YOU ....

[kasey5]

Thank you all so very much! I started my morning WITHOUT a cigarette!!! Ok, so I went to bed at 9:45pm - first time since I was probably 20 LOL but I didn't smoke. So up for 2 hours at my desk at work since 7am and breathing....I am actually hungry, new feeling for me in the mornings as usually it is 6 cigs and a Dr Pepper that get me started, So, I am considering food at break....we will see how that goes. Oh...wicked cool, I only spent about 10 mins hacking up a lung this morning instead of the perfunctory 20 min lung clear...that was strange but a nice change indeed and much faster than I anticipated, but I will take it.

Ok, will watch hwc's videos on my break at 9:30....and definitely getting food :)....I know I seem insanely concerned with time right now, but it is keeping me focused on the next goal...so it will probably be in my blogs for awhile yet....

[Sootie]

Kasey---focus on time, focus on tv, sleep, reading, running, walking---focus on anything that keeps you from smoking. That's the only thing you need to do--just don't smoke. For the first couple days it IS on your mind 24/7. Then, you'll notice it's not. then you'll go a whole day without thinking about it. For now---just HANG IN and don't smike. We are all out here--write.

[McCarron]

Keep doing it. You are not alone.     I am working on day two. Yesterday I had to tell my daughter to change the subject  from smoking to anything. Today While on the phone with my sister, I had this overwhelming desire to smoke so I told her that I needed to let her go because talking on the phone is a major trigger for me. 

all I really need to do today is not smoke. Nothing else is important to me today.