My Journey

[Kimmysue8119]

I'm working 4 DOF today.  I was a smoker for 45 years with 1 year free and many attempts during these years. I started at 11 years old.  I got sick first time but still smoked. It was cool to my friends so it was cool to me.  Little did I know smoking would be my journey for decades.

1974 to present.  I started Chantix on 7-25-19.  My quit day 8-1-19. A lot has happened but most of all a miracle has happened. I'm not obsessed with cigarettes right now or the insane urge to smoke.  I'm not killing myself.  I'm not throwing my money away.  My mouth and tongue feel different.  I don't smell like cigarettes. I'm not texting neighbor, "want to smoke?". My thought process is changing.  My emotions are beginning to come to surface. Food is starting to taste better.  I am wanting better things for my life.. 

My 2nd quit day, I came across an old cigarette in one of my bags and tucked it away for safe keeping. "Just in case".  This is pure insanity.   I've done may things to sabotage my attempts in the past.  I threw that cigarette out today. 

I'm looking forward to continuing a smoke free life.  I'm worth it! 

[sweetplt]

Hi Kim...this is a wonderful post...in the beginning of this journey there are so many ups and downs...a roller coaster ride to say the least, but trying and making the best of this and keeping it positive (which you are doing) will help you succeed...You will inspire many early quitters...Thank you for sharing...~ Colleen 244 DOF 

[constanceclum]

Congratulations on your new found freedom. I am on day 7. I started at 13 when I started a new school in a different state. There was only 2 kids that didn't smoke in that class, and I wanted so much to be accepted. So I smoked for 48 yrs. with no significant breaks.

Connie

[YoungAtHeart]

[maryfreecig]

One day at a time, yes you can!

[PrimeNumberJD]

Since you are using chantix, which is nicotine free, all of the nicotine has left your system by now, all of it! Congratulations on the first of many milestones to come! 

[JonesCarpeDiem]

This is great news!

Congratulations!

[beazel]

Good for you!!!! One day at a time......

[Strudel]

Congrats on your quit and on throwing that cigarette away! There is no “just one” - live by the mantra - N.O.P.E. - Not One Puff Ever! 

[elvan]

You sound absolutely AMAZING, congratulations on yet another day.  Love the way you have described your journey so far, looking forward to many, many more posts.

Ellen

[JACKIE1-25-15]

[Barbscloud]

Big congrats on your success.  You're positivety will take you far.

Barb

[Christine13]

Good going!!  Kudos to you for throwing away that cigarette!

[stAn3]

Congratulations! Good job!

[indingrl]

Yahoooooooooo yes you are worth non smoker living ONE day at a time - CONGRATS AND WAY TO GO- Yahoooooooooo and GOOD JOB!

[Mike.n.Atlanta]

Keep up the good work Kimmysue &

[Kimmysue8119]

As of midnight tonight,  I'm into day 6 smoke free.  It feels really good to stay committed to not smoking.. The 1 year in my life of 45 years of smoking I didn't really do it for me. My ex-husband hated it, I did it for him. Obviously I wasn't in a place then caring enough about me to do it for me. My decision each day now is for me. Very liberating to feel deep in your gutt that you want to do something for you and do it.  Emotion and new thoughts are coming up and I'm going with it, staying close to support, journaling and being conscious of triggers. Besides being addicted, I used smoking to mask and avoid lots of things in life. It took decades from my time, health and money. Not today! I look forward to more of my life unfolding with smoke free eyes. 

[PrimeNumberJD]

You are doing outstanding! The body is an amazing thing and has already begun to recover, it sounds as if your mind has begun to recover too! If you haven't already, reward yourself to something today, a movie, ice cream, a book, etc. You've saved at least 30 dollars (assuming $5 a pack). Keep up the great work, it only gets easier! 

[YoungAtHeart]

Part of this quit journey is learning to deal with all of the emotions/events in our lives that we hid from behind that cloud of smoke.  Learning to not hide from it all is part of learning to live your life as an ex-smoker.  Great that you are already learning this!  Let us know if you need help with any of the things you will need to confront!

Nancy

[elvan]

Good for you...I believe that as of midnight TONIGHT, you will have completed Hell Week, you are doing great.  This recovery is ongoing and so is the journey.  We are all here to help if you need us.

Ellen

[jonimarie]

$5 a pack???? 

I must of had expensive taste as over 100 days ago my cigarettes were $9.42 a pack...lol

Equates to one European vacation per year

[jonimarie]

Happy day 6

All about a positive attitude which you have

[PrimeNumberJD]

Lol, I assumed low end. National average was 5.50 earlier this year. Mine went to 8.50 and I said I'm done. Giving to good ole state of Illinois an extra $365 a year to miss spend ($366 for leap years) didn't sit well with me and I was working up the courage to quit again anyways. 

[Kimmysue8119]

I was paying an average of $8 a pack.  If I wanted the Camel Blues, they were over $9 here in AZ.  The money I'm saving..Yay!!

[elvan]

I moved from New York State where they are now $12 a pack to Virginia where they were then $3 a pack.  I could not believe the difference.  I will admit, sadly, that it made it easier for me to "justify" spending that money.  I remember a time when I said that if cigarettes ever went over $2, I would quit.  I don't even remember what year that was...

[Kimmysue8119]

Yikes $12!  No matter what price they were we justified paying it. 

[Kimmysue8119]

Day 7 today!  I'm been feeling lousy today.  Maybe the Chantix? Maybe because it's been a week? Something I ate maybe?  I've been full of nausea all day today and my equilibrium is off,and chest kinda heavy and I'm coughing up stuff 1st time in 7 days.  Good news is I'm not having any urges and smoke free.  I  don't expect to feel great every day right now newly smoke free.  Heck, what can I or my body expect, after filling it with poisens all these years! I'm staying optimistic and committed! I know this is one of the best decisions I can make daily.  Looking forward to feeling better. 

[PrimeNumberJD]

You would've felt more lousy had you caved! Keep it up! 

[elvan]

Congratulations, keep going, no matter what.

Ellen

[YoungAtHeart]

You might talk to your doctor about changing up the Chantix dosing.  I remember reading some people took smaller doses at different times a day and that helped with the nausea.

[Kimmysue8119]

Definitely!

[Kimmysue8119]

I will call my doctor tomorrow if I'm still feeling the nausea.  It's still lingering this and I'm due to take my pm dose is 90 minutes.  I'm documenting times and possible side effects. Thanks so much for the suggestions and support.

[Kimmysue8119]

Day #8.  I made it through day 7, not one of my better days.  I didn't want to smoke yesterday just felt lousy.

A new day today, woke up feeling so much better. No nausea or imbalance this morning.  I think my eating pattern contributed to not feeling well yesterday. I'm finding it VERY beneficial to eat a good breakfast at least 30 min before taking Chantix. I'm nearing the end of my second week with the dosage change. I'm drinking lots of water too. Grateful I have no urges and grateful for this sites support.  Grateful to not be tied to the bondage of cigarettes today.  

[Barbscloud]

Glad you're feeling better on day 8.   The Chantix wreaked havoc on my stomach.  I had to stop it for that reason.  Hopefully you'll be able to continue with full regiment.

Barb

[PrimeNumberJD]

Good and bad days will happen, that is life, you are more in tune with the bad days as you used to have something that you thought offset it, it didn't, it was still a bad day! 

Great job on getting through it, each time only becomes easier! You should be feeling like a champion! 

[Grammy25]

Thanks for sharing!!

It sounds like you are on the right track!!

Keep it up!!

[Kimmysue8119]

Day 9. Not having urges but feeling pretty lousy again.. No appetite, a lot of nausea, coughing up junk, lethargy and just overall yuck.  I'm not discouraged though. Continuing to walk through the good and bad, smoke free! N.O.P.E.  I'll contribute more to others when I'm feeling a bit better. 

[sweetplt]

Sorry about not feeling good Kimmysue8119 but it is part of the journey for many of us when our bodies start to heal. My second month quit I got a horrible sinus infection and upper respiratory infection...I was sick for one month...and realized my body was healing from all the nicotine and chemicals I put in my body.  You need to rest and drink lots of fluids and take care of YOU...Gotcha in my Thoughts Colleen 249 DOF 

[elvan]

Rest, drink lots of fluids, take mucinex (generic) to help get that yucky stuff out, and take Emergen C with immune support in the morning.  If you do not start to feel better soon, please see your doctor.  I got sick BEFORE I quit, I was so sick and having so much trouble breathing that I COULDN'T cough because I couldn't get enough air in to produce a cough.  That was, without a doubt, the scariest time in my life and I KNEW I would never smoke again.  

Please take care of yourself.

Ellen

[Kimchristensen1]

Kudos to you!  Do you think the Chantix helped a lot?

[Kimmysue8119]

Thank you @Kimchristensen1!  Yes, it's been helping me.  I've had a few days on and off with nausea but overcame it. Yay!  Good luck to you!

[jonimarie]

Just catching up now on all of this. I only took 1/2 tab chants 1x a day at 10am. Did that for 16 days. 

The first 5, I took the prescribed dose and it was too much nausea for me. My Doctor tole me to cut to the 1/2 dose 1x a day from her pst experiences with her patients. Made a big difference for me and that dosage took the edge off. But I quit after 21 days as wanted to get off it.

Hope all going well. 

[Kimchristensen1]

I am interested in knowing the success rate of Chantix vs Bupropion?

[PrimeNumberJD]

Depending on the source, they are both approximately 1 in 5, or 20%, not smoking at the 1 year mark.  As far as efficacy after the 1 year mark, all methods of quitting have the same chance of relapse 2 years plus. The patch is 21 %, unless you have used it and failed before, then it is less than a percent chance of writing with it. This second time use only applies to the patch, if it applies to the other NRT and drugs, I'm unsure.  

[PrimeNumberJD]