Should have been Day 100 for me, but...

[joy41]

Well, today should have been day 100 for me, but the evening of April 15th, I chose to smoke one cigarette, and so, it's only day 13 now.  I was very upset that I chose to smoke the one, but glad I didn't choose to smoke the others that go with it.  I won't get into all the circumstances because I'll just blame it on my husband, even though I know that I am the one who chose to smoke that one.  I even said that to myself as I lit it.  It's really strange how your mind works.  You're telling yourself that you're doing this stupid thing you really don't want to do and then you just go ahead and do it anyway. 

I haven't been commenting on anyone's blogs since I smoked that one, but I've been on here reading every day.

I was really lucky when I first quit because I didn't really have that hard of a time with it and it really surprised me.  I was one of those people who thought they'd never be able to quit until I found this site, the whyquit.com site, and the quitsmokingonline.com site, and kept reading the blogs on here.  It did seem to get harder after 40 days or so but I was doing fine until...  I think it was getting harder during this time because I was gaining weight and couldn't do my exercises because I had foot surgery.  I will be able to start exercising again on March 4th.  So, I expect to start feeling better then because I'll be losing some of the 7 pounds or so I've gained and exercise always makes me feel better.  I have my moments, but nothing I haven't been able to cope with, about the same as I was able to cope those first 87 days, until...

I want to thank everyone for their blogs and comments on this site.  They're all helpful to someone in some way.

I have one question though.  I started my count over again and believe that's the right thing to do, but physically, in my addiction, does this put me back to being quit for only 13 days, or am I still in no man's land because I only smoked the one? 

[Jenny78]

I am not sure about this but suspect that because you smoked the one ciggarette that you have awoken the receptors to the nicotine and therefore will be back at the beginning.  Of course, your lungs thank you for every day smoke free.  I am more concerned about the quit being so easy for you and you might get the idea that just one won't hurt because believe me they travel in packs.  Always remember take not one puff ever or else you will be back to full time smoking.  

[kris54]

Sweetie.. you do whatever seems right to you!  I too, had a cigarette after 225 days quit.  I had an upset that seemed more than I could handle.  I had 5 puffs..... then realized what I was doing....... coulds affect my life for another 5 years.  So I put it down....and it was HARD.  My year quit is coming up... on May 23rd.  I know I smoked and it took exactly 30 seconds to smoke those 5 puffs.... so... on May 23rd... at exactly 5:30 in the late afternoon.... I will wait an extra 30 seconds. before I celebrate the smartest decision I have ever made.

Do what feels right to you.  It's YOUR life!  AND MANY CONGRATS on getting right back on track.  I'm very proud of you!!!!!

[kris54]

Oh... and being 13 days back into your quit.... well... I'm pretty sure the worst is over again.  I think you are still happily in NML!!  Keep moving forward.  We are Human..... we make mistakes.  The key.... is to learn from then!!  🙂

[joy41]

Thank you for your comments. 

I want to clarify that I meant that my quit was easier than I expected, not that it was a piece of cake.  I thought I'd be a nervous wreck for the rest of my life, but because of what I learned, I knew how to level out the sugar in my blood and that helped the most.  I eat a lot of fresh fruit, take water with me wherever I go, even for a short trip to the grocery store, and I take a lot of walks and do a lot of deep breathing.  The hardest time for me is riding in a car, but I take some knitting or cross-stitch, sing to the radio, and drink lots of water.

Thanks for the reminder, Jenny.  I know that we're all just one puff away from being full-fledge smokers again and I'm keeping that in mind.  I am determined not to make the same mistake again.  I don't want anyone else to think that they can have just one either because I think the statistics are that the others will come with it.  That's why I hesitated to write this blog, but needed to get it out and be honest with my ex-friends.

Thank you, Kris.  It's nice to know that someone else had that one and was able to resist the others that could have gone with it.  I think we're the exception rather than the rule and really dodged the bullet, so to speak.  Early congratulations on your first full year!!!

[Nyima_1.6.13]

"Failure is the only opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely." Henry Ford

Joy, I am so proud of you for not letting that cigarette become a pack! Also proud you reset your clock, I know that sucked! Continue to remind yourself and the rest of that, it " should have been"! I think that will help to keep you from the next puff!

Big congrats on your "do over" of thirteen days, plus the 87 that came before!

[JonesCarpeDiem]

whenever you get a crave, think about all the craves you've already gotten through and realize this one does not have to be any different in it's outcome. 

Don't magnify those smoking thoughts and they weaken.

[mikecity]

Congratulations on your days !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The important thing is you are not taking the whole nicotine addition back and getting time in again.  Stay with it.

You can do this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[joy41]

Thank all of you for your wonderful comments and support!  I'm very grateful you are all here for all of us.

[cory-3-10-13]

You are awesome for being honest, thanks for posting this.  Hearing about your experience is helping me to fortify my own quit, NOPE.  I feel like its easy to post happy thoughts in our blogs sometimes, but it takes real guts to post entries like this.  You've already gotten back on the horse, you got this!  

[jim_ohio]

hi joy,,,,fantastic rebound...you might want to educate yourself abit more............you must decide is this your forever quit........if it is...concentrate on moving past the triggers...........also, i would suggest staying close to the blogs....the experts and elders teach us new techniques  everyday.......................this site is a huge tool in our arsenal against nicotine............you are in a fight for your life...........jim ohio

[Giulia]

Joy, I'm guessing that you awakened the sleeping giant (nicotine receptors), by smoking one cigarette.  See Dr. Hurt's video:  According to that, the receptors decrease in number over time when you quit, and in a couple of months you're back to the same amount you started with.  But smoking is going to activate and increase them.  How much one cigarette does? - who knows.  But you don't need to dwell on that kind of thinking.  It serves no good purpose.  The benefits that you've achieved in 99 smoke free days are not lost.  I'm sure it was really hard to not coninue smoking after that one.  And you've learned from it.  I think the hardest part for you now is probably the fact that it's a "thought" put back in your brain.  You need to stay in quit training until there i

[joy41]

Thank you for your comments.  You've all been very helpful.