The No Man’s (Woman’s) Land Roll Call Revisited

[gregp136]

Welcome to The No Man’s (Woman’s) Land Roll Call revisited.  It is a chance for all of us in NML to express how we are doing, check in with those who care about us, and just hang together a bit here by the sandbox once a week.  Since this is the first week, I would like to invite those who I know are in NML.  If I miss you, let me know! 

Bree19‌ bonnie.s Cimstrong‌donpauli‌dwwms‌exsmkr‌Fergiebarber‌gardenancy8‌Huck3‌Junior7‌Missy2122‌Kellybeth‌kelsmynme‌Lady86‌Lauralives‌Maryangela‌Missy2122‌Nestly‌o2run‌pita6014‌pongaselo‌Redsoxnut‌stAn3‌Stopforgood  Wantingacig57‌wlh‌Yess‌Louis1988‌deena-a-yenni‌MommyO63‌Imust‌Mallard‌Biscuit‌rosycowgirl‌donpauli‌torino4004‌philly33‌DimArtist‌beccalynn35‌

No Man’s Land, for those who may not know yet, is approximately 30 day to 130 days into the quit.  Of course, some enter it sooner, some leave it later. There are many excellent expressions of this throughout the Ex Community, so I will let you find it for yourselves.  I have read many, and, well, I am glad I was prepared, but wow, it really is No man’s Land.

I would also like to close with a thank you to SarahP who first began the NML Roll Call on May 18, 2011.  She kept it going weekly, and in the beginning of 2012 it transformed into her weekly NML Blog.  It is worth checking out.

So we will be here every Sunday, rain or shine, having fun in the sandbox.  If you want to also go to the swings, play in the pond, or even picnic with your family near the woods, that is all good.  Hope to see all the NMLers at least stop by.  We care about you (There are a few I haven't heard from lately.  Are you all okay?).

[dwwms]

74 days behind me - doing pretty good. Still some days that I just feel "out-of-it", but it's getting better. I've always been pretty much of a loner - maybe that contributes to my feelings at present. Went hiking yesterday which always raises my spirits and reminds me how great it is to be smoke free!

A couple of others I know of (Phil59 ranboheman22) that haven't made it by the playground lately, give us a shout!

And gregp136‌, you must have the lights on at the playground this morning! Hope all is good with you!

Doug

[donpauli]

sunday 4:41 am. I get up early. read you nml post gregp. go start to my

day. i'm doing lsd (long and short distance walks) sunday is my super long

day. most days i get up to the coffee shop in town and hang out a bit. last

sunday i walked there. took me fifty-three minutes and there is a killer

hill mid walk. once i've walked i feel like the day is complete. i've

accomplished a goal so anything else i get done is icing on the cake. so

are you looking at smokers now and feeling sorry for them? i am. see you

next sunday.

On Sun, Jun 4, 2017 at 3:06 AM, gregp136 <communityadmin@becomeanex.org>

[gregp136]

Welcome dwwms‌ and donpauli‌.  To be honest, I wrote this last night and had it set on delayed post.  I did not want to risk oversleeping and missing it.... Glad to have you both check in today!

[kelsmynme]

Good morning all, NML is definitely a test of my quit.i just spent a week on vacation and I didn't realize how hard it would be having so much time on my hands. The cravings are there for me but I will not give in to them. I tell myself "I didn't come this far to only come this far" enjoy your day Kelly

[Kcbob137]

Hang in threre is Will get much easier as time go by

[Redsoxnut]

I'm still smoke free! Feeling pretty good! Good days & bad days still but at least I'm not coughing anymore! Actually bought a brand new car with the money I'm saving !!!

Sent from my iPhone

[Bree19]

Hi gregp136‌ and all other wanderers in NML!

I’m a day late!  I started a comment/reply last night and halfway through, I lost it – do NOT know how to access auto saved stuff and now can’t remember what I said – it seemed profound at the time, now we’ll never know.

I feel I should start the prep all over again but this time:  finish the book, read best of EX, read old blogs of elders, WRITE down the triggers & make plans for coping with them (not only in my head), start blogging regularly, stop hiding and lurking and stop only reading everyone else’s blogs. Participate.  Lend a hand.  Share thoughts.  I’ve stumbled through the first 98 days and don’t feel like an ex-smoker.  I feel I’m just visiting – not committing.   Just peeking through the fence at everyone in the playground.

At the beginning, (98 days ago and counting!) I had done as much of the reading as I could stand, I glanced at Skygirl’s list of items necessary in a toolbox, I chose the date, I tracked cigs for about 2 days and I decided, regarding all that I had read, THAT won’t happen to me. 

I will NOT:

• Be crabby for the first 3 or 4 days – Oh my giddy aunt. I couldn’t stand being around myself!
• Allow hell week to get me down – Yeah, not much – didn’t think I’d survive it
• Acknowledge heck week – had to acknowledge it…lived it
• Get cravings – Oh really Bree?
• Need NRT’s – That one I DID stick to
• Have mood swings for no reason – Ha!
• Battle to sleep – still reading at 3am
• Deviate from my Weight Watchers eating plan – already gained 6lbs!
• Eat in place of smoking – anything that’s not nailed down will be eaten
• Have the big cry – I’ve had a couple of those
• Allow my well-managed clinical depression to take over again - Oh boy - that's a blog all its own!
• Visit NML – and here I am bang in the middle of it feeling like a blind person just walking around in circles.

At least I’ve shared thoughts for a change.  

So thank you Greg for starting an NML group.  

I WILL participate!

Bree

[gregp136]

Thank you Bree19, I am so glad that you shared.  You brought a smile to my face and a giggle to my mouth.  I would have a very similar list.  And yes, it could be very wise to go back and build up your quit kit.  As the Caravan Master would say, build up your supplies!

Greg

PS  What about the knee? 

[dwwms]

I really like that, Kelly! Having a rough Monday morning and I'm thinking to myself - "I didn't come this far to only come this far!"

Thanks.

[Bree19]

It's healing well thanks for asking gregp136 - no thanks to me.  Have to get back to more walking.  The exercises I'm religious about...  the walking not so much.  Baby steps 😉 

[Kellybeth]

Well her I am in No Mans Land and doing well. Today is day 105 smoke free. And yes, I am starting to feel bad for smokers. I am so grateful to be mentioned here! Thank you all for your support!

[Mallard]

I'm not sure if I belog hear.   But I'm sticking a round. My quit of 11weeks has failed.. I think because i watched mad men "  if your quitting.  DOT NOT WATCH   "MAD MEN"   sounds like a lame excuse but I'm sticking with it. My new quit is June 6       here we go again...this was my first time quitting and my first fail.

I hope that this is not another... Week from hell .   

[bonnie.s]

I'm so happy for all of us here   I'm not having many craving these days.  What I've noticed however is I'm stressing over everything.  Where I once had nerves of steal, smoked all my cares away, I've yet to learn how to cope without lighting up.  I am a wack job at times.  What use to not bother me now seems like the world is crashing down on me.  I think about how one smoke would calm me down, even though I have no craving.  I don't smoke of course but I think that way still.  My marriage has suffered somewhat too as we fought so much while withdrawing.  I just caught him sneaking smokes again as well.  That's my story so far.  Keep marching on no matter what.

[gregp136]

Work is different for me too.  People just have to deal with the fact that I will respond like a normal person rather than Greg who showed no emotion due to nicotine.  You are doing this, keep up the great work!

[Cimstrong]

Sweet! Thanks for getting this going. All though I think I'm doing fine, I

just never know in NML. See you Sundays!

[Phil59]

Still going strong at 93 days although struggling through the last week or so. Had torn miniscus surgery a week ago and to much down time to think. Reading about NML has helped and think I'm starting to see daylight at the end of the tunnel. Just keep reminding myself NTAP

Sent from my iPhone

[gregp136]

dwwms‌ I hope you Tuesday is better than Monday.  I also have had some really rough days as of late.  Luckily they seem to give me a few days rest in between.  We have come too far, we both know that!  We have worked too hard, and we have to much riding on this.  And both you and I are more than half way through.  We are doing this.  Heck, we both know that neither of us is going to give up now, but that doesn't mean the road isn't steep!

[gregp136]

Today is the day!  Make it work this time!

[Bree19]

Wishing you only success Mallard‌ in your 2nd quit.  

Breathe...and blog often.   Stay close and believe in yourself.

[dwwms]

Good to hear from you - glad you're still going strong! Hope your surgery went well and you recuperate quickly, I can understand how too much down time can lead to a hard time. It's hard to stay busy when you can't get around.

[dwwms]

It was just a Monday morning that would have been better to have rolled over and gone back to sleep. Seems whatever could go wrong did go wrong and had I (been able to) sleep in, the problems would have still been there. Of course, that's just a perfect opportunity for the little monster to start his chattering... It's not as hard ignoring him but he was being very vocal yesterday morning.

Things are better today, some of the problems are still around, but smoking wouldn't have changed a dang thing! As I told my wife, that would have only added to how lousy I felt. Hope your day is smooth sailing, gregp136!

[dwwms]

Good to hear from you, bonnie.s‌. Glad you're not having many cravings - can't say I have many cravings, it's more just the thought of smoking. I have to agree with both you and Greg that it seems things that didn't bother me much before bother me more at times now. Sorry to hear your husband is sneaking smokes - that never works, I never tried to sneak smokes with my wife, it's a no-win proposition - though I've known others who did, can't figure out how they got away with it for any length of time. Keep marching on!

Doug

[Lady86]

hello all. I'm back and here a bit late. I took a small break from here and the internet and staring at screens  unplugged for a bit. My quit is still protected. I feel less lost and confused then I was in the beginning. I know I'm still vulnerable and at times fragile. Onward to freedom 

Melissa 90 glorious DOF 

[Cimstrong]

OK, today is 149 for me, so I guess I'm not technically still in NML. but for the last 8 or 9 days I have been very edgey, quick tempered and extremely elevated anger. I also notice tobacco products everywhere, where as before I'm sure I seen them,but gave them no thought. Yesterday I caught myself debating on buying a pack of Marlboro. I just need to know if this is a some what normal thing that I need to watch for for the rest of my life or could it be something else? I know everyones quit is different, but knowing that I'm not alone on having this urge so late in my quit.

[dwwms]

Cimstrong‌, I'm not sure I'm the best person to answer as I'm behind you with 113 days, but from what I've gathered, this is completely normal. I've seen several posts that even after years, the urge may suddenly come up seemingly out of nowhere or it may be triggered by something you haven't done in a while that was always associated with smoking. For myself, I cannot say I've actually debated with myself to buy a pack since the first month but the thought of smoking still pops up. For myself, I find it true what others have said, the longer it's been since you smoked, the easier it is to dismiss the thoughts. I'm sure you're fine so long as you remind yourself I don't do that anymore!

Doug

[dwwms]

How can this be ? Check out this blog from Bonnie Bee.

[Cimstrong]

Doug, it's true that the longer it's been the easier it is to dismisse, that's why I'm finding the last few days are strange. I was sailing along not even giving it a thought, shoot I had not counted my days since 105, then BAM, so today I counted the days,logged in here and reach out for help. The anger thing is what gets me. I'm usually a happy,easy person,but here lately I'm mad at the littlest thing. I'm so glad this group is here, I know it's my strength to get me through.

[Cimstrong]

Oh wow! Thanks !!! I think I feel a little more normal now.