Sorry to say that I had more than one failed quit before I came here and I am VERY familiar with that lung pain you are describing. I have felt that many, many times. I used to quit and then feel better and go right back to smoking because the addiction convinced me that it wasn't smoking that was causing my problems. WRONG! This LAST time I quit was exactly 4 1/2 years ago, today...I didn't get better. I got so sick that I thought I would not make it and I struggle every day with the damage I have done to my poor, unsuspecting lungs. Seriously...I would not wish this on anyone. I have COPD...Thomas3.20.2010 can tell you all about it and he will recommend that you get a spirometry test from your doctor to see where you stand right now. You might want to do some reading in the COPD GROUP, COPD . This is an addiction and quitting is not an event, it is a journey that begins with one step and keeps going one step at a time...baby steps count. I will not tell you that it is easy because that has not been my experience but I WILL tell you that this site and the people here and the support you will get, will make all of the difference in the world. You need to read everything you can find about nicotine addiction...you can start with Allen Carr's "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking", you can get the book from your local library or buy a copy very inexpensively. You can decide if you want to do this with no nicotine replacement...like patches or gum or lozenges and you can ask your doctor for a prescription for Wellbutrin or Chantix to help. No matter what you do...please plan your quit...identify your triggers and plan to do something OTHER than smoking when you feel them, it helps to have that plan in place. My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX Read blogs...read and read and read...see what has worked for others and choose what you feel will work for you. This is about commitment...don't smoke, no matter what. Take the Daily Pledge every day and ride the Freedom Train, they are both located under Celebrations and Events at the top of the page. The pledge gives you some accountability to the person who takes your hand and the next person to join. Read this blog by JonesCarpeDiem /blogs/jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007-blog/2011/06/26/what-to-expect-in-the-first-four-months , read this from YoungAtHeart /blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instead-of-smoke Please stay close to the site, come here every morning and every evening and in between, when you can. Quitting, at the beginning, is a full time job...you will think of almost nothing else but it will pass, it WILL get easier. I came here every morning and every evening and I still come here every day when I can. I read blogs, I pay attention to the things other people are facing...many of them are MUCH worse than anything I have faced... This journey is filled with good days and bad days...it is LIFE. I used the mantra NOPE over and over again when I first started...it stands for Not One Puff Ever. I took this one day at a time, one step at a time and it DID get easier...we all started with a day one, there are no shortcuts through this journey, there are no ways to make it go faster.
Remember that we are here and that we care, we all want you to succeed in your quit.
Welcome to EX,
Ellen
