How's it going?

[asphaltcowboy]

At what age did you start smoking and what motivated you to quit after all this time?  For me, I was 22 and it started when I was in the Job Corp program. Still struggling with it now. Thank goodness with support, it becomes easier

[YoungAtHeart]

When I started as a young professional, it was the thing to do.  In those days, you could smoke ANYWHERE.  My family doctor had an overflowing ashtray on his desk.  You could smoke in movie theaters, restaurants, bars, even department stores, on airplanes and trains.  They were just starting to understand the dangers of it and the health consequences.

I actually had myself believing that if I ate a healthy diet, kept my weight to my youth number, and exercised EVERY day (and I DID!) I could negate the bad effects of smoking.  A vascular surgeon informed me otherwise when he discovered arterial blockages going to both legs.  He stated that he could make those arteries 50 years old again, but that if I continued to smoke I would probably need the surgery again and would probably not be healthy enough to do it.  Left unsaid was a very real possibility I might lose a foot or leg from bad circulation.  I found a doctor to support me, started Chantix and quit a week later.  That was 7+ years ago and I have never looked back.

[Giulia]

Began smoking around the age of 21.  Quit for a year a couple of years later.  Picked it back up due to being in a show where the character I was playing smoked.  Smoked for another 30 years (with a couple of 3 month quits here and there).  Quit for good March 1, 2006 at the age of 56.  I'd say from the time I was a kid I was aware smoking was not good for our bodies.  Both parents smoked and I can remember wanting my mom to stop.  So the motivation to quit was probably there from the first time I put one in my mouth and got hooked.  Got married and my husband smoked too.  We both attempted to quit here and there.  One day his best friend called and said he had lung cancer.  My husband never put a cigarette in his mouth again.  Still has that half empty pack of cigarettes as a reminder.  And didn't go through any of the kind of withdrawals most do.  But he pestered me for the next 10 years to quit myself. 

One Christmas he bought me a SmokeAway kit.  Gee, thanks, great Christmas present.   Just what I wanted!  Cost around $75.  Figured I at least had to honor him by giving it a try.  But I sure resented it (how foolish we can be) and it took me 'til Lent to get it up to give it a go.  Having a finite period of time and giving myself permission to smoke after was just the psychological trick I needed.  I knew that if I actually didn't smoke for 40 days, there is no way in hell I'd want to put myself through that again.  Took some of the Smoke Away tablets, which did absolutely nothing to assuage the cravings, and tossed them.  Found a quit site, became active on it and the rest is history.  Now, of course, I'm ever so thankful that my husband pressured me to quit.  I have 13 years of smoke-free lungs.  Actually if you add onto that the 1 year quit, and the 21 years I didn't smoke prior, that would make a total of 35 years.  So 35 years of not smoking and 35 years of smoking.  Soon I will have not smoked LONGER than I have smoked.  And THAT is another milestone to look forward to!  How's it going?  GREAT!

You hang in there.  One day you'll turn around and feel free and thankful you embarked on this journey too.

[sweetplt]

I tried smoking with friend about the age of 14...wanted to try something and thought I was so bad...how dumb was that? Colleen 300 DOF