If you are friends with me on
Facebook, you’ll see that I announced I decided to quit smoking. I’ve not done
an update really, so here it is! On September 4th, I couldn’t sleep.
I tossed and turned and ultimately, got up and played on the computer. (No
point in just staring up at the ceiling, right?) I looked at Facebook and then
began browsing Pinterest… chain smoking my Marlboros. (I wasn’t supposed to be smoking
in the house either… oops!) Something caught my eye and it was comparison of a
smoker and non smoker… something I have seen probably 1,000 times. For some
reason though, it hit home. I clicked on the board that this person had
assembled and looked at all the smoking cessation photos and links. One was
about a man, age 33, husband and father who had been diagnosed too late, had an
aggressive cancer, and had recently died looking nothing like the person he
was. I read the stories from his family and cried.
I thought to myself “but some
people can smoke their entire lives and have no side effects whatsoever.” Did I
want to chance being that person or the man above? As I took another drag, I
thought about how I’ve said I wanted to quit in the past… but never really
tried. I couldn’t even imagine it actually. What do you do in the car? After a
meal? When you wake up? How do you function without smoking?
Back when we first started out, Chris
and I found ourselves without money… frequently. (Poor decisions mostly… young
and stupid.) I remember numerous times Chris asking if I wanted to eat or buy
cigarettes… to which I always replied “get me a Coke and some smokes.” I would
have much preferred not eat than do without cigarettes.
I started on my 18th
birthday, 12/27/2002. I figured I was legal and could buy two things… lotto
tickets and cigarettes. So I did. While I had tried them a couple of times
before, I could take them or leave them. I did it mostly with others, a social
thing or I had one offered and didn’t want to seem like the ‘uncool’ freshman. I
swore all my life (up until that point) that I would never smoke. I hated that
my parents did and was so glad my dad has quit when I was in middle school. My
mom was up to over two packs a day (she was forced to quit in 2004.) Following
a birthday dinner with friends in the West End, my best friend and I were
driving around and I stopped in at the 7-11. I scratched the lotto tickets and
lit up the Camel Light. I didn’t hate it. I didn’t cough. I liked how it made
me feel. I dropped her off at home and smoked another on the way home… and from
then on, couldn’t stop.
I remember going upstairs to my bathroom
and smoking, ash-ing in the toilet. I’d smoke in the shower sometimes, because
the smoke seemed to dissipate quicker. I’d watch myself in the mirror and try
and master the French inhale. I loved that I had a few friends that would smoke
with me at Starbucks and it just seemed… natural. My parents noticed the smell
on me and in my truck, but being 18, I of course, always lied about it. (Did I really think
they were stupid?)
By the time I went to (my only
year) of college, I found myself smoking almost two packs a day sometimes. I’d
walk down from the third floor of my dorm and spend awhile outside on the
benches, smoking and talking on the phone. If it was raining, I’d stand outside
under and umbrella. I’d walk to class, smoking. I don’t remember when, but at
some point, I do remember thinking two packs was excessive… and costly (I mean
they were like a whopping $3.00 a pack then!) Ha!
Anyways… you get the point. Fast
forward to today… $6.50 a pack. Pack a day. Sick, all the time. Luckily, I went
from Camels to Marlboro Lights, and then right before I quit… I had been
smoking Ultra Lights. Which I guess is the lesser of evils. I was sick every
morning from drainage. I got bronchitis about three or so times a year. I
couldn’t walk after smoking without being winded. I smelled awful. My dog
sneezed every time he got near the smoke. Ridiculous!
I had promised myself for awhile
(and my family) that at the 10 year mark, I would quit. That was this year. As
December drew closer, I found myself more fearful and anxious. How in the world
was I going to do this? How could I quit? I can’t function without smoking. I
went to bed that night, thinking about it, and said a short prayer about ‘giving
me the strength’, like I had so many times before.
So the morning of September 5th,
I woke up and shuffled to the living room and grabbed my morning smoke. I
called Chris and mentioned I thought I was ready and maybe we should look into
an E-Cig. I don’t know what made me say it really, but I know that I did mean it. (Not
enough to put them down right then!) As I drove to work that day, I smoked. After
lunch and dinner, I smoked. When I got home that evening, Chris gave me a surprise…..
My first thought was “Crap! Now I
HAVE to do this” but a small part of me was excited too. I tried it. Hm… not
bad. I smoked just one real cigarette that night. The next day, I vaped, but
missed the feeling of a cigarette… so I had one. I realized I could do without
it. Take it or leave it… so I left it. I kept the four remaining cigarettes in
the pack… wrote the date on them and carried them in my purse for several
weeks. That was the last I had a REAL cigarette. We finally threw those final
four in the trash. What a relief!
I’ve had serious cravings. I
still do. Truly, if it weren’t for being able to Vape and get the sensation… I don’t
know if I would have had success. I’d done a patch, gum, and Chantix. I need
the oral fix of smoking. I need the “throat hit.” I’ve used the iPhone app, called
My Last Cigarette to track my progress… and just look!
It shows how much ‘time’
I’ve added back to my life. I’ve been a non-smoker for 43 days and in that
time, I would have smoked 869 cigarettes. SERIOUSLY. I would have spent $282.49
in those 43 days… how can I look at that
every day and still want to buy a pack? It shows my savings and my estimated spending
in all these years. All that money… to put BAD things into my body.
I used to roll my eyes at people.
But if you are thinking about quitting, please know you can. As cliché as it is…
if I can do it… you can too. I also knew I needed to quit if we wanted to try
for a baby. I also thought about what the secondhand smoke was doing to my
ASTHMATIC husband. How could I do that to people I love?
Now… when Chris brought home the
E-Cig, I started out at 18mg of nicotine. That means that, in all technicality,
I wasn’t 100% “quit”—but also wasn’t getting the added tar and chemicals. What a
difference just that change made!
The first week was awful. Your body
begins ridding itself of all that and you wonder if quitting was a good idea or
not. My chest hurt and I hacked up tons and tons of junk from my lungs.
Now? I feel so much better. I can
walk from my car to a store, without a cigarette and NOT be winded. I sleep
better and fall asleep faster. I smell better and when I put perfume on, it
lasts. I don’t accidently burn holes in things. My circulation has improved and
I don’t feel the random pulse racing that I did when I smoked one too many that
day.
I felt so good in fact, that when
I needed a refill… I moved down to 12 mg. Then 6 mg. And now? I’m at 0 mg. That means it’s just a
habit. It’s just vapor! I could smoke the E-Cig the rest of my life and be
fine, because I am not putting those things into my body anymore. And honestly,
I am NOT ready to give this up. I will try, eventually… but considering I did
this within a month, I think I can cut myself a little slack, right? I can do it anywhere, if I wanted to, which is another perk!
I’ve started mixing flavors and
currently have Mom’s Menthol, Juicy Strawberry, and Lucky 7 (tobacco flavored)
all mixed together. A great taste and good kick. Since I’m not so dependent on
the taste of a cigarette, I am branching out more and ordering fruit flavors
and other types. I tried a bunch the
last time I went to Good Vapes in Dallas and found several I want to purchase.
Today, I ordered several to be shipped to me, from DFW Vapors. Cranberry,
Menthol, Broadstreet Tobacco, RC Cola, and Peppermint. I can’t wait to try
them! Heard they have super fast shipping since they are local... should get in a couple days.
Another thing about making the
switch? PINK E-Cigs. Tell me that’s not reason enough. (They actually have a
bedazzled one that I have my eye on too.) Hehe! I won’t continue on right now about
vaping…. But please, consider it. Email me and ask me questions about them and
how much money it will save you. It’s one of the best things I have ever done
for myself.
My family is ecstatic for me… and you know what? So am I. So when
12/27/2012 rolls around… I’ve already got this one checked off. How cool will
it be to see how much time I added to my life by then and how much money I have
saved? Thanks to everyone for their well
wishes, prayers, and messages of support. Those really helped me too. Each of you were just
another reason to keep at this and succeed. I’ll update off and on and
hopefully, can always still say… I’m QUIT!
Side Note: My cousin made this
for Chris on his birthday… you know, in case I got too ridiculous or withdrawing
too badly. It’s so funny and too cute. I don’t think we’ll ever need to break
the glass, but it’s a nice reminder. Thanks Stacy!
Websites mentioned in the above post: www.goodvapes.com and www.dfwvapor.com. Check it out!
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