So, a year ago today, I quit smoking.
It was a not-really-planned kind of thing, a spur of the moment kind of thing, brought on because my husband had found this website and told me about it. And I went to this website and read all the articles they had, and I was JUST FURIOUS at the nicotine-replacement-therapy industry because it’s such a fucking sham. It makes people think that quitting smoking is next-to-impossible without their incredibly expensive products, when the real truth is that quitting smoking is actually not that hard. All you gotta do is DO IT.
So, I quit smoking the very next day. Smoked what I had left in my pack and tossed the rest at midnight. And the first three days just totally sucked. I put on PBS TV for the kids, drank lots of cranberry juice, and read article after article at this website. And then for two weeks I lived in this foggy haze of confusion. And then after that, guess what?
I. Was. Fine.
I didn’t need the patch. I didn’t need the gum. Or the lozenge. Or the inhaler. I didn’t even need the anti-depressant my doctor kept trying to push on me. (She gave me a bag of free samples of Wellbutrin that I never used. Eventually, I just threw the bag out.) Turns out…I wasn’t depressed. I was just hooked on nicotine.
Go figure.
And today? I’m about 10 to 15 pounds heavier. People say it looks good on me, though. That I’m not so scrawny anymore. I almost believe them. But my cillia have grown back and my chances of developing heart disease and/or lung cancer are dramatically decreasing. And I’ve lost my little phlegmy smoker’s cough. So, I’ve got that going for me. Which is nice.
The past year hasn’t exactly been a breeze, though. If I’d known we’d be moving 2,000 miles across the country this year, maybe I would have kept on smoking. There were a few days this past year where my stress levels went so haywire that my husband felt sure he’d arrive home from work to find me chuffing away on the porch steps. But no. I made it.
For the record, here are my stats from the past year:
As of this writing, I haven’t smoked for 1 year and 9 hours.
I have not smoked 7,308 cigarettes. I have saved $1,483.67. And I’ve added 25 days to my life expectancy.
So, bring on the love, people. Tell me how great I am. I think I deserve it.
You DO deserve it! You’re awesome! You’ve done a wonderful thing for yourself and your family.
7,308 cigarettes?? is that really how many you would have smoked in a year?! whoa.
Good for you!! Gotta love those perspective stats. Almost $1500?!? HO-LEE CRAP.
Wonderful!!
I’m an ex-smoker, too. Can’t believe I ever did that. Ewww.
What I’d like to know is, if I have saved a bunch of money by not smoking… WHERE IS IT???
Do they just send you a check?
That’s awesome! Congratulations!
Thanks everyone.
What are you going to do with all that extra time??? CONGRATS CONGRATS CONGRATS!!!
I quit too, years ago - and I can totally relate to your anger over the nicotine replacement industry! You GO REGULARMOM! The good thing is that your anger gives you the drive to put those damn sticks down and put them down for good!
Other benefits you didn’t list:
You don’t smell like an ashtray.
You spend more time with your beautiful family.
(I know you didn’t smoke around your girls!)
You look more beautiful than ever!
(You really were too scrawny and your skin was kinda grayish before.)
Your family is ohsoglad that you did it!
Love you -
RegularSis
What a beautiful gift not only to your body, but to your children.
I quit a pack-a-day habit before my son was conceived. For years when things got very stressful I would notice a voice in my head that said, “damn, I would love to smoke a cigarette right now.” It amazed my how sly the voice was and how much it really sounded like my voice. But it wasn’t. It was the voice of nicotine. It is no longer talking to me. I kicked its ass. Sounds like you have too.
GOOD FOR YOU. YOU ROCK.
Robinella,
What am I gonna do with all that extra time? Hmmm…I’d say, “We’re going to Disneyworld,” but the stress of actually navigating Disneyworld with a 4-year-old could easily push me into a nicotine relapse, so it’s best if we don’t go to Disneyworld. So, I guess we’ll just travel around Europe instead. Someday. When the kids are older. And sane. And able to wipe by themselves.
Hey RegularSis!
We all want to know what’s up with RegularNephew and RegularNiece and RegularBIL and you, of course. Send out some details. Comment them here, or send me an email and I’ll post it for ya. You’d be a guest-poster, which would make me feel like an utterly COOL blogger. What do ya say?
– RM
So cool! Congratulations!