Second anniversary

It didn't take anywhere near that long for desire to go away. Five days ago I celebrated my 24th aniversity of being smoke free. If I hadn't quit smoking I would have died long ago.

Good news on Mary and a good reason to take care of yourself.

Does Mary normally walk with you?

Wes

Excellent! I still haven't quit but have settled into 8 to 10 a day for a long time now, down from 2 packs a day and most of those just burn-up in the ask tray. I was smoke-free for a few months but fell off the wagon during a high stress period. (I don't think there will ever be a low stress period, it's like trays at the cafeteria, the next one just pops up.)

Walking IS the best! Your 3 miles is quite a walk, I wish my feet and legs would let me do that but they torture me for a long time after anything more than a 15-20 minute walk and my 15 year old three-legged dog can't go very long either.

It's been 12 or 13 years for me, I still want a smoke from time to time but it's kind of an exponential decay thing.

Now I need to start the walking thing.

CarlBoyd

Congradulations!

I found that the desire went away quickly except for certain situations. An example is working on something where it is chilly for a hour and then taking a break.

Dan =A0

Congrats ! I've been smoke-free for over 5 years now , and that 12 year number doesn't apply to everyone . Useta be the smell of smoke made me went one , now it makes me gag . And I can tell which cars have occupants who are smoking when I pass them on my bike ... and what they're smoking too . Followed a big RV down I-40 one day last fall , they must have had a dozen joints burning from the smell .

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I can patently say this is not true. I'm an alcoholic for the smokes. Light one near me and its almost torture. I avoid bars etc. This time I'm smoke free for sixteen years. Last time I was smoke free six years. I hosted a last work day/bachelor party for a good employee. On the second six pack of beer, I bummed a smoke. Bought a pack when I went to town for more beer. And a carton the next day.

Moral of the story. never light even one.

P.S. catch a couple nice ones Saturday. Nothing will help Mary more than a little fresh walleye.

Karl

Congratulations. No one in my family smoked, but my father in law was a heavy smoker (3 packs a day). He quite 20+ years ago, also due to a medical scare, and he has not had a cigarette since.

Congratulations.

It's interesting how the smoking addiction doesn't affect everyone. Both my parents smoked like chimneys for years, yet I have never smoked cigarettes. I do smoke an occasional cigar, but at an average of 2-3 per year, that certainly isn't an addiction.

Fantastic news, Don!

I knew some very strong-willed folks who just weren't able to stop smoking. (Notice the past tense)

--Winston

Aye, it was about three days for the worst of it for me, then a few dwindling desires afterwards. That, after a 20 year affair with the sh*t.

Mind you, I quit drinking about the same time, which probably made it easier.

Those were two of the best decisions I ever made in my life.

Jon

Smoking is, in some way, a way to self medicate. Some people feel better from smoking and some do not.

There is a genetic link to the "need" to smoke.

Usually there is a correlation between parents smoking and their children smoking. However, it does not seem to be passed by example: adopted children's smoking habits do not correlate with smoking of their adoptive parents, but they do correlate with smoking of the biological parents.

Almost everyone tries cigarettes (I did) but only some people go on and continue to smoke.

My dad quit smoking when my mom was pregnant with my oldest sibling (something about her quitting, then threatening violence...). He told me when I was in high school that when someone in the room was smoking he'd still have the urge to stand next to them and inhale their 2nd-hand smoke -- this was after 20 years.

I smoked for just two years, and only occasionally at that, right out of high school and in college. That was almost 30 years ago and I still don't mind being in a room full of smokers _at all_.

So if you're still wanting to smoke in 2020, don't cave in! When you first quit you have to constantly decide "no, I'm not going to start back up right now". I know it took me years (and the occasional coughing attack after taking a drag) to get past that.

Good to hear that you and yours are doing well.

Not since Dr. B raised my bar to 3 miles. She was doing 3 miles too, but not all at once nor at the same pace. At the lake, I often do my walk alone and then accompany her on hers as well.

I'm sad to hear you've had medical problems. But, glad you're in better (than before) health, and that you're enjoying life. Congratulations on overcoming dificult odds.

Ah, an excellent solution. I hope she is up to her daily walks soon.

Wes

I have a friend that is a casual smoker. He will smoke several on the weekends if he is hoisting a few with his mates, but come Monday morning he walks away and doesn't seem to miss them.

Drives me nuts that the nicotine that keeps me puffing away would have so little affect on him.

I will quit someday and not go back.

On Tue, 11 May 2010 01:46:51 -0500, Don Foreman wrote the following:

Kudos, Doc. And Congrats to you, Don. Keep up the good work.

Ewwwwwwww! You -want- to smell like a dirty ashtray again? Foo! I can't stand the smell any more, at all, ever. Cigs, ashtrays, and smokers reek. (22 years and never once looked back)

Mo foos!

That's very refreshing, isn't it? I clipped some maple branches which were hanging into the street with the rains here yesterday. I came inside soaked, but refreshed.

Not even a little corrige? Glad to hear that she's revvin' fine.

-- You will find that the mere resolve not to be useless, and the honest desire to help other people, will, in the quickest and delicatest ways, improve yourself. -- John Ruskin

On Tue, 11 May 2010 06:19:50 -0700, "Jon Danniken" wrote the following:

Yeah, since the two went hand-in-hand far too well. I waited, quitting smoking 3 years after I sobered up.

Ditto mine. I'll be 25 years sober in July and was 22 years smoke-free in Feb. A third good decision was swearing off TV. The 3rd anniversary was in April.

I've never really had an itch for any of the three since, either. It's wonderful.

-- You will find that the mere resolve not to be useless, and the honest desire to help other people, will, in the quickest and delicatest ways, improve yourself. -- John Ruskin

I tried dumping the cable, but they (Comcrap) said my internet would jump up to $80 a month. Bastards.

Jon