Saturday, September 2, 2006

Pat on the back, a day late.

                                   

  I was feeling so punk yesterday I forgot to celebrate my 2 year anniversary.

            

   2 years ago I had a doctor inches from my face telling me I had to quit smoking now.  I had had what they thought was a stroke.  I was 50.  I didn't quit that day, but the next morning I did.  Sept. 1, 2004 at 8 in the morning I smoked my last cigarette and quit cold turkey.  Neither my husband or me really thought I would quit.  I was scared but could I really do it?  Well I did.  I gained a ton of weight but I did it. 

   What else did I gain?  Well I can breath now, good.....I just did a 90 mile bike ride, good.....I can go hiking again......really good.......my clothes don't stink......also very good........my husband says my mouth no longer tastes like an ashtray......also very good.

   So I am patting myself on the back.  I did it.  I DID IT.

   Pam asked me how long I had smoked and what did I get out it.  My doctor told me I had a 45 year smoking history.  I don't know how they come up with that since I would have had to start smoking when I was 7 but it has something to do with how many you smoked also.  

    I became a serious smoker around 16.  I had smoke casually with friends before that, but I took to smoking like a duck to water.  I liked how it calmed me down, gave me something to do besides eat, how I thought it make me look older and sexy when I was young, and how it made me take breaks which I rarely do now.  When I started the worse thing they said could happen was I would be short.  So what.  I smoked through both my pregnancies and they even rolled me bed and all out in the hall for a smoke when my first labor lasted 3 days.  Fortunately neither of my children smoke. 

    I would leave a movie to smoke,  I would be lighting my cigarette as I left the door of work.  Once I started to walk to the store in 14 inches of snow because I was out of smokes.  They ruled my life.  At one time I smoked 2 to 3 packs a day.

    Now we know what I always suspected.  The cigarette companies add things to the tobacco to make it addicting.   Recently they admitted to increasing the nicotine also to make it more addictive.   I really think it should be made illegal.  I would have not smoked if it had been.

   I do not go on a rant and rave with my smoker friends.  They will all quit when it is their time.  I hope I didn't wait too long to quit, but I might have.  My lungs may have lasting damage.  But I have quit.  For now and forever.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOW, I'm so proud of you for quitting.  That is wonderful.  Just think of all the money you have saved.  I have been a non-smoker for almost 57 years.  I watched my mother pick butts apart from the ashtray and make a roll-your-own and smoke it with a bobby-pin, so I swore to never smoke.  Very proud of myself, as I have passed this on to my five children, who are all non-smokers.  They use to blurt out when they were little, "Oh, Mommie look at that stupid lady/man who is smoking.  That will kill them."  Out of the mouth of Babes!!

Anonymous said...

congrats!!!

Deb

Anonymous said...

Congrats. Helen

Anonymous said...

That is a HUGE accomplishment!!  That's one of the hardest...if not THE hardest thing for people to give up.  Congrats Julie!!
How long did you smoke, if you don't mind me asking?
About a year ago, I was curious as to what people saw in it....what they got out of it. I'd never smoked.  I had some friends that did.  So I'd smoke when I was with them. I totally understood what they got out of it.  One thing I did like about it was that it makes you stop and take a little "break" wherever you happen to be.  We'd stop doing whatever we were doing and have a cigarette.  
Well..I started enjoying it a bit TOO much.  I had to consciously make an effort NOT to smoke with my friends anymore. I can see now why someone would get hooked.
Congrats again, Julie.  Good job!
Pam

Anonymous said...

Amen, sister!!  My husband smoked for 35 years, and finally quit because he got cancer of the larynx.  If it had not been for that little thing, called cancer, he would not have quit.  He actually enjoyed it!!  He has been cancer free for almost 3 years now, but I always worry if it will come back.  Luckily, you quit when you did.  Kudos to you...I know its not easy :)
xoxo ~Myra

Anonymous said...

I used to be a 2 pk a day smoker for about 15 years and, like you, I just up and quit cold turkey.  13 years ago!  Best thing I ever did for myself!

Pat yourself on the back!  You deserve it!

And.. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Hugs,
Jackie

Anonymous said...

Congrats on your Quit!!! I can so relate - quitting is one of my biggest accomplishments. I quit 7 years ago at the age of 42 after smoking two packs/day for more than 27 years!!! It was the hardest thing I've ever done, but the benefits have been awesome. For one thing, I started Spinning (which is a really hard cycling class at the gym on stationary mountain bikes) before I quit and my lungs were the size of a hamster's. Once I quit, my lungs expanded with time and now I take Spinning 5 days a week and I'm 49!! Love it...I traded nicotine for endorphins. Finally, a healthy addiction!

So WTG, Julie!! Two years is AWESOME.

:) Carol