NayNay

Darn it, you guys are making me jealous of your travels! Although I just went to Boston here in the states, I would love to see the Great Barrier Reef, and Sydney, and all the other stuff! I'm not much of an international traveller though; it is rather expensive too! Perhaps one day. Laura, enjoy your trip, and even better, you won't have to worry about being in the airports or planes and not being able to smoke for long stretches. You'll have that part already taken care of! Also, enjoy the fresh crisp air around you and breathe it in. Feels so good to do that without coughing doesn't it? You are doing great. The craves will hit you here and there, but the longer you resist them and don't think about smoking, the less they will come. I've been quit for going on 4 months now, and sometimes I get hit with a strong urge to go outside and smoke a cigarette. It gets better. We're here. No worries!

Well, luckily I can still get to all of you through work computer :) I just contacted my computer guy and am awaiting a return call. I'm sure he will have to take the laptop to fix it, and I know he is really busy right now. Hopefully it won't take too long. Perhaps my husband will let me borrow his since he really doesn't use it very much at all. I still have more pictures I have to download from my phone from the Boston trip with Tracy. I'll get to those as soon as possible. Too bad you are leaving Nancy when Marti and DevilDoll will be in Florida!!!!

Just wanted to check in and let you all know I might be incognito for a bit. I fear my computer has many viruses and infections going on :( I have to get it fixed, so that means no computer at night for a bit. I will try to check in during the day from work. Talk to all of you soon I hope!

Yep Tracey, you are next! I'm thinking perhaps sometime next week? This weekend I have to help my daughter clean up some sections of the house she lives in; it is my mother-in-laws house and I need to box up MIL's stuff for storage. My daughters live in her house since she is in assisted living now (she'll be 93 in a couple weeks). Both girls are still in college (older one grad school; younger one 2nd year of 4-yr). They have their freedom away from Mom and Dad's house and rules, and Mom and Dad have their peace of mind! Ireland sounds like a beautiful place to visit, however I don't think I could be on a plane that long. :(

Laura, welcome and so glad you decided to give it a go again. Hopefully this will be your sticky quit. I also thought about cigarettes constantly in the beginning. Your brain will play those tricks on you for quite a while. After those first three days though, the nicotine is out of your system and the rest is all psychological and mental. Just keep convincing your mind that you do not need to smoke and that you choose not to. One day at a time as well. NOPE means Not One Puff Ever - but you can say it NOPE for today. You can commit to that every single day until you feel you don't have to say "just for today". NOPE will just always be the motto and that is enough. You can do this. We are all doing it; and trust me if I can do it, anybody can do it. I am 3-1/2 months quit, and there are still times I get a strong crave for a smoke. But, I just get my mind on other things and it goes away. Lean on us; we'll get you through it.

You guys are fun! Actually the Ice Bar was a great experience. The drinks they mix there are something to be desired because they are yuck. I don't know if your tongue would get stuck on the ice glass or not; didn't try that! Jenny, the Frost Ice Bar is at Faneuil Hall Marketplace. It is at the end of the main area, before crossing to go to the aquarium area? I don't remember name of street right there. But it certainly was an experience. Tracy and I had so much fun; I wish we could be around each other all the time. It was like being with one of my sisters. Tracy and I are very much alike. That is why we had to meet. The sheer fact that there was two of me was just ridiculous to even consider! But, there I was; a lot thinner and cuter, oh and also 11 years younger, but still there! We really did have a blast. I think an annual Quittrain reunion or meeting or picnic would be a lot of fun! To meet everyone and all be totally smoke free would be awesome!

I'll post some pics as soon as I transfer them to my computer. We actually went to a Frost Ice Bar in Boston, Massachussetts. This bar is made totally out of ice; everything. The seating, the decorations, even the glasses! When you order a drink, they make it in a glass made out of ice. You have to wear gloves and a parka poncho inside because it is like 21 degrees always. Even the seating is ice! The drinks; well they weren't too tasty, but it was a fun experience! And, btw, Tracy is signed up here at Quittrain under the name footballmom. She has been extremely busy lately, so hopefully when things calm down for her, she will begin posting here. She was bullied so badly at another site, I think she is still rather put off by doing it all over again. I keep encouraging her though, so hopefully she will come out of hiding in due time. At work right now, but I'll work on those pictures tonight. I have to transfer from both my camera and my smartphone, so I'm okay on computers, but not too tech savvy. Hopefully it won't take me too long to get them on here!

Hey all. Thanks to those who PM'd asking if I was okay because they had not seen me around in a few days. I'm great! Was out of town visiting another fellow quitter who I met on another board and we hit it off really great. We actually quit on the same day, so right away became each others quit buddy. She lives in Rhode Island, and I live in Ohio. Well my husband and I took a weekend trip to Boston where my quit buddy met us and we had a fantastically fun filled time being with each other! She is such a great person, and I am so honored to be her friend now. My husband had a great time too, even though my quit buddy and I were laughing at stupid things that he was like "what's so funny?" :) But, I'm back home and will be popping in and out daily again. Love that you guys cared enough to reach out to make sure I was okay though. That is true support! And, I thank you immensely for it!

Sorry to hear this news Nancy. My best friend just had to put down her 11 year old yellow lab (Abbey) the other day. Such sadness. It's always difficult when we lose those little puffs of fur that love us so unconditionally.

Woohoo Ceri! You go girl! Great decision you've made there, and what a wonderful BIL you have as well! He will be so supportive and encouraging for you! As will all of us here!

Sarah, you go girl! Woohoo! Why wouldn't any guy ask you out? You are gorgeous girl! Go after exactly what you want. The rest can eat their hearts out! JK I like that you also have "nice underwear" on! That cracked me up. What is "not nice underwear"?

Chrispy, how funny! My Niece always called me Aunt Sha Nay Nay!!!!!

Wow! Thanks to all of you for the birthday wishes! I'm overwhelmed! Tracey, thanks for staying up all night to bake that beautiful cake. You really went all out on it too! I Love it! OMG Jenny!!!! I LOVE that video birthday wish! So funny and cute! I'm the face on the moon today! Yay! I am proud to celebrate my birthday this year as a non-smoker! I never thought I'd see this day, but here it is and I'm solidly done with that whole chapter of my life. Thanks to all of you who continue to help, encourage, and support me in my quit. All of this is possible because of such great people. Hugs to you all!

Tracey, I totally relate to how you are feeling. Been doing that myself lately. It really is horrible, but you just have to stick to your guns and say NOPE. Sometimes I cry when I'm saying NOPE, but I still stay NOPE. Listen to Jackie; you will throw away your beautiful quit for what? What will that cigarette do for you? You will cough and hack, you will feel horribly dizzy and nauseous, you will smell like smoke, and your lungs will burn! Ooooo, that sounds pleasant doesn't it? I have made this comment before, and I'll make it again; I truly envy those who never ever touched a cigarette their whole life. They have no idea how hard this can be. I, like you Tracey, wish that the craves and wants would just disappear and never rear their ugly heads! But, they do and we begin to become hypnotized that one will be okay. But, we know one will lead to more, and then to health problems, and death. Don't think about it. Get your mind wrapped around something else. Oh, and STAY AWAY FROM ALCOHOL! That's a huge trigger!!!!!! I'm here, holding on. Come join me!

Hi Natalie! Welcome to the QT! Like everybody has already said, quitting and the method used to quit is definitely a personal preference. I myself used an electronic cigarette to quit. Although e-cigs are not an "approved" method of nicotine replacement therapy for quitting, I did use it in that fashion. The part that really helped me was the whole "hand to mouth" motion. You can begin with whatever nicotine level you are comfortable with and move down from there until you are at zero nicotine. I still vape, but do not use nicotine. I have been smoke free for just over 3 months now. I can say that there are still days I get a craving or really want a cigarette, but I just dismiss it now because I know how that cigarette will make me feel, and I do not want to start all over again! You must be in the right mindset to quit smoking. That, to me, should be the most important, most crucial point when educating someone on quitting. If you are not in the right mindset, and you do not totally embrace your quit and have your mind wrapped around it, it will not be successful. You cannot go into this with only one foot. You must have both feet firmly planted and ready to go to battle with the addiction. That for me was the most important. I smoked for nearly 40+ years. I am also a Type 2 Diabetic, and it is just a really bad combination to smoke with diabetes. My eyesight was beginning to be affected, so everything I read to slow down that progression said "QUIT SMOKING". So, I value my eyesight more than smoking, and that is what I did. Everyday gets a bit easier. But, I won't lie, there are times that are rough and I want to just cave in and get cigarettes and smoke. But those are the times I find renewed strength and continue to repeat to myself that I am now a non-smoker and I do not need to smoke a cigarette. We are all here to guide you and give you the support and encouragement you need. Please lean on us, and don't worry. Make a plan, stick to your plan, and stick close to this board. We'll help you through this!

Susana, see what you started? :) NOPE

Currently reading Joyland by Joe Hill and Stephen King. Joe Hill is his son, who is also an Writer. Go figure! Also have Dr. Sleep and Mr. Mercedes waiting to be read. Both are Stephen King books. I've read everything he's written, and have every book he's ever written. Love his writing. Action, I've read quite a bit of Dean Koontz as well. I've read most of the Odd books, and so many others I cannot remember all the names. But, I really like his writing. I also like Peter Straub and John Saul. Also both horror type writers. If not reading horror, I like true stories, books about the mafia, suspense thriller type, auto-biographies. I used to read a lot of romance, but that was back when I was just a silly girl :)

Agree 110%

So, I have to say that I feel pretty solid in my quit, even though I have been going through some very heavy emotional rollercoasters lately. I don't know if it is hormonal or what, but I've been all over the place, feeling down, sad, depressed, and crying a lot. I have ups and downs with my feelings about being a diabetic and the struggles that are sometimes a daily thing with my blood sugar, and of course with my weight issues that seems to be ongoing for the majority of my life. However, the other evening I was talking to a very close friend (who also happened to be my very first boyfriend, first kiss, and first "love" when I was 13 years old) and discovered that he has pancreatic cancer and has approximately 6 months left. This man and I were very close friends all through junior high and high school, and kept in contact until he got married and moved away. We hadn't spoken or seen each other in about 32 years, and I happened to find him on Facebook one day. I sent him a message and he sent me his phone number. We've been communicating again for over a year now, and it is like we picked right back up on our friendship where it left off back when. Now after all that time and always wondering where he was and what he was doing, we finally reconnect only to find that I'm going to lose him once again. Keep in mind this was my very first love, and to some degree, he owns that little place in my heart forever. I love my husband very much, and he is very aware of all this and is accepting. I thank God for him everyday because he is such a wonderful man. If there were going to be a time of great stress that would cause me to relapse, this would be a winner. But, I realized today that I haven't even thought about smoking through all this. I can honestly say that my heart is heavy with the knowledge that this person who is my forever friend and special friend will cease to be here in this world. I haven't even gotten to see him again; just have talked. He lives in another state. He has suffered some horrible traumatic events in his life, and I just want to hug him and tell him everything will be okay. But, I will never get the chance to do that now. I ask all those who read my blog to please say a prayer for this man because he is worthy of our thanks and comfort. This man served in the military as an Air Force Mechanic, and was involved in a horrific helicopter accident that nearly killed him. He does suffer from PTSD from that terrible accident, and overall is a good man and loving man. Thanks to anyone who read this. I just needed to get this out there so it isn't sitting inside my head bouncing around.

Well, I'll be redundant and say "love the intro" as well. Very creative, imaginative, and inspiring. Welcome to the Quittrain. Pull up a comfy chair and join us. We are a friendly group and are open to hearing whatever you have to offer! The more the Merrier right? :)

This is a great topic. I agree with most that working through your cravings and figuring out what is causing it is key. I do not agree that carrying around a NRT such as gum or patches is a good idea. Even for those of us who vape with no nicotine juice, it is not a good idea to add back even a 6mg nicotine when craving. The act of vaping alone usually tricks the mind into thinking you are smoking, but you are not getting that drug or the chemicals that you get from real cigarettes. Sometimes it is just the hand to mouth motion. I can't explain it, but there are days when I vape more than normal, and days that I hardly vape at all. I am hoping to be done with everything by years end. However, I do agree that once free of nicotine addiction, it is not beneficial nor is it advisable to use even just a little because it will start that addiction all over again. Just my opinion.

Yep, it's been rather humid lately here too. August is usually considered the "dog days of summer". But, because of the polar vortex over the past winter, it continues through the summer. From what I understand, temps are about 10-15 degrees cooler than normals. So we would normally be in the high 80's to high 90's at this time of the year. I'm not complaining though; I like the cooler weather!

I guess I can say I'm lucky that I'm not really much of a drinker. However, my trigger was that morning cup of coffee and letting the dogs outside. I would usually go with the dogs outside and have a smoke. Now, I just get my cup of coffee, let the dogs outside, and I watch the weather for the day and the traffic report. I also will get everything ready that I need to take with me that day to work, and then go and begin my routine of brushing teeth, showering, makeup, hair, dressing....I don't miss the morning smoking at all! The only thing I can say is that I tend to not go outside very much right now because I'm not smoking, so before I was always in and out all day and night long. I need to push myself to go outside and enjoy the sunshine or breeze. I'd say that is the only thing that has occurred since I quit. Once you get through the first few times of what was always a trigger, you create a new routine and adapt to it. What is it Sgt. Sausage says "easy breazy". :)

Hey Gio! Coming to visit your fare city in another week and a half! Looking forward to seeing Bean Town! You sound like me as far as doing something really healthy and smoking! I used to go to the gym and walk out and immediately light up a smoke. I think about that now and it just sounds so ludicrous! How stupid was I? Welcome to the Quittrain. Everyone here is more than happy to help a new quitter. Find a spot and make yourself comfortable. Lots to learn!

I miss my Mom who left this world too young I miss drinking all the caffeine I wanted to and it not affecting me I miss carefree thinking and no anxiety I miss being the girl who always looked to have fun and would try anything at least once I miss my first Love, who I actually still talk to, but so much has happened between those years I miss being able to go shopping all day without my body aching like I worked out for 20 hours straight