Nancy

I think NRT has helped many people...I just dislike the CVS advertising. I did not quit Cold Turkey...to me, whatever gets you quit...good for you, but I must say every way I turn, someone is profiting from the addiction... Lucky for us we are free!!

So happy for your one year...it might have been much worse if you were still smoking...hope the tests get it all sorted out quickly...

Seems like you had it nailed...

that was very cool...thanks for sharing!

I was just looking at the CVS website regarding their smoking cessation program, and was surprised at what I saw...they have you fill in a few blanks and then they rank your dependence on nicotine from 1 to 10. This is what they have to say about Cold Turkey: Quitting Cold Turkey Isn't Recommended Less than 5% of the 13 million smokers trying to quit each year will succeed. That's because your body physically craves nicotine. The cravings begin when your brain stops getting nicotine. And when your brain wants nicotine, it's hard to tell it no. It's for this reason that quitting "cold turkey" is often unsuccessful. According to one study, over 95% of "cold turkey" quitters start smoking again within 6-12 months. The most widely used method of quitting smoking is also the most misunderstood. Going it alone, or trying to quit smoking "cold turkey," means relying solely on your willpower to quit. Because nicotine is so addictive, people often underestimate how difficult it is to resist cravings simply using willpower. That's where nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products, like Nicorette Gum, Nicorette Lozenge, and the NicoDerm CQ Patch can help. NRT products can ease your body safely off of nicotine by releasing controlled amounts of nicotine slowly, when used as directed. This allows you to focus on staying smoke-free without burning out your willpower. This material is paid for and provided by GSK Consumer Healthcare. And, needless to say, GSK is the company that manufactures Nicorette gum, lozenges, Nicoderm patches. Not really sure how I feel about this...bud did find it interesting...

So happy for you!! I got a new car last year after driving mine for 12 years and 160, miles...and it felt great!

Love the pics, Tracey...but may I be so rude as to ask...what in God's name is on your head in your new avi?

I found this online, here. A message from your body. (Repost) By tahoehal on November 03 2007 at 4:39 pm Insert your own name ......... and days of being smoke free x. Dear .......... It has been x days since you have quit smoking. You probably don't recognize me since you have been real busy for about x years. I am your body and I wanted to have a conversation with you. There are some things I need to tell you and share with you. You may need them now that you are recovering and I for the first time can express them. I am your lungs, your heart, your eyes, your liver, your blood, your skin and your mind. For x years, ......., you have been smoking and I have been unable to talk to you. It's not that there were times when I did not try, because I did. I sent you all sorts of signals to let you know I wanted to talk to you and you were not able to hear me. You passed it off as a morning cough or dizziness and whatever you were doing for all those years was too strong for me to fight. I have been waiting for this conversation with you for years. I must first tell you that we don't miss the smoke you filled us with. There were days when you were out, having a good time in the summer sun and I was too. I like the warm air and I even like the sun. But, ........, even on those wonderful days you would take the time to fill my lungs with smoke, my blood with carbon monoxide and my brain with nicotine. Every time I thought things were getting better and I was ready to talk to you there would be a burst of all these chemicals and I had to spend all of my energy, and YOUR energy, ......., on trying to keep you alive. I think you get the point now and I don't want to sound critical although I may have come off that way. What I really need to tell you is that for the past x days I have been working hard with the rest of your body ,to heal from a lot of years of neglect. I guess I want to say THANK YOU. Thank you, ......., for having the courage and the strength to quit smoking. If you have ever done anything right for me, by not smoking you have given me a new life. I need to tell you that it will take time for me to heal. You know how long you smoked, ........ It will take a bit of time to work with the lungs and the brain and the heart but IT WILL HAPPEN. Every cell in your body congratulates you... .... I need to warn you about something. One of the drugs that the brain thought it liked was Nicotine. That's a bad drug. It fooled me into thinking that I needed it. I never picked up a cigarette in my life and you made me addicted to Nicotine. Hey, I know it was not your fault! But there will be some difficulty the next few days and months. I, too, became addicted to that drug and it will take some time before I get rid of that. But I have a promise that I want to give you now that I can talk to you. If you promise to not smoke and to give this your very best shot, and I know how hard it is for you, I will reward you with more than great health, ........... And in time you will not only feel better but I will give you something that you thought you lost a long time ago. Remember your self-esteem and your image? Well I know who you are and I want you to know that I LOVE YOU. In time you will feel better and be so proud of what you accomplished-This I promise you. By the way! In this process of getting better we will be doing a lot of work inside. So please feed me and water me like you would if you were taking care of a beautiful Rose. It's time that you started to look after yourself with love, understanding and compassion as well; we like that too. Everything you give to me during this process I will reward you with tenfold. I believe in you, ....... I AM YOU. I KNOW you can do this. I don't want to have to wait another x years to have this conversation with you. Know that I love you and know that it is unconditional. It seem at times like I am working against you but know that I am working with you, .........., to heal US. Just for Today, ......., please do not smoke. Thank you for listening to me. I love you! Sincerely, Your lungs, heart, liver, blood, mind and skin and every living cell in you.

Bonnie, do you have any news? Keeping you and your daughter in thoughts and prayers...

(((Sarah))) You have accomplished so much! It is normal to be weepy sometimes, with such big changes. Be proud of what you have done...in both cases you have saved your life!

Woo Hoo, Natalie!! Two weeks is fabulouso!!

Sorry I missed this, DF...you got a lot of great advice. I hope today is better!!

Yes, No Man's Land is when all the shiny new is gone off the quit...and it becomes just hard work. I found this post online here in someone's quit smoking journal, and I think it describes it very well... No Man's Land. Repost for jhhawaii By tahoehal on May 13 2008 at 5:54 pm 77, Male Las Vegas NV, United States Member Since: September 01 2004 « Previous Entry Next Entry » I seldom start a post, unless it is to honor someone's anniversary. But I feel compelled to share something that I seem to be sharing a lot of lately... and that is my thoughts on 'No Man's Land'. No Man's Land is a dangerous and scary place... and it is a lonely time during a quit. I call No Man's Land that period of time between about 1 month and 3 or 4 months into your quit, or about the time from the end of your first month.. This is a time when many people slip and go into a full relapse and have to start over... if they can start over, that is. I have some observations that may help some of you who are literally hanging on by your fingernails... or who may find yourself there tomorrow. The first month is an exhausting but exhilirating experience... you are locked in nearly daily struggles and you get the satisfaction of successfully beating your addiction that day. You go to bed a WINNER each night (as Troutnut would say), and you are justifiably proud of yourself. Your friends and family are also supportive as they see you struggling each day to maintain your quit. And you are being constantly supported here, whether or not you post... just being here is good for your quit. And so, the battles are won and it actually becomes easier and the battles occur less often as you finish 30 days or so. Around 60 days, you're starting to have some really good days, with very few craves and some nice insights about yourself... but then again, you still have some bad days. Those bad days can really be depressing... you begin to wonder if you're ever gonna be able to relax. Your junkie is whispering to you, telling you that 'just one' won't hurt. You've conquered your daily triggers, but now you start trippiing over the occasional ones... a death in the family, unexpectedly bad news, money problems, health problems, going on a long car ride, a trip to the bar, or whatever. You have a strong crave and you begin to doubt your ability to keep your quit. In addition, the 3D support that you used to get is pretty much gone... non-smokers figure you should be 'over it' by now, smokers don't like to hang around you much because they feel guilty and addicted (remember that feeling?), and people who have quit may not remember just how much love and support you need well into the first few months. They all think you should be 'over it', you think you should be 'over it'... and the temptation is to have 'just one' to see if you ARE over it. But of course you're not over it, are you? That 'just one' whisper becomes much much louder and becomes 'just one more'... and each time you give in to that whisper, the craves come harder and sooner. The one way to guarantee that your craves will never go away is to light up, to slide that old cigarette needle into your arm and shoot up. Those craves will be back and keep coming back. But if you protect your quit, your craves will eventually weaken and become even fewer and farther between. As you get to around 100 days or so (some will be a bit longer)... you will begin to really get a healthy perspective on your addiction. You will see the huge role that smoking played in your life, you will see clearly what that addiction really cost you. And you will understand that it was a very high price to pay... the loss of your confidence, your emotions, your self-control... your SELF. All enslaved to your addiction. And you will begin to see that you can look forward to a non-smoking future without romanticizing your addiction. You see it clearly for the life-stealing evil it was... and is. You see a much different future for yourself than your past has been. And it no longer scares the crap out of you to think that you are done smoking... in fact, you embrace that thought with joy every day. But you have to get out of No Man's Land first. How can you help yourself? And how can those of us who have been through it help you? First of all, you need to understand that you aren't alone. If you haven't already done so, make a pinky-finger promise with 2 or 3 good quitbuds and exchange phone numbers with them. Promise to call them if you're ever in trouble, and make them promise the same. These are your 'life and death' quitbuddies... you are literally trusting each other with your lives. Then call them... often. Just to see how they are doing, and to tell them you're doing well too. Be totally honest with them, this is life and death. Second, understand that you're going to have some unexpectedly bad days... but they are going to be further apart. Shrug them off, laugh your way through them, call your quitbuddies... whatever it takes to get through them without smoking. Some battles will be easy, some will be hard. Come here and post, send qmail, exercise, learn to cook, take up a new hobby. Whatever it takes, keep going to bed a WINNER each night. Third, ask some of the older qsters to keep an eye on you... to contact you to see how you're doing. I have been asked to do that for several of you recently and I am happy to do that, as I am sure that others are too. We know that you just need to hold on a little bit longer and change your focus just a little to make that breakthrough. And then you will OWN your quit, and it will be a very comfortable thing. Last, take a deep and honest look at your past life... your life as a smoker and compare it to what your life is like now... and what it will be like in the future. You have to develop that vision of your future, of the person that you are going to BECOME now that you have freed yourself. You have to believe in yourself. You have to love yourself enough to deny yourself your addiction. No Man's Land doesn't have to be so lonely and scary and dangerous. You need some company and some courage and some faith in yourself. And when you emerge from it, you will not be the same person that entered it. Never never never question your decision to quit! This is the most loving thing that you will ever do for yourself. A few days of discomfort in exchange for a lifetime of freedom. You will never find another deal like it. Protect your quit. Don't smoke, no matter what. Hal 08-20-2004 A puff is too much, a thousand cartons are not enough.

One year is such a huge milestone!! So very happy for you!

No way!

Welcome to the board, luckypoo! So glad you found us. You've joined a big group of quitters. Would you please start a thread in Introductions and tell us a little bit about you and your quit?

Not sure if this one has been posted...

So happy for you, Sarah! Five months is wonderful!!

Two months is awesome! Good for you!!

Way to go, Wiley!!! Eight months is fabulous!!!

So happy for you, Lisa!! You continue to pay it forward in the most fabulous ways. Thank you, and two years is wonderful!!

I'm in, Jackie! No smoking for me!

All I have is "Wow!!" Once again learn something new about folks on this board!

That is so funny!!

Oh, Bonnie, I am so sorry to read this...you must be scared to death. It may be routine to the doctors...but it never feels routine when it is a loved one, especially a child. Will pray for strength and healing for you and your daughter, and skill and wisdom for the surgeon. So glad you realized a cigarette would only separate you from your daughter, and not solve a thing. We've had too many years of cigarettes being our "go to" solution for everything. Stay strong for your daughter, and know that we are here for you!