Kate18

A year ago I had an eye exam and the eye doctor told me that I have early-stage cataracts and glaucoma. She instructed me to absolutely quit smoking. That was April last year. It wasn't until February 21 this year that I got myself to quit for keeps. I'd quit for days or weeks, even a month a couple of times, but it was a struggle and I lapsed. Today I went back to her because I've been feeling pressure in my right eye. She asked about health changes and I was so happy to be able to tell her that I'd finally quit smoking. In spite of the moments of craving occasionally, staying quit feels for-good now. The impetus when I quit on Feb 21st was fear of getting fatal pneumonia with the virus, but saving my eyesight is another big incentive to stay quit. So many reasons to quit and stay quit.

Hi Guttie, welcome! This group here will help you over the rough spots as you go on this journey. Lots of resources and support. You've come to a good place.

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A line from this one is especially pertinent right now, "Experience, not time is what is going to determine how long it is before you break all of the different associations that you may have with cigarettes." It's an answer to a question that puzzled me a few times when I realized how many triggers there have been in the past few days. Another trigger today while I was waiting out at my car at the veterinarian while the vet examined my small dog. (Turned out the bump I found on her shoulder was a cyst, harmless.) Because of the virus, no one is allowed in the vet clinic anymore, except employees. So I stood by my car in the sun, craving a smoke. It was another place where I smoked in the past, but hadn't come up again since I quit smoking until today. Guess I can chalk off that one for rewiring an experience to a nonsmoking event.

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I've been hit several times today like that, sneaking up when I wasn't expecting it. Another tense moment in a movie, and before that, while listening to my almost-90 year old mother on the phone. I used to pass the time smoking while I listened to her for 30-40 minutes at a time. Her hobby is complaining, and there is no sense in pointing out how many good things she has in her life. Always made me want to smoke.

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It's possible that I'm not thinking about smoking every day. Just had a craving for a smoke a few minutes ago, and wasn't in any risk of lapsing, but it reminded me that I hadn't been on the forum for a few days. I guess that's how I know I haven't been thinking about smoking--I've been forgetting to post the daily pledge. The stressor this time was a tense scene while watching a movie. Triggers to smoke are fewer than I expected. I didn't expect to be at this comfort level with being a nonsmoker for many months.

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Sobering and alarming. Thank you for posting this, MQ. I'll be emailing it to everyone I know this morning.

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