Amy R.

Hey everyone! Just popping by to say I’m celebrating 3 years this coming Monday, 1/29/24! I’ve been smoke free and craving free since day 1! No matter what anyone says, it IS possible! This month is the beginning of an awesome year! No smoking, a toxic coworker is leaving next week, I’m starting my first new relationship in almost 7 years, I’ve overcome anxiety and have joined a freaking gym! Make this year the best you can!!!! Good to everyone still pushing through!!! You can dot it!

So in 10 days I will be 2 years smoke free! I’m so proud of me. I still haven’t had a single craving since day one. I’m horrified at how I’m sure I used to smell. Secondhand smoke absolutely disgusts me. It was awful for a while because my office mate smoked like a chimney but she’s now almost a month smoke free now too! Definitely makes for a better day for me not having to smell her all day. Lol If you’re reading this and just starting your journey, you got this! Just keep reminding yourself why you’re quitting and stick to it! If you need a shoulder to cry on, or someone to vent to, reach out!

Just thought I would check in here. It’s been a while. I’m just a few weeks shy of 1.5 years smoke free! Still super proud of myself. Still no cravings at all! I’ve gained some weight and that’s a total bummer, but it’s better than lung cancer. The anxiety I was struggling with has gotten to a more manageable level and I’ve been able to be more social (I had debilitating anxiety over covid). Still not good with loads of people not masking but baby steps all around. Either way I’m winning! Just wanted to give some encouragement to anyone just starting on their journey! You can do this! If I could quit, cold turkey, after almost 20 years of a pack a day, you totally can do this!

Thanks! I rewarded myself with some Chinese food for dinner.

I don’t stop by often because I haven’t had a single craving since I quit on January 29th, 2021. But! I’ve surpassed 9 months smoke free after smoking for 20 years. I think that’s pretty spectacular and I just wanted to share it. I’ve saved almost $2000 since I quit as well! Fingers crossed for home ownership!

Thank you! It's been a lot easier than I thought it would be and I'm definitely glad for that. If I could apply the same mindset to my job...life would be golden. LOL

Glade

Good morning everyone! I haven't been on here since March, but I wanted to give everyone an update. I quit smoking on January 29th, 2021 and I am STILL smoke free! This coming Friday, I will be exactly 6 months smoke free. I'm truly excited about this. According to the app I have, I have saved about $1,153.10 USD so far, I have not smoked 3,548 cigarettes, and gained 44.5 days of life! I still have not had a single craving since the day that I quit. I don't understand it, but I'm so not going to question it. I have also spent time with 4 different friends that are smokers (2 at a time) and we hung out outside and they chained smoked. The most recent being this past Saturday. It smelled disgusting and I had to do my laundry when I got home because everything reeked to high heaven, but I never had a craving! To everyone just beginning their quite journey, you can absolutely do it! Stick with it and resist any urges you have to pick up a cigarette! Just keep reminding yourself why you quit in the first place. For me, it was definitely anxiety and covid related. I got severe, debilitating anxiety out of nowhere in December and part of that was fear of getting covid and dying. Since the pandemic is still a very real and current thing, I have absolutely no problem reminding myself why I quit. So find your reason, post reminders so it's always in your face, whatever helps. You got this!!!

Ok. So some of you may have seen my intro post where I talk about my anxiety and how it led me to quit a little over a month ago. I am currently at 5 full weeks smoke free and just now noticed today that when I take a big breath in I can hear the tiniest little wheeze type sound. Like I can ONLY hear it if there is no other noise in the room I’m in. Let me preface all this and say I was on mental health leave for anxiety all of February and this past Monday was first day back at work. Since returning, I have had 2 panic attacks after I got home. So my question is do you think this is just from the fresh anxiety I’m feeling or should I call my doctor like a weirdo asking for X-rays? There is no wheezing or crackling when I’m exhaling and my chest doesn’t feel tight. I'm sorry if I sound manic. I find I go through various stages of anxiety and as long as I’m not hyperventilating or sobbing I’m ok. Lol I hope this is the right place to ask this. Thank you everyone!

It was definitely a shock to me that he died! I'm only a few years younger than he was so it for sure hit home. Covid arm isn't a "serious" reaction, but no one knew what was going on when I had so it terrified me. Basically, 8 days after my shot the injection site got super itchy, warm to the touch, swollen and red. It went away within a few days but still weird. Left me thinking they'd have to take off my arm! LOL Seems dumb now, but at the time it was super scary. My first day back at work was yesterday. I'm actually doing really well still with having no cravings. The worst is still the anxiety. I've never dealt with anything like this so it's a rough road!

Hi! I'm Amy. Never did I think I'd be happy to be labeled a quitter. But here I am! After almost 20 years, I quit cold turkey on January 29, 2021. A small portion of my story and what led me to quit: In December, 2020, I very randomly became afflicted with severe anxiety. Literally, one day I was fine and the next day I was downright incapacitated. My daughter had a bit of a cold and for some reason I was positive it covid and if she had it then it must have been from my job. I tested negative, she was fine and it was just a cold, but for some reason I couldn't shake the anxiety. I forged through for a little over a month, slowly withdrawing from life. The medication I was put on gave me awful side effects (I actually lost almost 10 lbs over Christmas, not complaining but I couldn't even enjoy Christmas cookies!). The second medication had me downright depressed and I cried for most of January . I wasn't myself. I got the first covid vaccine shot on January 12, 2021 and a week later experience what's now known as "covid arm." No one had any idea what that was at that point and it landed me in the emergency room with a HUGE anxiety attack. That ended up starting me on a path to taking a month leave from work. So all of February, 2021, I stayed home to get myself right. Because I wasn't going to be going anywhere, I had my last cigarette at 9pm on January 29th. I decided this was the perfect time to totally focus on whole body wellness. This decision was only further solidified when I read the news that actor Dustin Diamond passed away from lung cancer. I didn't know him at all, but it hit me harder than I expected. Anyway, imagine my complete surprise when I had absolutely NO CRAVINGS OR SIDE EFFECTS?!?!?! I mean I was dealing with anxiety and thinking I was going to die from the vaccine (obviously I did not), but I was expecting some kind of side effects. I haven't even coughed! I actually found this site because I'm clearing my throat like it's going out of style. To an excessive degree really...and it's annoying. BUT. It's been 1 month, 1 day and 13 hours since my last cigarette. I enjoyed smoking for sure, but I'm going to enjoy living even more. Once the world can finally move on from the current stresses, I look forward to watching my daughter grow, go to college, get married, have some babies, etc. I'm taking now to really focus on myself, my faith journey, and my health journey. Fear may have pushed me to my breaking point, but I'm using it to better myself and that starts with being a quitter! Thank you for letting me join this group and introduce myself! Hopefully I didn't ramble too much!