Barb63

But God, that quickly? I heard some people have that cough for years. We are fortunate.

The last few months especially I was coughing constantly. Shortness of breadth. 3RD day it all went away, just like you. How is that possible?

Hard to believe something as small and as stupid looking as a cigarette is could have the control it does . When I used to think about the pull, you inhale smoke to exhale it back out. Like WHY? Really think about that. That is what non smokers see. They see something that looks stupid. Because in reality, it does.

I am just about the same as you, 63, smoked 40 years and have early COPD. And this Day 26 smoke-free. My cough and escalated breathing when I climbed stairs stopped by my 3rd day. I now have no issues, don't quite understand how that is possible. I am on the PATCH. Doctor gave me lozenges also but I don't like them so just keeping them for a rainy day once the PATCH 3 month program is done. Just take one day at a time. I never thought I would wish for time to pass but I sure wish I had 6 months behind me. Its a fragile time. We have to do this.

Nice to meet you Robbie . Without the Patch when I tried to stop in the past I felt like I was having a nervous breakdown, I would cry and actually felt if I didn't get a cigarette I would fall over the edge. With the Patch I don't . I guess those feelings were from the physical withdraw. I can't even imagine how I would last going through both the physical and mental withdraw the same time. The mental need and addiction is bad enough.

My quit day is the same as yours and the last 3 days have been the hardest . I am so preoccupied with missing a cigarette and wanting one.

True. This is maddening. I wish cigarettes were like alcohol to me, I could have a drink and not have another for 10 years. I don't get addicted to alcohol .

Something like these. Just google 'fake cigarettes'. Maybe holding one and pretending to smoke it .....maybe it will help with the mental need of the actual activity of smoking.

🧐🤔 I can just imagine walking down the street smoking invisibly.

I was going to save my last cigarette and put tape around it to keep it intact to use as a pretend smoke but I broke my last 2 . I found fake cigarettes online, 2 in a package for a few bucks, I am going to get them and pretend smoke. I do think they will be helpful.

This made me laugh. Ha! Thanks.

Everyone struggles differently, but anyone who has quit smoking or on that smoke-free train knows it is one hell of a battle. I am new here also. On my 25th smoke-free day and the last few days have been rough. If I could start my 25 days over again knowing now how I miss the 'action' of smoking I would have cut down gradually to adjust to it. Like every 2 hours for several days then every 3 hours for several days and so on so it didn't have to be the 'All or nothing'. When you stop it all at once the thought of never having another cigarette is scary and sometimes seems like an impossible task. At least if I was smoking every 6 hours I would know on that 6th hour I would be getting one. It just seems like it would have been more doable that way.

@GetBack26844462 My aunt years ago had emphysema and would turn off her oxygen to smoke then turn it back on when she was finished smoking. She died at 42 years old. Smoking is so bad, its so addicting, its unreal the hold it has on people. Just one day at a time. You will get there when you really want to get there. My biggest regret is the day I started. Now it is a never ending battle to win this war.

I hear you. I haven't verbalized that but sometimes I think it. The poor me had to stop for health reasons but other people can still smoke. When I see people outside smoking sometimes I say to myself 'They are so lucky they can smoke'. This is one terrible horrible addiction.

A Health issue has forced me to quit. Had this not come up, I would never have tried to quit just because I knew it was bad to smoke. I see your quit date was 2016. Congratulations. Do you still struggle with it ? How often can you say you want one ?

I hear you Linda, I only joined this forum yesterday. I quit 24 days ago and this past weekend have been the worst 2 days so far. I actually said out loud I was going to go outside and buy 1 from someone. I didn't yet . I know if I do give in I will be really pissed off at myself after. I knew this was going to be hard but the wanting one and not being able to have one is such a struggle and I am not so certain I want or can deal with this struggle every day. Good luck in your fight.

I always knew it was going to be hard. That's why I never tried before. When a doctor tells you you have a progressive lung disease and continuing smoking will speed its decline, it makes you think. That is exactly what I am going to do. Look around here and check out everything. It appears to be a very elaborate site and I feel like I want to get to know it in full.

Thank you. I am sorry to hear the trouble you are having, needing oxygen Will you be able to get off of oxygen?

Hello everyone, I just did a search of forums for quitting smoking and found this. I tried a Facebook group from day 1 to day 7 but it only made me feel worse constantly talking about wanting to stay off cigarettes and focusing on it so much so I left the group. Now I am on day 22 and its a roller coaster from one day to the next. A few days it seems easy to dismiss wanting one and then there are days when the want is so strong I think I will go outside and buy one from somebody passing. I am 63, smoked for 40 years, was diagnosed on March 16 with early stage COPD and on March 17 I put the Patch on and that was it.