Katgirl

Thank you for the warm welcome and words of encouragement. I have a lot of exciting milestones ahead. My 13th grandchild is on the way, and I plan to fly to Japan to meet him, or her. I plan to fly to Philly in July to see another grandson, born during COVID, whom I have yet to meet. In December I will fly to Dallas, to spend Christmas with my only daughter, and 7 of my grandchildren. Best of all, I will have a travel buddy, my wonderful boyfriend, John, for all of these adventures. So, lots of good things coming up. Life is good, and even better without cigarettes…..😊

That really was a great post. Very well thought out and beautifully written. A wise woman!

-3

So, 8 days! I keep thinking it should be harder than this. I won’t say I don’t miss it. But, I just think of my heart when I get the urge to light up. And I like that saying about not putting something in your mouth and setting it on fire. That resonated with me. Who, in their right mind, would do such a thing?! LOL. Turning 70 was a wake up call. I don’t want to be “the old lady who still smokes.” My kids will be happy! 3 out of 4 know. Next time I talk to my oldest, I will tell him. They would all like to see me stick around for awhile longer. I think turning 70 has really messed with my head, and made me think a lot about how little time I may have left. Between my Birthday and my recent battery of heart tests, I got scared. I guess if it led me to put down the cigarettes, that’s not such a bad thing….. Kat

So glad you found this place, and that I did, too. Maybe someone else can relate to my need for a “security blanket”. I see you quit on St. Patty’s Day! Easy to remember. Me? I chose a random Monday in May. Whatever works! 🤔

I still have 19 cigarettes left in the last pack I bought. I did not toss them. Years ago, I read somewhere, that if you don’t have them available, you will experience more panic. So I put them up. It made sense to me. Perhaps, it’s my personality. I know that when I smoked the last cigarette, in the pack, late in the evening, I would tell myself, “I can wait until morning to go buy a pack.” But then I would get anxious about not having any, so I would jump in my car and go out to buy a pack. Knowing that I have a pack on hand, keeps me more calm around quitting. I know most of you may think it’s foolish, but it works for me. It’s my security blanket. I CHOOSE not to light one up, rather than I can’t because I don’t have any.

-20 Chicks win!

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Doesn’t take long to pick a date. As Nike likes to say, “Just Do It!” I did not pick a date. I just decided last Monday evening, “this is my last cigarette…….EVER!” Maybe that will work better for you, too…

I spent my career taking care of dying Cancer patients. Ironically, it did not make me sad. I felt honored to care for folks at the end of their lives. I made it a point to treat them as vital living beings. I liked to make them laugh, if I could. Death is the end for us all, and , as I inch closer to my own, I am keenly aware of how fleeting life is. It is why I quit smoking. I want as much time as I can get with my new love, and with my growing brood of grandchildren. Lucky number 13 is in the pipeline….😁

Hey, Matt, as you know, there is no one size fits all approach. For me, who is doing this for the second time, cutting down first worked. I am a super logical thinker. I took a page from the people who use nicotine patches. They work by wearing a certain strength for a period of time, then gradually decreasing, until you need no patch. So I gradually weaned myself from cigarettes. When I got down to 7 a day, I stalled and kept smoking 7 a day, telling myself, ”I am a light smoker. This is fine.” Then there were days I would inch back up to 8 or 9. In the end, it was my Cardiologist and my boyfriend who convinced me. My cardiologist said it was the very best thing I could do for my heart. My boyfriend said he wants as many years with me as possible. So, in both cases, my heart was the reason I quit. So, down to 7-10 cigs a day, I smoked one at 8:00 PM a week ago Monday, and told myself, “this is the last one!” So far, it has been. Finding this group has been a bonus. Kat

NOPE, not today!

Big congrats! I am a fan….

Dianne, So glad to see how well you are doing. The day I joined, yours was the first post I read, and I was genuinely scared for you. Like you, I have been taking several walks around the ranch each day. We are on 16 acres, so I don’t even have to leave the property to have a nice long walk. I am trying to eat healthier, too. Maybe not healthier, but less, and less junk food. I am trying to preemptively avoid weight gain. Quitting cigarettes has given me more energy, though it may just be nervous energy, but I will take it. Like you, anxiety has been a problem, but one I have always dealt with, though it’s worse than normal, right now. I am hopeful I will get back to my normal anxious self. 😁Keep up the good work. You inspire me. Kat

Stranger danger, and they don’t get much stranger than a fat guy with a long white beard, in a bright red furry suit! 😳🤔

Thank you. So, will it keep count for you, or do you have to keep changing it, youtself?

Yup! Absolutely ridiculous! Conspiracy theorists drive me crazy. I was fortunate enough to get vaccinated in Feb. and March with the Moderna. I felt no ill effects with either one, except the expected soreness at the injection site. My hope is the Government will mandate a vaccine for all those healthy enough to get it, who have no valid reason to refuse it. They mandate vaccines for school enrollment. A lot of folks would be horrified if the government mandated it, but we are facing something unprecedented. We need to do all in our power to get this country, and the rest of the world, back to normal.

Thanks. How do I get the ticker to work? I set my parameters, but it just goes back to default setting , after I exit the function.

I don’t like to show weakness. I like to keep up the illusion that I am a strong independent woman, who can accomplish anything without appearing to need help. I did tell him about joining this forum, though.

My anxiety has me by the throat today. That, and I am more emotional than normal, which I attribute to the anniversary of my husband’s death. It’s weird, because I am in a great relationship, and he is right in the other room, as I write. He is so cool. He seems to sense when I need to be left alone. I have been blessed with 2 great life partners in a row. We won’t discuss the first one…😬Life is good, and yet, today, I feel like crap…

Hi, there. I am 70, and quit a week ago, today. My Cardiologist finally got through to me. I balked, at first, and even made fun of him, to my friends. But he got through to me. If I can do this, so can you…. Care to join me? KAT

Congrats, Gus! I hope to join you in 7 more weeks. Keep on keepin’ on!

7. Read it!

-5

One full week! Day7! Today is also the 7th anniversary of my husband’s sudden passing. He died of a massive heart attack. He was not a smoker. Nor was I, at the time. This will be a tough day for me. Not sure why anniversaries are so difficult. Still have that heavy feeling in my lungs when I first wake up, but feels a little better. I wake up a little nervous and jerky, and I am still having the weird and very vivid dreams. They seem to be anxiety driven, in nature. Not surprising, as I suffer from an anxiety disorder. It has plagued me all my life. My guy is very supportive and proud of me. That helps…