DenaliBlues

Rancor

Mumu

“So many?” What peer-reviewed clinical study has measured the incidence of shingles specifically during smoking cessation? Please quantify “so many” and provide your research citation, so that we all can learn from the science. I am very sorry for everyone who has suffered from shingles. It must be especially tough to go through that when quitting. My sympathies to everyone who has endured it. But what causes reactivation of the virus is a compromised immune system. Many factors can impede our bodies’ immune responses. Stress from quitting… OR stress from a tough job… OR family situations… OR a hundred other things. Quitting Girl’s observation that age gradually weakens our immunity and makes us more vulnerable is fact-based: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4928389/ https://www.healthline.com/health/what-causes-shingles-to-activate At the end of the day, I think the most important thing to take away from this thread is that sometimes life hands us double whammys. Unexpected illnesss. Deaths in the family. Relationship woes or money troubles. All of these things can really challenge a quit. It surely sucks when that happens. But what counts the most is how we’re able to persevere, KTQ and help each other out along the way.

Congratulations on 10 years! I love this story and its affirmation that we don’t need smoking to complete us. Withdrawal is hard, but so much freedom awaits on the other side. Thanks for sharing!

Everything Bagel

QVC TV Host

Perjury

Koala

N O P E

Ombudsman

Necromancers

Hoodoo

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!

Mafia Don

NOPE

It certainly may feel like a battle right now…. I was there 100 times, myself. But the battle itself is an illusion. Because smoking is not our friend… it will not make is less lonely. Smoking is not comforting… it will not make us less anxious, or angry, or bored. Smoking is not even gratifying… it only leads to more cravings. 1 smoke is too many and 1,000 is never enough. Every tug of war requires two opposing forces to make it a battle. The thing with quitting is that you win when you drop your end of the rope. Change the channel, walk away, take smoking off the table. Then the battle fizzles out. As others have said, every time you do this and persevere through a bad moment or day, it makes your quitting muscles stronger. Your quit gets easier. Come on @Kdad… you can make it!

Kimchi

Ego

Jester

NOPE