Minnie Mouse

Great decision! Do whatever it takes to get through the early tough days and get yourself free from nicotine addiction. You never have to feel alone in your journey. Reach out as needed for support along the way. Check in and give status reports. It's very doable. You can do it! You are worth it!

Thirteen Years is Awesome! Keep enjoying your Freedom!

I'm so very sorry about your diagnosis. And yes, I'm confident you will beat this. Stage 1 (no spread to lymph nodes) and less than half an inch nodule size which was caught early due to your annual LDCT scan is very reassuring for a great outcome. The phrase "lit up like a Christmas tree" is very common here in the USA when describing a PET scan result. I'm surprised the Pulmonologist didn't refer you to an Oncologist for decision making but I will assume that is just the way it is handled in Canada. Hopefully you will be given a pulmonary function test to determine your lung health prior to the start of treatment. I wish you peace in your journey as you travel this well worn very doable path to total healing.

You're absolutely right. Same addiction to nicotine just a different delivery system. The same rules apply to recover yourself. Hard or easy for you the result will be the same ... freedom. It's worth every bit of angst you may experience in the early days of your quit. It's very doable to get yourself free. Best Wishes.

Thoughts and prayers for good news. The PET scan is the way to go. Always very thankful for the annual LDCT scan to detect anything early for the best possible outcome.

Two months is awesome! Never look back! Upward and onward!

@Pilgrim Thanks. It's so nice to see you pledging every day. It's important. Keep it up!

Thanks @Cbdave AND thanks for keeping the Daily Pledge going every day. A great service especially for the newbies.

@Paul723 Thanks AND look at you at almost 13 years free! Woo Hoo! Keep enjoying your Freedom!

@SD2026 Thank you! And look at YOU at over 6 months smoke free! WTG! Keep it up!

@QuittingGirl Thanks for the shout out and the Minnie graphics. See you ALL on the Freedom Trail!

Fourteen Years Smoke Free Amazing, stupendous, who would have "thunk" it. True BUT I am not a super human being endowed with special powers nobody else possesses. It is an awesome accomplishment that smokers who choose to quit CAN absolutely achieve for themselves. The old "See It -- Believe It -- Achieve It" saying does apply somewhat but the practical steps also very much need to be in place. My personal motto to gain smobriety is "Choose It -- Plan It -- Work It". Educate yourself about nicotine addiction. Prepare for your quit. Use all the resources and tools available to you. A big piece of a successful quit is knowing you don't have to do it alone. Support is here in this community. Use this resource. It may be hard to quit but it really is quite simple and so very doable once you have your chosen tools in place. Remember NOPE. The "Not One Puff Ever " rule is KEY f you seek smobriety. Whatever it takes for you to get through the early days, "messy and hard" or "easy", it makes no difference to your ultimate success. It will not always be the way it is now. Things will change. YOU will change. If staying smoke free didn't get easier and change us for the better nobody would remain quit. Reach out for the peace and gratefulness you will find in smobriety. It's there for you to claim as your own. Never doubt you CAN quit and CAN stay quit. Every single day, month, and year you are quit is a reason to celebrate. Shout yours out! Celebrate it! See you all on the Freedom Trail.

Excellent observation & conclusion! When you get to the point that you clearly understand and pity (and have empathy) seeing those still caught up in active addiction and feel the shift in your thinking about it, you've won your life back! Gratefulness and peace is your reward. Bravo!

One month! Awesome! Remember NOPE and you'll never have to redo the first month ever again. Keep it up!

Your cravings returning home to your safe haven after such a traumatic experience is absolutely understandable. And since you DO understand the why, and know that time smoke free makes it "eventually" better I wish you patience. Keep moving through them, whatever it takes to come out the other side of this addiction. You've done it before ... rinse, repeat. Welcome home!

Sorry for the bad news. I'm a "glass half full" person. Hard incentives or wake up events can become great positives. You know exactly where you & your health stand and what you need to do for yourself going forward. And it's all doable ... especially the no smoking part now. Don't be so hard on yourself. We all knew the risks of smoking (or we were living in a hole someplace) but the pull of nicotine addiction (or any addiction for that matter) is strong. You got this. (I''ll put my bat back in the closet. You really didn't need to go to this personal extreme to prove you meant it when you said you would not smoke. I really would have believed you. ) Rest - Recover - Rest

Best Wishes for a positive outcome. AND no more smoking ... EVER! My reach is far and wide and I have a bat if needed . You got this.

NOPE. I mean naw, never, what u talkin' about!

Whatever it takes is certainly okay with me. I especially like the walk away part. Perspective (& humor) was a big help for me. You got this. Keep it up.

Alas, the Nic O. Demon is helping you build the concrete foundation to make your quit stronger. Smile and say "Thank You" to the smuck. Or maybe not ... .

"The phrase 'two steps forward, one step back' means that progress is uneven and slow. While you are generally moving toward your goal, you frequently face setbacks or obstacles that temporarily undo some of your hard work." Many of us know this ChaCha dance and were able to finally get off the dance floor. It's doable for you to stay quit too. You are not broken or flawed. You are a nicotine addict like all of us. In order for your addiction to go dormant and remain so once nicotine is out of your system you cannot smoke. Not one. Every time you smoke you reactivate the nicotine receptors in your brain which quickly tells you they want more, more, more nicotine. Let them die off so it can get easier for you to stay smoke free. Do whatever it takes except smoke to keep moving forward in these early days. Obstacles are temporary. Tell yourself no more setbacks so you can go to bed every night a winner. You got this.

Welcome Back! I found it hard to choose to jump back on the Smober Train after a long period of smoking again so congrats for deciding to begin again. Let's make it the last time. You know the drill. Whatever it takes to get through the early days is what it takes. I would work on changing what smoking means to you (why you went back to smoking) to reinforce the foundation for a long term Stay Quit. And yes, pledge every day (you don't break your promises do you?).

Welcome! All the things you learned from choosing to stop drinking & the tools you used also apply here. With addictions, as you know, the "just one" doesn't exist. One always leads to one more and then another and another. You chose to quit smoking already so you don't need to decide whether you will smoke or not ever again. Kick smoking thought(s) out of your head immediately each & every time replacing such negative self-talk with something positive of your choosing to fill the void (what 3-4 mantras/sayings will you repeatedly tell yourself instead?). Some find straws, cinnamon toothpicks, hard candy etc. helpful in the early days. I'm a believer in lists so I could refer to them when my "lizard brain" was trying to tempt me back into the clutches of the Nic O. Demon. One of the lists I made was all the reasons why I wanted to Be Quit. Another list was of physical distraction activities I could use like taking a quickie walk, a few yoga movements, getting on the treadmill, meditation, etc. I also kept track of the benefits I noticed I accrued from my Stay Quit (mental & emotional as well as physical). I added to this list & referred to it often. I also encourage you to make a list of your chosen rewards/treats you will earn for yourself at the different milestones throughout the first year leading up to the Grand One on your anniversary date from the $$$ you saved. Never doubt that you can Stay Quit no matter what angst you have to go through to get to the other side of active nicotine addiction. Every bit of the strife is worth it. YOU are worth it. Best Wishes.