One Year, One year

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » July 14, 2004, 11:23 am

Woo, sometime early this morning I officially passed one year without a cigarette. Do I feel differently? Well it is easier to get through a movie, of course if the movie was good enough I did not have a problem with that before, as an example Spiderman 2, I could have seen without getting all nicotine fitting, but Matrix 2, yeah that would have caused me to hurt half way through.

Hmm I can taste things better than I used to be able to, with the good and bad sides of that. Who would have thought that so many things were as bland as they are, I can even enjoy Hersheys chocolate bars now, and for the longest time they had little taste to me.

I do not seem to have that much less problem breathing, but perhaps it was because I spent almost half the time I smoked in the Army hacking everything out if my lungs at least 3 times a week following a run. But I must admit that I get winded much less often than I used to, but that could have be the 100lbs I lost also.

My wife tells me that even with constant tooth brushing, mints, breath strips etc I used to always have a "smokey" element to my breath and kissing but it is gone now. So that is a decided plus. Not to mention that with a new 75 cent a pack tax in Michigan, a pack of cigarettes runs 4.50 to 5.50 ( and I have seen 6 a pack) depending on the store. You know if they tied per pack tax increases to per bottle tax increases on beer we could cut drunk driving in half and increase revenue. But of course the tobacco companies cannot seem to fight as well as all the local bars do, and most politicians are drunks.

The bad thing about not smoking for a year... I still WANT ONE, ooo yes to have just ONE and light it and smoke it, and savor it, ooooo yes, I still want one. The desire is just as strong as it has always been, but I must admit the timing is changing, instead of every few seconds, I went to minutes, then hours, and sometimes I can go entire days without wanting a smoke. Never 2 days it seems, but I am hoping that eventually I get to that point. I moderately understand exsmoker bitchiness now but refuse to participate, ex smokers are jealous of smokers, and the smell when they are around triggers those desires in us. I truly understand how someone can quit for 10 years then go right back to smoking.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » July 14, 2004, 11:55 am

Grats! To fight those niccotine cravings, I recommend bong tokes.

Neost · Post by **Neost** » July 14, 2004, 12:44 pm

bong tokes only make it worse.

vn_Tanc · Post by **vn_Tanc** » July 14, 2004, 12:45 pm

picked by god, rolled by jesus and moistened shut on claudia schiffer's pussy. . .

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » July 14, 2004, 1:07 pm

Gratz man!!

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » July 14, 2004, 3:16 pm

Umm cannot do bong tokes, I work for a City, the city has a new mayor, the new mayor is insisting on hair testing all employees.

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » July 14, 2004, 3:45 pm

Kylere wrote:Umm cannot do bong tokes, I work for a City, the city has a new mayor, the new mayor is insisting on hair testing all employees.

Make sure you give him a handfull of Pubic hair.

Toall · Post by **Toall** » July 14, 2004, 6:04 pm

grats on you first year... i was a pack and a half a day at one point... its ben a few years now and the only time i find myself going for a drag is when i am at a party or a Bar or if a friend is haveing one...
i still have a pack on my desk that i look at every morning ...the cigs are bad by now bit i can wake up and look at it and walk away. thats still hard.

Chidoro · Post by **Chidoro** » July 14, 2004, 7:40 pm

---
11m 2w 5d 20:51 smoke-free, 8,539 cigs not smoked, $2,540.35 saved, 4w 1d 15:35 life saved

I started earlier than I planned to as a result of your endurance, no joke. In about two weeks, I'll be at a year. Fortunately, I don't have your type of cravings. I knew I was never going to smoke again after I quit this time so I guess my experience through this is a little different. I was a late bloomer for smoking (around 21 ish). Fortunately, I was an early quitter and see no reason whatsoever to return to the habit.

I guess everyone handles it differently. I know I astound people that I did it after saying I would, one time. Sure I was jittery as hell and chatty for about 2 weeks, but I was fortunate enough to not have mental blocks for quitting after that time.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » July 14, 2004, 9:47 pm

Grats to Kylere and Chidoro. I've seen several friends fail so I know how hard it can be.

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » July 15, 2004, 12:38 am

Chidoro, many grats, it is the hardest test of willpower I have ever faced, even more so than jumping out of an airplane. I look forward to your one year point.

Yeah the cravings are bad, but I had gotten really bad about smoking. A single NToV run would consume 2 packs, and I would get up from some of the PoP runs and look at an ashtray full of 2-3 packs of half smoked cigarettes. Before I quit I had hit up to a carton plus every 5-6 days. Of course I started smoking at like 13-14 years old.

Chidoro · Post by **Chidoro** » July 15, 2004, 1:38 am

I think that can be a major difference. I NEVER smoked indoors because I never wanted people to know I did it. It's hard to explain to someone how i would have picked up a habit such as smoking a short time after having a hip injury after being a division I miler for my first three years of college (and being a recruited son of a gun for most Div I track teams on the east coast short of William and Mary).

And I hope I didn't make it sound like quitting was easy in my previous post, because you can be assured, there was nothing like cravings that occured. I just knew then and there that this was no longer the way I was going to live and/or smell. Fuck if I didn't want to kick my own ass for running out during a torrential downpour or in a city that didn't sell my preferred "brand".

So thank you. You can go back and re-read your account and how I posted shortly afterwards that it was my time to stop as well. Not to sound silly or sappy, but that was the post which was my inspiration to stop at ~10pm on July 24, 2003.

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » July 15, 2004, 9:24 am

Hey Chidoro, I do not take it as silly or sappy. Quitting is hard and it takes a trigger, for me it was needing smokes in the middle of the night. If my account helped you trigger, then I am very glad. I think it is the great thing about humanity that lets me maintain the smallest bit of hope, we can inspire each other.

Mort · Post by **Mort** » July 15, 2004, 10:51 am

Chidoro wrote:---
11m 2w 5d 20:51 smoke-free, 8,539 cigs not smoked, $2,540.35 saved, 4w 1d 15:35 life saved

Someone link that website again plz.... It is almost my time as well.

Lindila · Post by **Lindila** » July 15, 2004, 5:39 pm

http://www.quitnet.com/

Trek · Post by **Trek** » July 15, 2004, 6:10 pm

I have not smoked for about 8 years. I wish I could say the cravings go away, but they dont. I still have them but not as often. I will always be a smoker. If I was to take a drag today I would be at the store buying a carton, how sad is that. I understand why at AA/NA ect. They say "My name is...and I am an addict/alcoholic", it doesnt just go away.

Keep up the fight!

Mezzmor · Post by **Mezzmor** » July 16, 2004, 12:10 am

Gratz Kylere.

I know it's time for me to hang it up, but it's really hard. Hope I can make it when I get there.

TheDarkreigns · Post by **TheDarkreigns** » July 16, 2004, 3:39 am

Here in Ontario smoking is no longer allowed in any public buildings(Including bars and restaurants) by law.

Plus King sized cigarette packs cost upwards of 8 dollars a pack....sucks to be a smoker here. Luckily I am not one of them.