Enough Killing Me Slowly...
I have smoked since I was a teenager with my addiction progressively increasing to a pack of day. Shamefully, I smoked about two cigarettes a day when I was pregnant, but it was the only time I felt the need to cut back or quit. After I stopped breastfeeding, I quickly progressed to a pack of day and more if I had any alcohol. I have wanted to quit for years, but never committed. To fly more than four hours, forget it. Then, I had my first TIAs at 47. I was told to quit. I made it two days. I already have a disease caused by smoking and a genetic disease that smoking make worse. Both affect my cardiovascular health. Recently, I had arterial transposition surgery to improve blood flow to my brain. I am 55 years old. A week from Wednesday, I will have angioplasty surgery on my left leg to improve blood flow. In another month or two, the same may need to be done on my right. I have hyperlimpdia, hypertension, and asthercerolsis. Two caused by smoking. I am a walking time bomb if I do not quit. My heavy smoking parents both died in their early sixties due to smoking related diseases. My plan is to live longer and stronger. I have a quit day before my next surgery and a plan. I just wanted to share my story and ask for support. Thank you for your stories.
Thanks for sharing. Seems you have clearly enough reasons to stop.. Now it is time to do it. It is going to be hard- cravings are a not nice.. But- overcome them makes you stronger. Everyone has its own way of stopping. A lot of people swear on Champix. Do you think that would make sense? Me I did cold turkey and lots of time being outside and keeping busy. I had a mental bucket where I threw in all the positiv things about stopping and another one, where I put all the positive things about continuing smoking. It helped me a lot to realise how little the "continue smoking" bucket was... Also, it is one step at the time, dont think of the long term of stopping.. I was always scared of thinking not being able to smoke in 1 month/1 year/when this and this happens.. And now its one year since I last smoked and I forgotten so many times that ciggis excist... So good luck..
Thank you both for your support. Yes, I forgave myself for sneaking a cig or two a day in later stages of pregnancy. My son thankfully was born healthy, but low birth weight. My mother smoked all through four pregnancies and we all were healthy babies, but I would never do it again. I just wished I never taken a puff. My parents both kept smoking despite both being ill due to tobacco usage. My brother quit seven years before his diagnosis if lung cancer. He pleaded with me to stop before he died. My husband quit cold turkey ten years ago. He wants me to stop so badly. I will do NRT because we are going on a cruise in four weeks to celebrate our 25th. I have been listening to self hypnosis DVDs, walking, doing asana yoga breathing/poses, cut back considerably, and set a date to stop next week. I have a month off of work, so I will use to kick this habit out the door. Reading through these boards really help me with my plan. Yes, it is exciting to believe that I can soon say I do not smoke. My son, now an adult, will be thrilled, too. I have to do this for me, but my loved ones are cheering me on. Today, I cut down to ten. Tomorrow only nine til in a few days ...zero. It has not been easy, but doable.