COUGH, COUGH, COUGH....ARRRRRGGGGHHHH!

So, that wretched sinus infection that turned into an ear infection and then bronchitis and finally pneumonia, landing me in the hospital is probably one of the best things that ever happened to me. I have to keep remembering that as this is my 21st day without a cigarette and if it wasn't for the illness that made me sleep for 3 days straight, I might have found a way to smoke through it. As it were, the sucker took me out and with me it took my smoking out.

But here I am, coughing still. I feel better, a little tired but for the most part I am ok. My coughing fits go into scary choking spasms every now and then and I try to tell myself that because they are so bad that I will hopefully carry their memory into a time when I am feeling good and keep my resolve, cigarettes and nicotine are NOT for me.

I am about to go on vacation. Back to California where my family is and to my hometown for the county fair and then Napa with friends for a music festival. I dearly wish out of sheer embarrassment that my cough will subside. But I am literally going to have to deal with it regardless. Is it bad timing? I keep telling myself it is but in the long run these experiences and yes, even the embarrassment of having such a horrible hacking cough might also lend to the strength to keep me quit. I hope so.