Day 132
DAY 132, Seems quite unbelievable. Champix was the answer for me, and I have been off it for awhile now. The cravings for cigarettes didn't come back but I did feel hungrier. I have put in weight but like anything worthwhile, it alll takes time so I'm not going to get too hung up on that at the moment. By not spending nearly $300 a fortnight on smokes, It's enabled me to only work 4 days a week, and after my heart attack that has been so beneficial. Sometimes it's not the big things that giving up smoking brings, like the health professionals talk about risk factors decreasing, which of course is great, but not really tangible in the first months. What has been so good for me to realise and help keep me on track, is things like the smell. Girls from work come in and really smell bad!, they leave a room and you can still smell it. I'm a nurse and to think I used to inflict my residents with that is humiliating. The other benefit it, my life is my own now, I'm not structuring it around getting a smoke in. I can stay out for tea when asked, I used to say 'no thanks' I need to get home for some excuse, but really it was to have a ciggie, because I really only smoked at work or home. My cardiologist said to me that of course I will have to have meds for the rest of my life, but the biggest single beneficial thing I could have done for myself was stop smoking. So everyone out there in iCanQuit land, be PROUD your doing it and your worth doing for YOU.
Well done lynnieh , I am on my second day , but have a bad tummy wog , as well so I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing , but you are an inspiration to continue Ty 🌹
That's awesome! Congrats and well done Lynnieh...you should be so proud. Yes, smoking makes us a slave, its commanding and all consuming.......and that is why we rejoice in our new found freedom of being smoke free. Now, I find myself feeling sorry for those who smoke cause I know they are trapped and slaves to the trade, and can't believe I was the same as them. I am also on Champix and 22 days smoke free...I am weaning myself off now more and more and feeling great.
well done lynnieh, its not easy to quit I know but the benefits have to be better than smoking , don't have to be Dr to work that out.
so well done and keep at one day at time.
IC
Well done, that's incredible. I was really moved by your post. I noticed yesterday that I was starting to snarl under my nice clean breath at people smoking. I felt I was a considerate smoker - always moved away from non smokers when outside, moved the cig away from pedestrians when they were walking towards me but now I don't have to. I feel like they should know I'm clean now, we all are - it's so exciting
Thank you everyone for the words of encouragement, it is a journey and even though I don't log on very often, it's comforting to know you are all here, going through the same thing and it does get easier. No matter whether its Day 1, week 1, 1 month or 1 year from the very first moment that decision was made call yourself a NON SMOKER! and keep saying it, over and over and over.
Congratulations lynnieh, I also used Champix so glad to hear that you have had success using Champix.
I am smoke free 82 days, this site has certainly helped me during this journey, reading stories like yours give us all hope thank you for your participation
Well done Lynnieh 👏🏻 Absolutely fantastic 😁 What I wanted to ask you please is how long did you stay on the Champix as I'm on it also 😊 Thanx 😊
Thanks Siobhain-Marie, I took the whole course of champix, i.e. 3 months. I did have some side effects but luckily nothing severe enough to force me to stop. I did have more vivid dreams but not nightmares but I also think if you know that its a side effect you can deal with it better. I had my dead parents feature a lot which was pretty scary as I had very rarely dreamt of them before!! I also had some muscle aches, also scary as some of them were in my chest, many times I panicked thinking I was having another heart attack. I found taking the last tablet around 4pm was best. It also kept my appetite under control and I lost 8kg, unfortunately when I stopped the champix, no cigarette cravings but food cravings, kept feeling like I needed something, consequently ate a lot more trying to find what that something was! What I needed was willpower, so prepare yourself for that. Good luck and I hope you are able to stay the distance, because it really was the answer for me.
Aww thanks Lynnieh 😊 Yeah my side effects would be the same 😊 Well done on losing weight and not putting it on 👍 I'm eating mints a lot but hopefully I won't gain any weight 👌 Thanx again Hun 😊 Really appreciate it 👌