116 days and aiming for 9 months
Well, some time back I was aiming for a few days, then a few weeks and now I'm close to 4 months without a cigarette or any form of nicotine. I have not felt like smoking for quite some time. Maybe everyone is different and for some reason I don't crave cigarettes now. Maybe I'm beginning to hate nicotine and how its cheated me, just like I now don't want to have anything to do anymore with people who have cheated me for decades and me not knowing about it. Of course thats not always possible but I'll try to avoid them when possible. Just like I want to create a smoke free environment, I also want to rid myself of associations with wicked people. I read somewhere today that it can take 9 months to get back to normal breathing. Hmm! I was a damn heavy smoker and smoked for several decades, so I'm hoping that I'll breathe even better in another 5 months. I've noticed that my smoking has got me into other bad habits like not exercising certain parts of my body for years. I'm sure yoga or Tai Chi type exercises would help loads but I don't have the luxury of being able to do those things right now so I am settling for neck and shoulder exercises (started last week) in addition to my walks and some swimming if I have the time. The swimming is to move my arms, neck and shoulders which have become very stiff. My upper body has been so lazy as a smoker and so this is a new goal for me to start lubricating/exercising it.
I am glad this is anonymous so I can say how I feel! Peace to you all!
LOL yep smokers anonymous :)
I started walking at 7am and didn't stop till 1 pm and come home ate watched some footy fell asleep and woke up at 1.30am just knocked myself out.
learning to breathe again and for my lungs to heal I cross my fingers they can heal cause they are still sore. but I have hope and every day I am working hard to get a bit stronger.
so I hope MC for all of us that with time and hard work we all heal :)
I am with you dam smokes I do not like them myself maybe I needed them or thought I did but they are not my friend any more !!
IC
Hi Manchild, I like the bit where you simply say, "I hate nicotine and how its cheated me." Powerful comment. Just remember those words. Hope you will exclude nicotine from whatever you do in the future. Look forward to breathing easier from someone who is 390 something days smoke free. Honestly, I would be the last person my friends would expect to quit after 45 years of addiction. $8200 in the bank is looking good...
it took me nine months to truly feel that I was breathing deeper. And then I started to reap some of the long-term rewards that were not obvious in the first few months.