Tuesday 27 September 2011

DAY ONE: PLUS ONE

Actually it is Plus one and a bit.

Saturday was a bad day. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I had managed to delay my first  ciggie until after lunch, the idea being that if I delayed it a little every day I would end up living in a smokeless zone by week two.
But Saturday was a bad day and I fell right off the wagon. By the end of what was a stressful day  I felt thoroughly ashamed and not a little nauseous.

Sunday: Today I became a non-smoker. It wasn't too hard because I had chest pains, nausea and a mouth like an ashtray.  Sunday was Day One.

Monday: Today was a strange day; I thought about having a cigarette constantly, but now have the mind-set of a non-smoker [I shall be berating smokers next]  and quickly found something else to do. This afternoon I fell asleep on the couch for 1:1/2 hours...so tired...bed at 9;30pm.

Tuesday: I can't imagine that I will give in now...and return to Day one: minus.  I can only think that the reason I feel so sleepy is because I have not slept properly for a long time.  My lungs no longer ache and coughing stopped. Fingers crossed. Actually feeling very proud of myself.   Was it too easy? Will I not receive the kudos I deserve.?

Thanks to you all who wrote to encourage me...I would have felt a right Wally had I let you and myself down.

17 comments:

  1. Kudos and warm hugs, so well deserved!
    I admire you immensely, I can only begin to imagine how hard it must be.
    I hope you feel better and better and sleep well again,
    warm hugs,
    Merisi

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  2. Moanie....the year I quit smoking, I quit 13 times before I got it........what worked for me, is I started running.......you can substitute walking.....every time I wanted a cigarette, I put my sneakers (trainers to you) on, and headed out the door.....and did what I could, no matter how little it was.
    AFter a while, the exercise became more important, and I started to reward myself with new exercise clothes and shoes.......that was 22 years ago....and God, my lungs feel so good.
    You can do it........just don't throw in the towel, no matter how long it takes.
    Good luck.

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  3. Well done...every minute you don't smoke is a little victory....and I'm glad you are not in pain now, so even if you relapse don't beat yourself up...just say 'well quitting will be easier next time'...and you will beat it!
    ps was in Whitstable again at the weekend and wanted to ring you to meet up but had ma and pa with me 24/7 and they don't understand the internet and blogging and trying to explain how I knew you would have been very stressful! maybe we can have a drink next time? hope so.

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  4. One Day at a Time...to quote a talented blog! Each victory begins with the smallest steps. Keep your chin up and you will succeed.

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  5. Keep up the good work. Might help if you had a little chart hung up and each day you gave a tick as a sucessful day completed. We had this when 5 of us stopped or tried to, at work. The least sucessful. our Publications Manager, lasted only 20 minutes LOL. So try to take it in little steps and not to face Mount Everest all at once. It IS possible. Hugs ~ Eddie

    Strange - the verification was
    tarciggi

    LOL

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  6. I used to smoke 35 a day and I read Allen Carr's book. I'd recommend it - you don't feel guilty or ashamed and you don't miss cigarettes any more. Well worth a try.

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  7. It is the end of day three, just gone 9pm and I'm going to bed cannot keep my eyes open, what is that all about I wonder?

    Perhaps I should not have quit so quickly, not that I'm going to have another...I just wonder if that is why I feel really ill, flu ish.

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  8. One of the typical explanations offered to cover any and all odd health effects when one quits smoking is that one will feel ill for some time after quitting due to the accumulated toxins working their way out of one's system. I found that several months after I'd quit smoking I developed a nagging cough. True to form, someone trotted out the typical explanation to explain the phenomenon to me. One size fits all, I guess, whether kicking the menthol, cork-tipped, or roll your own habit. Keep up the good new habit of being a non-smoker!

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  9. Congratulations on persistance!!! Whether or not you are successful in completely quitting, you haven't given up on trying!!! That's wonderful. I'm very proud for you!!

    Please, if you keep feeling ill, don't assume it's because you are trying to quit smoking. Remember the reason you decided to try to quit was you were not feeling as well as you had been. Go see a doctor and get a check-up soon. I work at a hospital, and I all too often see people who could have gotten help had they gone to see their doctor when their symptoms first began. Too many people put it off until there is nothing that can be done to cure them. Hugs.

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  10. A prayer said for you, my friend, and all well-wishes thought! Stay with it! This smoker (who is having to cut back, at the least, due to current flu) wants to see you stay on the other side! And maybe I'll join you...

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  11. Hoping you are well over the worst of the withdrawals.
    I just know you won't regret it.
    Keep going a day at a time.
    Maggie X

    Nuts in May

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  12. Keep it up, dear Moannie. You're doing the world of good for your health.. even if it doesn't quite feel that way at the moment. Sipping extremely cold ice water helped me when I had a craving.

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  13. I started smoking when I was 14 because a senior that I admired did it in the girl's bathroom. By 16, I was addicted. I came down with pneumonia when I was 24 and was so ill that I was hospitalized for several weeks, didn't smoke. When I got out, I decided to just quit. Coming home to all my smokey smelling clothes was a wake up call too. I hadn't realized how much I reeked!

    I was able to quit, but it wasn't nearly as easy as your experience seems to be. I'm now 53 and been smoke free for nearly two decades. But, the truth? To this day, I have dreams where I am smoking and I love those dreams....

    Nicotine holds on tight.

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  14. Well done, keep up the good work!

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  15. Now that you've got the hard part over with, it's only going to get easier.

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  16. so late getting here as i was out of town but kudos on making the decision to quit. wishing you consistent success and hoping you have much support around you.

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