Blair (& son)
"Old Fogey 8"
Founding Father of BLAIRSVILLE
Time Heals
Let me tell you how I feel now that I have quit smoking and how I think that I've changed since I quit. I am sure that there are a lot of you out there who can identify with most of these items:
I do feel better, not a lot but enough that I'm glad that I quit. A lot of my "mysterious" ailments are gone, ones that I used to experience on a daily basis. I know for a fact that my stomach pains are gone due to the decrease of stomach acid since I quit. People with any form of stomach irritation should not smoke. They will find that these irritations heal the first few days off cigarettes. Most doctors claim that stomach ulcers won't heal for people that smoke.
I feel more in control of my actions and a lot of people have told me that they think that I'm more sure of myself and more in control. Before, if I had a problem at work, I would go outside and have a smoke and hope that it would go away on its own. Now I seem to be able to confront the problem and solve it without having to hide behind something. I actually find that I enjoy challenging problems at work as I take delight in the fact that I feel confident enough in my ability to win out. I also find when I deal with my employees that I am more positive and sure of myself. They seem to notice this and a few of them have told me that they like this change. Maybe I am giving them more direction, something they were not getting before.
It is nice to be able to talk up close to people and not fear the smell of cigarette smoke offending them. When I used to smoke I was always careful to keep my distance from people, knowing that my breath always smell of cigarette smoke.
I find that I have a lot more patience. I used to blow up quite easily before at work and at home. My wife used to say that I was "like a stick of dynamite ready to blow up." I was like that at work as well. I feel at lot calmer now. I find that I am not rushing everything I do. I take the time. The University where I work should be happy because they are getting more work out of me. I am much more productive and the work that I do is getting done better.
I find that I have the time to do things that I have wanted to do for a long time. Even simple things are a joy to do now. Sitting down and reading a computer magazine from front to back is enjoyable to do. Before, when I was smoking, I would rush through it, put it away, and never look at it again. I guess I've missed out on a lot of the simpler things in life for the past 20 years!
I used to hate the winter and the cold. Now I find it tolerable. I find that breathing the cold air doesn't bother my lungs the way it used to.
When I wake up in the morning I want to get moving. I used to feel sluggish before and found that I had to literally kick myself in the rear end to get going. Now I feel like I had a good night sleep and am eager to get on with the day.
I am now at the point where I can honestly say, without a word of doubt, that I do feel better. Like I said earlier, not a lot better, but enough that I don't want to start up again. For all of you less than a month smoke-free'ers, give it time and you shall see that the benefits of not smoking are overwhelming. You will start to feel better every day you stay off cigarettes, and true to fashion, the old saying "Time heals," will prevail.
Reserved for Blair's extremely camera-shy wife, Jacqueline, who quit 10/05/1999
"Old Fogey 4"
Charlie
Quit Smoking 01/05/1997
"Old Fogey7"
Michael
Quit Smoking 09/12/97
"Old Fogey 6"
Tommyboy's Mentor
One Year
My post to the group on the first anniversary of
my freedom from smoking
ONE YEAR?It almost seems like it?s not real, like it was just yesterday that my
daily routine included the phrase ?Pack o? Parliament Box, please.? But I know all too
well that it has been 365 days or 8760 hours or 525,600 minutes etc, etc?
ONE YEAR?I?m celebrating ?freedom? from smoking, yet only the last three
months or so have shown the great life change I was looking for. This summer I went to
Vegas without smokes, went camping without smokes, countless family day trips without
smokes, had our annual big BBQ without smokes, even went to a couple weddings and
funerals without smokes. Through it all, I?ve noticed that my wife, 2 sons and I have
become more of a family. By that I mean I have learned to focus on them instead of
smoking. We do more together because I don?t have to leave them every 30 minutes to
smoke. We even play board games for hours now without interruption. It?s so hard to
put this into words?. The best way to say it is: Not smoking is GOOD!
ONE YEAR?I know I am free from cigarettes and that I will never smoke again,
but I also know that I will always be an addict. I don?t care what anyone else says, I have
an addictive personality and so do most of you. Research has shown that there IS in fact
a gene that makes us more prone to addiction. The key word though is ?prone.? Being
prone to addiction means it could be anything given the right circumstances. Booze,
drugs, smokes?they?re all in the same family for the addict. We just happen to focus on
smokes here. If we took a poll though I bet that there are a bunch of us that are or were
addicted to booze as well. Why is it that AA meetings are always taking place in a thick
cloud of cigarette smoke? It?s because the alcoholics are still feeding their addictive
personality, just with a different chemical. I too am still feeding my addictive person.
Although I?m not using chemicals, it?s the PC and the support group that I?m addicted to.
It?s good and bad at the same time?good because giving and receiving support keeps me
smoke-free, but it also takes me away from my wife and kids. That?s a big reason for me
?cutting back? on my posts as of late.
ONE YEAR?the word pride comes to mind. I have accomplished something very
big here, and for that I am damn proud. It is something that a year ago was an
unattainable goal, yet I have done it. Though I received help and support from many, it
was me who did not smoke for the last twelve months, me, the addict. I have fought my
addiction and I have won. It is the addict who has the power to stay clean. Some people
rely on a higher power to stay quit, but I believe in the power of the human brain.
Relearning life without smokes and fighting the battle with every ounce of brainpower
we have, not smoking NO MATTER WHAT, fighting the good fight, you all know my
slogans. They remain with me as reminders of my accomplishment and of days when I
would sit at my PC mumbling them amongst the curses?
ONE YEAR?the first step to a better future. My father died at age 52 from his
third heart attack brought on by booze and smokes. A few short weeks ago my friend
Bud Ellis died of emphysema. Damn this addiction sucks. I am an addict and will
always be an addict, but I refuse to die because of it! It is my choice as it is yours to
NOT smoke. Next time an urge comes around, think of death as an alternative to a short
mental struggle, then make the choice to pick up or not.
ONE YEAR?time to party!!! Sorry the post turned out so serious?LOL. I really
am celebrating today, but it?s hard for me to let go of the newbies and their struggles and
how easy it is to slip and on and on and on??.so on that note, let me just close with my
usual?no wait, one more thing:
I just have to say how much you all mean to me. This support group is made up
of the most caring, thoughtful and just plain wonderful people I have ever known. Thank
you to each and every one of you for all you have given me over the past year. I truly
love you all!
?Ok, that?s it!
Peace!
Michael
Fight the good fight!
I have been quit 1 year, 7 hours, 54 minutes and 43 seconds.
I have NOT smoked 7306 cigarettes, saving $858.52.
By quitting I have added 3 weeks, 4 days, 8 hours and 50 minutes to my life.
Denise
(Quit smoking 02/12/98)
"Old Fogey 5"
Denise's Four Year "Ramble"
Hello All,
I feel it is my duty to write since I used this support site (Blairsville) way back in 1997. It looked a lot different then.
Anyway Zyban made me a complete looney with awful headaches. So I did the following:
Realized I did not want to quit but was going to anyway! (buy the book "Yes! You Can Stop Smoking") (even if you don't want to)
Set my quit date.
Threw out my clove cigarettes in the garbage outback with the lid off while it was raining. (that way when I came home later I still wouldn't be able to smoke soggy cigarettes.) (I know they dry out, but it was raining VERY hard that day)!
Logged on to this support site SEVERAL times a day.
Drank Camomile Tea
Ate Chinese fortune cookies, (for those nerve wracking times.)
And got through the first 2 weeks crying a lot and growing too!
Good luck.
Reserved for Bob_M
Quit Smoking ??/??/98
"Old Fogey 5"
Reserved for Lynn
(Quit smoking 03/25/98)
"Old Fogey5"
Reserved for Tony Craig
Quit Smoking 07/08/1998
"Old Fogey 5"