It’s been a month, almost 5 weeks, actually, of smoke-free living at our house. So far, so good!
It’s a much harder challenge for T than for me. I smoked, on average, about two cigarettes a day during the week and maybe four or five on the weekend days. T has pretty much smoked a pack a day for 30 years. She did quit for a couple of years once but went back to smoking when she hooked up with her last, loser girlfriend.
For some reason nicotine doesn’t seem to be as addictive to me as it to most people. I can pick up a pack of cigarettes and smoke them at parties or around smoker friends and then put them in a bag in the freezer for a few months. Before T moved in it would take me about six months to go through a pack. When we quit, I was up to about a pack a week.
But, T decided that she didn’t want to be an old woman smoker. We both turned 50 this year and that was her cut off date. She took the drug Chantix for two weeks – a week before she quit and for the first week. The side effects were bothering her though, so she quit the medication. She has been working through it with sunflower seeds, suckers and gum. She is worried about the extra weight she is putting on, but it’s a worthwhile trade off. We’ve only had a couple of outbreaks of nasty behavior, for which I am grateful, and overall it has been pretty smooth. It's a big change and I hope she sticks to it.
9 comments:
Good for you both! Don't give up.
Just now reading this...hope you're still smoke free and good for you both!
GG
I so hope she can keep it up because chances are she won't end up to be an old lady smoker. I suppose some people consider 50 old but I don't.
My mother died at the age of 60 because of cigarettes. I've never smoked but I do know how hard it is for some to quit.
Good luck to both of you. As long as she keeps active, the weight gain will eventually go away.
Congratulations on making it 5 weeks.
Hooray for both of you! I quit myself, 19 years ago, after being a really, really heavy smoker (2 packs a day). It was the best and yet the hardest thing I ever did - I still have nightmares every once in awhile that I have started smoking again. You are very lucky that you both want to do it together.
Just reading this but wanted to say that it is wonderful that you guys quit together. It is hard when only one quits and the other doesn't. Not to mention, what is the point in that? The health of the nonsmoker is still put in jeopardy with the second hand smoke. Good luck and happy breathing. As a former smoker with asthma myself, I can say given a choice like I was, air is much better!
Keep up the good work! I'm an ex smoker and know what a challenge it can be but it's worth it! Good job!
I smoked for years and tried to quit many, many times. Finally having babies was enough incentive to quit for good.
Good luck to both of you. And be gentle with each other.
Xmas fudge will likely help those cravings too! Good timing!
Congrats on the non-smoking! I've never smoked than a few cigarettes here and there so don't know from personal experince what its like. But I know plenty of people who've done it. Good luck to you both!
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