Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to put this down in black and white in the hopes that it will help me stick to quitting the cancer sticks! Today is April Fools Day and since I was a fool to ever start smoking in the first place... seemed a fitting day to stop smoking! If I can stick with this I will have no doubts that I have the self-contol to make the banding work.

So... armed with the patch and a HUGE mug-o-Water and the lemon drops that take one hundred years to desolve in your mouth... here I go with hopefully the last attempt of a long line of former attempts to kick the habit.

If I can do this... I think I do just about anything! :phanvan

P.S. It is official that my insurance does cover the banding but none of my info can be submitted until after I see the dietician, psychologist and Dr. Chua. I will hopefully see Dr. Chua on 4/16/04 and then it will just be a waiting game with Humana.

You can do it! I did it 16 years ago, and I find it hard to believe that I ever smoked. What helped me most was a change in my mindset. Soon after I quit, I was bemoaning, to myself, the idea that I couldn't have a cigarette after a meal or when I was in the car, etc. You know, feeling sorry for myself that I was going to miss my habit. Well, I swear, a lightbulb when on inside my brain, and I said to myself: you idiot. You're not going to feel deprived - you are going to feel relieved! You don't HAVE to have a cigarette anymore. YOU ARE FREE!!!!! And I was free. I hope you feel that way very soon. It is very reinforcing. You will feel so good about yourself, and I hope you feel proud of yourself. Congratulations!!!

Candy

Thanks Candy!

I know what you mean... I have felt trapped and imprisoned by this habit for years and I would love to be FREE of it! I hide it from everyone and am thoroughly embarassed by it. My husband absolutely hates it even though he never actually sees me smoke and my daughter worries terribly about it... it's just time to quit. I also want to decrease my surgical risk as well and want to be able to meet with Dr. Chua and say with complete honesty... I QUIT SMOKING!!!!!

I can do it... I can do it... I can do it... especially with positive support and comments like yours. (o:

Darcy

Darcy, believe me when I tell you it is worth anything to be free of cigarettes. I quit in 1987 and was amazed at the change it made in my life. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Free is the word, all right. You will gain money, purse space, your senses of smell and taste will return, and you will no longer BE smelled by other people.

GOOD LUCK, AND BE FREE!!! :D

Darcy!

Congrats on quitting!I quit 2 weeks ago and I feel great.I used the patch as well andit hasn't been too difficult at all.

When someone sits in my office and they have just smoked i cannot even beleive the stink!Even their paperwork reeks.Let me tell you that this alone will make me never smoke again.

I washed my spring jacket and when i put it on it smells of nice lemon and not stinky stale butts!

Good luck and stay strong you can do this!!!

Chantal

ps email me if you ever need xtra support!

Thanks Guys...

I know this is going to be tough but I can just imagine how proud I will be of myself when I finally kick this habit for good! I can see that I am going to have to keep myself busy and distracted... dang... I'd go shopping all day if only I was rich! Tomorrow will be a busy day down in Milwaukee so that should keep me honest. Thanks again for cheering me on... I need all of the help I can get!

Darcy

Well today is day eight... WOW... I can't believe that I stuck with it this long! Day 6 and 7 were the worst. I just have to do it this time... I can't tell ya how much I want to go buy a pack. How sad it is that something so icky has had so much control over me. I know my sense of smell is already improving and my lungs are trying to rid themselves of the built up crud now that they think I have really quit. I know I can do this... I know I can do this... but darn it... it is really tough.

Darcy

Darcy,

keep strong,how frustrating would it be for you to work this hard and this long only to smoke again!I will find you and kick your butt lady;)

It's been three weeks for me and i still think about it on occassion but it gets so much better.The first week is the hardest!Take big deep breaths and tell yourself that yes a smoke would be good but you REFUSE to surrender to the craving.YOU ARE STRONGER than the killers!!!

C

GOOD JOB, LADIES!!!!

Way to go Girls :D

This accomplishment will be something you will NEVER regret. Wow, losing weight and quitting the smokes. You guys are next to super human. Keep up the good work. :banana :banana :banana

Okay Chantal... with a major butt kicking hanging in the balance... how could I possibly not stick with this! You are awesome for sticking with it and I'm going to cling to that fact that you have made it 3wks without completely losing your mind. Thanks for the pep/kick butt talk!

Hi Alexandra... thanks for the support you are and awesome part of this site... you've helped me feel very welcome here.

Hiya Kathy... I'm sure you are absolutely right... what is there to regret??? Can't think of one good reason to smoke but can think of a million great reasons for quitting! :Bunny

*taking a nice DEEP breath*

Darcy

I'd put the money that you normally use to buy cigarettes with into a jar and then go splurge when you hit whatever goal you set up, i.e. 2 weeks, 1 month, etc.

Thanks Laura... that's a great idea. (o: I think that being free of the nasty old habit may be all I need to remember. I'm at day 10 and very proud of myself *patting self on back*! Sometimes I just think... Wow Darcy... you are really free of it... you are really doing it!

I am going to switch to the lower dose patch once the ones I have are gone... it says to use them for 4-6wks... but I wasn't a heavy smoker to begin with.

Thanks again to everyone for all of the well wishes and supportive words!

Darcy

You can do it, trust me I have been a smoker for 15 + years now but guess what..ever since my surgery on Tuesday April 6th I have had NO desire whatsoever to smoke, I have not even thought about it or missed it actually my husband who is a heavy smoker, his cigarette smopke and lingering odor now makes me nauseaus..

Hi La_Madam,

Well I think today is Day 12... I stopped using the patch 3 days ago so it has been a little stressful... I've talked myself out of buying a pack more times than I care to count...lol. I may go and buy the lowest dose patch today just to ensure that I don't backslide... I've come too far to give up now! Luckily... I am not around anyone else that smokes... that must be tough... when I pass my closet I still swear there must be a piece of clothing in there that has been smoked in!

Darcy

LOL... forgive me... I've been up since 3am... you mentioned your surgery date in your post... :ermm Best of health to you in regards to the banding and the no-smoking!

Darcy