Hello all! I've been gone for a minute but I'm back with a whole heap of "issues" for someone to fix. First, the most aggravating and STUPIDEST thing I've done lately...my husbands decided he was going to start dipping again but "just for a little while" he didn't actually come out and tell me I found a can of dip in his man purse (cooler). The next day he brought me home a pack of cigarettes. I can only assume this is a lets be stupid/bad together since I quit smoking over a year ago. I wasn't going to smoke them and then mistake number two happened, I had a mixed alcoholic beverage. Now, before anyone freaks just remember Elode is human! Mixed beverage along with lack of good judgment making skills = smoking cigarettes. Ok, so that's that. The pack is gone after two days and I haven't had any and refuse to go down that horrible path again so I'm not buying any and threatened physical harm to him if he brings any in this house. I've noticed that all day today I have been snacking, constantly! I believe it's from lack of having cigarettes so I'm pissed about that! On to the next issues. I have spacers in my teeth..FINALLY!!! I have a very narrow upper palate that I've been wanting fixed since I was young. We have started the long process of fixing the teeth for a "beautiful smile". Next week we are putting in a palate expander followed by braces. I'm so excited but my orthodontists is recommending that I have SARPE surgery (surgically assisted rapid palate expansion) since I'm an adult my upper palatal bones have fused so it would be faster and "easier" to have surgery AND maybe have my lower jaw moved back. I won't know until January so I'm pre-worrying as usually. I will have to have my mouth wired shut for up to 6 weeks. Blessing for my husband not so much for me. I'm worried about being on liquids for that long and looking sickly. Now I don't know if I should stop actively trying to lose weight or take my chances? Well there you go! One weeks worth of drama!!

I quit smoking in 2000 because I was going to have spinal surgery with fusion and a cadaver bone transplant. The neurosurgeon said the transplant might not take if I continued to smoke. I was happily being a nonsmoker when my husband suddenly passed away in 2001. Our son was 8 at the time and it was a very stressful time. I started smoking again for a few months.

Fast forward to now and I haven't smoked in 14 years. I still think about it every few days and think no one would notice if I sat out on the deck to smoke.

I can't wait till the day that I can have my zero carb margarita mix, anejo tequila, grand marnier, and some lime juice again. If you want to have fun go ahead and go the "harm reduction" route if you can do so without the slippery slope. If you feel the need to smoke try vaping the lowest concentration of nicotine you can find instead and just keep it to once a week max. If you can't set limits then abstinence is best. But you've accomplished so much, you should be proud and give yourself a break. I personally never want surgery again, but you should do what you need to do. But as a nurse you should definitely know that if you ask a surgeon if you need surgery the answer is going to be YES about 99% of the time. So please take that into consideration as well as any "self-referrals." But if it's what you want and what you determine will be best, then go for it!

@@magtart Hang in there. It's not easy. I quite two years ago on the 4th of July. Cold turkey. This was a slip up but I haven't had any since and won't. Even after 2 years I get moments where out of the blue I think, humm I wish I had a smoke. It taste HORRIBLE!!! Just remember that!

I'm trilled to report I actually lost a lb the day after thanksgiving! First time that's ever happened. I throw away the pies in the morning. I didn't need anything tempting me. The holiday is over.

I have been doing the same thing. And I live alone so I have no one to answer to but myself. I have heard when you have surgery some people trade one addiction for another. I really have had too many addictions and don't need them back.