I know I don't post here much now and I "lurk" a lot now... but tomorrow is my "QUIT SMOKING NOW AND GET READY TO BE HEALTHY" date. I am quitting 3 weeks before surgery and using the patch. Tomorrow I am destroying all cigarette related merchandise and having the "smoke smell" removed (if they can) from my car.

I know I don't have to beg because you all are always so generous with encouragement but please please please lend me some words of encouragement as I quit tomorrow for life.

Thanks.

Jenna

The first 3 weeks are the hardest, after that, the cravings slow down some. Keep busy, just doing things with your hands help.

"I think I can! I think I can! I know I can!"

Penni, my grandson's gonna be needing one of those passy patches before long. Hang in there Princess, your son will be so proud of his mommy.

Well, it is almost time for bed and even though I ate like a pig for dinner with 2 sloppy joes, had a big bowl of ice cream, then sucked on candies (god I cant wait for the band) the night was CIGARETTE FREE! woo hooo!

I have been thinking about the whole ride to/from work and have decided on the perfect solution. I am going to take my motocycle to work (thanks for the suggestion of a motorcycle feel!)! It is nice enough here in Arizona and I NEVER do that to work because of hair/helmet issues. But, I am going to leave 30 min earlier than normal so I have time to fix it before work. Sooooooo, That will be my salvation! I am not coordinated enough to ride and smoke so I will be just fine!

Thanks all.... I will update again tomorrow.... Gosh, I really hope others who are quitting/getting ready to quit can use this thread to help them!!

I know I couldn't have even gotten this far without you all!

Thinking I can and KNOWING I CAN,

Jenna

What a brilliant idea -- take the motorcycle to work! Excellent solution. You have made it through the first two days (those few puffs of the icky old cigarette don't really count) and YOU ARE DOING IT. Congratulations.

Jenna,

It will only be the hardest going to work. Once you make it there, without smoking, you will do the 8 hours at work then the ride home won't be so bad becasue you will be so proud of yourself for making that day you'll be so busy going over the benifits that you'll not think about sticking that dirty, filthy, stick of desease and disgust in your mouth.

Good luck, each day gets better.

okay, here I am, wayyyyy past my bedtime and without a patch. aaaarrrgh. I take the patch off at night because I get wierd dreams when i wear it to bed (wierd I know but i swear its the patch).

And, to top it all off, went out to put my stuff in the knap sack of the motorcycle and the DH (read as damn if you want) is changing my oil!! So, back to the car for me. I think I will hang my head out of the car window like a basset hound to try and simulate the ride.

I am going to go try a nice hot bath. Thank you all for your words of encouragement! I knew you all would be here for me!

P.S. So much for my "lurking" status. I guess I am in full posting mode now.

I think I will hang my head out of the car window like a basset hound to try and simulate the ride.

Just try not to drool on the windshield. The backsplash could impair your driving!

Don't be so hard on yourself. I was going to quite before I got banded, but it was all too much for me. So, I figure, if I am going to quite eating, then I am smoking! I think it is only healthy to try to change one thing at a time in your life. Just my opion. Good Luck with it!

jenna: HOW ARE YOU THIS MORNING!! Oops you are quitting smoking not hard of hearing. Sorry. LOLOLOL!!

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!

Update: This morning was good! I kept busy and went to work in a good mood and made it without a cigarette. The actual day was fine because I can't smoke at work anyways. Howeverrrrrrrrr.... grrrrrrrr after work a group was in the parking lot and we were talking. One lit up, I bummed one. I felt SOOOOO guilty (even though it did help my headache and I did enjoy the numbing sensation). And yet again I had this gross taste in my mouth and could really "smell" it. Came right home, changed clothes, washed hands, brushed teeth, gargled, felt better.

So all in all, I say today was a success even with that screw up. I made it all the way to work and all the way home in the car without one. And I will NOT have one tonight! So, tomorrow is yet another day..........

You're doing great, Princess!! One day you'll wake up and that headache will be gone, which will make things much easier. One day at a time and you're there!!!

Jenna: How many would you have smoked otherwise? A whole pack in one day? Two packs? And you only smoked ONE today. No let me get the cat o nine tails out. Shame on you for beating yourself up over one cigarette in a day. Still less than you were smoking.

AND ONE MORE THING!!!!!!!

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

Sounds like you're doing great! Tomorrow is a brand new start.

It is almost 1a.m. and I just got back from the emergency animal clinic. My greyhound, (Jeter) as I briefly mentioned earlier, had a mass growing on his chest wall. By the time I got home today it had tripled! And began turning black with small blisters. By 8 pm the blisters were filling and his breathing got heavier and labored. The black spots were spreading.

We didn't think he could wait until the Wednesday appointment I made so we took him to the emergency clinic. I was expecting them to tell me he had been bitten by a brown recluse or black widow spider or a scorpion or something, but instead the doctor told us Jeter is VERY ill. She can't say for certain until after the biopsy tomorrow morning, and we wont get results until late afternoon, but by the xrays he has a malignant tumor that is lymphatic. In essence, his is the final stages of lymphoma. All of his nodes are swollen and the tumor has integrated into the chest cavity and is protruding from the rapid growth from where it started (inside the chest wall). The growing black spots is dead skin from where the tumor has drained the blood supply. The blisters have now filled, popped and are rubbing off exposing the raw flesh underneath. I am sorry to be so graphic but it is necessary in order to truly describe it.

It humbles me to see my muscular, regal and all around athletic hound reduced to wheezing by my bedside tonight until I can get the "official" news tomorrow. The cancer is spreading quickly and multiplying rapidly so therefore once the "official" news is given they recommend two options: 1. K9 chemotherapy/surgery to remove the tumor as best they can/ hope for remission beyond the odds OR 2. Place him into rest as humanely as possible by lethal injection.

I had no idea he was so sick. He did not "complain" and is just slow moving recently. We just noticed the mass on Sunday morning and it has tripled in size since then. He is, as we speak, wheezing on his bed pillow trying to sleep as we have gotten him a mild sedative tonight to make him more comfortable. Needless to say, my quit smoking efforts were dashed and stomped on tonight as I needed it to even sit up straight.

Tomorrow, I will take him into the Vet for the "official" news. I plan on bringing him home tomorrow night for the family to spend our time together with him. Then, on Wednesday afternoon I will lay with him as I let him go and stop his pain and suffering. I refuse to let him be alone as he goes so I will be there with him. My DH disagrees but I won't stand for anything less. He is my best friend, my confidante, and the best dog I have ever had the pleasure of having as part of my family.

Our other greyhound will miss him terribly and will go through his own seperation anxiety. My son will join me in my tears as will my DH. What makes this even more sad is the fact that tomorrow is our 3rd wedding anniversary. We got Jeter as an anniversary gift for each other 2 years ago to make our family larger.

Jeter has given us unconditional love over the last 2 years, has been a very active member of the retired greyhound association for adoption and has worked as a volunteer for greyhound adoption awareness all over Phoenix. Jeter (formally racing as Maricopa Badger) was a good racer and spent 4 years as a professional athlete in Phoenix, Arizona with 110 races. His retiree picture and pedigree can be seen at http://www.greyhound-data.com/ by doing a "Dog Search" and putting the name Maricopa Badger.

It is hard for me to imagine going through my upcoming band recovery without him laying vigile by my bed. My heart is aching and breaking from the upcoming duties I have this week. Having greyhounds in my life the last 2 years has been wonderful. Working with the adoption agency volunteering and having this WONDERFUL addition to our family. I will not get another hound as I think that the time we have spent together is much too short. His retired days were spent well laying in the grass, chasing mechanical balls and lounging on our couch and his many "beds" throughout the house. He was well treated as a retiree. Anyone intersted in having these wonderful dogs I HIGHLY recommend them as friends but I just can't deal with the short amount of time that I have gotten to love him. We have Arod still and he is still healthy. I think our efforts within the greyhound realm will end with Jeter though. There definitely is no replacing him.

Please excuse me as I will not be here posting for awhile and I don't know how long. This is taking a lot out of me as I was already an emotional mess even before this happened. Thank you all for your love and support and I will see you when I can.

Jenna