A heartfelt thanks.............

[nsd_user663_5812]

Hi All

Ok its time to look back.

First of all i consider myself extremely lucky to have happened upon this site very early in my quit. The support is fantastic especially from you Octoquits, who i feel if we all stick together can go the whole way.

A bit of ****ysis..

People keep asking me what was my motivation to quit. I tell them "i would love to be able to say its for the kids, the GF, for health or financial reasons but if i did it would be a lie". The truth is i had to go to the docs for something completely unattached to smoking (a routine check up on an old knee injury) when the doc asked me if i was still smoking and suggested Champix. I thought ok i will give it a go. from taking the first champix i can honestly say i WANTED to stop.

Champix

Once again a thanks to those here who's advice was/is invaluable. I think this is a miracle drug. The side effects seem to vary alot from person to person. Personally i have had the nausea which seems par for the course but no other effects so far. I am now on 1 champix per day and feeling fine.

Effects of non smoking

A difficult one this apart from the financial side i can honestly say i dont feel any different health wise yet. My sense of smell/taste do not seem to have altered (Having said that i can smell a smoker at 50 paces now) and i dont appear to have changed weight. Not an obvious effect but my 2 boys are super-proud of me giving up.

The way forward

This is easy............... I'M A NON SMOKER !!!!!!!

Conclusions

I seem to have been relatively lucky so far in that i have not really struggled too badly this doesnt of course mean im complacent. Champix is deffinatly the way forward, however, i doubt i would have made it this far without coming across this site and all the great people here.

Sorry for such a long post but i thought it would be a good idea to get some of my thoughts down on paper.

Hang in there

Jack

[nsd_user663_5401]

Nice post Jack, nice

We all have different reasons for giving up, mine were not for health or money either I just decided it was time and that was it. Like you I have had no real benefits health wise in quitting as I've always been fit and active and I think that did help with the smoking side.

However we are both officially ex smokers and we will not smoke again, we smell better and I sleep like a baby these days (including the need to be feed every 2 hours:D)

I bet your boys are very proud of you.

[nsd_user663_5598]

Lovely post Jack.

I too can't praise Champix enough...I know I would never have got through this without it. My daughter asked me over the phone last night if I was still 'clean and serene' which I thought was a lovely way of putting it.

The reason I gave up is because I'm 12 years away from the age my mother was when she died of lung cancer and realised I wouldn't mind living a bit longer than that, preferably feeling healthy, plus I'd had a high cholesterol reading. Also, I'd had a touch of the swine flu earlier in the year and just couldn't seem to get rid of the last bit of rattle in my chest. That disappeared within a few days but apart from that I don't really feel much different, although I could sleep for England now!

It is nice to come on here and read all the other success stories....definitely warms the heart!

[Cyprien]

Nice post Jack - and well done. I hadn't realised how similar your quit was to mine. I had to go to the docs for a physical to confirm I was in Ok shape to play a competitive sport. (Team wouldn't have me without a docs certificate). Anyway, I passed the exam, but the doc just said 'You smoke don't you'. I wittered on about intending to give up and not smoking a lot (both untrue) and she suggested Champix. Thought I'd give it a go - a bit half-heartedly and haven't looked back since. Feel better in ways I didn't think were possible, livelier, brighter, younger, fitter etc etc and biggest plus of all, I feel good about myself for taking back control of my life.

Now go and put us Octoquitters in your sig! I think we can all do it. Copy from below,

Quick Links>Edit Sig>Paste in

Well done

[nsd_user663_2040]

Great post Jack

You should be very proud of yourself. You and I complete our four weeks today and like you I cant quite believe we have done it.

Very large pat on back and as a special treat you may have one of my chocolates

L

[nsd_user663_5812]

OMG a woman giving up chocs it must be a special occaision

[nsd_user663_2040]

OMG a woman giving up chocs it must be a special occaision

Just ONE....

[nsd_user663_5557]

Can I join in?

I gave up when the balance tipped for me between carrying on smoking for my sanity and the stigma undermining it. I've smoked since I was 16 or something and I'm 43 now.

I gave up in my 20s for a long time but really, really bad things happened then and it has taken me this long to pluck up the courage to have another go. Glad I have. And, shockingly, my time for walking up to the 9th floor of the building in which I work has gone from 2 minutes 20 seconds to 1 minute 54 seconds in four weeks. I was supposed to time myself again today, but mate's brothers doing dying spoilt that rather. I can't sleep and look awful though, if that's any comfort

[nsd_user663_5812]

Hi KT

Just thought i would mention that the lack of sleep is nothing to do with not smoking its a well known medical fact that being a Gooner causes this lol

UP THE HAMMERS!!!!

[nsd_user663_5649]

I'm a Gooner who sleeps quite well these days!

It's a great post Jack.

I hadn't really thought seriously about quitting after several failed attempts over the last few years, but a chance encounter with Fresh Start people at Sainsburys made me want to do it. I've been using Champix and sailed through most of the 1st couple of weeks, I've had really bad nausea initially but now I'm doing good and have been sleeping fairly well which hadn't happened for years.

I think of myself as a non smoker rather than ex smoker and more importantly I feel in control and that's pure joy

This forum is a tremendous help and I've suggested my counsellor to mention it as part of her sessions with others. You people have made me smile when I've felt low, you've given me strength when I've felt weak and warm when I've felt lonely so thank you so much

[nsd_user663_6208]

This is a great post, I like to read about people's reasons for quitting as it puts things into perspective for my quit.

I find it all too easy to forget why I initially decided to quit and become complacent, Reading posts on here stop that and keep me focussed.

I'm on day 16 I think and I'm currently feeling good about it although like a lot of other people don't really feel that much different when I think about it. I've always kept fit by gymming 3/4 times a week (Then having a fag as soon as I stepped out of the door of the gym) so I'm hoping to see a difference now that i'm clean.

I'm going to visit this site everyday and keep reading but most of all I'll go to bed tonight with another day of not smoking behind me.