Hey everyone, long time no see. March 1 will bring in two clean air years for me. It is time to remove my papers from my wallet, as I haven't looked at them in a while. Here is what they say, and they have been in my wallet since day one:
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I am not quit, but have stopped, there was no sacrifice, but a blessing. Non Smoker S.P. Not One Puff Ever
(then i had some urls, of which all can be found around the site, as i'm not a spammer:P)
Remember the reasons I stopped smoking.
-coughing randomly -sick to stomach - smoking hurts when i'm sick
-no energy - smelly and chemical filled - too much time out of day
-bad breath - wheezing and colds turning into bronchitis
-trips to the store constantly -i want to be alive for my wife
-smoking outside in the cold - expensive - filled my pockets too much
-dirty stains on fingers - bad circulation
-declining health - yellow teeth
-I did not have slow enjoyable puffs, instead inhaled fast to get the nicotine
-looked stupid standing around smoking
-out of breath during short exercise - no control over my life
-3500 Canadian per year - physically aging quickly - impotence would suck
-i only felt good because I was topping up the nicotine.
-illusion of concentration - I AM ADDICTED!
The following was added over the next two months:
Cravings >Terrible!>Don't Ever Forget!
-Hard to sleep - stress/agitation
-body shakes - there is a difference between thoughts and cravings
-reaching for something to smoke that isn't there
-time goes really slowly
-snappy and angery for first couple weeks
-made me eat way too much
Reaction/coping
-drank lots of water - walked - found something to do until feelings passed
-had wife and friend as support, both of which had previously stated they gave up on me - tried to avoid smokers, to no avail ( ignore is best policy)
-deep breathing, ps2 - no smoking day forum - feel oxygen going to fingers and toes when breathing heavy
withdrawal
-clumsiness, no concentration, oral fixation, dull clouded mind, constant anger/twitchiness.
I know I am one puff away from a pack a day. I do not want this again.
Quitting Was Worth It. I can Go on and handle this. S.P. (signed)
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I know it may not mean much to some of you, but that list was there when I went to the pub, when i was at work near smokers, when I was sad, lonely, afraid, ready to burst. By the time I finished reading it, the craving was pretty much done with. I know, the grammer in this post is outrageous, but, that is how it is on the paper. With that said and done, and it posted here to sit in archives forever, I move on, to another section of my life, my third year as a Non Smoker (giving myself that title, from ex smoker, on March 1)... and I am loving all things about life, longboarding hard, running, I'm now down to 180 lbs, from 208, still 10 more to go though, haha.
Hope you all are breathing easy, Thanks to those who helped me get to here, and good luck to those who are doing the right thing by tossing that horrible addiction. We are all strong. Believe it.
Viking, The easy breathing Norseman. Come join me for drinks midnight, feb. 28, in the lodge.