If you want a reason to stop.

[nsd_user663_4484]

I just wanted to look in and give a few words of encouragement to anyone thinking about stopping or just stopped.

No one knows what’s around the corner, next week or next month, next year even. We all live and make decisions based on our current situation, about three years ago I made one of these decisions. I’d tried to stop smoking before and always failed it was just to easy to start again. I started this time with quitters, they gave me NRT patches and words of encouragement, I joined this forum and read lots of posts. After a few weeks I felt I decided to go cold turkey and really work for something I wanted. With nicotine gum on standby I started and I never looked back. I threw the unopened gum away last summer.

I got over the withdrawal symptoms as each day held its own reward as it was another day nicotine free.

In late 2010 I was diagnosed with a non smoking related cancer, this involved surgery to remove the tumour, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. After my first chemo session I picked up an infection and was admitted to hospital for a few days. After the third chemo session I picked up another infection, this one was a bit more serious, pneumonia! I was placed in isolation.

Whilst I was being treated for it I was aware of other patients who were in a lot more trouble than me with alarms going off at all hours. After a few weeks I was discharged and was able to walk away from this nightmare. The doctors explained to me that my recovery was down to the drugs I had been given, top notch nursing and the fact that I had stopped smoking when I did.

I’ll never smoke again and I’m now in remission I’m doubly grateful for all the help I received in stopping smoking and I know I wouldn’t be around today if I hadn’t stopped.

Some people swear by statistics, well here’s two to chew on;

All the people I know that went cold turkey stopped smoking!!!

All the people I know that didn’t go cold turkey started smoking again!!!

Listen, everyone, good luck with whatever you do to stop, put in the effort and the rewards are guaranteed.

[nsd_user663_41857]

Very touching post and sounds like you really helped your future by quitting.

I'm a little confused by your stats. You were an NRT quitter and not a cold turkey quitter and stopped without starting again. Everyone who takes NRT goes cold turkey at some point but they aren't a cold turkey quitter, they are an NRT quitter. Cold turkey must start from day 1 or it isn't cold turkey :confused:

i thought the same thing.

pauly well done for everything and also, good job you did stop when you did and pleased the recovery went well.

[nsd_user663_10532]

I too am confused :confused:. Anyway, whether it be ct or nrt or champix, if you are strong enough you will stay quit. It is, after all, all in the mind now.

[nsd_user663_20978]

I too am confused :confused:. Anyway, wether it be ct or net or champix, if you are strong enough you will stay quit. It is, after all, all in the mind now.

agreed shojam

[nsd_user663_25112]

I too am confused :confused:. Anyway, whether it be ct or nrt or champix, if you are strong enough you will stay quit. It is, after all, all in the mind now.

Well said Shojam I, with you on that.

Jacqui

Quit Date: 10.2.12

[nsd_user663_26699]

Hi Pauly,

Great post, and definitely one that people should pay attention to! I'm not sure about the cold turkey versus NRT (or other), but certainly agree about stopping for health-related reasons, whether they have already happened, or might happen in the future.

As my female companion once told me, "You're always ok until you're not ok."

Alex.