Back Again!

[nsd_user663_17077]

Hey everyone.

I am back again with my first really serious attempt to quit since I started again last May. I am coming to the end of day 3 (in the USA so it is 7.30pm). It had actually been fine, for some reason something just clicked in my head, and I have really not thought about smoking.

I am not sure if any of the oldies are still around from my last few quits, but third time lucky right?! I am a little nervous as over Christmas I was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia (PoTS) and it has been a struggle to control it. I am hoping the quitting smoking will help in the long term, but definitely feeling far more dizzy this time, which is probably as I struggle to control my blood pressure with PoTS (I bottom out, and have ended up in ER several times). I am drinking a ton of water and munching on salty treats to keep my BP in the safe zone!

I have one thing helping me, I graduated nursing school last month, and have been offered a job at a huge teaching hospital. They urine test for smoking. Now I have got to this point I would be really really stupid to throw away a £40K job for the sake of one hit! It is also pressure as I know I cannot use NRT. But, fingers crossed, and my little one is super excited for me to stop!

This is the first quit (I have tended to smoke year on, year off for a decade) where my throat is really sore, I am coughing constantly - not sure if this is because of allergies, or because I am getting older and my body is not so good at recovering!

Anyway, hope everyone is well..

[nsd_user663_54559]

Hi there itsy!!

Another American wahoo!!!! Finally someone on my time zone yay!!! I am in Florida so I am available whenever you need to rant or whine, or congratulate yourself, whatever! A big welcome to you.

I won't bore you with my sordid details but just the surface stuff. Joined here for my quit New Years and fell off my first 30 days. Since that time I am on my 4th quit but with the help of everyone here am going to make it my last.

This is a wonderful place to be and you will find the craziest but best of humanity here!

I wish you the most success and hope that you find this a soft placwe to land when you feel you are in need.

By the way new quit buddies are always welcome so if you need one, I'll be here!

~Sherri

[nsd_user663_17077]

Hey there! I am English (by origin). Looking at when I joined here, I was actually in the UK. But moved back to OH in Dec 2011 and been here ever since (I lived in OH 2006-2009 too).

It is nice to have someone on the same time frame! And I love this site as despite being here years, I still find I understand the UK humor/perspective better and the two are amazingly different. It is hard to believe two countries with a common language can be so different!

[nsd_user663_57259]

Hey everyone.

I am back again with my first really serious attempt to quit since I started again last May. I am coming to the end of day 3 (in the USA so it is 7.30pm). It had actually been fine, for some reason something just clicked in my head, and I have really not thought about smoking.

I am not sure if any of the oldies are still around from my last few quits, but third time lucky right?! I am a little nervous as over Christmas I was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia (PoTS) and it has been a struggle to control it. I am hoping the quitting smoking will help in the long term, but definitely feeling far more dizzy this time, which is probably as I struggle to control my blood pressure with PoTS (I bottom out, and have ended up in ER several times). I am drinking a ton of water and munching on salty treats to keep my BP in the safe zone!

I have one thing helping me, I graduated nursing school last month, and have been offered a job at a huge teaching hospital. They urine test for smoking. Now I have got to this point I would be really really stupid to throw away a £40K job for the sake of one hit! It is also pressure as I know I cannot use NRT. But, fingers crossed, and my little one is super excited for me to stop!

This is the first quit (I have tended to smoke year on, year off for a decade) where my throat is really sore, I am coughing constantly - not sure if this is because of allergies, or because I am getting older and my body is not so good at recovering!

Anyway, hope everyone is well..

Hi there

third time lucky for you most certainly! We will be rooting for you! It sounds like you have a fab job to go to - I personally think that it's highly intrusive to do urine testing! I would have though that they should allow the use of NRT but perhaps it's hard to detect the difference between NRT and smoking.

Well I hope your cough clears up soon.

Sarah

Well don

[nsd_user663_17077]

A lot of healthcare employers test here, as do some public sector employers, plus health insurance companies. It sucks, I kind of understand the theory, but unless they are going to stop employing overweight people etc, it is unfair and smoking is legal! I understand banning it at the workplace, but in people's private lives they should be allowed to make the choice themselves.

They test for nicotine and cotinine. Nicotine is gone after 3 days, but cotinine sticks around longer. Both will be identical for NRT and smoking, and will be detected in people who live with smokers etc. I believe you can ask for another test if on NRT that tests for something else in addition that is only found in cigs!

Despite my personal feelings I am glad it gave me the push to stop!