Well that's it. 1 year at 9pm last night.
23 July 2014, I was simple traffic warden off sick with a dodgy leg watching the Commonwealth Games. I was on day 9 of Champix from memory and I ran out of tobacco with a week till pay day. So I decided to stop.
23 July 2015. I'm a manager in the Parking Unit working long hours at MTV crashes on Plymouth Hoe. I'd been on a course all day and I knew that come 9pm it would have been a year. But I was too busy to think about it, as I was keeping my staff happy throughout and I was shattered to be fair.
Champix, you worked. I never finished the course properly, and I still have set of tablets to take. The last tablet I took was in October to go in a smoky car to London.
I've faced a few cracks, but the closest was New years Eve- when I had puff of my mates 0% E cig after a lot of booze. But I didn't inhale (snigger Bill Clinton) and the next day nothing. It was a normal hangover and no crave.
Yes I've stormed off and gone to the shop to get them- but Haribo are cheaper and the sugar comedown is better. In fact there isn't a type of sweet I've not rediscovered- but Rhubarb and Custard sweets in the early days got me through- and they had to be a certain brand as well!!
To any newbies- a year sounds unobtainable. But an hour is manageable. Be proud of that single individual hour. And move forward. You will get there.
And finally. I'm not and will never be an Ex Smoker. I'm a smoker who chooses not to smoke. A simple difference which takes the pressure off totally and helped me day to day.
Phil xx
