QST: Day Four – Cold Turkey

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OMG I WANT A CIGARETTE!  Okay, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way…seriously.  I’ve craved one ALL day.  For no real reason.  I had to ignore stores that I drove by, and I’ve been trying to keep myself busy all day.

It got worse this evening.  I’m still quite crabby.  Poor Princess probably is wondering where her Mother went, and who this Troll is in her place.  Not my best day.

Physically though, everything has been dandy.  No stomach problems, less gas, only coughed a few times…I almost feel normal again.  My weight though has been yo-yoing like crazy.  I’ll be up a few pounds, then down, then up, then down…its been insane.  I can’t quite keep up with it all!  Guestimating weight gain so far, I’d say about 5lbs.

Current weight: 140.8

Technorati Tags: Quitting Smoking Timeline,Quitting Smoking,Quit Smoking,Cold Turkey

QST:Day Three – Cold Turkey

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Today was definitely the worst day so far. I woke up wanting a cigarette, but it passed after I drove by the store without stopping. I don’t really know why I suddenly want one, I haven’t had any cravings really for a couple of days now, and I haven’t been around any smokers. Maybe just the physical memory of it.

One of the things I do to get my past a craving is to take a deep breath, just like I’m inhaling smoke. Hold, and release. That often releases the craving, as my lungs just wanted to go through the motion.

I’ve been having some mild pains when I take a deep breath off and on today. I think that’s just my lungs clearing themselves, as I also noticed it the first few days I was on the nicotine patch. Since it resolved itself, I’ll just monitor it. My stomach hasn’t bothered me quite as much today. It seems like it was worse on the nicotine patch then this time around. Or I just haven’t hit the worst of it yet. I’ll have to see how it goes.

Energetically, I’m not great, but still far better then I was on the nicotine patch. I’m getting things done, I’m more motivated…life is good, heading towards great. I seem more like my old self again, full of life and vitality instead of burnt out and broken. Its a nice change, and I’m hoping it only gets better!

Technorati Tags: Quitting Smoking,Quitting Smoking Timeline,Quit Smoking

QST: Day Two – Cold Turkey

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I only had a couple of flare up moments, easily reduced by either ignoring the craving, sleeping it off, distracting myself or removing myself from the situation. I do keep having a coughing fit now and again, but they’re far milder then when I was using the nicotine patch.

My energy levels aren’t soaring yet, but I’m no longer feeling the bone crushing weariness I was smoking and on the patch. When I’m tired its normal tiredness, versus can’t keep my eyes open another minute tiredness.

I had some stomach upset today, but a Tums seems to have knocked it out. The changes are definitely interesting, as my body seems just as intent to purge the nicotine as my brain is.

QST:Day One - Cold Turkey

Image by isabel bloedwater via Flickr

Well, today was my first day going cold turkey after my relapse, and I actually have done pretty well all day. I’m not sure why, but I haven’t really been craving them, and save for an odd moment here and there I haven’t really been irritable. I’m actually milder then I am when smoking.

Though this morning was very disorienting. I was having a “Calamity Jane” day…where nothing was going right. But I got out and about, went boating with my family, and all in all had a great day. No one in my family really knows that I had a relapse, as I managed to keep it from them. That didn’t make me feel great either.

One thing that has been a big help today is cough drops. I don’t know what it is about them, but sucking on them has really helped keep me mellow. Maybe because they ease the tightness in the lungs? I really have no clue, all I know is it helps.

Relapse

I relapsed the past two days. I can’t seem to win for losing. But I’m not giving up! I’m going to try cold turkey, with the patches only if necessary.

Right now I feel like I’m going to have a heart attack, and I’ve woken up the past few times feeling the same way. If the patches didn’t make me so sick, I’d go on them in an instant. I still will be talking to my doctor during my appointment, and maybe there are options I haven’t seen or used yet.

If I do use the patches, I’ll try only using them during the day. I know I can do this, and I know how GREAT I’m going to feel when I succeed. Not sure if I should change my Quitnet stats or not. I’ll be trying to keep myself busy. On the upside, I didn’t smoke in such a way to reinforce old habits…and I smoked outside. I need to get done with this, I detest smoking!

Regaining my life, one day at a time.

Quitting Smoking Timeline – Day Seventeen

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It has been a crazy couple of days. I think I’m having a far more violent reaction to the 14mg then I did to the 21mg. I was ridiculously sick yesterday, so hence why no blog post. Maybe I should move to every other day from now on, let me know what you folks think.

The cramping is getting worse at time on the nicotine patch progresses. Today my entire left arm ached, from really painful last night to downright painful all day today. In fact its still cramping up as I type this, and I do not currently have a patch on. Though I did just remove it.

I’ve thrown out that pack of cigarettes that I bought, with no immediate plans of buying another one. Maybe I should test run another day off the patch, and see how it goes. At least it would be coming off of a lower dose this time. I do have an appointment with my doctor May 4th, so if all else fails I will be speaking to him about it. Being almost incapacitated isn’t exactly reinforcing my desire to quit.

16 days, 21 hours, 36 minutes and 27 seconds smoke free.
338 cigarettes not smoked.

$104.00 and 2 days, 13 hours of your life saved.

Your quit date: 4/7/2009 2:21:00 AM

Quitting Smoking Timeline – Day Fifteen

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Last night was about what you would expect after putting the patch back on again. My toilet was not happy to see me, nor was I happy to see it. I knew sleep wasn’t going to happen, so I was rather glad that a friend of mine called and we stayed up until 4am talking.

I will probably end up talking with my doctor about other options, as this allergy seems to be getting worse and not better. The 14mg that I am on shouldn’t be too strong, in fact, they are rather weak for me. Yet the reaction was as violent as the 21mg. I might try Chantix if it is now covered by insurance, but perhaps there are other options.

The worst part is the lethargy. Its worse then when I was smoking for pete’s sake. Its almost like being depressed, you don’t want to do anything, think anything, read anything…its like the anti-me. The battle still wages though!

Just not sure which is worse right now. Sigh.

Current weight: 135.8lbs, -.2lbs from Day Twelve. Current Gain: 1.8lbs

14 days, 23 hours, 24 minutes and 33 seconds smoke free.

300 cigarettes not smoked.

$97.50 and 2 days, 7 hours of your life saved.

Your quit date: 4/7/2009 2:21:00 AM

Deciding To Quit Smoking

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If you are still at the thinking about quitting stage, or even if you are quitting but are wondering why you wanted to in the first place, take a peek at this article. I've explored the difference between thinking about quitting smoking, and actually deciding to quit. Let me know what you think, if it helps you any or if you have anything to add.

The Decision To Quit Smoking

Quitting Smoking Timeline - Day Fourteen

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I learned two things today. One, that I really am allergic to nicotine. Two, that I'm not quite ready to do without the patch.

Yup, I caved and bought a pack in a weak moment. Smoked two and have regretted it ever since. I felt like a smoke inhalation victim for hours. My lungs still feel rather burnt. Then without thinking I grabbed the third. The patch is BACK on. I will take the nonsense from them. It is far preferable to what I was doing.

Its amazing what those little white cylinders actually do to your body. While smoking, I never noticed how much I was hurting my lungs. But light up a cigarette after two weeks without one, and you notice real fast. Its like running into a burning building and deliberately inhaling the smoke. Put that way, it really doesn't make any sense anymore, does it?

I'm still coughing. And I felt good all day today until then. My energy was high, I felt free, I could breathe...almost felt like I could take on the world. I want that feeling back. I screwed up, but I learned a valuable lesson. Onwards and upwards!

13 days, 21 hours, 55 minutes and 44 seconds smoke free.

278 cigarettes not smoked.

$91.00 and 2 days, 2 hours of your life saved.

Your quit date: 4/7/2009 2:21:00 AM

Quitting Smoking Timeline - Day Thirteen

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Day Thirteen

I think I'm allergic to nicotine. I started developing chest pains and nausea again last night, and one thing that had been happening for the past two weeks (and not quite as often while smoking) was a stuffy nose within ten minutes of putting the patch on. I start coughing and its just horrible, nevermind the muscle cramping.

So I'm going to try this without the patch. Things might get crazy, they might get hairy...but I'm going to try. I'd have to get off of them at some point anyways. I chose to quit, I want to quit, and by George, I'm going to do it! I might screw up, last time I checked I was still human...but the symptoms are getting worse. I'm quitting to feel better, not worse.

Quitting Smoking Timeline

12:30pm - Yup, ridiculous. These patches are killing me.

3:05pm - Took the patch off. They're giving me chest pains. Debating putting the 14mgs on, or just leaving the patch off.

10:14pm - Started breaking out in hives. Not fun.


12 days, 19 hours, 56 minutes and 11 seconds smoke free.

257 cigarettes not smoked.

$78.00 and 1 day, 23 hours of your life saved.

Your quit date: 4/7/2009 2:21:00 AM

Quitting Smoking Timeline - Day Twelve

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Day Twelve

Today wasn't overly productive, but slightly more then previous days. Had a rather difficult day with Miss Attitude, which made it a bit more difficult to cope. Need some new coping skills, as I'm not reaching for a cigarette anymore. Sincerely debated buying a pack today, just to have on hand, but resisted the urge. All it will do is reset my progress and make things worse. But it was VERY tempting.

Nicotine patch is still causing cramping and redness. Slight nausea last night, but it past rather quickly. New aches and pains are appearing randomly, almost makes me think the tar was holding me together! Lungs still feel rather brittle and slightly burnt. Brain still isn't functioning as well.

Weight: 136lb...-.2 from last time. Current gain: 2lbs

Quitting Smoking Timeline


10:48am - Woke up after another rather restless night, though a definite improvement over previous nights.

1:58pm - Really want a cigarette, mostly due to Miss Attitude going dramatic. Miss Attitude down for nap, and I followed suit. Small pains in area of lower lungs. Deep breaths and went away.

4:03pm - Woke up from nap. Miss Attitude is back to Princess. Still dozey, hit stare phase.

8:14pm - Miss Attitude in full swing again, a bit irritated. Stomach twisted, and a mild headache.

11 days, 19 hours, 52 minutes and 54 seconds smoke free.

237 cigarettes not smoked.

$71.50 and 1 day, 19 hours of your life saved.

Your quit date: 4/7/2009 2:21:00 AM

Quitting Smoking Timeline - Day Eleven

Cover of Smoking (Wise Guides)

Day Eleven

Today wasn't too bad, a few cravings here and there, but mostly dealing with the bone deep exhaustion that I can't seem to shake. Getting anything done has been like pulling teeth, even those things that I love. I'm still in the sit and stare mode, and its annoying me.

My stomach is still acting up, some moments worse then others. Almost enough to make me reach for something to ease it, but it would ruin what I've already gained. But boy is it tempting. Been thinking about just removing the patch and see what happens, but I'm not quite to where I think I would succeed with that. Wish my brain would clear up.

Quitting Smoking Timeline

8:45am - Woke up late again. Stuck in various dreams. Didn't hear alarm clock.

10:37am - Ready for a nap already. Hope this tiredness passes.

12:15pm - Woke up from nap, wondering why alarm clock didn't go off. Was set for 12am...which means it didn't go off this morning either. I'm not going crazy!

4:42pm - Ready for another nap. Very low productivity.

7:09pm - Oops. Very dozey, but moving now. Thinking about Spring Break makes me want a carton of cigarettes. I'm not ready for that.

10 days, 21 hours, 20 minutes and 7 seconds smoke free.

218 cigarettes not smoked.

$65.00 and 1 day, 15 hours of your life saved.

Your quit date: 4/7/2009 2:21:00 AM

Quitting Smoking Timeline - Day Ten

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Day Ten

Last night was another night of very little sleep, but I didn't sleep the entire day away today. Only about an hour and a half of it. I don't know what is causing me to wake up so often during the night, I'll have to see if it gets better as I continue on. Maybe a lower dose of nicotine will help with that. Once again, all I can smell is nicotine, and its driving me crazy. I'm wondering if it isn't purging out of my own system, and that's why I'm smelling it all the time. That's rather a nasty thought.

I'm still in sleepyhead mode though, and quite lethargic when not actually sleeping. Not sure if its caused by healing, detox, or simply the lack of sleep at night. Not very productive as a result, which is putting all my other goals on standby more or less. Seems like a death sentance for a Type A+ personality. But I'm in essence buying myself some more time with this one goal, so it will be worth it in the end. My stomach is still in knots though, and I seem to be going to the bathroom several times a day. Not the most pleasant topic, of course. Ah well, it all has to leave somehow.

Quitting Smoking Timeline

8:35am - Woke up late again, even after setting my alarm clock an hour earlier. I'm turning into a last minute Nelly!

10:46am - Spent the morning wishing Mom good luck on her first day back to work. No cravings yet, still super exhausted and ready to crawl back into bed.

1:32pm - Woke up from a nap. Rather irritated how little I am getting done currently, but trying to tell myself it will all settle down soon.

3:57pm - Still exhausted, as if I hadn't slept. Spent time with nephew, made sleepiness worse! Stomach starting to act up, and random cramping in arms and legs.

6:15pm - Started smelling nicotine again. Can't pinpoint smell, but its driving me up the wall. Want it gone.

	9 days, 19 hours, 9 minutes and 22 seconds smoke free. 196 cigarettes not smoked. $58.50 and 1 day, 11 hours of your life saved. Your quit date: 4/7/2009 2:21:00 AM

Week One Review

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Weekly Review

Frankly, I think I've had a fairly easy time of it this past week. I haven't had any serious cravings, haven't been too irritable, no one was in danger of losing their heads...a few quirks and some getting used to things. The not sleeping or sleeping all day thing though is annoying, but I think I could continue on without the patch.

But I'm not taking that chance just yet. While I think I could do it, I don't want to cut myself off, I'll wean as the patches suggest. I want to quit for good this time. I am noticing that I don't want cigarettes, I don't miss the taste or the smell, and I definitely don't miss that harsh feeling in my lungs. I could do without several of the side effects though, but I know that the longer I go, the easier it will be.

One interesting side effect is my sense of time. I actually feel like I have time, that there are far more hours in a day then there used to be. Of course this is mostly psychological, but its interesting. If I had to guess, I would have thought it would be the opposite. Its almost like every day is a lazy summer day.

I would never have thought I could have made it through not one but two shopping days with my Mom. They tend to be rather stressful events, but they were actually LESS stressful the past couple of times. Another odd time quirk perhaps?

The best thing is watching the money I'm saving grow. I use Quitnet.com to track my quit. You can plug in how many cigarettes you smoke, how much a pack costs and it tracks your days quit, how much money you saved, and how much of your life you saved. So far I've almost saved an entire carton's worth of cash! There's something to seeing it in black and white that makes you take a step back.

In case you missed them, here are the first seven days, often referred to as Hell Week.


Day One

Day Two

Day Three

Day Four

Day Five

Day Six

Day Seven

Quitting Smoking Timeline - Day Nine

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Day Nine

Today didn't start off very well. Woke up late and irritable after a bad night. Couldn't really sleep, and if I did doze, I couldn't STAY asleep. Had some really vivid dreams, so I know I did hit REM a time or two last night. But I watched the clock for a lot of the night as well. Might have put on the nicotine patch too late last night. I've also decided that the back of my shoulders is NOT the spot for the patch, as my arm hurt all day today.

Picked up 14mg patches today, as I probably won't be going out before next Weds to shop. And I only have a few days left of the 21mg patches. I'm excited to be lowering my nicotine dose. Maybe that will help the side effects too. Can only wait and see! Been very tired again the past few days, not sure if I'm coming down with something or if its a natural part of quitting. The habit portion is really getting easier at this point, save for a few moments here and there.

Weighed myself again tonight: Current weight 136.2lbs +.6 from 3 days ago. Current gain: 2.2lbs

Quitting Smoking Timeline

8:40am - Late, again. Had a difficult time sleeping, was up and down all night.

9:25am - Got back from dropping Kiddo off at school, and just wanted to sit and stare.

11:09am - Time to go grocery shopping with Mom.

4:50pm - Home, and passed out. Yikes

	8 days, 20 hours, 42 minutes and 16 seconds smoke free. 177 cigarettes not smoked. $52.00 and 1 day, 8 hours of your life saved. Your quit date: 4/7/2009 2:21:00 AM

Quitting Smoking Timeline - Day Eight

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Day Eight

Today was one of the WORST days as far as quitting smoking is concerned. I didn't think I would survive the morning, much less the rest of the day. The effects are fading now, but this morning was horrible. My lungs felt burnt, it was hard to draw breath, I was just plain miserable. They still aren't up to their normal clarity, and as I type this I have a Class A migraine. Manageble, but only just. I'm not sure if its tree pollen or the quitting smoking effects.

My stomach decided to join the fun today as well, knotting and twisting and regularly making a nusiance of itself. It felt at one point like someone had stabbed me with a hot poker right below my stomach. Since I slept most of the day, that didn't last too long. The twisting was still there this afternoon though, and it still shows up now and again randomly. Might have something to do with all the coughing I'm doing. That's not usually good for stomach muscles.

Quitting Smoking Timeline

9am - Woke up a bit late, not too bad though. Lungs are full, hurting and I'm coughing a lot.

10am - Came home feeling tired after dropping kiddo off, went to lay down for an hour.

2pm - So much for an hour. Not sure why I'm so tired.

3:35pm - Back from getting spawn from school. Still not feeling well, going to lay down again.


7 days, 19 hours, 46 minutes and 35 seconds smoke free.

156 cigarettes not smoked.

$45.50 and 1 day, 4 hours of your life saved.

Your quit date: 4/7/2009 2:21:00 AM

Quitting Smoking Timeline - Day Seven

Image by Saquan Stimpson/monstershaq2000 via Flickr

Day Seven

Today was a really good day. I didn't actually even WANT a cigarette, and didn't think about it too much. Occasional thought after eating, but it seems as if my energy levels are starting to pick up. I have decided that my right arm is just about off limits for the patch, as that side seems to cramp up the worst.

My wrists and forearms are acting up today due to overuse and an old cheerleading injury, so this post is going to be short. Didn't want to miss a day! I've just in the past hour or so seemed to have hit the "coughing up a lung" phase of quitting. I feel like I have been run over by a Mack truck. I think a hot bath, some green tea and cough drops are in order for this evening!

Quitting Smoking Timeline


8am - Woke up on time for once!

9:35pm - My lungs decided to attempt to purge themselves.

	6 days, 19 hours, 25 minutes and 25 seconds smoke free. 136 cigarettes not smoked. $39.00 and 1 day of your life saved. Your quit date: 4/7/2009 2:21:00 AM

Quitting Smoking Timeline - Day Six

Image by Energetic Spirit via Flickr

Day Six

I've made it through my first holiday smoke-free! Somehow, I'm not sure how. I do not have a quitting smoking timeline for today, as I was out and about for most of the day. It helped that the places I went to were smoke-free, but unfortunately the conversation seemed to drift that way frequently. It can be hard when you are constantly reminded of it, though this blog doesn't seem to make any noticeable difference in that direction.

Luckily for me I did fall asleep rather quickly last night, so it appears that the days of insomnia are over. Unfortunately, there still remains the problem of getting up in the morning. I'm still having a very difficult time doing so, but at least I am starting to hear the alarm clock again. It might have to do with the extremely vivid dreams I am experiencing, especially close to the time I need to actually wake up. Took a two hour nap after doing the family rounds, so not sure how that is going to affect my sleep tonight. But it has seemingly made me more productive, I've been on a cleaning frenzy for the past two hours or so. My nose is becoming increasingly more sensitive, and having always had a decent sense of smell, the littlest things are driving me nuts. Noise tolerance seems to be reaching normal levels, although certain levels of noise are still running on my last nerve.

My lungs are far clearer today then previous days, although the coughing is getting worse, especially at night. It doesn't seem to be productive at the time, but the heaviness has dissipated as well as a lot of the pain, so many something is moving in there. I haven't had too many problems with the nicotine patch (NicoDerm CQ STEP 1 Clear Nicotine Patches) yet, some mild redness that shows up a couple of days after removing the patch and lasts about a day, and then some mild itching after the redness fades. Weight gain has been negliable, actually lost three pounds when I weighed myself on day three, and have since only gained back 1.6 lbs so far. Current weight is 135.6.

	5 days, 20 hours, 21 minutes and 5 seconds smoke free. 117 cigarettes not smoked. $32.50 and 21 hours of your life saved. Your quit date: 4/7/2009 2:21:00 AM

Quitting Smoking Timeline - Day Five

Image by trixieskips via Flickr

Day Five

Last night I fell asleep rather quickly, after putting the nicotine patch on at about 11pm. By the time it was bedtime, I was more then ready to sleep. Had more very strange, very vivid dreams...although in some odd part of my brain they actually make sense. Guess I'm working out some issues in my sleep.

Spent most of today getting housework done, as I couldn't stand the smell of nicotine another minute. I think I have managed to cull the worst of it, but we shall see as the days progress. It helps that the days have been warm enough to open the front door, as part of it is probably the air quality (or lack there of) in here. My creativity seems to be up, although I still lack the motivation to do a lot. Hopefully the lethargy doesn't last much longer!

Quitting Smoking Timeline

12:45pm - Woke up late, but its getting earlier. Perhaps I'm nearing the end of this mess.

2:47pm - Eating is still my biggest issue. When I eat, I want a cigarette. But the physical withdrawal symptoms are lessoning. Unfortunately, all I can smell still is stale nicotine and cigarette smoke. Its disgusting. I'm really going to have to clean my tail off today!

4:36pm - Keeping busy is really helping with the habit of reaching for a cigarette. My head is starting to feel a bit clearer, though I'm still very tired, and I'm able to take deeper breaths. One thing that has been nice is not having that nasty after taste anymore! Should be able to cut back on how many times I brush my teeth now. My teeth feel pretty clean most of the day.

5:12pm - Having some pain in my chest region. Heartbeat is steady, so I think its just from overwork or heart burn. Much milder then what I got while smoking, could just be the crud burning out of my lungs.

9:11pm - Been dealing with another bout of exhaustion for the past couple of hours. Other symptoms seem to have settled down some. Cough making another appearance.

4 days, 18 hours, 57 minutes and 42 seconds smoke free.

96 cigarettes not smoked.

$26.00 and 17 hours of your life saved.

Your quit date: 4/7/2009 2:21:00 AM

Quitting Smoking Timeline - Day Four

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Day Four

Today was another rough day. While I had a productive stretch for a bit, my body and brain seem tired. And I slept plenty last night! Though I must admit to having the weirdest dreams. They were very vivid too. I don't recall dreaming the past three nights, so that is definitely a change. Still sleeping long hours though, often well into the day. I think that in itself is killing my productivity...but they say the body heals itself while sleeping. So perhaps its a good thing!

My lungs still hurt, yet they feel clearer then they have been feeling. My brain is still foggy, and I'm really having a hard time getting the motivation to do much. I can force myself to get some work done, but I waste most of my time on menial tasks, such as surfing the web. Feel quite zombie-esque. No migraine this morning, and very little queasyness last night after I put the patch on. Still causing cramping, but I can work through it. Have to put the patch on well before bed...fell asleep rather quickly last night.

Quitting Smoking Timeline

1pm - Dragged my sorry butt out of bed, still stuck in a couple of extremely vivid dreams. Feel like I could sleep for another month.

3:35pm - Had an intense craving for a cigarette. Not sure why, perhaps it had to do with my family and their demands on my time. Wasn't cranky or anything, just really wanted one. Habit still hasn't broken yet, though I am getting better.

7:16pm - Having a hard time dealing with the little annoyances. Daughter's noise levels are really getting to me. Feeling lethargic and ready to sleep, and kind of on edge at the same time. Still feeling lost without having a pack of cigarettes around...my brain can't seem to fully grasp that they are no more!

9:36pm - Feeling extremely braindead. My nose and sinuses are filling up, and my brain is whirling around. Nothing is making much sense, but I'm not sleepy. Hoping my brain comes back to me at some point!

3 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes and 22 seconds smoke free.

76 cigarettes not smoked.

$19.50 and 13 hours of your life saved.

Your quit date: 4/7/2009 2:21:00 AM

Quitting Smoking Timeline - Day Three

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Day Three

Well, I've survived day three. Which is supposed to be the hardest day of quitting smoking. Boy, did I want one all day. The senior moments were pronounced today, couldn't seem to make anything stick. Thought was NOT the high point of the day.

The burning, itching and cramping that follows the replacement of the nicotine patch was still there last night, even though I did place it on my right arm vs my left. So far my skin reaction has been minimal, a little redness where the removed patch was, but that is fading within a day or so. No itching or burning after the first hour or so after replacing the old nicotine patch with a new one.

The hardest part of this is not really knowing what to do at certain points of the day. Getting over the physical memory of smoking is rather difficult for me. The cravings I can ignore, but the constant looking for my pack of cigarettes after doing certain tasks is wearying. Its almost like rebuilding your life.

Quitting Smoking Timeline

8am - Woke up with a horrible migraine. Not sure if its allergies or what.

2pm - Finally crawled out of bed. Migraine mostly gone.

6:33pm - Goodness, am I lethargic! I have no motivation to do much of anything, I just want to sit on my rear and surf the web. Or go back to bed, either seem decent. My energy levels are nill.

6:58pm - My lungs are starting to feel heavy and painful. I'm also coughing alot, and moving seems to increase the frequency. And when I do cough, boy does it hurt! I can feel it pulling from the bottom of my lungs. I'm not coughing anything up though.

9:24pm - Having a few pains in the lower region of my lungs. I sure hope this is all worth it! Finally breaking out of the lethargy and getting some work done, although at a much slower pace then normal.

2 days, 23 hours, 10 minutes and 4 seconds smoke free.

59 cigarettes not smoked.

$19.50 and 10 hours of your life saved.

Your quit date: 4/7/2009 2:21:00 AM

Quitting Smoking Timeline - Day Two

Image by Cade via Flickr

Day Two

Once again I had a hard time sleeping last night. Though I did fall asleep faster then the night before. The patch burned and itched again, and for the second time in a row it seemed to cause my muscles in my arm to cramp up. Not bad, but mildly painful. Felt only mildly queasy last night. Woke up late again this morning.

I think I'm going to try my left arm tonight for the nicotine patch, and see if it does it over there as well. Could be a normal issue in my right arm. It only seems to happen when I first put it on at night though, so we shall see. I'm also going to put it on a bit earlier tonight, to hopefully cut down on the sleeplessness. I should be sleeping earlier anywho!

Quitting Smoking Timeline

I don't have a quitting smoking timeline for today, as I was out all day. Today was also the first time I truly questioned my decision to quit. I'm not craving so much as my body misses the action, and my mind is not quite sure what to make of all this. I keep finding myself looking for my cigarettes, especially when waiting for my Mom to come out of somewhere or after shopping at Wal-mart. Its amazing the triggers I have, and I never would have noticed if I weren't quitting smoking.

From what I understand, tomorrow is due to be the worst day, so wish me luck!

	1 day, 20 hours, 3 minutes and 44 seconds smoke free. 37 cigarettes not smoked. $6.50 and 6 hours of your life saved. Your quit date: 4/7/2009 2:21:00 AM

Quitting Smoking Timeline - Day One

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Day One

Well, today is day one of my quitting smoking timeline. I officially quit smoking as of 2:21am, right after I smoked my last cigarette. I put the nicotine patch (I am using NicoDerm CQ STEP 1 Clear Nicotine Patches) on and went to bed. Unfortunately, I could not sleep. The nicotine patch burned at first, and felt rather foreign...like putting a sticker on your skin. It itched a bit as well. Plus my mind just wouldn't stop racing. Isn't it interesting how that happens? You go to bed, then suddenly you come up with thousands of different thoughts and ideas.

But I digress. After tossing and turning for a bit, I started feeling queasy. Yup, you know where that went. I'll save you the gruesome details. Not sure if it was from the nicotine patch, from dinner, from all the milk I had drank, or from the touch of vertigo I had had most of the evening. Or some combination thereof. Eventually I fell asleep, and woke up this morning. Late of course. Perfect way to start my day.

Quitting Smoking Timeline

9:00am – Woke up late, after having a difficult time sleeping.

10:17am – Driving was interesting. All I could think of was not knowing what to do. I felt off. I smoke a lot when I drive, at least one cigarette each way.

11:38am – Having a difficult time knowing what to do with my hands. Grabbed some carrots and Russian dressing to help keep my hands and mouth busy. The nicotine cravings aren't too bad, but looking for my cigarettes is already getting annoying.

1:30pm – Now I really want a cigarette. Not so much for the nicotine, but because of the silly carrots. My body is wondering how on earth it is supposed to digest these things. Its used to having the after food cigarette! I have had a fairly productive hour though. Not as productive as I wanted, but definitely better then yesterday! I'm hoping this continues to improve.

5:11pm – I have a headache. I've had it since about 3pm, and it doesn't seem to want to go away. Rather annoying in fact. I'm not 100% sure if it has to do with quitting smoking, or the amount of work I've been doing. If I weren't having such a blonde day, I'm sure I'd be even more productive. My lungs are also starting to hurt. They almost feel as if they MISS the smoke!

7:30pm – The physical symptoms are starting to kick in. My stomach hurts, I'm gassy (not that you REALLY wanted to know that), and my intestines are in knots. Still not sure what to do with my hands, I keep glancing toward where I keep my cigarettes. I've had a few moments of irritation, but so far nothing bad or uncontrollable. My noise sensitivity is sky high right now though. And I'm developing a cough. At least cough drops should help the oral fixation part! Maybe it will help the sore lungs as well. My sense of smell seems a bit more intense then it has been, either that or I'm smell-lucinating!

21 hours, 3 minutes and 25 seconds smoke free.

18 cigarettes not smoked.

$5.70 and 3 hours of your life saved.

Your quit date: 4/7/2009 2:21:00 AM

Quitting Smoking: The Calm Before The Storm

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I am about to take the plunge. I am quitting smoking, after almost 14 years of smoking. With the rising costs of cigarettes, I just cannot afford to smoke anymore. A carton is now costing $60, with plans to continue to rise in the near future. That's ridiculous! Highway robbery if you ask me...but no one did.

I have other reasons as well for quitting smoking, besides financial. My health for one. I hope to one day see my grandbabies. I'm tired of being tired, and I'm going to see if by quitting smoking I gain some of my missing energy. I practically live on caffeine to get through the day. Okay, not practically, I do.

As I type this, I have about 4 cigarettes left of my carton. I already bought the patches, and they've been staring me in the face for days. Am I ready to do this? Not hardly. Is this a good time? I couldn't have picked worse. But do it I must. I want my life back.