Stop Smoking Support Thread
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OK, all. I am asking for some positive thoughts in the morning. I have driven since I quit smoking. I have even driven to the plastic surgeon's office, which is about 60 miles from here...all without smoking. However, I'm returning to work in the morning. That 40 mile commute in Kansas City rush hour traffic always included a few of my favorite smokes of the day. I know that I can drive without smoking (because I've been doing it,) but this is one of those automated, done-it-the-same-way-for-nine-years drives that is going to demand distraction.
(Maybe the fact that this stupid drain is still here, nearly six weeks later, will be distraction enough? Ha!) Honestly, I never wanted to return to work with this stupid thing hanging off me, but maybe only a few more days. Yup. Found my smoking distraction! Jaxson the distraction!
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Positive thoughts coming at ya Fierro. You can do it... its hard, it will be - but you know deep down in your heart of hearts you will feel so proud when you step out of the car.
Good luck returning to work as well.
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Fierro: We'll be thinking good thoughts for your drive. Be sure to take some gum.
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Fierro,
Shortly after I quit I had to go pick up my daughter from college, a drive of a bit over an hour and one where I typically smoked almost nonstop.... Was really nervous about that trip.... Packed some water and a bag of carrot sticks to munch on... Also had some gum in case I needed it.... Turned the radio on and the volume up and sang and sang! I'm sure people who passed me thought I had lost my mind.... Didn't care... I was doing what I had to do to get through!! And you will too!
Wishing you the best snd will be thinking about you tomorrow!0 -
Fierro, I always associated tense driving with smoking too, again that ingrained habit. Can you chew bubble gum and blow bubbles, or chew on a straw or do as you say you will do and rely on Jaxson the Distraction!!.... should be your last weak with him!!!.
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Hey Seaside, I was a puddle of persperation all day unless I was sitting in the same room as the AC unit, one more day of this, then dropping down to the 70's, can't wait. Do not know how our Texas, Florida, California, Arizona, and New Mexico ladies do it. They are certainly made of stronger stuff, Minnesota sounds dreadful, even beating out our winters, today I would have liked a short burst of a snowstorm, maybe 10 minutes to cool us all down.
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{{{{Fierro}}}}
The daily beep-and-creep used to be the only time I had to myself, and I smoked like a feind. I think someone else already mentioned singing, and that was the key for me in breaking that association. I was dressed as a financial professional, and I knew of and was amused by the shocked stares of my fellow motorists as I cranked up the Stones and Van Halen and did the headbanger jerk, so I laughed as well as singing, which seemed to help.
I will think of you as sailing serenely on your way, and I hope your first day back at work is a good one.0 -
Fierro - Lots of positive thoughts coming your way - you can do this.
MaddyMac - I see you are in Marin County, CA. I went to freshman & sophmore years in high school in Novato. There once was an Air Force Base there.
MinusTwo - The gulf breeze is our only saving grace some days. I know the humidity in Houston is much worse that what we have.
Karen - You northern gals brave the cold and snow during the winter time. I lived in Cheyenne, Wy for 3 1/2 years and that was enough for me. Did not like the 12 foot high snow drifts and the below zero temps. It was all the way to the bone cold. I would go out in many layers of clothes and still could not get warm. You gals can keep the cold.
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Jo, I wish I could order up about 10 minutes of cold winter weather, just to cool things down. Too bad we cannot modulate our weather like that. I would like a cold drink and a cigarette in an air-conditioned restaurant, but just for today I will not smoke!! hugs, Karen
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I did it! I napped yesterday, so I couldn't sleep well (only got 5 hours and I'm a solid 8-hour girl) so my return to work was more difficult than it should have been. I hit "the wall" quite early. Anyway,
I did NOT smoke, nor envy those that were. I thought about how black the towel would be when they next cleaned their car windows, and how their clothes would smell when they got to work. Yes. I still love that smell, but I won't always! LOL
I worked over 7 hours, and hit the wall by 1:00. I pushed through until 3 (pressure from me, not from them) and then headed home. I did NOT smoke on the way home. The a/c is out on my car, so it was quite warm, and I really wanted a smoke because of the heat. What the heck sense does THAT make? ha ha But I didn't.
I'm home, exhausted, and proud.
On another note, Jaxson could only force out 25cc this morning, even after being "stripped" several times to make sure no clots existed. If that holds true in the morning, we shall part company tomorrow afternoon. If he can muster over 30cc, I'm screwed. I've looked at him and threatened him and I think he understands that his time is limited.
We shall see...
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YAY Feirro, you made it through work and did not smoke in the car, you should be very proud of yourself - you did an awesome job!!
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Karen,
It's storming here now! Hoping this knocks the humidity down! Looks like if we can hang on one more day we drop bsck into the high 60's. Gonna feel chilly after the last couple days...lol!
Waaaaahooo Fierro!!!
Was wondering how you made out today and am glad, while I'm sure you're exhausted, that things went well!!! The car thing will get easier and easier! Crossing my fingers that the drainage amounts stay low and that you can bid Jaxson a permanent farewell!!!0 -
Northern girls, we need a song like the Beach Boys did for the "California Girl". I try not to complain to much about the hot, hot, hot weather because we have it for such a short time. I find the evenings sooooooo hot when the dh (any name you want to call him will suffice) tells me not to open the windows. Too stuffy for me. I dolove the 4 seasons but after January, the snow can take a hike.
Funny enough about smoking in the car .... Fierro think that you are in Ontario and you have young kids in the car. You will be fined if you are caught. Can't remember the age as I don't have kids but try to think of that .... the penalty is BIG! I used to find I wanted a smoke when there was a traffic jam, accident or just a plain long car ride. Now, I don't think of it tooooo much! Hang in there Fierro!
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Seaside, hope it heads northeast, I am going from hot flash to hot flash, bring on the chilly. And I am not perspiring in a ladylike manner.
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Thanks, Judi. That reminds me that I didn't smoke in the house or with the kids in the car (after Kevin quit.) We used to be BAD for their health, but we got better. I hope my kids do better, seeing how hard it was for us to quit. I didn't learn from my parents, though, so who knows? LOL
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Karen - It is 6:30 pm where I live and it is still 95 degrees. The a/c is working overtime. I would use a cold drink and a cig also but For today, we will not smoke. How about that drink and the adult binky??? LOL! I still have that. Can't seem to give it up when I am surronded by smokers.
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Jo, sometimes I think borrowing a REAL binky from my grandson might even be a help, so you keep on doing what works. I can't believe how well you do, surrounded by smokers, and it makes me feel bad for the three years I smoked after DH quit. I apologized to him, just now, because of you.
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We're going to look pretty funny with a cold drink and an adult binkie (I bet a binkie would work), but if you're game - I'm in. 6:30 and 95 degrees, you dear Jo are a trooper. We have a front moving in and a line of strong showers, Seaside is getting them now. This perfectly wonderful breeze is coming in, tomorrow we are to be in the 70's, now that sounds wonderful. I have been a massive hot flash unless I sit in front of the AC unit. Sooo, the rug ain't getting vacuumed tonight!
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Fierro - Aw shucks! I am speechless. I try to help anyway I can. I'm sure DH is so glad you quit. How was the drive to and from work today? Hope it wasn't as hard as you thought it would be. Now just what are you going to do when you won't have Jaxson riding along with you? LOL! My solution is to put in a CD, turn up the volume and sing all the way to work.
Karen - I wouldn't care how funny we looked. If it works for us, then so be it. Plus, I think our adult binkies are more accepted than we think. Hey! I just thought of this - they would make a great conversation piece. 70s about now would be perfect. I am so jealous.
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I have always been one to sing at the top of my lungs all the way to work. Sheesh, don't you know? I have a professional sounding voice...as long as I'm alone.
It wasn't bad. On the ride in, I was worried about what the workday would bring, so I had plenty to occupy my mind between songs. On the way back, I had to concentrate on NOTHING but driving, because I was trying to stay awake until I got home.
I did not smoke today, and I will not smoke tomorrow.
I do need to admit, however, that I sometimes hang with my friends in the smoker's breakroom for the 2:00 break. How bad is it that I sometimes grab some second-hand? I know. Bad.
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Fierro - The time will come when you don't want to be in the breakroom at 2:00. I have the same kind of voice - sounds good as long as I am alone. Maybe we can be a duet - LOL!
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O.K. girls, you have me stumped! What is an "adult binky"? Fierro, don't feel bad about going into the smoker's breakroom. I still find that I like the smell of smoke. I'm in the Tim Horton's (our big coffee icon) drive thru and I can smell the smoke from another car. I have found that heavy smokers who come in from the outside during the winter actually "stink" and then say to myself "thank god I'm not like them".
Can't wait for the cooler weather - if it's coming to N.Y. then it will head to Toronto. Yay!!!!!
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Hi JudiH, an adult binkie is an e cig without nicotine, Fierro gave me an idea though - I bet a baby's binkie would work just as well. The e cig is a little more socially acceptable. Jo and I have occasion to rely on our e cig still.
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Hi Karen ... thanks for the info however I've never seen an e cig. Who makes it. Does it have smoke?
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JudiH - From what I am told, e-cigs are not sold or allowed in Canada. But an e-cig is an electronc cigarette. It looks just like a regular cig. The white part is the battery and the brown part or filter is the cartridge. What you are inhaling and exhaling is water vapor. You hear this referred to as "vaping". From all the research I have done, and it was extensive, there have been no reported cases of lung cancer or damage from these. You can get different strengths of nicotine and work your way down to zero. They are becoming really acceptable in the US. What a person has to be careful of is buying ones made in China - you really don't know what you are getting - it is best to stick with brands made in the USA.
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Thanks Jo. No, I haven't seen that in Canada. We are becoming a nation where smoking is not tolerated yet there are so many smokers. Wonder why ... because of the taxes smokers pay on the smokes. Keeps the government going. Plus, smokers can buy them from the Indian reserves - carton costs $20 - who wouldn't buy them. I hadn't heard of the terminology "vaping" - I'm going to ask the Tobacco Inspectors at work tomorrow if they have come across the contraband "e cig" and the terminology "vaping". You girls are so smart.
Judi
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Didn't realize Jo was posting you too, so now you have all the views of an e cig. It is the relatively new stop smoking aid. It looks just like a cigarette with filter/cartridge ( that can contain nicotine ) and battery that looks like the white tobacco filled part of a real cigarette. You can get in various strengths and wean yourself down to no nicotine, which I did. Jo went cold turkey, starting out on no nicotine. It satisfies the hand to mouth habit and also oral fixation. Now we both use it occasionally, me iin stress situations, Jo, because she is constantly around smokers, which makes quitting such a huge triumph for Jo.
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Karen, thanks. I've never seen this or heard of it so I'm truly amazed. How much does it cost? Maybe that would have worked for me pre-cancer when I underwet hypnosis to quit and was a "joke" for me. Funny, the place I went to had lots of commericals on t.v. and now I never seen it. You know, if the e cig works, why not. However, can you become addicted to it?
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Judi - Cost for an e-cig will depend on where you buy it. There are all kinds of prices ranges out there. If you google electronic cigarette you may be surprised at the amount of hits you get. Can you become addicted - yes you can. The idea behind the e-cig was an alternative to smoking. If you start out with nicotine, you can always wean your way down to zero if for nothing else but to satisfy the hand to mouth thing. You can also wean your way out of that habit to but doing other things. Bottom line - there are many things we do that are habit forming - some are good things - others are bad.
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Speaking of singing - I turned the volume WAY up and sang AND danced to Motown hits. Sitting down dancing of course, while I drummed on the steering wheel. R-E-S-P-E-C-T was a great one.
Jo - another coincidence. My son now lives in Novato and we toured the old Hamilton AF Base when I was there in February. They've actually turned the hangers into businesses - offices & restaurants. The runway has been dug up & is under re-development as the wet lands it originally was. It's a great place for dog walking. I think the chapel is still open & at least one of the swimming pools. I heard there was so much demand for the housing that they had a lottery to even get the right to bid on the houses.
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