I've made my decision, I'm quitting.

Talk about anything that's clean.

I've made my decision, I'm quitting.

Postby Tracy » Tue Feb 10, 2015 5:26 pm

Don't try to talk me out of it, I intend on sticking to it.

I'm quitting smoking.
I don't mean I'm cutting back, or that I'm trying to quit smoking. I'm going to quit. Entirely.

I started taking Chantix today, which (chemically) blocks about 80% of the nicotine receptors in the brain, as well as about 80% of the dopamine receptors. It takes between a week and two weeks to fully integrate in the system, as it is a systemic quit aid.

I've been smoking since I was 11, for 20 years now. It has affected my health, and made a negative impact on my kids with regard to their perception of what is normal and acceptable. I have many reasons for quitting.

My quit date is 21 February. Since I spend most of my time in Felucca, and I want to avoid high stress (read: random PKs on my crafter) situations, I won't be playing UO that weekend at all. After I come back, I'll probably be Mr. Grumpy Pants, and maybe even give Tiger a run for his money on grumpiness. But, it'll pass, and it'll be for the best in the long run.

So if after that weekend anyone hears or sees me say something like, "afk smoke break", you can call me on it, as well you should.

I'm absolutely apprehensive about quitting, and it will probably be one of the harder things I've ever done. The prospect of the amount of things in my life that I will have to change to facilitate quitting is daunting, at best, since smoking has been such a big part of my life for so long.

I'd say "wish me luck", but it's not luck I'll need. Wish me willpower.

*puts on noise-cancelling headphones to avoid the goober alert for the misleading title, ducks any possible incoming buckets of water*
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Re: I've made my decision, I'm quitting.

Postby Ciara » Tue Feb 10, 2015 6:14 pm

I quit over 30 years ago. What would have happened if I hadn't quit? I would probably be dead of lung cancer.

Good for you for quitting!
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Re: I've made my decision, I'm quitting.

Postby KDSonoma » Tue Feb 10, 2015 6:44 pm

"I'm absolutely apprehensive about quitting, and it will probably be one of the harder things I've ever done."

nah, remember how many times you played a UO event while in ventrilo WITH TIGER for like ... an HOUR.

If you can do that, quitting smoking will be a breeze for ya.

:)

Good luck, Malachai. My mom had smoked for about 20 years and then went through a divorce. She said "hell Im already stressed to the max with the divorce, I might as well quit smoking now. She did, and hasn't touched them since. Age 77 now, and she wouldn't have made it this long without that life change.

We are behind ya.

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Progress

Postby Tracy » Wed Feb 18, 2015 6:48 pm

So, as of February 9th, I had been smoking about a pack and a half a day for years (30 cigarettes). What follows is my daily progress of limiting my nicotine intake by reducing how often I smoke (and thus how many per day):
Feb 10 - 24 cigarettes (just over a pack)
Feb 11 - 15 cigarettes (3/4ths of a pack)
Feb 12 - 11 cigarettes (just over half a pack)
Feb 13 - 9 cigarettes (just under half a pack)
Feb 14 - 9 cigarettes (no progress, but it was the weekend and I was more bored, making it harder to wait longer)
Feb 15 - 8 cigarettes (which included driving to Atlanta, visiting Brianna [which was very cool btw], and being around people who smoked, which made it difficult as well)
Feb 16 - 8 cigarettes again (no progress, but was sitting at home bored all day, President's day)
Feb 17 - 5 cigarettes (1/4th of a pack)
Feb 18 - 4 cigarettes (1/5th of a pack)
So, I have tomorrow and Friday, and Saturday is my quit day. I've been making changes to facilitate, but it has been very hard. And yes, harder than putting up with Tiger in vent. *grins*

I have no doubt I'll be able to quit, I just need to make sure I have processes in place to deal with stress as well as boredom so I don't relapse. Game on.
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Re: I've made my decision, I'm quitting.

Postby Ciara » Wed Feb 18, 2015 9:50 pm

Good luck! Your health will thank you!
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Re: I've made my decision, I'm quitting.

Postby Tracy » Sat Feb 21, 2015 7:46 am

Update:
Feb 19 - 3 cigarettes
Feb 20 - 2 cigarettes (and yeah, that was a rough day)
Today, Saturday, Feb 21. Day zero...not feeling too terribly confident at the moment.
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Re: I've made my decision, I'm quitting.

Postby KDSonoma » Sat Feb 21, 2015 8:56 am

just hang in there my friend.

You can do this.

:)

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Re: I've made my decision, I'm quitting.

Postby Maldar » Sat Feb 21, 2015 3:31 pm

You've come a long way! You've got this!
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Re: I've made my decision, I'm quitting.

Postby Ciara » Sat Feb 21, 2015 3:49 pm

I used Nicorette gum to quit. It helped. Some places you can get it free or an inexpensive perscription.
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Re: I've made my decision, I'm quitting.

Postby Tracy » Sat Feb 21, 2015 4:16 pm

I'm not a candidate for the gum or the patch. The gum cannot be used by anyone with dental prosthetic devices (such as retainers, braces, partials, or dentures). I'm in full dentures, top and bottom. I'm also allergic to the adhesive in the nicotine patch, the last time I tried that, day one gave me a big red area, day two was welts, day three was blisters, by day four I had hives all over that arm, and when I pulled the patch off the skin came with it. So I can't really use nicotine replacement therapy, unfortunately.
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Re: I've made my decision, I'm quitting.

Postby KDSonoma » Sat Feb 21, 2015 8:00 pm

ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

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Re: I've made my decision, I'm quitting.

Postby Tracy » Sun Feb 22, 2015 11:03 am

I'm still alive. Hating life, and still without smoking (just over 36 hours now)...but I'm still alive. My wife would tell you I'm impossible to deal with right now, though. Had a couple of REALLY rough times last night.
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Re: I've made my decision, I'm quitting.

Postby Ciara » Wed Feb 25, 2015 2:36 am

In the end, I ended up quitting cold turkey , the last and final time I quit which was in 1987. I had a house guest that didn't like smoke, so I stopped smoking while she was here. Then she decided to stay on another week, and I went ACKKKKKKKKKKKKK. But after I had not smoked for 2 weeks, it seemed pretty stupid to start again, so I didn't.

This was about the 30th time, and last time that I quit. The thing about quitting is to not smoke another cigarette.

Good luck!
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Re: I've made my decision, I'm quitting.

Postby Tracy » Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:25 am

Day 5 now. The worst of it seems to be over, but I'm definitely not kickin' it on easy street just yet.
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Re: I've made my decision, I'm quitting.

Postby Maldar » Wed Feb 25, 2015 2:34 pm

I'm proud of you, man!
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