My last cigarette was at 10:00 pm last night. I woke up this morning, looked forlornly at my pack of trusty Marlboro Menthol Lights, and slapped on the patch. There's no way I'm letting these little rolled pieces of paper, fiber, and nicotine rule my world. So here's my story. Hopefully I end up being victorious, but at this point I just want to make it through the day. I'll keep track of my slip-ups, milestones, and tips offered to me along the way with feedback on how helpful (or not) they were.
No one ever said quitting was easy, and they are 100% correct. There are so many methods out there to help people, but I went with the standard 3 step nicotine patch and a healthy supply of gum.
I made it through my morning commute without a cigarette, and was impressed. Having a cigarette while I drive was the norm, and without it I felt like something was missing. I had to keep reminding myself during the 2 mile commute not to light up. I even reached for my pack without thinking. I'm guessing that the patch was helping with my craving, and the willpower I had did the rest. I made it all the way to lunchtime without really giving it a thought, but the moment I stepped outside and smelled the intoxicating aroma of burning nicotine, I was dying to light up like everyone else.
They tell you not to smoke while wearing the patch, and I am an avid follower of directions. Of course, I could always rip the damn thing off and light up like the 4th of July, but that defeats the purpose of putting it on in the first place. I didn't spend the money on the patch to wear it for an hour and then cave like the Carolina Panthers on a Sunday.
I've told my family and fellow smoking co-workers that I'm quitting. Having other people to help me will be important in the coming days, since that seems to be the most likely time for me to fall off the wagon.
I plan to get really familiar with the gum section of my local Walgreens, and look into healthy snacking alternatives. The last thing I want is to successfully quit smoking and then gain fifteen pounds.
Tips Offered:
1. Drink through a straw to help satisfy the oral fixation of smoking.
you can do it!
ReplyDeleteHi there! I'm researching for a class project where we do a stop-smoking campaign for younger students and I stumbled across your page. First off I must say good for you, great decision! Second, your writing is very good, a nice mix between entertaining and listening-to-another-person-talk-to-themselves-y (is there a word for that, I wonder?)
ReplyDeleteAnd third, seeing as how topical this is for you, I'd just like to once more offer my moral support! Use the time and money you save by not-smoking to further your writing, because reading your entries has been very enjoyable!
- cheers, your random rambling stranger from the internet