I started smoking when I was 14... was a pack-a-day smoker for about 15 years.

Finally quit... then started picking up one or two when I was drinking socially.

I find myself smoking more and more... BAD Peacefrog.

Gotta jump back on the non-smoker wagon.

Anyone else a former/current smoker?

Oh my god, Snoopy. I'm so sorry. That just caught me by surprise and made me roll.

OK, who's deleting posts and leaving the rest of us clueless? (As if I wasn't clueless before anyway...)

what???

I can't see what Snoopy had to say.

^ that was me

I think that since snoop is one of the two mods he can delete any post.But if you notice,you can delete your own post now but no one elses.


I was a smoker for 31yrs. Got up to 2 packs a day. It took me 7 trys,but so far its been 3 1/2 yrs now. Thats the longest I've ever been smokeless.I'm thinkin it might stick.I got thru two murder trials without starting again!(yay for me.).Now,don't get me wrong,I still want one sometimes.Especially if it's a menthol.But then at most times I can't stand the smell of them.I actually feel sick to the stomach. I'm so glad that I don't smell like that anymore.UCK! Nasty.
So,it's up to you if you want to stop again.I don't know how people can afford them!
I've got to say that it's so nice to be able to breathe again when it's humid out.

I'm not a smoker and either is my husband. My mother smokes for about 30 years and quit cold turkey. She was in the hospital with pnuemonia (?) and in an oxygen tent. Actually it was easy for her.

My sister smoked for years and quit and then started again. When we was diagnosed with breast cancer, her surgeon said he wouldn't operate if she didn't quit. She did, got a clean bill of health and now smokes.

Looks like a lot of inmates is California will be quiting.

California Bans Smoking Behind Bars

Folks, I've smoked about 2 cigarettes in my life, but my parents, grandparents, and 1st husband smoked them like they were going to stop making them. I won't say that I didn't smoke anything at all, and between the 2nd-hand smoke and my contribution, I believe that is why I have asthma now. Also, when I get around cigarette smoke, it makes my nose burn, and then I get a sinus infection. Those are just the physical effects, you already know that it STINKS.

But, my mother was told in 1972 to stop smoking or she would get emphysema. She quit cold turkey. I watched her do it, and I will attest, it is the hardest battle I've ever seen anybody fight. She got lung cancer in 1975, and they had to take out half of one of her lungs. The surgery may be different now, but they laid her on her side for the surgery, and cut from her breastbone to her back - she had a scar like a fish's gill. And when the did the surgery, the hit a nerve that paralyzed her vocal cords, so she spoke in a raspy whisper, or sounded like Donald Duck when she was mad.

She did well until the 1989 or 1990, when she got COPD (a form of emphysema). She had to carry an oxygen tank with her or be tethered to a condenser for years, until they couldn't increase the amount of oxygen that the machines produced any more. A lack of oxygen makes your brain fuzzy, and we thought she had lost her mind, but it was because she wasn't getting enough oxygen in her brain. One of the tests they do do to check how much oxygen is in your blood is called a blood gas test, and according to my brother, it is a painful test.

In 1996, she was rushed to the emergency room because she had fallen asleep, and my brother could not wake her. After they gave her enough oxygen to wake her up, they told her that there was only one more machine that they could put her on. It is called a C-PAP machine, and it's a box that's about twice the size of a min-tower CPU, and it has a hose that's about 3 feet long and is connected to an oxygen mask. It was so loud that my mom couldn't hear the TV or listen to her music, and with the mask on, she could not wear her glasses to read (or even look at my wedding pictures that had been take 2 months prior). So she decided she didn't want to use that machine anymore.

The Hospice people told her she would die if she didn't use the machine, and she accepted it. To make a long story short, it took about 2 weeks for her to die, and it was very difficult for her brother and sister, and my brother and I. Between my brother and I, we were with her 24/7 for the last two weeks she was alive.

She is in a better place now, but based on my experiences, I implore each and every one of you, please stop, you (and your family) will be glad you did.

Sorry for the typos. It's just a subject I have very strong feelings about.

I smoked a pack a day for about 10 years and quit 2 Novembers ago sad to say Iv'e been smoking again for the last 5 months or so. I hope to quit come fall before Hunting season.

I dated this girl once that asked me if I smoked after sex?


I told her I don't know... I never looked

Very similar story, PF. Started at a young age, pack a day for over 20 years, quit many times, latest for 3 months, then started to smoke 1, maybe 2, when I was drinking because otherwise I think I'd have fallen off the wagon completely -- the urge got so overwhelming after a beer or 3. The urge never left me - still have it -- and work around smokers which makes it tough. I could start over to a pack-a-day again in a heartbeat, but am hoping a cig now and then when I drink will be the limit. I hate smoking. Wish I'd never, ever, started.

I tried to smoke in jr. high to be cool like the other girls in the restroom, but I never could inhale so I looked like a big loser

Anyway, once I got into high school I hung out with a bunch of smokers, but never smoked. I was considered pretty cool then because I was "different." I had willpower

Take heart Peacefrog...my dad quit after 50 years of smoking, cold turkey! I'm sure you can too

GMan


My ex-husband used to say that all the time. He obviously thought he was better than he actually was.....


You know, 25 years after quitting smoking, on her death bed, my mom said she still sometimes wanted a cigarette. I guess it's like AA - instead of a reformed alcoholic, they are just reformed smokers. It would be nice to think that you could quit and it wouldn't haunt you for the rest of your life.

Once an addict, always an addict, I think, especially with something like nicotine. It's so available... so pervasive...

Heck... just stand outside of Wal-Mart's doors at any given time and you can usually get a lungful of the secondhand stuff.

I'm dropping 'em cold turkey again... figured better not to even tempt myself with that "one or two" while out. I'm too much of an addict.

Been awfully cranky with DH today. Good thing he's understanding. LOL

Good for you peacefrog!! Resist the temptation, you can do it!!

GOOD LUCK, Peacefrog! I'm hoping and praying that you will be successful.

I wish you the best, Peacefrog. I'm absolutely sure you can do it, think positive, keep yourself busy, and don't look back.

I smoked for over 30 years 2 pks. a day. I quit smoking when it was $.50 a pack.
I still chew snuff once in awhile.

Wrong. You just had the intelligence never to get hooked in the first place.

Willpower is what those who get addicted have, if and when they finally beat the addiction. Unless you've been there and done it, you haven't got a clue.

I smoked 1-2 packs a day for more than 10 years, and quit many times, finally just going cold turkey more than 10 years ago. I have the utmost respect for anyone who can do likewise. It's a huge challenge, as any of us who have actually been through it will attest.

peacefrog, I really think the only way to beat it for good is to realize that smoking just isn't an option for you at all, ever. It's too easy to get sucked back into that addiction and way too hard to beat it. I wish you the best in your struggle, and encourage you to kick the habit totally!

Welcome back, B.

I started when I was 17 and smoked for 20 years. I knew it was bad for me and so I tried to quit several times but the longest I would last was about 3 months. I quit for good 17 years ago when my infant son had chronic ear infections and the doctor said it was from my second hand smoke. I quit that day and he never had another infection.

I just needed a better reason than my own health to do it.

Here's some good facts for you puffers out there: (of cigarettes that is)

Ever wonder what happens to your body the moment you stop smoking?

Within 20 minutes of smoking that last cigarette, the body begins a series of changes that continues for years.

20 MINUTES

Blood pressure drops to normal.
Pulse rate drops to normal.
Body temperature of hands and feet increases to normal.

8 HOURS

Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal.
Oxygen level in blood increases to normal.

24 HOURS

Chance of heart attack decreases.

48 HOURS

Nerve endings start regrowing.
Ability to smell and taste is enhanced.

2 WEEKS TO 3 MONTHS

Circulation improves.
Walking becomes easier.
Lung function increases up to 30%.

1 TO 9 MONTHS

Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease.
Cilia regrow in lungs, increasing ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection.
Body's overall energy increases.

1 YEAR

Excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker.

5 YEARS

Lung cancer death rate for average smoker (one pack a day) decreases by almost half.
Stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5-15 years after quitting.
Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus is half that of a smoker's.

10 YEARS

Lung cancer death rate similar to that of nonsmokers.
Precancerous cells are replaced.
Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases.

15 YEARS

Risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker.

That's me.

Have smoked since I was 16. 25 years now and have quit numerous times.
always went back though. Longest i've quit is for 9 months and like an idiot started again. if there was a magic pill i'd take it today! tried the patch, zyban, gum. Next step is hypnotherapy.

For whatever reason, genetics, mental makeup, whatever, some smokers find it easier to quit than others. My dad smoked since age 14 for 30 years -- pipe and cigarettes. He quit cold-turkey, ate a few jellybeans whenb he had the urge, and after a week never wanted another one. Were it that easy for everyone we'd be down to 10% smokers by now -- or less.

Hopefully this drug will soon help people who are addicted.

NicVax
http://www.nabi.com/micro_nicvax/NicVAX_mechanism.php

Yep... I have friends who never had a problem quitting. DH smoked for years, too, and quit cold-turkey without breaking a sweat.

I, on the other hand, am so linked to these bloody little cancer sticks that I feel like my lifeline's been cut whenever I quit.

Day 4 smoke-free... and feeling better today that I did on day 3, 2 or 1. So that's good news.

My father smoked these nasty cigars called Parodis. The guys he worked with used to tell him it looked like he got them while cleaning the monkey house at the zoo.

Apparently, whenever you light a cigar and then put it out, it's stronger the next time you light it. When my mom was quitting smoking, he gave her one of his cigars, and she would light it, take one drag, turn green, and put it out. She always said that helped her to quit.

From what I observed, it's not a pleasant experience, but I suppose if the urge got too strong, you could resort to similar tactics.

Hang in there, peacefrog, you're almost over the worst part (withdrawal effects)!

Thanks, N. Sorry I know that was harsh, but that never kept me from speaking up before.

Hey I resemble that..

By the way your not my xwife are you

Hey, anyone want a cheap source for cigarettes, pm me. I've been ordering 'em over the internet for a couple years now.

Just can't use a credit card anymore. Seems the major credit card companies have all banded together and refused to allow internet purchases of tobacco. I send my order in with a check and less than a week later, whammo, UPS has 'em at my front door. Minimum order is three cartons. Price for generic Marlboro-type cigs is 1/3 that of retail MD prices. Premium brand names run around $26/carton, add $1.50/carton shipping.

Yoss! This is supposed to be encouragement for peacefrog to QUIT smoking!!! Stop trying to push your cigs around here

Hey, well I'm the friendly stranger in the black sedan
Oh won't you hop inside my car
I got pictures, got candy, I am a lovable man
I'd like to take you to the nearest star

Um, Paleface, ain't that illegal wampum savings -- unless of course you pay all your MD state taxes through the proper channels?

Snoop, I send my taxes in to the Comptroller's office on every shipment. wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

The dirt's the best part, tb!

That's the part I find weird!

I mean... I can buy almost any other not-so-great-for-you product online with my cc, including alcohol and prescription drugs (sans Rx).

Smokers are always getting the bum rap, aren't they? My dad claims the smoking section of restaurants is always in a tiny, freezing corner without windows. LOL

Heck, peacefrog, you can even buy ammunition on-line with a credit card. everything from bb's to armour piercing .50cal machine gun rounds.

I smoke outside, even at my own home. I really can't stand the smell of stale cig smoke, even though I myself smoke.

I use to smoke, gave up cold turkey,
changed my thought patterns, instead of quiting,
I woke up and said...
"I'm a non-smoker" after the first day, I was so
proud of myself,
the 2nd day, thought I was going to die,
3rd day, thought I would kill someone,
4th day, wanted to sleep...
5th day, wanted to sleep with someone who
didn't smoke so the couple next door could
enjoy themselves....

LOL at Yoss the drug pusher!

You know I've smoked a lot of grass
O' Lord, I've popped a lot of pills
But I never touched nothin'
That my spirit could kill
You know, I've seen a lot of people walkin' 'round
With tombstones in their eyes
But the pusher don't care
Ah, if you live or if you die

G-- d--n, The Pusher
G-- d--n, I say The Pusher
I said G-- d--n, G-- d--n The Pusher man

You know the dealer, the dealer is a man
With the love grass in his hand
Oh but the pusher is a monster
Good God, he's not a natural man
The dealer for a nickel
Lord, will sell you lots of sweet dreams
Ah, but the pusher ruin your body
Lord, he'll leave your, he'll leave your mind to scream

G-- d--n, The Pusher
G-- d--n, G-- d--n the Pusher
I said G-- d--n, God, G-- d--n The Pusher man

Well, now if I were the president of this land
You know, I'd declare total war on The Pusher man
I'd cut him if he stands, and I'd shoot him if he'd run
Yes I'd kill him with my Bible and my razor and my gun

G-- d--n The Pusher
G-- d--n The Pusher
I said G-- d--n, G-- d--n The Pusher man

Gman, I believe you're fine. Unless you work for the Dept of Commerce, live in Mt. Pleasant section of DC, wear your hair long and your pants jacked up to your elbows, you're definitely NOT my ex!

You got my vote.

SteppenYoss for president!

You know, Yoss, a Moderator should know better than to divert a discussion thread off topic the way you just did. Somebody's seeking support for kicking a very powerful addiction, and you make fun of it? Shameful.

better'n working for a company that forces cigarette smoke into the lungs of lab rats...

Naomi put it well in another thread, copied here in case you missed it:

Funny. When we had 21 mods around here, all of them were having fun, posting silly things, editing and deleting as they pleased. Now that there are only a few mods, those few are being criticized over every little thing they do.

I think Mod reduction was mainly done just to get control before something got out of hand, not necessarilybecause it did get out of hand.

Webbie is the Grand Poobah, and she has not asked me to in any way change what I'm doing or change how the board was moderated in the past. As always, when things come up that I think need a mod's attention I huddle with at least one other mod to discuss it before acting unless it is a blatant, unquestionable case.

Mods were not perfect in the past, nor will they ever be in the future. If you want ort expect perfection go elsewhere, now. Anyone who thinks they can do a better job is welcome to apply for the job with Webbie and if she thinks they can do a better job than me but no spots are open they are welcome to take my spot. Somehow I'll manage despite the lost pay. As always we'll learn as we go and simply use our best judgement. Constructive criticism is welcome, petty sniping will be considered what it is, petty.

Anyone who does not like a Mod's decision is always welcome to go to Webbie.

Who? Pray tell.