It Took Me More Than Two Years to Quit.

buddy67 (53)in #steemit-health • 7 years ago (edited)

The first day I met my husband was in college and he offered me a cigarette. I was not a smoker, so I thanked him and said, "no thank you." We kept up a conversation and he offered me another cigarette. Again, with a smile, I denied it He continued asking and I kept thanking him, but denying it, until I finally said I would and I lit my first cigarette.

We began dating and during the whole time of dating, I smoked along with him - on walks, in dorms, at the pubs and even at the drive-in movies. The car would be so filled with smoke that we'd have to open the windows, even during the winter.

He graduated 850 miles away from me, and I kept on smoking. I was up to 3 packs a day - that's 60 cigarettes a day! Crazy! Sure they were talking about the threat of lung cancer back then, but of course, we were kids and we thought that would never affect any of us. My oldest brother was also a chain smoker, beginning in college too. In fact, out of eleven of us siblings, big families back then, all but 3 of us were smokers.

After I got married, I thought about having children and wondered if smoking could somehow hurt the baby growing inside of me. I decided to give them up, thinking it would be easy. I looked in the mirror one day and told my reflection that once the cigarettes that were laid out on the counter were gone, that I would not be buying any more and that I would have to deal with it. I only had 18 cigarettes left on the counter and I knew that would be quite a vow to keep, but that I would keep it. I had heard it would be very hard to quit after 3 1/2 years of chain smoking, but I was determined.

Well, I did it! I kept my vow! Because my husband wasn't smoking, it wasn't that hard not to smoke, although the cups of coffee without a smoke were a bit tough, but I switched to tea and it became easier. After a few months, I was realizing that I could run again, like when I was still in high school....it felt great.

Then it happened. About two years after I had quit, we were invited to a Christmas party. I was excited and eager to meet new people. We walked in the door and my husband introduced me to some people. I think I must have looked totally stonelike. Everyone I shook hands with had a cigarette in his or her hand. I was actually stunned, as I had not even seen a lit cigarette for over two years. My husband left the room and went into the kitchen, while I stood in the living room smelling the smoke.

Is this what I had looked like when I smoked? It looked pretty stupid. But I did start getting a memory of the smell and kinda wanted to have one again. I walked over to a pretty woman and asked her if I could beg a cigarette from her. She obliged. I thanked her (for the death stick) and lit it. I took one drag, took a look at the group on the couch and suddenly thought...:"What am I doing? It's taken me more than 2 years not to smoke or even want one. What am I doing?" I noticed a fire in the fireplace and threw it into the fire. What a relief! I got my husband and we left soon afterwards.

A few years later I became an advocate for smoke-free restaurants in New York state. Every eating place I went into, I asked, "Do you have a non-smoking area?" Usual answer would be, "Sorry, No!" At which time I would turn around and walk out and go to the next place until I either found a place with a smoke-free area or I would go home. I did this for months, until one night I walked into Perkins and asked if they had a non-smoking area? And the answer came, "YES!"

Of course I wasn't finished. Many of the non-smoking areas were close to the doors, so the patron had to still walk through the smoke to get to his/her table. I guess they may have figured that some of the smoke would possibly leave the building, if the smokers were seated closer to the door.

One amazing day, I didn't notice smokers in the restaurant. What had happened? I asked the waitress where the smoking section was? "Oh, NY state doesn't allow smoking in public eating places any longer...it's the new law."

I was so happy. I also knew some smokers probably weren't, cause they had to smoke outside now (in the cold), but people were still coming to the restaurants, so maybe the food and conversations were more important than the smoking after-all.

By the way, one reason I wrote this is because my eldest brother, who chain smoked all his life, died earlier this year of lung cancer. Yes, smoking does cause lung cancer. Give up that cigarette - you can really do it - I did. You have a life and your family really does need and want you around for another 30-50 years.

#science #health #life #family

7 years ago in #steemit-health by buddy67 (53)

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briggsy (64) 7 years ago (edited)

great post. I've been smoke free for 5 years (this coming January), and I really feel sorry for those who are still hooked. I was a pack a day smoker, at times 2 packs, so not a casual by any means. I really consider myself lucky though, because after smoking for 13 years, it seemed too easy when I finally quit. I don't know whether it was the cold winter and snowing and I had pneumonia, and maybe I was hallucinating from fever, but when I went outside for my last smoke I suddenly had an out-of-body-experience and it was like I was watching myself. I looked pathetic, trying to light a dart in the cold wind with an almost empty bic lighter. In that moment I knew I was done with smoking, and have never bought a pack since. the habit is about as logical as eating dirt for dessert, or drinking your own pee to quench your thirst... Once you get away from it, you realize just how disgusting and ridiculous the act of smoking a cigarette is. Despite that, I still get a craving every now and then, but only from the smell of a lit smoke. The smell of smoke on someone's clothes is enough to make me puke.

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buddy67 (53) 7 years ago

once you quit, it all changes! lol....I know my daughter came home from a friend's house, where the parent smoked. I could smell it from a closed upstairs bedroom. I told her to strip and put her clothes in the washer and make sure she put the lid down. thanks for sharing too. I am following you and upvoted you too.