I don't care if this is upvoted or downvoted. I'm posting this because I seriously need everyone on Plime's help. So please be a good sport and just bare with me OK?

I was in the hospital last night for a good 6 hours because for the past 2 days I haven't been able to breathe normally.

When I first went in they thought I had blood clots in my lungs because I was coughing up some blood. So I was checked out for that and they nixed that. Then they checked me for other things like empheysema, lung cancer, pnemonia, etc.

Turns out I only have bronchitis, but the doctors told me that because this is my 5th or 6th(can't remember) time having bronchitis that if I don't quit smoking I will end up with COPD or empheysema before I hit 24, considering both run in my family. They also said that because I smoke and already have PCOS(Poly Cyistic Ovary Syndrome), that why I haven't been able to get pregnant and why I miscarried 2 years ago.

So, I've decided to give up the cancer sticks for good, the only thing is its really hard for me to do. I've tried quitting before and it always turns disaterous.

I'm asking everyone if they can either help me get through this or know of ways that I can stop myself from smoking without all the bad side effects i.e. moodiness, the shakes, etc.

I'm doing OK today, haven't had a smoke in 2 days because of the meds I'm on, but again I really would like some help.

I've done patches, gums, meditations,etc. but they've never worked on me. Anything you guys can offer will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Aggie

Why would this ever get downvoted?

My advice - quit with half a pack. Keep it in your drawer. Do NOT smoke any of them under any circumstances - not even in cases of extreme emergencies. Just keep a half pack.

Everybody always smokes their "last pack" and then says, "hell, I'll go buy one more pack, and that one will really be my last." The idea behind keeping a half pack is that you won't be tempted to go buy another pack of cigarettes because you still have some left.

I know a few people that tried everything also. They ended up going to hypnosis, and that is how they quit.

What it really boiled down to for me was really wanting to quit. My brain kept telling me to smoke and my logic kept telling me to not smoke. So it ends up that I at war with myself and it was a hard battle.

I ended up trying to take pleasure in the fact that I didn't smoke. When I could drive past the store and not buy a pack I'd smile and say, I beat ya this time f**ker! I started to really enjoy the fact that I could beat it. It was almost like a fun game.

So instead of substituting food or oral stimulation for cigarettes.. I substituted pleasure for pleasure.

Without butts for 7 years and counting.

*hugs*

You have my support 100% Aggie. I'm there for you. Just keep reminding yourself that this is for the better. Think of all the benefits you'll get when you actually quit (I do say when, because I know you're strong enough to quit). What Kakana said also makes sense, try making a game out of it. Pleasure for pleasure. I care about you, and I can be there to give you a hug or a swift kick in the mental tuchus if you need it.

The reason I said this would get downvoted is ebcause, for some reason, the last time I made a thread that dealt with my issues of smoking it was downvoted to the graveyard. Actually alot of things I've posted in the past couple of months has been downvoted quite a bit.

But thank you guys for your advice so far. I've found that I'm more of the oral fixation when it comes to cigarettes so I've been sucking on hard candy (stop thinking dirty thoughts you pervs!).

I'll keep you guys updated oin my condition. I'm getting a bit better with the medication although I feel I have a long way to go.

Option 1: Build a time machine and go forward in time to where they've cured all diseases and people live to 500 years old.

Option 2: Go to Sydney, Australia. Then catch Oceanic Flight 815 to Los Angeles. You'll end up on some island with magical powers to heal all your ailments....and there are no more smokes on the island.

Option 3: Take the red pill that Morpheus gave Neo. Because this is all a dream.

Option 4: Forward this email to 25 of your friends. The President of Argentina received this email and called it 'junk mail', 8 days later his son died. A man received this email and immediately sent out copies...his surprise was winning the lottery.

Option 5: Go to Quitters, Inc.

Option 6: Realize that only you can get you to quit smoking. But also realize that we are here for you. Once you realize those two things - stop smoking!

I didn't even think about that, but I still have in a drawer a full pack of tobacco that was left over when from when I quit.

There was no great plan or organisation to my quitting. I went to the clinic one day and quit the next. Seemed to work out. I wonder if that "safety net" pack was part of it.


Aggie - I had numerous attempts at quitting, all of which failed, and the bottom line as to why those failed is that I didn't want to quit.

This time I did. Not 100%, I'll admit that - I think honesty with yourself is important - but I had achieved a state of mind where my desire to quit was greater than my desire to keep smoking.

Hopefully the good thing that will come out of your medical news is that it will push you over the edge into wanting-to-quit territory.

As far as practical advise goes, I found grapes to be brilliant for dealing with the oral part of it. I'd buy a bag every morning on the way to work and then whenever the urge took me I'd start on the grapes.

Good for you Aggie to quit.

I'm on the cusp of quitting again. I quit for 12 years a while ago. I attended the Green seminar and was hypnotized and simultaneously used the nicotine patch. At that time I was sucking on about 2 1/2 packs a day, at a cost of approximately $5/day.

Every evening I took a $5 bill out of my wallet and put it in a special velvet box. If I didn't have a $5 bill, the next highest denomination went in the box, no change allowed. After a few months I had $1,200 and blew it on a great vacation.

Now, I've gone through 2 unsuccessful attempts in the past year with Chantix. I just didn't follow the program, but it was working on me pretty well the first go-round.

I've filled another prescription and I've set a goal for myself that I will be a non-smoker by the time I close on my new apartment (any day now). I just have to start taking the Chantix and confirm to myself that I really really want to quit this time.

Good luck - the first few days are the hardest. Keep chanting - "I'm a slender non-smoker in control of my eating habits. There is no such thing as an occasional cigarette"

I am, by no means, slender. I'm a big girl with a big appetite. This is also one of my fears is that I'll get bigger. But I'm still going 29 hrs without nicotine so far (yes I'm counting STFU).

Aggie, I'm with the consensus of comments thus far. You won't be able to quit until you can tell yourself that they are killing you and you don't want to ever smoke one again. I tried, like, 6 or 7 times to quit smoking. It didn't happen until I realized that I was trying to quit because other people were telling me I needed to. I couldn't do it until I finally affirmed that I needed to quit for myself and nobody else. I used my health as grounds for doing it, which is what you should do, all things considered. And don't forget, you've got the support of all of us! : )

Please PM me your email address. I have a file to send you that I just created here at work with some fun proprietary software. I really think you should see it, print it, and hang it on your wall. I would simply post an image of it right here, but my work computer won't let me get to photobucket and it would be a huge process.

So yeah, what's your email?

Chantix worked for me, when all other forms of quitting failed. At least 30 attempts.

After 23 years of smoking, I haven't had a cigarette in a year, and don't see myself ever going back.

Chantix took the romantic aspect (yes, there is one) out of smoking. That was the biggest difference than all other methods. Not only did it take care of the nicotine addiction, it made all cigarettes seem like wet, ashtray butts.

Good luck, whichever method you choose.

You too, Suebe. :)

I echo your suggestion. In fact, I'm going to try this for weight loss in a few weeks.

I quit smoking several times before I quit for good. I smoked from 13 to 23. So you're at a good time in your life to quit.

I took up cross stitch and got a part-time job to occupy my time. In short, keep busy, and find something to do with your hands that gives you positive reinforcement.

Avoid activities you associate with smoking, too, like drinking that first cup of coffee in the same place you always sit/sat when you smoked. Sit somewhere different, or switch to tea. Break the habits behind the habit, so to speak.

The best of luck to you... you're doing a great thing for yourself.

Signed, Ann Landers

Just a little advice.

To really be successful at quitting, you have to convince yourself that you hate smoking.

That's the only way be successful in the long run.

I quit smoking for about 6 months. I missed it every day, especially when I would get into my car and start driving, I felt like I was forgetting something for a few months.

It will greatly increase your chance of long term success if you get an activity to replace smoking. Some people can replace it with obsessively chewing regular gum. Some kind of activity done with your hands would help too.

Sorry for the double post, but how about a little scare tactics?

One of my cousins, not BB, just had a stroke at 57 and was pretty healthy other than smoking and some plaque in her arteries. She is having to relearn how to walk and talk now, as well as having short-term memory loss. She quit smoking when she went in the hospital (that was her main risk factor). It's been 3 weeks, and she doesn't crave it (that she remembers) but dreams about it every night.

You're young and still have time to instill healthy habits... go for it, girl.

I don't smoke, but I've used Hypnosis for something else, and I found it really worked. You just have to go in with an open mind.

Talk to CLS she just quit and is doing fine.

I think...