Oh, and when I quit in 2001, my partner (who I live with) did not. He did agree to smoke only outside and never in my presence. He also hid his cigarettes and lighter where I wouldn't stumble across them. All this helped alot...I still had the horrible stink on his clothes to deal with but at least cigarettes weren't right there in front of my nose all the time! It can be done, even with a smoking spouse. I think it's more of a challenge, but it's possible. You can set a good example for him!

We are both quitting now, it's harder because we were both emotional wrecks that first week and there was no one sane in the house. But, now that it's well underway, things are much easier.

I really don't suggest the patch. All that does is put nicotine in your system all day and night long. I tried it once for a half hour and was sick as a dog, and I was a heavy smoker 2 packs a day of Kool Kings so I had not only nicotine to fight but menthol also. I think I was more addicted to the menthol than the nicotine.

To quit cold turkey is a bitch but do-able. First you must identify when and why you smoke. When I could smoke anytime I wanted, I often went hours withour smoking if I got busy. I was down to less than a pack a day. When the company went non-smoking and I had to take a hike to smoke, I could tell time by when I needed a cigarette. I found that I smoked 1) when I relaxed, like end of day or after meal and 2) when I stressed. You need to try to find something else to subsitute at these times. Many people eat. I suggest take a walk, get a backrub, curse, scream, all of the above, etc.

I was never able to quit until I was diagnosed with cancer and then quit cold turkey. It was quite a motivator. I was a bitch for several months. Husband still smoked. This meant that after several months of non-smoking and not missing it, I started by having 1 cigarette a week. After several months of that, it became 1 cig a day, when I relaxed at the end of the day. Well that was 1 too many and 3 years later I had cancer again and had to have a total larygectomy. That surgery is a real motivator. Walking around with ahole in your neck to allow you to breath will make you quit real quick unless you have a intense desire for a quick case of lung cancer.

Haven't had a cig in 3 years. Don't miss it 99.9% of the time. Can't stand the smell and husband is still smoking but mostly out of the house. After all you father went through, I would think you could do this, especially if you also drink. The odds of getting this cancer are just too high to fool around with smoking any more.

Please try to do this for yourself. You can rant and rave here. Good luck.

Eileen

My doc had a plan that almost worked for me, it might for you. I say it almost worked, but my ex was a 3 pack a day smoker (I still carry life insurance on her) and did all she could to sabotage my quitting smoking. Anyway I did quit for several weeks, just didn't stick with the program, illustrating that you REALLY want to have to quit.

He did a combination of Wellbuterin and the patch. Trade name is Zyban, generic is Wellbuterin. Zyban even has a website dedicated to smoking cessation to help walk you through it step by step. It isnt' inexpensive though, luckily my company was paying for the program.

Anyway, except for me the doc said he had the highest success rate using the combination of the two.

Don't try and go it alone, it is a physical as well as mental addiction, you'll need some support.

Good luck

Hi folks,
I quit when cancer gave me no choice. I, too, went on Wellbutrin. Took it everyday for a month then quit and continued to take the pill everyday for another month. I LOVED smoking! Still would except I like living more. My husband has cut waaaaaay back. He doesn't smoke in front of me nor does he smoke in our home. The Rx for Wellbutrin was a little over $100.00 a month but when compared to long term cigarette use...a bargain.
Good luck to everyone quitting. You owe yourselves the freedom of not smoking and the health and well being you will find.
Love and God bless,
Judy U

Say.......Bob........
Way to go carrying life insurance on your ex..with her 3 ppd habit you should be a wealthy man!
Judy U

Thank you all very much for your support, I am going to try, I really need to. I almost lost my best friend to Hodgkins lymphoma I sat by her bedside almost everyday, watched this healthy, energetic, 33 year old women and a mother of two little boys lose all of her strength, spunk, and basically life, she could not even get out of bed, just barely long enough to use the bathroom, this went on for a year and 9 months of chemo, and now she has been cancer free for 3 years, and is back to her old fun and energetic self. Now what gets me is the fact that she smoked the whole time going through this, and she still smokes, I just do not understand that, I would think that would have scared her enough to quit, but it did not. And now I have lost my wonderful and amazing Father to cancer, he was a strong, healthy, energetic man, but still through his pain and suffering he still had spunk. He gave an awesome fight and with such dignity, he was an incredibly awesome and wonderful man, He is without a doubt my hero, and I love him so very much. So you see with losing my Father and almost losing my friend, you would think that would be enough for me to quit, but I am still smoking. I not only want to do this for myself but I want to do it for my three beautiful children. Thank you all. Packer66 Littlegirl

Well, guess I can chime in here. My husband quit a year or so before me and he used the patch. After smoking for 50 years.
I quit and also used the patch (35 years). Yes, it is nicotine, but if the directions are followed it slowly decreases the levels.

Could we both have quit cold turkey. Probably, but I wanted every edge I could get to help me on my way. (kinda'like using everthing we can to fight cancer)It worked for me (2 packs a day) and it worked for him (3 packs a day).

Guess it's like everything else we talk about on this board. Everyone is different, and I'd hate for someone to feel like a "wimp", just because they didn't go "cold turkey"

Dinah

Dinah, have to agree with you, that wimp came across pretty harsh sounding, but knowing Gary, as well as myself, with both tend to say what we think, which I think has gotten us both in hot water from time to time. As Mandi said in a previous post, we tend to interpret the written word, so you can interpret wimp with anger or being said with true love and concern. We all come onto this Board like injured birds, and sometimes we feel like we`ve been wacked in the head.........Myself, I just found cold turkey the easiest way for me, but as you said whatever gets you through it.........there is a new approach, a plastic cigarette to suck on...in my opinion, lollypops are better........all of you who remember, it worked for Kojack........Hugs, Dee

The "wimp" comment wasn't intended to personally offend anybody (although if it did you know who you are)- just to jog you into thinking about the real reason(s) you want to quit. As has already been said - if you don't really want to quit - you won't.

I have known close friends who have attempted to quit by chewing gum, straws, sunflower seeds, their fingernails, then the patch, hypnosis, etc. And without exception they ALL relapsed. Cold turkey seems to be the most effective method.

I personally quit tobacco, then pot, then alcohol, all cold turkey - and I still consider myself a wimp in other areas of my life. In fact, some of my dearest friends are wimps -don't get your bowels in an uproar.

Gary, up here in Maine, it`s not wimp, it`s spleeny, something I`ve been called, and I`m really spleeny about airplanes and clowns.just because some people can go cold turkey, some can`t but that`s ok.......and I guess also, depending on the addiction and the extent of dependence as alcohol and drugs, it can be unsafe to go it alone. I`ve witnessed some really scary withdrawals even in the hospital.....in the end, I guess it doesn`t matter how you do it.......just do it..........Dee