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In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

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In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#1

In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>to cigarettes. So Ernie, quit making all that noise and doing the happy Dance now.

I

ve been deciding to do this for months now, but I know me, I've tried numerous times before, but this time, not only am I going to do it, but I have a new plan.

In the past I always went cold turkey, and ulimately failed, and I finally realized that I keep failing because I keep doing the same thing, which always ends up the same way. Soooooooooooooo here is my plan for this time:

On July 30 I go on a 3 week vacation, and I had intened to quit during that time, but than I realized that would be fool hardly as during my vacation I will be busy busy busy and when I'm busy I like to smoke. Oh yes, it true, I LIKE to smoke, but I don't like smoking. Ahhhhhhhhhhh so, I've deduced that it's the act of smoking that I like, soooooooooooo starting NOW I am in the process of weaning myself off of smokes by using those little Dum-Dum lollipops as a substitute until I just can't stand it any more and have to have a smoke. Than on July 30th, it's no more smokes period! I've been doing this for the past two days now and am up to two hours between cigarettes I think by then I'll be well on my my to putting them behind me for good.

So, the question you may be asking, is why have I decided to do this, well, I'll tell ya. I've been feeling that hammered dog-dookie for the past few months now. My throat has been hurting, my heart, well, lets just say I know it isn't right, by wind has been short, and I have been feeling my strengh deminishing. I'm sure that if I don't quit and REAL SOON I won't see 50, and I'm now 46.5.

So! Who's with me? Target date July 30, start weening now, and than no more on July 30th.

Ellis, get an XL Gray WC t-shirt ready, cause come August 30th I'll be eligible for it. :~)

T.O.

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#2

Congrats!!!

Paul Kierstead

>We'll be checking up on you.

I quit about 3 years ago. It was hard; I also quite enjoyed smoking. I miss it sometimes, especially when intensely in thought, drinking, or having a coffee. Note that coughing may *increase* for a time after quitting while your lungs clear, and you don't have the paralytic effect of the nicotine to stop it. It is a good thing :) Drinking water helps. Deep breathing helps. The patched helped alot; I don't know if it was in my head or real, but it helped. It did give me some nightmares though, but I have them anyway, so WTH.

Good Luck!

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#3

Re: Congrats!!!

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>Yeah, I've been drinking lots of water to help flush the junk out of my body. What I need to do is get lots of Grape Juice for it anti-oxident properties. Suddenly I cannot get enough of Doritos, Nacho Cheese flavor chips either. I have some steel bars at home, and here at work that I press when I need too. That helps alot as well.

What gets me tho is the spells of light-headedness. Fortunately they pass pretty quickly. Had one this morning while using my scrub plane and actully got quite dizzy and had to sit down.

T.O.

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#4

I wish you the best of luck Todd.

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>Just a little warning about Dum Dums, Doritos, etc...

When you quit your body's metabolism will change. You need to watch the junk food intake because you will gain weight no matter what you do DAMHIKT.

Mind over matter my good man, get in a good Zen spot and you will quit.

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#5

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

Richard A. Gillespie, Jr

>Hate to say this, but cold turkey is best. Quit a three pack a day habit cold turkey in 1970. If I had used any aids I would have failed.

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#6

You can do it...

John in New Mexico

>a lot of us have, whether cold turkey or with various helpers.

If your will starts to falter, just remind yourself how quick you can save up for the next new plane if you're not buying cigs!

Good luck,

John

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#7

Good Points Scott, Thanks!

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

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Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#8

You're a better man than I am Richard

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#9

Re: You can do it...

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>John you ain't lying! Health is the primary reason I am doing this, and some freed up cash will only be the bonus. however, it has been some time since I've bought a new LN, and I need a few more to fill in some holes. for the common bench planes I still need the #'s 6, 3, 2,& 1, and I'm so far behind in the others I'll never catch up.

I really wish I could do cold turkey, but so far my plan is working rather nicely. I went 4 hours between smokes tonight!

T.O.

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#10

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

Greg Sloop, Portland Oregon

>Excellent! I wish you best of luck!!!

...and to many years to come - in good health!

Best wishes.

-Greg

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#11

Re: You can do it...

ThomD

>One of the reasons I never took up smoking is because I knew that I would not have the will power to quit. I'm not sure that is true now that I am 48, today, but certainly I have had trouble with food etc... so I wonder whether I could have done it. For me it's tough to quit something I want to do, but I can make a 180 in a second when I am sure I don't want to do something any more. I think it can help to work on one's alignment, rather than trying to have the will power to move in a direction one has resistance for, work on detecting a course of low resistence that leads to, in this case, not smoking.

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#12

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

paul womack

>Best wishes with that; I can't give any advice, since I cheated.

I never started.

BugBear

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#13

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

Mike Fitterling

>Good for you, Todd! I wish you the best; you can do it. Wish I could get Andrea to do the same. :|

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#14

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

Gary Karner

>I quit cold turkey on Jan 3, 1990 and have never smoked since. It was such a life defining moment for me that it is one of the few dates that I can recall exactly without thinking about it.

It was not easy, however about the sixth week I started to deal with it with very little desire to smoke. Shortly thereafter pride took over and I knew I had it whipped.

I would take a beating now before I would ever smoke another cig. I'm sure that I would be back to chain smoking within days if I did.

Good luck and hang in there, you will not believe how much better you will start to feel in a few weeks.

Ace

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#15

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

Thomas Skaggs, Foothills of Mount Level

>Good Luck Todd. I hope you are successful. I'm tired of losing friends to cancer. You are a woodworker too...so let's make sawdust the only carcinogen we have to worry about. ;-)

Tom

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#16

First three days were the worst....

John in New Mexico

>After that it was beating the psychological associations between smoking and taking a break from working, or smoking and drinking coffee, or what have you. After a while - can't remember now how long, cigarettes start to smell bad, then its pretty easy sailing. Best route is to never have started - that would have been nice.

John

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#17

Re: You can do it...

Ernie Miller

>I can't beleave you of all people don't have a #3! you are sick I tell you 68 differant #3 planes and you don't have a #3 LN Sorry todd I'm nt sending you a LN in four months. But I might be able to come up with somthing interesting between now and then. but I wouldn't bet on it.

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#18

Happy Birthday!!!

Ernie Miller

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Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#19

Good look Todd.

vlparisian in Houston

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Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#20

Luck, luck, luck, luck ... stupid thumbs...

vlparisian in Houston

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Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#21

You can do it!

Andrew Lunn

>Starting an exercise program can help, too. You'll make headway with your cardiovascular endurance and won't want to mess up your hard work with those death sticks. You seem like a good guy, and I'd hate to see something bad happen to you. You can do it!

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#22

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

JB in Upstate NY

>Todd,

Already part way there. Down to half a pack a day. Quit smoking at home and only smoke at work. Going to try this new drug Chantix (sp?) I keep hearing wonderful things about. Like you I have tried many times before and ultimatly failed.

Good luck to all of us.

Jim

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#24

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

"RJ" Whelan

>Todd ... good luck.

I smoked (Camel straights; 1-2 packs per day) for 38 years and quitting was one of the best favors I've ever done for myself.

I used the patch and recommend it highly. I followed the program to the letter: including doing the first stage (strongest replacement) for four weeks instead of two. At the end of two weeks the hardest part was done. I didn't gain any weight (not that I was exactly a peanut to start with) and after about eight months I had stopped coughing up modern art every morning.

I do chew surarless gum now - never chewed gum until I quit smoking.

Don't expect the emotional craving to go away - but it will become less intense and a lot easier to ignore.

Things to avoid (or at least be aware of): coffee; alcohol; being around people when they are smoking (the smell is a powerful magnet).

If you back-slide, don't beat yourself up - get back on the horse.

Three warnings:

1. If you must have a cigarette remove the patch and wait at least 30 minutes before lighting up; don't put the patch back on for at least 30 minutes after smoking. I had a cigarette while wearing a first stage patch and thought I was going to die - it only took once to learn this lesson.

2. Some people have extremely intense dreams when wearing the patch (I did - first time I ever remember dreaming in colour); the dreams weren't nightmares, just very intense and they'd wake me up several time each night. I quit wearing the patch at night and the dreams stopped (the colour too).

3. Resist the impulse to be a PITA about smoking to those who haven't quit - they won't appreciate your good advice.

Good luck again .... rj

Re: In a month, I'll be saying Goodby- Permanetly

#25

Re: The best of luck to you too Jim!

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>You betcha' Jim, I wish you just as much Luck as all have wished me.

I'll admit to smoking a few today, but only when I just couldn't stand it no more. I think I may of smoked 5, which I would of had smoked in the first hour of my day a few days ago. Yeah my body is going fut-zoid on me. Last night I had a raging headache, today it's dizzy spells, and hurting chest. Screw em' all, I pushed on thru most of them. while I was cross-cutting a 2x10 I thought I was having a heart attack there for a few seconds, but I pushed on anyway.

It's getting a little easier already.

Push has come to Shove for me and this habit, and when Push comes to shove you'd better bet that I'm going to win. I'm tired of feeling contraolled by it just as much as I am tired of not feeling good due to it. I've always prided myself on having the strengh of an ox (and a brain to match most of the time), but here lately I I've been feeling more like a little lamb. You can bet that ain't gone work for Ye Olde Cronker-dude.

Today I changed over from lollypops to Trail Mix and Banana Chips, which seem to be helping alot.

I just wish my chest would quit hurting.

T.O.

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