GMcNair
Key Veteran
Location: Birmingham AL
My Posts This: Topic Forum | Jon, here's my "Smoked for 18 years" story, and i'm merely 33. I didn't want to quit. I enjoyed it. But I didn't like the smell and all of the other "bad" things. Sure it's easy for someone to rant self control issues, and post daunting pics (thanks Seneca, but my cousin's lungs look like that from jogging in LA during college...she's injured for life and never smoked). Seneca, and other non-smokers who think quitting should be simple, the only way to describe the feeling to a non-smoker is to say it's like, in your world, quitting flying. Quitting flying ALL things. Your career, your hobby. Just walk away from it and never do it again, because it's bad for you. Walk away from everything associated with it too (similar to stressors or triggers). This would be talking about it in rc forums, etc. Why is it bad for you? Well, crashing an rc heli can be expensive...as expensive as buying several cartons of cigarettes even! Crashing a full size jet full of people can be downright fatal. And i'll bet you won't even have lungs to photograph after certain types of crashes. That's about the only way to put it. Flying is probably in your blood like smoking is in someone else's. It's something most smokers enjoy. They say "no, I don't enjoy it, but I just can't quit..." Well, that's smoker's speak for " I enjoy this so much that I let it continue to control me." Seneca, this isn't a bash on you...I just used you for an example to explain the "non" side of things. The fact you're a pilot made it easier to explain.
My brother makes $185k/yr selling stents and balloons for heart patients, and he was relentless in his pressures. My father has emphysema. My children and wife harped on me. None of that had an impact. 9pm one night in April I was driving to rock band practice. I heard a radio ad for "smoke away" and I called. The guy asked me how long I had been smoking. Now mind you, I had never counted until then. When I realized it had been 18 years, I pulled over to the side of the road, got out of my car, and began kicking the shat out of the wheel, cussing. That's more than half my life spent being controlled by that habit. He sent the product ($119) with a guarantee that if I didn't quit in 30 days, I got a full refund less $14 shipping/handling. Most people quit in 7 days though, he said. That's simple I thought. If I quit, it cost me 4 cartons, and I'm better for it. If I don't, I get all my $ back, and continue where I left off. April 20 2003 at 8pm was when I had my last cigarette. A month later, I was visiting a friend, and asked if I could bum a smoke from him. I took one drag, and promptly put it out....nastiest taste I could ever recall. It was like licking the bottom of an ashtray. To this day, still smoke free, and I can be in any place, any time, around any of my triggers, and I have absolutely not the first craving. In fact, I can't stand driving behind someone smoking in a car in front of me. I am now hyper-sensitive to smoke, and remove myself from the situation whenever I have control to do so. I am not some anti-smoking nazi now, but I do go out of my way to avoid smoke. I won't tap someone on the shoulder and say "you should leave", because if they're in a place where smoking is allowed, they have just as much right to be there as I do. (I haven't forgotten what it was like to be a scorned smoker). My wife and I went to Harrah's casino in NOLA a couple months ago, and probably won't return to any casino. We smelled like the smoker's lounge at the Atlanta airport after a couple hours gambling. I still have a full unwrapped pack of 100's in my center console of my truck, for grins and giggles. I almost threw it away the other day because it's taking up CD case space, but it's a trophy now.
So about this smoke away stuff....it's an herbal pill (dietary supplement) program. More like a horse pill. Here's the program: First, fill out the included book. It's a mental thing, and necessary to put you in the right frame of mind for what's to come. Next, you quit smoking outright. No cessation, no cutting down. Right then, take 4 of the pills before bed. These begin to detoxify you. The next morning, you take 3 different types of pills...one is for detox, one is for countering the craving, and the other....heck, I don't recall what it did. I think I was taking something like 6 pills, 3 times a day. And because you're taking so many herbal pills/vitamins, you're having to consume olympic size pool quantities of water. I tolerated this for 3 days before I got tired of taking pills and pissing every 10 minutes. At that point, I needed a program that took me off pills  I quit the program, convinced that I have put myself through enough misery of eating herbs and drinking water. I haven't looked back. Seriously, and no shatting around, i'm done, and my world is better for it. No more removing myself from a group to sneak a smoke, no more stinky clothing/car. Hell, I can take a shower in the morning, and by nightfall, I still smell like I just stepped out of the shower. Freaking amazing what I was doing to myself for 18 years. ANY ONE of you can do this.
I don't get anything from Smoke Away. I get no vendor kickback, freebies, nada, nothing. I will simply say that it worked for me. Zyban killed some of the urge and made me feel on top of the world (it's an anti-depressant), but it didn't take away the craving. The patch...crap, it only worked if I put it over my mouth...then I couldn't put a cigarette in it. Cold turkey? Ha. It wasn't my willpower that lacked...it was my won't power. But smoke away did work. Best $119 I ever spent. 2 of my friends at work have used it (and their wives did also) and quit. Thankfully, my wife never smoked, so it was simpler for me. And my kids? Naturally, they're happy, and I don't have to worry about being a bad influence on them anymore. In fact, i'm a hero to them for quitting. But guys, forget about what it means to other people. You've been selfish this long just smoking. Continue being selfish, and do this for yourself. If nothing else, you won't smell like crap anymore. Nevermind that you'll get healthier, and you won't have to worry about friends and fambly nagging you all the time.
Glenn, glad you're still around! I couldn't imagine having a heart attack at our age. Must have been scary as hell. RCKRZY1, I have found that I crave salty foods, and more importantly, good extra spicy hot foods. The hotter the better. It doesn't help that I put on an extra 15lbs since I quit, but i'd rather be a bit heavier than be a smoker. I just have to get back to exercising. |
That's like the genius's who walk up to you and go "Smoking's bad for you!" You just really want to reach out and crush their heads. Really, I'm just in it for what I get out of it which is why I'm wanting to quit. Human nature at it's best, greed.. me me me me me me.
back, to day one aggggain!!!
