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Lisa,
Like Brad, I also smoked for 35 years and am paying the price now. I have been diagnosed with exertional asthma, definitely in my case, a byproduct of smoking, and can't even make it up a flight of stairs without stopping to get my breathing under control. When I go for walks I have to make sure there are no inclines or slopes as my lungs just can't get enough air to keep me going. I now get to see a pulmonary dr. on a regular basis for the the rest of my life and hope that the meds will enable me to follow my dreams of traveling throughout our country.
I guess what I'm trying to say, is "cigarettes are NOT your friend." For over 30 years whenever I thought about quitting, I just couldn't envision being without "my friends." When you finally make that transition to treating them as an enemy, I know you'll be able to get them out of your life.
I have become a dreaded ex-smoker and can't even tolerate smoke in any form, whether it's cigarettes or smoky campfires.
It is so nice to not let a nicotine and chemical stick rule my life anymore......no more standing in the rain or in an alley trying to get one more puff. Living on the West Coast you will find a very low tolerance for smokers and that's another motivation to quit. I got tired of begging my non smoker friends to go outside with me so we could chat while I puffed my life away.
I don't know what methods you've tried, but I used Nicotrol, the cartridge inhaler, and it really helped me quit. It's been six years now and I still occasionally have nightmares where I started smoking again and I'm furious at myself for lighting up. I very seldom even have a craving and when I do, it passes within a few seconds.
Be a friend to yourself and keep trying.....one day it will take and you'll be so glad you did it!!
Judy
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