The time to quit!

Hello smokers and ex-smokers;
My name is Allan and I am an addicted tobacco smoker.
I started smoking at the age of 10 and currently I am age 70. In 60 years I do not recall going 3 days in a row without a smoke. For the last 10 years I have not smoked in house, car, etc. but only outside. I still smoke a pack per day (25).
I suffer from pulmenary artery claudification and my doctor says I need to quit 100% before I have stroke or annurism. Every night I go to bed thinking mabey tomorrow I will quit but when morning comes the first thing I do is get into coffee and cigs.
If anyone out there can relate to this story I would be very grateful for advice and prayers.
Thank you for replies
Allan

Hi Allan
I am a newbie here, I started smoking when I was 17 and I am 37 now, and during my peak time I used to do about 90-95 cigarettes a day, but now I am down to about 40. I am not good at praying, but how about we try to quit together? We'll make some sort of bet about who'll give up first? I'll be honest and tell upfront if I end up smoking, and you do the same, and maybe we'll be able to quit together?
Oh I do the same thing sir, first thing in the morning I have to have my coffee and cigs, and I drink quite a bit too which makes it worse. Are you game sir? Shall we make a bet on who will smoke again first and lose? I do have to tell you, I like all forms of tobacco so I was thinking of taking some snuff for the first few days to get over the craving for ciggies. If you are game, we'll make up some rules and try to kick the habit together sir. If this isnt the kind of reply you envisaged, I humbly request you to accept my apologies.

Thank you for the instant reply maltecorsair;
Indeed you have given a great idea here and I will be honest with you as well. I prefer if we set a quit day say November 1 2012. This will allow us to communicate and set other rules. Also we can look forward to helping each other build a happy and healthy friendship that can indeed help us both. What do you think?
Sincerely
Allan

Allan

I strongly recommend that you try an e-cig, or electronic cigarette. The best commercially available in my opinion is the Nicolite, and in England we buy them in Tesco stores so I guess in the US they're readily available. Check out Electronic Cigarettes, E-cigarette, Electric Cigarette | Nicolites.

I quite a 20 a day habit overnight, as the e-cig contains nicotine, produces "smoke" which in reality is an almost odourless water/propylene glycol mix, and satisfies all of the hand/mouth obsessions we smokers have. I'm at about 3 months so far with no relapse, and I've moved onto other forms of "vaping" (as opposed to "smoking").

Having said that, I could easily quit vaping now, but as I've cut the nicotine content to very low, and could go to zero, it's doing me no harm and I enjoy it. Try it and get back to us. It's a life extender.

Yooohooo Allan
OK, Nov 1 and we are both gonna strive to kick the habit right? I would love to call you a friend sir, and yes, we can make up the rules and sort of fight the addiction together with a spirit of competition. If you prefer to set the quitting date before Nov 1 that's ok with me, but if you need time to mentally perpare for the battle ahead, well, that's perfectly ok sir! You being older and wiser, feel free to frame the rules and I'll reply on which ones I think need modification. Let's do it together sir, and may I say that I would indeed be honoured to call you a friend. (You sir, I believe, can teach me so many things, thats an added benefit to me hehehe).

o.k. maltecorsair; From here on in we are not smoking friend but trying to quit friend until Nov. 1 2012. Here is some rule for myself starting tomorrow morning that you may like or may not. You do if you like and do not do if you do not like.

1.I will not smoke even 1 cig until I brush my teeth and eat breakfast and brush my teeth again after breakfast.

2When I need cig. I will look on this page first to see how you are doing. Remember I do this before smoke. Sometimes instead of having smoke I write to you here first to tell you.

3. I will try as hard as I can to say no to that first smoke and enjoy my fresh taste in mouth and feeling better already than this time yesterday.

4.If I light up due to extreme nicotine addiction that is ok. Tomorrow I do the same rules as today.
God be us us both as we move our lives in right direction
Allan

Thank you very much for this wonderful suggestion crimsonleaf and for reply. These are available where I buy cigs every 3rd day so I will buy and try if I need to go to store for more smokes.
God bless you
Allan

Good morning maltecorsair;
Well here I am on first morning of trying to quit. I slept an extra 2 hours this morning longer than normal and to me that represents about 3 cigs less then normal already.

As my first rule suggested I got up and first thing I did was brush teeth. This felt good until I made coffee and it tasted very odd indeed. I was up 30 min. and lit up cig. bypassing my next rule. Oh well success is built on failing they say. LOL

I lit another smoke by passing my next rule so I have 2 smokes and no breakfast. and I have been up 1-1/2 hours so now I am only 1 smoke less than normal.

Better days ahead but it is great to at least being aware of smoking habit and I look forward to hearing from you.
Allan

Allan, sir, call me matt. My real name is Aby mathew philip, Aby is short for Abraham. It is now nearly midnight for me, I didnt see your post until now, sorry, I will check earlier tomorrow.
Oh gawd, you are a tough customer youknow? You already started cutting down! OK, I wont smoke either until I brush my teeth and have breakfast. It's gonna be harder for me because I usually just smoke instead of having brekkie.
Hmmm, I suppose coffee would taste odd when you havent had any ciggies. You did not fail sir, you did cut down atleast the ciggie before coffee. *Gives you a high five*
Now now, why havent you had brekkie yet? And sir, one smoke less than normal is good, you are indeed doing good.
Today, 10th oct, I smoked almost 30 cigs and it is near midnight for me now, and I want to beat you at our competition hehehe. Am I allowed to use some snuff to satisfy the nicotine craving sir? Or is that a no-no??
(I did have some wine)

Hey Matt; I just stop by to see how you make out so far. If you take snuff that is ok but you should really count it as a smoke because it is full of nicotene. I personally have never had any success with substitute cigs, accupuncture, hypnosis, (you name it I tried it). Another friend has suggested e-cigs that are vapor but I am not sure this for me. I will wait until I am ready to go to nut house LOL before trying. It is 3 pm. here and I am down 5 smokes from yesterday and really not so much a problem as not taking that first one. That is the one we both need to fight the hardest. THE FIRST IS THE WORST! I will be away until Monday and do not have p.c. where we go so I will talk when home again.
Keep breathing fresh air!
Allan