My Smoke-Free Diary: Quitting One Step at a Time

I attended my second class of smoke cessation. Julie asked how I was doing and if I had any slip ups I told her "almost," when I saw a cigarette stub on the floor of our front porch. I looked at it a couple times, and then I got up and stepped on it, grinding it into the floor.

Julie said that was good and that meant I was starting to take back my life rather than letting cigarettes control them. One of the first things Julie showed me was a clear, plastic container that is a simulation of our lungs, this was filled with dark brown almost black tar, cigarette pieces. When she would move it side to side it moved so slow. It was thick as like Karo syrup or molasses would be. It was gross. I asked Julie why when we had chest X-rays that, it did not show up. She said it crystallizes, and they can't see it. This is what slows down the silia or numbs it in our lungs. After we stop smoking the silia starts to wake up again. All of this tar in our lungs affects our breathing and coats our lungs. It was so gross that I had to have her take it off of the table. I thought I was going to be ill.

One of the things I have learned is that I smoked for years, and formed some habits. Breaking these habits will not happen over night, such as smoking in my car, on my front porch, when I am stressed or ill, when I am on the phone, when out with friends, etc. All these habits I have to replace with something else. I am going to paint and fix up the front porch, I'll sing along with songs while in the car, I carry sugar free candy and cough drops in my purse along with a tooth brush to do something for those couple of minutes until the urge is gone, play with a pen in my fingers, etc.

I smoked when I was hungry to stop myself from eating. Now, I have some carrot sticks or grapes instead. I stop and take a deep breath like I would if I had been having a cigarette. I have noticed that I can take in a deeper breath of air more each day. I am coughing more this week. I am coughing out all the tar that is still in my lungs. I use Mucinex Dm which helps loosens and thins out the flem and makes it easier to cough stuff out.

I was given a calendar score sheet to check off each day I have been smoke-free. Which I have just checked off my 8th day smoke-free. I can already tell a difference in my breathing. I am not so exhausted and out of breath after climbing the stairs.

Julie gave me a list of rewards to reward myself for not smoking, and on the back she had me write down a few. My rewards for now are; time on the computer, a nap, phone a friend or have a soda. My work for next session was to work on my list of things to reward myself with for not smoking, such as listen to your favorite music, take a long bubble bath and relax, read a new book, eat something you haven't had in a long time, get a back rub or massage. Meet a friend for a soda or lunch, get some new craft materials, Reward yourself when you have gotten past a really strong urge to smoke or for another successful day smoke free.

The last thing Julie had me do before leaving was to check the carbon monoxide level in my lungs. She first had me take a deep breath and let it out. She had this little meter that she put a disposable attachment on for me to breath through. I then took another deep breath and was told to let it out as slow as I could through the attachment. I first registered at 2 and after a couple seconds it went to 3. Julie said that that was really good because normal is 1.

One thing I put down wrong in week 1 was that it takes 48 hours for nicotine to get out of your system. That is wrong it takes 72 hours for nicotine to leave your system.

So now it is important to have healthy and sugar free snacks, plus take walks so I don't gain weight while I quit smoking. It is normal to gain 8 to 10 pounds. but, with eating healthy and walking I should be able to eliminate the weight gain, plus I have more energy and stamina already. Amazing what 8 days not smoking will do.