I’m feeling much better than the last two nights. My breathing is not 100% better by any means, but compared to last night and the night before, I’m a whole new person.
That was just horrible!
48 hours of a massive asthma attack all because I ran on the treadmill for 15 minutes.
How insane is that?
It’s a shame I had to call in sick to work yesterday and miss all that money, but there was no way I could physically do it. People probably assume I was sick, but an asthma attack is much different.
I’m still not totally convinced either way whether is was an asthma attack or bronchitis, but it was deadly either way.
I don’t want to experience that ever again.
If anyone would’ve saw me, or checked in on me, they would’ve driven me straight to the emergency room. That’s how bad off I was.
Not really feeling any physical symptoms today, though there was a moment when I was mentally triggered.
I was going through my dating apps on my phone and I stumbled across someone I hadn’t seen in a long time. Of course the last time I saw this person, I was a smoker, so by association, just seeing the picture made me instinctively crave a cigarette.
The craving didn’t last very long, maybe a minute or two at the most. It was easy to get over, because I’ve gone so far already.
Triggers are a weird thing.
They can catch you off guard at anytime, or any place.
If you succeed, you’ll be fine with every encounter thereafter. You won’t be triggered to smoke if you already made it through the moment last time and made it.
It might take a couple times, though.
For example, in the beginning, you’ll quickly learn how to eat and not smoke afterwards.
The first meal will be hard, as you’ll be insanely craving a cigarette, but every meal after that won’t be an issue, because you made it past that first meal successfully.
That can be said for every trigger. You just have to face them and deal with it.
As for today, it feels like eternity since I last lit up. If I had one right now, it would feel so awkward.
I would know right away I shouldn’t be doing it.
Tomorrow is the day!
Tomorrow is my milestone of 3 weeks.
Really though, I haven’t gone this far in over a year. 20 days without anything!
When I think of all the stuff I’ve accomplished over these last 3 weeks, it’s astounding!
My life is completely different.
Well, not my daily work life, but my night life sure is different. I’m not chain smoking and getting wasted at a bar every night.
I can’t believe I did that for so long. I did that for basically 4 years straight!
It’s extremely hard and challenging, each and every day.
Sure some days are easy, but as you have seen just by reading my daily entries, some days are just absolutely horrible.
But you have to do whatever it takes to make it to the next day. That’s ultimately the most important thing.
You have to set definite priorities, and if quitting smoking is NOT at the top of your list, you’ll relapse.
Simple as that.
It’s not completely over yet, as my gut instinct tells me so.
I’m slightly worried about that, but that’s precisely why I need to focus harder than I’ve ever focused in my life.
This is the LAST time I’m quitting!
I will not go through all this pain and start all the way over again, just for a simple drag, or for a fun night out.
I’m way too invested in this now, and I know my life will become extraordinary, and better than I can possible imagine.
I’m seeing glimpses more and more as each day progresses.
This is what life is all about! It’s about feeling great and loving yourself.
Day 20…craving it bad but reading this blog helps…actually have a cig in my hand that I will put back in the pack
Hi how are you coping
Thank you every body, I love reading how everyone is getting on. Day 20 also, it is exceptionally hard and I am a bit low, the weather is grey, and I have made it another day. I am very hard on myself as do not want to just go and light one up.
Omg. Day 20. Yesterday felt good about everything. Today I want to smoke so bad. Funny I keep cooking things for others that I won’t eat. Lol. Or do a chore. But as soon as (for some reason) it’s nice outside I want to smoke and also the hours between 6-9 are hard. Ugh. Th aka die sharing. Wish I could talk to someone
I am precisely in the same boat. Day 20!
Day 20 for me i been using the lozenges and the patch
Today i had sharp chest pains
( i went to my doctor last week and TOLD me i was healthy and ekg was fine). But i wonder if its from nicotine withdraw or anxiety ?
Other then that today i realize i didn’t use any and I almost failed and bought a pack of cigarettes instead i bought more lozenges i refuse too smoke that chest pain just made my anxiety worse … Monday i will go back to my doctor even tho i was just told I’m fine j didn’t like that feeling cancelled all my plans because of them I also have GERD so that could be it 2 i got the pains right after eating McDonald’s because it was a “on the way “ restaurant
Also anybody else have tingly feelings on Both arms ?
The tingly feeling, while kind of alarming at first, is actually your circulation returning to your body. Just knowing that my blood was moving so slow is even more alarming though.
I’m a doctor myself and I smoked for about 3 and a half years
Now I’m on my day 20 since I quit smoking.
I kept advising patients on not smoking but I was smoking myself which I’m not proud of at all.
But I realized even when you tell people to quit I realized how hard it is for people to quit realizing it first hand.
So I made a plan to gradually lower the frequency of smoking until I was down to just one cigarette per day then followed by a day gap then two and so on until I finally went cold turkey which really helped me. This is sort of gradually desensitizing your nicotine receptors. Because I know it’s not easy to stop at once.
But again I’m not a superhuman I did face all the withdrawal symptoms which were terrible.
I know there are people who are going through worst than me so please don’t give up it’s just a matter of time. We are all here for you to encourage.
Day 20 smoke free for me after 28 years of smoking!! Went cold turkey! This past week I thought I was going to be admitted into an emergency room. Few symptoms of no sleep, pain in my calf, depression, tiredness, painful gums…the list is endless. It was so bad that my family actually said go buy a box of smokes!
But I am pushing through! I haven’t had a drink since I stopped or been out that’s my next challenge
day 20 for me as well and i am having breathing problems i have not smoked anything and sometimes not all the time i feel winded. is this normal? today i had several cravings but they did not last long i just wish all of this would quit. because there is no way i am going back to smoking no way will i go back through day 3.
Day 20 for me today I am so proud of myself, I went to the club today with my MIL we were playing the pokies and she said she was going out for a smoke, she said I don’t expect you to come out with me. I said no I can come out with you and I did and I was fine, I did not even feel like one. I actually found that it smelt out there. I was so happy with myself afterwards, I did it!!
Don’t do that often you will smoke
Today is my 20th day people this is a great and very inspiring site I love it I am breathing much better now however I had a dream in which I was trying to buy a single cigarette but woke up before I got it
It’s April 27th and it’s been 20 days smoke free and 19 days nicotine free. I tried a nicotine lozenge the first smoke free day but decided that I needed to lay off of that too; needed to quit it all. I guess I have been fortunate to be able to do this with no nicotine but am glad that when I’m through with this I’ll be THROUGH! I smoked for 45 years and in that time tried quitting only once and I know the trigger that got me started again; driving. I have to get past that trigger yet but haven’t had the opportunity to drive any long distance. I am hoping that this will be the last time I have to quit. I’d love to say it is the last time, but I guess I don’t know that for sure…I do hope so.
Who else is on this healthier you ? I’m sure after quitting smoking for 20 days it’s easy to say you’re doing well. Yes we’re doing well and tell yourself you’re a non smoker. Keep up the excersize and get walking and snack healthy. Let’s keep positive vibes going.
Im on day 20.I stopped smoking but am using zyn nicotine pouches.Feeling great.Coughing has stopped.Hope to cut loose of the zyn pouches.
20 days and I feel great. Smoked for 30 years. Still think about it and scared I will fall into some stupid trap along the way – must keep focus. I also quit drinking and smoking weed. For me they were all related. Proud of myself and excited….. and keep telling my wife I’m going to live to be 100! Well I guess we’ll see about that but I am sure I wouldn’t have made 75 with smoking. I go to bed early and get up early now and really feel alive…… and I DONT stink! I meet people I know and now I don’t worry about giving away my old dirty little secret but I’m sure they all knew – especially my kids. Keep the faith and LIVE!
Day 20 I had a dream last night that felt real, I dreamt that I had lapsed on smoking and I had gone out and bought a pack of Marlboro Reds and was on my 18th smoke, then I woke up and thought oh thank god it was just a dream.
I have smoked for 30+ years, crazy when you think of it way more than half of my life has been taken over by this….Day 20 today I am struggling.
I am using Wellbutrin and it works for me. I have had no really awful side effects except I am more awake at night – but I am not overly tired in the morning. I really wanted a smoke this morning.
I don’t understand, day 20 and it feels like day 2 yuk almost losing my mind here. I just cannot wrap my head around this. Wondering if I can go on anymore as it seems like feeling like shit is way to common. I almost feel suicidal.
OMG! I smoked B/M for 24 years and this is my 20 day smoke free and I find myself still wanting to smoke. Why is this happening? Thank god for the exercise. I am pushing my smoke free lungs a little harder this week, I want to see if I can tell the difference in my breathing and stamina. I will be glad when smoking is a memory. I went from 244 to 255 in like 8days(wow) So I am becoming mindful of the diet and exercise and I was 250 today on my way to 220.
Thank for letting me vent
Q
I am on my 20 today, i wish to do this. I wish to quit at least 100 times… so many pack of cigarettes down the toilet. Every time the same phrase “this is the last time i smoke, this is the last time i buy a pack of cigarettes it’s not good to me its not worth it, waste of money” Then the weekend is coming…
Alcohol in the body, best friend buys a pack of Marlboro red, and for the first time in a damn long time i said no to the smoke. I had to bite my finger and i really wished to just do it, i had thought in my head it was hard to think about anything else… but something different was in the action then before.
I did something different this time, then i did before.
I did a simple but powerful and effective little bet with my self. A challenge, i took a piece of paper not to much effort really i drew 10×10 together 100 small blocks every block representing 1 day.
100 days without smoke.
And on the back of the paper it stands a small award that i will have if i make it. Every week a message. Yes i was smoking a lot of cigarettes, so instead of buying that i thought about something in the same price class. But something that have to be good enough to make me want to continue.
18th day and I am dreaming of having a smoke , I dreamed last night of smoking , but I am fighting back by exercising.
I’ve been following the 30 days quit updates (I’m on day 20 today). One thing I’ve noticed is a continual reference to 3 weeks being the nicotine free date.
Your entire body will test 100% nicotine-free and over 90% of all nicotine metabolites (the chemicals it breaks down into) are out of your body within 72 hours. I’m a bit confused on the references to 3 weeks and nicotine free…
By the time you make it to day 20, you won’t test positive for nicotine anymore. In fact, after day 3 it’s gone. Maybe he’s talking about the ‘metabolites’? Anyway, just curious on that since it keeps coming up in a lot of the daily updates.
Congrats to everyone that has made it this far, and beyond.
I don’t pretend to know the science behind nicotine, nor will I do any research on the matter. All I can honestly tell you is that I was having horrendous PHYSICAL withdrawal symptoms all the way up to the 3-week mark DOZENS of times in my life. Wasn’t just mental. In fact, Day 21 can be just as physically horrible as Day 1.
Yep, understood and agreed. Thanks for the reply and for the great blog you have here. I’m now on day 25 and one of the first things I do every morning is read your daily post from your first month quit. It has really helped me.
I think I mentioned then nicotine leaving your system thing because I’ve become a research junkie the last few weeks on all things tobacco related and wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing anything.
Happy smoke free New year
Basically the 3 weeks mark that Mateo is referring to is the time taken for the receptors in your brain to heal to the level of a non-smoker and your body stops physically craving the nicotine at that point. Same difference.
20 days today! I’m feeling great and excited!
I feel pretty good on Day 20, it does help to not be bored. I just have to learn how to be with myself without smoking . I still have some cravings, but pushing through it daily. I am not as irritated with things that go wrong. I know it’s getting better daily and I do have to remind myself of that.
20 days today feel great but have To Say the last few days have been very tough!
Well my 20th today. I feel so much better. Love this site. Thanks for it. I’m using the patch. It has worked. 23 years smoking and feel like I’m free. I would cough 20 mins straight in the morning. It was horrible. I couldn’t laugh without coughing. It’s tough and still think about it. I have to say I know the cravings will never go away, but I have beat this thing. The hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I feel like I’ve done this for myself, but mostly for my son. It feels pretty good!!!! Everyone hang in there!!!
How can you state ” the cravings will never leave” especially after only 20 days? They will leave and you will never have them. I am living proof, but if you continue to use the “Patch” or any nicotine product, yes, you will never be free off nicotine and you will always grave it! I hope you the best of sucess in you quitting process!
Thanks Ronnie, I was hoping some day the gravings would leave for good. Tomorrow is day 20 and it is getting easier. Yes there are moments of struggle but I force myself to do something,,anything rather than dwell on my emotional pain (mostly) as the physical agitation is slowly leaving. However, I can still become irrational about minor things and that alone is irritating so emotionally still a bit unstable. No doubt about it this is not easy, but I am sure it is worth it.:)Hanging in.