I quit!

[aurelio alarcon]

Smoking that is. Yes, after some 27 years of about a pack and a half a day, I just quit! The thing is that I got a real bad cold. I think that it turned into pneumonia. I've had pneumonia on a couple of occasions. My doctor said that after the first time, it is easier to get again. Anyway, I tried to smoke a cigarette and couldn't. So I thought, what the hell why not quit smoking. So I did. Haven't had any cravings and it's been 8 days. I have reached for them in my pocket only to realize that they are no longer there and neither is the habit! I quit just like that! Well, I must tell you that a few months ago I started on the treadmill. So after I quit smoking, I figured I'm doing about three miles on the treadmill, why not train for the LA Marathon. So that is what I am doing now! Funny how things just snowball! See you all in LA!

[Rob Russell]

8 days in - good luck! Keep it up - it'll be the best thing you ever did for yourself.

[John Shuk]

Hang in there! Quitting is easy staying quit is the tough part. 11 years now for me.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Marines are tough! They can do anything! That from a former swabby......Stay tough Aurelio!

[Dennis Peacock]

Good for you Aurelio. Congrats buddy....hang in there. :D

[bill kiss]

WAY TO GO I quit 17 years ago, it was real hard for me at first, but it kept gettin' easier (and I kept gettin' more stubborn):rolleyes: Just hang in there!

[Jim O'Dell]

Aurelio, sounds like you made the first step to quiting, deciding you wanted to, not just that you should or needed to. Keep it up. My Dad quit cold turkey in 1959, and was smoking 4 packs a day. It can be donw!!!! Jim.

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

Good for You, Aurelio. You will never regret it. I found it all depends on attitude and pert of that is letting others know you have quit. It is harder to start again if you know others are watching (G). I'm pulling for you, friend.

[Aaron Koehl]

Aurelio,

You're the third person I've heard who's quit cold turkey after pneumonia. Both have been smoke free and habitless for 18 years and 8 years respectively. Congrats!

[Ken Garlock]

GOOD move, Aurelio.

I went cold turkey back in March 1968 when I had been consuming a carton a week.:( As you know, the first day is the hardest. But, then the first week is the hardest, followed by the first month. You will know that you are over the habit when you find some else's smoke to be obnoxious.:cool:

Watch out for the pit fall of the after dinner smoke.:eek:

[Loy Hawes]

Congratulations! I quit over a year ago after smoking for ten years. It has been one of the hardest and best things I have done. Before I quit I found a little application that keeps track of some statistics. It's worth checking out.

http://www.dedicateddesigns.com/qk/download.htm

[Michael Perata]

smoke free and habitless for 18 years and 8 years
Smoke free - yes. Habitless - no way.

I haven't had a cigarette in 5 years as of yesterday, but the thought of having one passed though my mind this morning, as happens once or twice a month. Might be less for you friends who stopped smoking 8 and 18 years ago, but it still happpens for them also.

[Lloyd Frisbee]

Aurelio, just think how many new tools you can buy with all the money you save from not buying cigarettes.

[aurelio alarcon]

Thanks for all the notes of inspiration! I have printed them to look at in the event I get an urge to light up! I plan to post them all around me! A Big OOOORRRRAAAHHH to the Swabbies and Docs who support the "Cause" .You (Ken) know who you are!

[Paul Comi]

15 yrs for me after smoking nearly 2 packs a day. Just remember that to stay stopped you need to replace the habit with something. That's the way our minds work. Every time I tried to just give up smoking I felt like I was being robbed of something. This time, I focused on what I wanted to get - release from the addiction, feeling better, etc. The mere thought of smoking and the thought "Oh God, please take away the obsession to smoke a cigarette just for today!" comes to mind and I'm grateful that it does or I might think for a moment that just one cigarette would be enough. Just saying that reminds me of how strong that addiction was. I hope you hold on to why you want to be released from the addiction and best wishes for you.

[Fred Dorn]

Keep it up. It has been 13 years for me.

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Congratulations, been Smoke Free since St Valentines Day 1987! (except when my saw blade gets dull)

Bruce

[Dan Forman]

Good for you Aurelio!!! It's been 15 years for me. At some point you might get to thinking, well, I could just have one...Well, DON'T!!!

Dan

[John Bailey]

Aurelio,

Super!! Keep it up. Let's see, a pack and a half a day has got to cost about $4.50. That's $135 a month. That's $1,520 to buy tools if you can keep this up for a year. That'd be enough for me to quit.

John

[Darrick Robbins]

Aurelio,
Tell me how the marathon goes. I ran one in 2003, and hope to again one day. Despite what you may hear it is not as hard as you think (but the training really sucks). Congratulations on kicking the habit, running can become one (habit) too, but most people don't die from it (although sometimes it feels like you are going to!!):):)
Darrick

[aurelio alarcon]

Aurelio,
Tell me how the marathon goes. I ran one in 2003, and hope to again one day. Despite what you may hear it is not as hard as you think (but the training really sucks). Congratulations on kicking the habit, running can become one (habit) too, but most people don't die from it (although sometimes it feels like you are going to!!):):)
Darrick
I will let you know how the marathon goes. I am training now daily. I am up to about 4.5-5 miles per day. I hope to get up to about 6 miles per day. Once I get there (6 mpd) I will work on pace. No record breaking here. I would like to do it under 6 hours. Keep in mind that I have never ran one of these. Not to mention I just quit a terrible smoking habit!

Hey Darrick, how long did it take you to run it? Anything you have to say will be helpful. I'm sure of it. Thanks Aurelio.