Puff, Puff…Pass.
March 30, 2010 6 Comments
Two years ago today, I drove up to the mall and, before walking into Dillard’s, threw out my last half-pack of cigarettes. I’ve been smoke-free ever since.
I loved smoking. I loved the taste, the break, the relief, the habit. I loved my brand (Parliament Light 100′s). I loved the instant friends I could make just by virtue of being a smoker. I loved sitting out on the back patio during hot, humid summer nights, smoking and drinking and talking to friends.
But I got pregnant. I had to quit.
Being pregnant made quitting smoking considerably easier than I think it would have been otherwise. I felt sick all the time and the taste of a cigarette was the last thing I could handle. I relied on Commit lozenges for the worst cravings for the first couple of weeks, but mostly I would just chew 18 pieces of gum or take a short walk when I wanted to smoke.
Though I smoked for more than 15 years, it feels so foreign to me now. Sometimes I’ll get a random craving, but in general, I don’t miss smoking at all.
Part of it is health, sure. That and my kids. But another big part is just the convenience of being a non-smoker. I don’t have to panic before a plane trip or have second thoughts about seeing a long movie in the theater. I can do intense cardio exercise without getting winded. I don’t have to constantly chew gum to mask the smell. I’ve even been able to downsize my purse now that I don’t have to carry a pack of cigarettes and a lighter everywhere.
The fact that a carton would now cost me about $60 pretty much seals the deal for me. At that price, I’d be spending about $3,100 a year.
Anyhow, congratulations to me, dammit. This is one thing I’m pretty proud of.
6 comments
Well done, lady. I still have 1 or 2 cigarettes a year. I'll never quit it totally!
good for you, i too quit twice while pregnant, i occassionally still indulge…it's so tough!!! good for you!!!
Hell yeah.
Congratulations!! Your daughters will be so thankful for living in a smoke free home. My parents, both of them, smoked at least a pack a day (and still do) while I was growing up. I hated going to school on really humid days or rainy days, because even if I just pulled my clothes out of the dryer that morning, my clothing still reeked of smoke. (I smelled like smoke EVERYday, but humid and rainy days were far worse) My hair even smelled like smoke, even though I'd take a shower every morning and left the house with my hair still very wet. I was in the THIRD GRADE and other kids would ask me if I smoked cigarettes because I smelled like smoke.
I have never smoked and never plan to.
You should be proud! I have never smoked, but I know quitting is something incredibly hard. Good for you. Good for your family!!!
Huge congrats! I hear it's not an easy thing to quit, no matter the circumstances. Good for you!
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