What happens when a smoker quits

[Playinghardball]

"Did you know that just 1-9 weeks after you quit smoking, the little hairs, or cilia, that line your lungs begin to work normally again to keep your lungs clear from infection? And after 15 years, an ex-smoker's risk of heart disease will be equivalent to that of a non-smoker? Inspiring stuff!

Read more: http://bit.ly/13o8RMO"

Found on the I fucking love science Facebook

[One_Life_To_Give]

1. Less than 18 mo's to go

Less than 18 mo's to go till I hit the 15yr mark.

[SCVDem]

48. 5 years for me to hit 15. nt

[TheDebbieDee]

56. Me too. My 10 year anniversary was May 17th........

Quitting smoking was the hardest thing I've ever done. But I'm so glad I did.

[a kennedy]

91. OMGosh TheDebbieDee.....me too.

the hardest thing I've ever done.....and I miss it terribly, well, not terribly, but some. My anniversary date for 8 years of being smoke free was May 2nd, 2005. So glad I did also, but do miss it, but I know I can never have a cigarette puff EVER, because if I do, I know I'd be starting right up.

[TheDebbieDee]

95. I also agree that cigarettes to me is like alcohol to an alcoholic.......

I can't allow myself to have even one puff......but at least don't miss smoking anymore.

[Cha]

70. Good on ya!

[PDJane]

2. My son has quit smoking, for which I am duly grateful.

Heart disease, you understand, doesn't run in the family, it gallops. I had a long and serious talk with him about the current risks, and his doctor hit him again. He pondered said information and threw them out. Hasn't smoked in a year, and finds that being in a room with smokers gives him problems.

His house now smells like fresh air, and it's a good thing.

[MrSlayer]

3. I quit a year ago.

But I never had a cough or shortness of breath. I've experienced absolutely no withdrawal symptoms either. I just smoked and then I didn't anymore. I stopped because they cost too much and I was out of work. I didn't really even want to quit.

It's weird.

[Warpy]

4. You'd probably tapered down a lot before you finally ran out and quit

There's nothing like poverty to end a lot of bad habits, but there are easier ways to quit.

So congratulations on being a nonsmoker.

[MrSlayer]

5. No.

I went from a pack and a half a day to just stopping.

I still have the rest of the last pack in my drawer.

[A HERETIC I AM]

7. I'll buy em' off ya. n/t

[MrSlayer]

8. Haha!

They're probably stale as week old bread.

[A HERETIC I AM]

10. Of course!

I'm kidding, absolutely.

[Warpy]

9. Year old, stale butts from the bottom of a drawer?

Damn, you are addicted.

[A HERETIC I AM]

11. See above. n/t

[mountain grammy]

83. Consider yourself lucky. Most of us struggle.

It's been 12 years for me and I still miss it, but more determined than ever to stay quit this time.

[KG]

14. I smoked off and on during my adult life. whenever I decided to quit, I just stopped,

and went years between being a smoker.

prolly not addicted to 'em. gave em up last time 10 years ago...

[Blue_In_AK]

63. That's the way I smoked, too.

Never more than 10 a day, sometimes months between smokes. Now I haven't had a cigarette since early 2002.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. Not to mention the end of nagging by my wife.

Well, at least the nagging about smoking.

[Skittles]

18. GOOD FOR HER!

SHE CARED!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

23. And, it only took her 29 years to get me to quit.

[Skittles]

26. I WILL KICK PROCRASTINATING Tierra_y_Libertad ass!!!

still, congrats to you for quitting

[a kennedy]

92. I'm embarrassed to say I smoked for 38 years.....

and I know I will be getting some form of cancer related to it. D*mn, I wish I never would have started.

[heaven05]

12. after

44 years of smoking, i quit in september 2012. feel much better.

[littlewolf]

13. congrats ! glad to hear it. eom

[truebrit71]

15. Wait, where's the part about gaining 50 lbs?

I did that when I quit three years ago....now i'm outta breath when I climb the stairs because I'm a fat bastard, not because my lungs are on fire....

Seriously the very best thing I did was to quit...I had no idea I smelled as bad as smokers smell, especially in close quarters...

Who knew food tasted different?

I had quit so many times I can't remember, but this time is for good. Know how I know that? Because I now want to cock-punch every smoker I come across...

[Skittles]

19. it's OK if you gained weight, truebrit71

you'd have to gain a heck of a lot more to equal the detrimental health effects of smoking.....now start moving and work on that weight issue. Start easy, and I will tell you exactly how. Those stairs that make you pant? Start climbing them when you don't have to!!! Just go up and come back down. Make it a goal to do, say, three extra trips up and down those stairs a day. Then add more! You will be surprised how quickly your stamina will increase! And CONGRATS on your three year milestone <------OUTSTANDING!

[truebrit71]

31. Thanks!

[DesertFlower]

60. i gained 3 or 4 lbs but took

it right off. i saw my friend replace cigarettes with food and i wasn't going to let that happen to me. i got off the bus before my stop so i'd have further to walk and did the same thing after work. i think those few extra blocks of fast walking helped.

[MattBaggins]

16. Almost four years smoke free

Unfortunately I waited until I had a heart attack to quit.

[littlewolf]

17. I watched my parents smoke for decades ...

it killed both of them. my mom had a stroke and 2 heart attacks
she was in her late 60's early 70's.

my dad had emphysema and had a pony bottle of O2 when he left the
house. in the house he had a "bubbler " of some kind, it had a hose and pumped O2 to him, he basically went from his bed, to the recliner in the
living room, to the bathroom. that was it. He finally had a heart attack
and died, I spent over 20 years trying to get them to quit, no go.
I wish they had listened to me, I really do.

[CountAllVotes]

77. Two people I know were just DX'd with esophagael cancer

Not a pretty way to go at all.

Both of them smoked -- one heavily for about 50 years and the other one picked it up to be cool after he retired. He thought smoking cigars and having a humidifier, etc. was "classy" and he's very well off and can afford this sort of stuff.

Real classy alright as he is now being tube fed by his wife who is an RN lucky for him.

The other person is in his 80s and is about to go any day now.

Sad sad sad is all I can say.

I'm glad I never got into this nasty habit on a huge level luckily.

It is a bitch to break it, I know that much!

[madokie]

20. Started puffing on cigarettes before I started school

quit august 14 1977.
give you some idea as how long I smoked I was born in march of 1948
Decided I was going to quit and did just that. cigarettes went to .60 cents a pack and that was my reason.

[Tikki]

21. It's been nearly 10 years for me and my son, also.* In 5 more years I will be...

nearly 70 years old and to be a nonsmoking 70 year old grandmother is like
the best thing about 15 years smoke free.

My grandchildren have never seen me smoke.


Tikki
* my son and I quit within a week of each other in January of 2004.

[olddots]

22. there are alot of smokers that won't quit because of the holier than thou

I was one of them -no amount of clever shock tactics worked .So I don't smoke anymore big fucking deal ,if you want people to quit don't treat them like scum .eom .

[dixiegrrrrl]

24. 15 years this April 28.

And yes, I did know about the timeline of when you quit.

One of the things that motivated me was I read, back then, that only 23% of the population smoked,
and it seemed a great idea to be non-smoker.
Being a Boomer, I grew up when everybody smoked and non-smoking adults seemed to be unusual.

Now I see the price of a pack of cigs and realize I could not even afford to be smoking today!

[Mr. David]

25. Does marijuana even have the same issues as cigarettes?

I just had a checkup, and my BP is 120/78 (normal) and I had just smoked 30 minutes previously.

[nebenaube]

30. nope...

I won't elaborate and your mileage may vary... but I don't need bystolic any more.

[Major Nikon]

43. Pipes and cigars don't have the same issues as cigarettes

People who smoke a pack of cigarettes (or more) are smoking more than one cigarette for every hour they are awake. That's a pretty serious level of consumption.

[benld74]

27. The ONE thing that NEVER happens when you quit,,,,

You NEVER get back the $$$ spent on the damn things!

[Auggie]

44. Yeah, but the savings AFTER have amounted to over $21,900 ...

pack and a half a day @ $6.00 (average) x 365 x 10+ years.

I think I was paying about $4.00 a pack in 2002. That's a conservative total because prices in California have risen since.

[DesertFlower]

61. i stopped in '83. they were $1.05 a pack back then.

[graywarrior]

28. 35 years since my last puff

Now I can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke.

[rurallib]

50. 38 for me

My mother died a slow and painful death gasping for air. I was with her to the last.
It took about 2 years but finally quit, but I finally quit. Makes me sick when I see youngsters smoking. They were at least warned before they started.

[hobbit709]

29. Some of them become insufferable former sinners.

[Bucky]

38. More insufferable than people who smell like cigarettes all the time?

touchay!

[hobbit709]

40. I wouldn't know, I don't hang around either type.

[Jenoch]

32. My 81 year old father

started smoking as a teen and smoked for nearly 30 years. At almost 43, his doctor told him he would be lucky to reach 50 if he did not stop smoking (he went through 3 packs a day but he didn't smoke all of them, he would sometimes end up with two or three going at the same time in different parts of his business). My dad attended the 83 year old doctor's funeral three weeks ago. Before he quit, they tested his lungs at the clinic, after blowing through the device, the nurse (whom my father knew well, small town) said to him, "Bill, you couldn't blow out a fuckin' candle".

My dad went on an elk hunting trip with three non-smokers, no smokes within 50 miles. He wanted to make that drive but they hid the keys to the truck. My mom as a half-pack a day smoker who didn't quit until 15 years after dad quit.

[Arcanetrance]

33. I quit 3 years ago best things I ever did for my health.

Especially given my family history.

[ananda]

34. Oh.

That is good news. I quit thirty years ago.

I was nervous for awhile, and I chewed gum practically nonstop
for a good while... but it was worth it.

I did lose some analgesic benefits, I think. I sure wish I could
take cannabis in some form sometimes... but it's not legal here.

[Walk away]

35. 10 years, two months, 5 days!

[Auggie]

37. 10 years, 5 months

[Walk away]

64. I never actually believed I could quit until the day I stopped.

Congratulations on your fabulous quit!

[Auggie]

68. Thanks. You too.

[Greybnk48]

42. 6 years, two months, 5 days!! Best thing I ever did.

I quit the day before I had surgery for uterine cancer. Have not had a puff since. Needless to say I'm also 6 years, two months, 5 days cancer free too! I'm very grateful and happy to say the cancer I had cannot come back because it can only grow in utero. I could get another cancer, but my odds are the same of that happening as with anyone else.

Quitting was the best thing I ever did. I gained some weight because I lost my ciggs AND my ovaries. But I lost it all a couple of years ago and now go up in winter and down in summer. My struggle with gaining and losing is no worse now than it was when I smoked. Also, I'd rather be a bit chubby and alive than the alternative.

[Walk away]

65. I had an incredible surgeon take care of me through cancer as well...

at the time I had no health insurance and he not only treated me for free but also arranged for the hospital cost and all the testing to be pro bono as well. He came from a family of seven Harvard Med School surgeons and was born a millionaire. He spent every free minute of his days and night attending surgeries in 3rd world countries either in person or by computer. He devoted his life to helping the poor with his exceptional skills. When I asked him how I could ever pay him back he asked me to quit smoking. I never touched another cigarette and I never will.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

84. wow! I love this story!

How cool!

[LittleGirl]

36. quit 3 yrs, 5 months and 1 day ago eom

!!! Feel great, smell great and I have my blood pressure back to normal.

too bad about my teeth.

[lame54]

39. He annoys other smokers

[fasttense]

41. I hit my 1 year quitter mark last month.

I've gained 10 pounds but managed to lose 5 lbs of it. This is the 3rd time I have quit for a year or more. I hope it sticks. The last time, I had quit for over 2 years and went back when I couldn't lose the 30 lbs I gained. This time I'm watching my weight too and doing some heavy exercise. We have a farm and most of the planting, tilling and hoeing is done by hand so you know I get a good work out. We have 15 acres and my hubby keeps complaining about all the walking we have to do. I refuse to get an all-terrain vehicle. Several people I know who farm got one and their weight just ballooned. Our neighbor is a gentleman farmer and has a 5 x 7 foot garden right outside their house and 2 horses they never ride. They got a noisy, used, all-terrain vehicle and got real fat in the last 2 years. I'm going to keep walking until I'm 98 - and not smoke!

[Rozlee]

45. I'm trying to remember where I read

that if you quit smoking for years and suddenly start up again, your chances of getting lung cancer increase tremendously; more than if you'd kept smoking in the first place. It was around the time Peter Jennings had died and they used him as an example. That was several years ago, though, and new studies are always coming around negating old ones. I know my brother was a vicious chain smoker that had a horrific smoker's cough and was always short of breath. When he quit, his trophy wife convinced him to start jogging and now, at 79 years of age, he runs five miles a day.

[hue]

46. Tobacco Companies have been nickeling & diming us To DEATH!! Don't give 'em another dollar!!

[randome]

47. Twenty years of having kicked the habit!

The best high I get now is from running!

[hr]
[font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font]
[hr]

[SCVDem]

49. You may smoke outside

But when you come in and sit or work next to me, YOU REEK!

I apologize to those I subjected to my smoking for 32 years.

Try this site: http://www.quitnet.com/qnhomepage.aspx

Three weeks of Welbutrin and I quit and bought a BMW Z-3 sports car as a reward.

I still have the car 10 years later.

[a kennedy]

93. Three weeks of Welbutrin and I quit.....me too....

Welbutrin was the ticket for my nervousness of "when do I get to smoke again".....it was a miracle drug for me....couldn't have quit without it.

[HockeyMom]

51. Nothing when you have smoked 20, 30, 40,

or even 50s years. Sister-in-law got throat cancer 10 years after quitting smoking for 20 years.

[a kennedy]

94. I quit after 38 years, and I'm really just waiting for the cancer diagnosis.....

[HockeyMom]

96. I should be DEAD decades ago

according to "health care industry". Still alive and kicking. I worked with 80 year olds too in nursing home who were still smoking. Once you reach a certain age (50?), drop and leave it alone. We will all die of something after we reach our old age, but the health care industry needs to make $$$$$ off the gullible, one way or another.

[orpupilofnature57]

52. Thanks, it's incentive .

[Mockingjay]

53. I quit...

ten weeks ago after smoking about 47 years...just slapped a patch on one morning and just kept going with it....I also chew the gum and sometimes I puff on a e-cig for some relief for frustration. I do feel better, I think? Haven't gain weight but not losing either... I jog farther and longer and my skin is not as dry, other than that not much has changed..still divorced, no sex, still very lonely since my father died, and my kids live 600 miles away and I'm broke. Quitting was just a dent in the iceburge. Just one small very small step in a positive direction that should be good..right?

[SCVDem]

55. I'm proud of your accomplishment!

Keep it up!

[Curmudgeoness]

54. Where is the "first week---better chance of killing someone"

or "first week---will probably get fired from your job for being an impossible bitch"???

[rustydog]

57. It's been 20+ years since I quit

Still miss the "habit" but will never smoke again.
My younger brother is on year one post-lung cancer after smoking his entire adult life...

[DesertFlower]

58. i'll be celebrating 30 years clean

in august. it was one of the hardest things i ever did.

[Nightjock]

59. I finally did it

after I received an e cigarette as a last minute surprise gift from a friend six months ago. He was getting gas, saw it and thought of me.
I never even thought of buying one and he told me to try it cuz it worked for someone at his job.

I tried quitting on and off for ten years before that.

I highly recommend them.

[Auntie Bush]

62. 50 years of never smoking.

Had to get in on the act.

[Just Saying]

66. Thanks for this!

Off the cigs for 2 weeks now!

[yeoman6987]

102. Awesome! So so proud of you!

[TransitJohn]

67. I'm 16 weeks smoke-free.

I'm certain it's for good this time.

[Cha]

71. Good on you, too, TJ You're a

newbie but a determined one!

[Cha]

69. Thank you for this, Play. I freaking hate

cigarette smoke. I wish so many who smoke would take heed. Save their lungs and body and their MONEY.

[Recursion]

72. I've found that when I quit smoking, the people around me become very stupid

It lasts about 4 days.

[meaculpa2011]

73. Cold Turkey after 4 packs of unfiltered Camels...

a day.

That was 32 years ago and I've never looked backed. I was very lucky. Never had a craving.

Started smoking at eleven. Typical Brooklyn street punk with a pack of cigarettes rolled up in my t-shirt sleeve.

Ah... the good old days.

Spent yesterday at the hospital. A close friend was a having a fairly new type of angioplasty to clear 80% blockage in one artery and 100% blockage in another. Cleared one. Has to go back in two weeks for the other.

Sloppy diet. Heavy smoker until a few years ago. No exercise... NONE!

All his friends and family have been lecturing him for years. I've come to the conclusion that no endeavor is more wasteful of time and energy than trying to convince someone to act in a manner that is SELF EVIDENTLY in their own best interest.

But... TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES!

[Floyd_Gondolli]

97. My GOD how did you do 4 packs a day?

I considered myself hardcore for being a pack a day guy, on a long day and we're talking Marlboro lights.

I thought that was beyond excessive but four packs? Where did you find the time?

Congrats though. That's a real serious habit to kick.

[burnodo]

74. Thanks for the info

now I'm going out to smoke a cigarette

[Justice]

75. However,

Make sure you get regular checkups including asking for an xray now and again (I know there are risks from that too).

I know two people, who quit 30 years ago, diagnosed with advanced lung cancer - no symptoms until it had already spread beyond the lung.

[ejpoeta]

76. my husband quit about 5 years ago. i quit when i was pregnant with my oldest

who is 14. For my husband the difference for me is he is calmer.... he isn't constantly chewing his fingers and fingernails and tapping his feet. He smoked like 3 packs a day. It took him a long time to quit. I am so glad we are free of that stuff. And we have more money.... We bought a camper, we go camping and do more things together.... we paid off things... It's amazing how much money we wasted on cigarettes.

[mindem]

78. I'm going on 5 years without a smoke.

I really started to put on the pounds after I quit and started to take some long walks. Last year I got back into bicycling and ended up riding over 2,400 miles and shed 30 lbs.

[southmost]

79. I was lucky enough to be able to quit cold turkey also

been clean for almost 20 years,

my biggest notable side effect has been increased sensitivity to second hand smoke

[pangaia]

80. Stopped smoking a pack of unfiltered Camels a day in 1981.

I had been very good at quitting before that. Did it many times.

In 1980 I started running..still smoking, though.
Then, in 1981, I went on a two week tour (musician ). Had the flue or something before we left so didn't bring and cigs. (Never felt like smoking when I was sick.) Don't remember having a big problem on the trip because I never bought any cigs.
When I came home there was that old pack of 3-4 stale Camels left on the table. I picked one up, lit it and it tasted so godawful I put it out, threw it away the pack and never smoked again. It was easy BUT I was very lucky.

Oh---- when I went out to run.. even the first time, it felt like I had new lungs.

[timdog44]

81. I think I am at about

15 years. I was a carton a week smoker and one day on the way to work I decided to quit. Every mile or so I would throw out a few of the last cigarettes in the last pack I had at the time. By the time I got work, no more cigarettes. I did go through some withdrawals but not terrible. I had started when I was in 5th grade and carried my cigs to school by the time I was in 6th grade. Being a preachers kid, it was my way of rebelling. Along with another preacher's kid and to of the local policemen's kids. So I smoke somewhere between 35-40 years. I quit before the prices got way high, but I was able to buy new cameras and computers with the money I saved. And now the brand I smoked is over $60/carton. That would be $3000 and more a year. Financially I saved, but the real saving fro me has been my health. I feel better, rarely get sick, and when I do, I heal quicker.

[Blaukraut]

82. Almost to the 5 year mark for me. Literally got allergic to the smoke

I developed allergy induced asthma, and cigarettes obviously ranked pretty high on the attack meter, as did paint fumes, exercise, etc etc. The attacks are getting fewer and fewer, thankfully.

Add to that my mother's life-long smoking having contributed to her dementia. I was not going to end up like that if I could help it.

[BillyRibs]

85. 22 years and counting!

[Babel_17]

86. Two years free thanks to Allen Carr's system

http://www.wikihow.com/Quit-Smoking-by-Using-an-Allen-Carr-Book

I quit smoking on April 4, 2011.

I used Allen Carr's "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking".

Border's had a nice compilation of some of the best quotes from that book in a nice pocket sized paperback that I carry around and which was very helpful and inspirational.

Great free videos that were also helpful here.

Lol, I quickly figured out that I'd feel at a loss when walking past the spot I'd stash my cigarettes when at home. I'd have a cup of coffee in my hand and feel like I was forgetting something.

I've had several nightmares about smoking. Supposedly this is ok/"a good thing".

Dreams of smoking 2.38mb 7.10mb UTube 2.92mb 06:28 11/10/06

https://www.youtube.com/joelspitz#p/u/41/Dvkxt_GMG-0

Allen Carr’s 7 Tips To Stay Quit

Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Quit Smoking

If you follow these simple instructions, you cannot fail.

1 Make a solemn vow that you will never, ever, smoke, chew or suck anything that contains
nicotine, and stick to your vow.

2 Get this clear in your mind: there is absolutely nothing to give up. By that I don't mean simply that
you will be better off as a non-smoker (you've known that all your life); nor do I mean that although
there is no rational reason why you smoke, you must get some form of pleasure or crutch from it or
you wouldn't do it. What I mean is, there is no genuine pleasure or crutch in smoking. It is just an
illusion, like banging your head against a wall to make it pleasant when you stop,

3 There is no such thing as a confirmed smoker. You are just one of the millions who have fallen for
this subtle trap. Like millions of other ex-smokers who once thought they couldn't escape, you have
escaped,

4 If at any time in your life you were to weigh up the pros and cons of smoking, the conclusion would
always be, a dozen times over, 'Stop doing it. You are a fool.' Nothing will ever change that. It always
has been that way, and it always will be. Having made what you know to be the correct decision, don't
ever torture yourself by doubting it.

5 Don't try not to think about smoking or worry that you are thinking about it constantly. But
whenever you do think about it –whether it be today, tomorrow or the rest of your life think,
'YIPPEE! I'M ANON-SMOKER!'

6 DO NOT use any form of substitute.
DO NOT keep your own cigarettes.
DO NOT avoid other smokers.
DO NOT change your lifestyle in any way purely because you've stopped smoking.
If you follow the above instructions, you will soon experience the moment of revelation. But:

7 Don't wait for that moment to come. Just get on with your life. Enjoy the highs and cope with the
lows. You will find that in no time at all the moment will arrive.

http://allencarr.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easyway-Stop-Smoking/dp/0615482155

[Babel_17]

87. The above is a copy of several posts I made in the past

There's also a link or two I found today. I should have mentioned I no longer feel anything when encountering a "trigger" like walking past my old cigarette stash.

[TexasProgresive]

88. That timeline left out from 12hours to 2 weeks--

Mean as a snake!

[Babel_17]

89. Myself and many others felt some euphoria

Allen Carr teaches that there is a sublime pleasure that you can grasp when quitting. The worst I felt was some light headedness and the infrequent strange moment when I'd be aware I had encountered a moment that would normally trigger lighting a cigarette.

[Mariana]

90. That stage never seemed to end for me

whenever I tried to quit. Cold turkey, patches, whatever, it was the same every time, it would go on for months, and I'd take up smoking again rather than wind up divorced and friendless. E-cigs finally did the trick for me. It's been two years of not smoking, and my relationships have not suffered at all.

[Babel_17]

98. Great thread, deserves a kick

An acquaintance on another board just had his fourth day of being free from smoking. He talked of his lungs clearing and I quoted your post. Thanks for making it!

[Playinghardball]

99. You're welcome...

As an ex-smoker, please let your friend know that in order to stop smoking he has to keep telling himself that he can never touch another cigarette again....

I wish him lots of luck...

Play

[Babel_17]

100. Yup

"Make a solemn vow that you will never, ever, smoke, chew or suck anything that contains
nicotine, and stick to your vow."

[randys1]

101. He punishes all living things within 100 miles of him. To start

He SCREAMS at anyone who gets his food or coffee order wrong.

[Playinghardball]

103. You got that right!!

[SheilaT]

104. I was at a high school reunion this past weekend. My 50th.

It was remarkably easy to spot the smokers, especially the ones who've continued smoking all these years, from those who had never smoked. The former looked at least 15 years older than the latter, and we are all essentially the same age. Smoking ages you, but it's sufficiently gradual, that most smokers don't see it happening.

All young smokers should be required to attend a 50th h.s. reunion. Better yet, don't know it's a reunion, and be required to sort people by apparent age. It would be incredibly educational.