Almost a year ago, I met some wonderful people and my whole life changed. One little piece at a time.
My life revolved around a clock of my own making. Everything I did was on my own schedule, at my convience. Then a friend of mine stopped smoking, and she wouldn't hang around with me any more because she said it was to much temptation for her. First it shocked me, then it made me sad, and lonely, then it made me mad. For ten years I had counted on her being my friend and now she was gone. Not only that but a month later she quit her job and I never saw her at all.
Bad luck you say? Not really, because that was the jump start that I used to start my own final journey with smoking. After almost 40 years of smoking, I was tired of losing friends and not being able to take part in things. My husband and daughters and the friend from work were the only ones that knew I smoked. That's really what I thought. Since I quit, I have come to believe different...but that is another tale. Social pressures, medical concerns, and just the inconvienience finally got to me. And I started checking out on line articles about quitting. I came across this site and read everything here. Then I put it into the back of my mind for a couple of weeks and let it grow.
I talked to my doctor about products that might help. ANd I chose one, wellbutrin. After all just thinking of quitting was depressing. So I signed up here, started the medication, and for two weeks I practiced not smoking. I never told anyone.
When I quit on July 4, 2005, I spent the day with my family doing picnic and fireworks and all those things. And noone even noticed that I didn't smoke. I wanted them to notice on their own. I got through those early days one minute at a time. With cinnamon sticks, and water, and breathing, and a yoyo. And the excitement of maybe getting it this time helped to carry me.
I met people here. Ones that would talk to me whenever I showed up. I finally had a support group that could support when I needed it. I work strange hours and days and that was always my excuse for not reaching out. That noone could be available the hours that I needed them. But I was wrong. The people here are just that. They are here. Whenever you stop by.
Over the last year, some of the
