I'm brand new here. I have in my hands a prescription for Chantix, which I'm going to fill in the next couple of days (soon as I get the money). I've smoked for 33 years, anywhere from two (currently about 2.5) to FIVE packs a day. I have quit several times. The easiest quit was when I got pregnant 31 years ago... the taste and smell of cigarette smoke (well really just about everything) made me violently ill, so it was simple to quit. Like a dufus I just one day started smoking again after being smoke-free almost a year. I've tried cold-turkey, I've tried nearly every late-night infomercial product, I've tried the step-down filters (actually worked fairly well), and hypnosis (hey, I got down to maybe one cigarette a week that way).
Well now my motivation for quitting is REALLY strong... my cholesterol & triglycerides are nearly off the chart, and I've been having trouble swallowing and breathing along with other frightening symptoms. Turns out I have LPR (a reflux problem) and my vocal cords are so swollen and yuccky that I have what in laymen's terms is called "elephant skin" of the vocal cords. It is frightening to be sitting in urgent care with drool running out your mouth because you absolutely cannot swallow! LPR is something that's "managed", not cured, and the ENT says that if I continue to smoke it will likely get worse. I just can't deal with that, so I've gotta quit.
I've set my quit date for the 21st, wish me luck. I know from past quit-smoking experiences that if I can get through the first few weeks without killing myself or someone else (or someone killing me because I'm being so crabby) that I can make it. I'm told that Chantix helps alot of people with that "I'm gonna kill something" feeling, true or false? Anyway, I'm going to combine all the tricks and techniques I've learned over the years to actually STOP for good this time.
