Wednesday 7 January 2015

Quitting

On the 18th of August 2014 my husband and I officially quit smoking. That makes this week our 23 week smoke free and I can honestly say "I never thought those words would ever come out of my mouth."

It was a lot easier than I thought it would be to quit. That's not to say there weren't times when I longed to pick up the cigs and get smoking again, thankfully it was quite a long time before I did pick up another cigarette and as a result a couple of puffs was all I could take before I was stabbing it out. 

Quitting has had several benefits for me and my family, the first being money. We have had one of the best Christmases ever this year, because we quit smoking. We are saving nearly £70 a week just by not smoking. That's around 280 pounds a month and a massive 3360 a year. Yep we were heavy smokers. Looking at those statistics I think it's a good thing we were smoking roll ups and not pre-made cigarettes. 

It's also had a good impact on our health as well. Having suffered from double pneumonia in my younger years my lungs are already not the best. So since quitting smoking I have found I can breath better when I get a cold something that used to be extremely difficult before. 

We did have a lot of nosebleeds when we first quit, but apparently this is quite common and not something to worry about. 

The final big improvement is that there are no longer nicotine stained walls, fingers or surfaces around our home or in our car, nor the smell, which makes cleaning a whole lot easier. 

Now I just need to get rid of the log burner and cleaning will be a breeze, although I am not sure hubby would go for that. 

I don't want to be one of those people that goes on and on at others about quitting because at the end of the day I know that it is something you can only do when you are ready and no amount of pressure from others is likely to change that, but if it is something you want to do and are afraid to do, well give it a try. Maybe you will succeed maybe you won't. Whatever the case don't be tough on yourself. It's better to try and fail then never to try at all. Isn't that what they say. 

Love and hugs 
Joss xx

15 comments:

  1. Congratulations on getting this far! I've never been a smoker so I can't begin to imagine how hard it's been to quit, but well done to you both. Keep going!

    www.readingwritingeverything-heather.blogspot.co.uk

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  2. Wonderful news! Congratulations.

    I once had to live with my in-laws for 9 months. They were heavy smokers and I was miserable and always sick. Years later, on her deathbed, my mother-in-law called me to apologize for smoking. (She had quit a few years earlier.) But she wanted me to know she didn't realize the suffering she had put me through and was sorry for it. Her honesty and candor shocked me. I never forgot it.

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    1. awww that's loving. Quitting was definitely one of the best choices I've ever made and I feel so much better for it.

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  3. Congratulations on quitting smoking! That's something to be proud of and NOT easy to do! The cost itself would make it worth it, and then all the health benefits as well.

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    1. oh absolutely it's been a great choice and we are both so glad we did it.

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  4. My mother died of lung cancer, and I am so very proud of you and your husband for quitting smoking. It is easier for some than for others. But you can do this. Have a great new year!

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    1. thank you Roland I really appreciate your comment.

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  5. I have one friend on oxygen 24/7. He didn't quit in time and now he carries his lungs around with him. Good for you. Keep it up.

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    1. oh I am so sorry for your friend. Whenever I got a cold while I was a smoker it got very hard for me to breath. Now having quit, I have a cold as I type but my breathing is fine. Which is really good.

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  6. Congrats to both of you! That's really inspiring.

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  7. Congratulations!! I've never been a smoker but I have lots of family members who have quit and saw how difficult it was for them. Kudos to you and your husband!

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    1. Thank's Julie and well done to your family members too :)

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