Diary of a smoker

[Peteaud]

Good work Reece, the days will soon become weeks and the cravings will be gone, then the weeks become months......

As above and well done so far.

 

[gbb]

I can not believe i started this thread a year ago.

But in a few hours time, when 2012 has gone, i can say i never smoked a fag in 2012.

I was thinking about you on New Year's Eve, very well done Pete...and now I can join your achievement with one year off the fags today. Really struggling with my chest at the moment so I'm glad as hell I'm not making it worse by smoking.
One year ... Yayyyyyyy

 

[Peteaud]

I was thinking about you on New Year's Eve, very well done Pete...and now I can join your achievement with one year off the fags today. Really struggling with my chest at the moment so I'm glad as hell I'm not making it worse by smoking.
One year ... Yayyyyyyy

Did think about you the other, i knew it was a few days after me.

Welcome to the 1 year club and bloody well done.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I was thinking about you on New Year's Eve, very well done Pete...and now I can join your achievement with one year off the fags today. Really struggling with my chest at the moment so I'm glad as hell I'm not making it worse by smoking.
One year ... Yayyyyyyy

Same here, I am agog that I used to get a chest cold and convince myself that smoke helped shift the phlegm!

 

[Reece]

So a week in and going strong feel loads better about myself but got a dry tickly cough but supposedly this is my lungs clearing themselves.

 

[Peteaud]

So a week in and going strong feel loads better about myself but got a dry tickly cough but supposedly this is my lungs clearing themselves.

Yes the crap is starting to loosen.


Within ...
• 20 minutes
Your blood pressure, pulse rate and the temperature of your hands and feet have returned to normal.
• 8 hours
Remaining nicotine in your bloodstream will have fallen to 6.25% of normal peak daily levels, a 93.25% reduction.
• 12 hours
Your blood oxygen level will have increased to normal and carbon monoxide levels will have dropped to normal.
• 24 hours
Anxieties have peaked in intensity and within two weeks should return to near pre-cessation levels.
• 48 hours
Damaged nerve endings have started to regrow and your sense of smell and taste are beginning to return to normal. Cessation anger and irritability will have peaked.
• 72 hours
Your entire body will test 100% nicotine-free and over 90% of all nicotine metabolites (the chemicals it breaks down into) will now have passed from your body via your urine. Symptoms of chemical withdrawal have peaked in intensity, including restlessness. The number of cue induced crave episodes experienced during any quitting day will peak for the "average" ex-user. Lung bronchial tubes leading to air sacs (alveoli) are beginning to relax in recovering smokers. Breathing is becoming easier and the lung's functional abilities are starting to increase.
• 5 - 8 days
The "average" ex-smoker will encounter an "average" of three cue induced crave episodes per day. Although we may not be "average" and although serious cessation time distortion can make minutes feel like hours, it is unlikely that any single episode will last longer than 3 minutes. Keep a clock handy and time them.
• 10 days
10 days - The "average ex-user is down to encountering less than two crave episodes per day, each less than 3 minutes.
• 10 days to 2 weeks
Recovery has likely progressed to the point where your addiction is no longer doing the talking. Blood circulation in your gums and teeth are now similar to that of a non-user.
• 2 to 4 weeks
Cessation related anger, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, impatience, insomnia, restlessness and depression have ended. If still experiencing any of these symptoms get seen and evaluated by your physician.
• 21 days
Brain acetylcholine receptor counts that were up-regulated in response to nicotine's presence have now down-regulated and receptor binding has returned to levels seen in the brains of non-smokers.
• 2 weeks to 3 months
Your heart attack risk has started to drop. Your lung function is beginning to improve.
• 3 weeks to 3 months
Your circulation has substantially improved. Walking has become easier. Your chronic cough, if any, has likely disappeared. If not, get seen by a doctor, and sooner if at all concerned, as a chronic cough can be a sign of lung cancer.
• 8 weeks
Insulin resistance in smokers has normalized despite average weight gain of 2.7 kg (1997 study).
• 1 to 9 months
Any smoking related sinus congestion, fatigue or shortness of breath have decreased. Cilia have regrown in your lungs, thereby increasing their ability to handle mucus, keep your lungs clean and reduce infections. Your body's overall energy has increased.
• 1 year
Your excess risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke have dropped to less than half that of a smoker.
• 5 years
Your risk of a subarachnoid haemorrhage has declined to 59% of your risk while still smoking (2012 study). If a female ex-smoker, your risk of developing diabetes is now that of a non-smoker (2001 study).
• 5 to 15 years
Your risk of stroke has declined to that of a non-smoker.
• 10 years
Your risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer is between 30% and 50% of that for a continuing smoker (2005 study). Risk of death from lung cancer has declined by almost half if you were an average smoker (one pack per day). Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus and pancreas have declined. Risk of developing diabetes for both men and women is now similar to that of a never-smoker (2001 study and2012 study).
• 13 years
The average smoker able to live to age 75 has 5.8 fewer teeth than a non-smoker (1998 study). But by year 13 after quitting, your risk of smoking induced tooth loss has declined to that of a never-smoker (2006 study).
• 15 years
Your risk of coronary heart disease is now that of a person who has never smoked. Your risk of pancreatic cancer has declined to that of a never-smoker (2011 study - but note 2nd pancreatic making identical finding at 20 years).
• 20 years
Female excess risk of death from all smoking related causes, including lung disease and cancer, has now reduced to that of a never-smoker (2008 study). Risk of pancreatic cancer reduced to that of a never-smoker (2011 study).

 

[Marshmallow_Fluff]

My risk of stroke has declined to that of a non-smoker!!

Cool!

 

[Peteaud]

@Reece

how much money have you not spent on fags this week??

 

[Marshmallow_Fluff]

So a week in and going strong feel loads better about myself but got a dry tickly cough but supposedly this is my lungs clearing themselves.

A bronchodilator syrup (or inhaler) will help your lungs clear easier/faster.. That is a very unpleasant phase, which on the other hand can be highly motivating when you actually see what's inside your lungs.. Honestly!!

 

[Reece]

@Reece

how much money have you not spent on fags this week??

£26 according to my quit smoking app.

My colleague at work who quit with me admitted to smoking a few at work and was also craving one today real bad. Said just one a day won't hurt. Reminded me of all the other times I've quit because that's what I said and then failed to quit.

I think actually having the cycling to focus on and needing the fitness for my cycling plans has gave me a real boost this time to quit!

 

[Peteaud]

A bronchodilator syrup (or inhaler) will help your lungs clear easier/faster.. That is a very unpleasant phase, which on the other hand can be highly motivating when you actually see what's inside your lungs.. Honestly!!

I remember the phase well.

£26 according to my quit smoking app.

My colleague at work who quit with me admitted to smoking a few at work and was also craving one today real bad. Said just one a day won't hurt. Reminded me of all the other times I've quit because that's what I said and then failed to quit.

I think actually having the cycling to focus on and needing the fitness for my cycling plans has gave me a real boost this time to quit!

Well done for not having the 1 as it just puts you back to the start. A tip i got on here is to have a drink of water when a craving comes along, i had an old mountain dew bottle i kept full of water and carried it about, it did help.

In a way i found the 1st week to be the worst / hardest part due to the habit, and the crap you will start to cough up will make you feel ill just by looking at it.

So, think about this, £52 end of this week saved

Or about £1300 a year

So that carbon bike you looked at is now 1 week closer to being yours.

 

[Reece]

Well I've pre-empted the money savings and splashed £157 on a turbo trainer lol. Still £1150 will be enough for a carbon bike/frame and I'll be fitter to use it haha

 

[Peteaud]

Well I've pre-empted the money savibngs and splashed £157 on a turbo trainer lol. Still £1150 will be enough for a carbon bike/frame and I'll be fitter to use it haha

£1150 gets you bike porn - nuff said.

And if you add on the lighters, pub smokes, etc you can add another £50.

http://www.mekkbicycles.com/Poggio-P-2.0-105.aspx for instance.

 

[Marshmallow_Fluff]

Well I've pre-empted the money savibngs and splashed £157 on a turbo trainer lol. Still £1150 will be enough for a carbon bike/frame and I'll be fitter to use it haha

 

[Marshmallow_Fluff]

OK.. According to my rough calculations, I (should) have saved the cost of approx. 2000 packs..
Surely I can justify a Bianchi, no?