LaurenRae

Hi,

I had surgery May 30 of this year - had my last smoke at 11 pm May 29th! I had decided that it would be a perfect time to quit - can't smoke in the hospital and would be there for 5 days - an opportunity like that doesn't come around very often!

I started smoking when I was 13 - am now 39. I quit once for 3 months when I was 15 (how easy it would have been back then!) but over the years, I was never able to make it longer than a few days. I'm very happy to say I have made it 45 days without a cigarette! I haven't used the patch or the gum - just on my own and am doing pretty good. Have some rough spots - my third week was really tough. I think I would have done most anything for a cigarette - so I hid out at home and had no social contact with my friends, some of whom are smokers. It passed and I only have two or three cravings a day now (am having one right now - talking about it is tough!). But I'm proud of myself and am going to beat this thing. I have a friend who was diagnosed with lung cancer last year and had one lung removed. The cancer came back in other organs and he was given 8 - 12 months. He's doing well so far...but it scared me. All I can say to any of you who have tried to quit many times is I was smoking almost a pack a day and never in my wildest dreams could imagine living without that cigarette. But I'm doing it, and it's not that bad. Don't give up.