I smoked my last cigarette on February 2nd, 2011. I'd like to think that was the last cigarette I will have smoked for the rest of my life. (Fingers crossed)
Oddly enough, my husband and I quit smoking on February 1st last year. This is not a "New Year Resolution" thing, it's a "common sense tells me that smoking is bad and it causes cancer & is a financial drain" thing.
I was ready. I needed help this time (last year we both quit cold turkey after 2 days of chewing Nicorette). I am currently without health insurance (which is the one thing I miss about working at Paychex) so I went to the CVS Minute Clinic and got a prescription from the Dr there. FYI, it's not very expensive, even without insurance - it was only $59 for the Dr. visit. The medication prescribed to me was "Bupropion" which is a generic for Zyban or Wellbutrin. I've taken this a few times over the last 10 years, and have been able to quit relatively quickly each time. Unfortunately, the medication was really expensive without insurance - to the tune of $246. Yeah. For a 30 day supply. Ouch.
It was worth it, though. I took the medication for two weeks before I was ready to quit. It has been a little more difficult than the last times I used this medication. I didn't really crave cigarettes the first week...but I did feel very strong withdrawal symptoms. Physical withdrawal symptoms like headaches, sore throat, stuffy nose, insomnia, stomach issues, fatigue, etc. I have been down this road before, I knew it was coming...but somehow I never really expect it to be as bad as it is, you know? I even missed my friend's Super Bowl party because I was in bed with my tonsils swollen the size of golf balls and crazy body aches.
It is definitely getting better. I am a little depressed, a little tired, and a little cranky. It is manageable. At this point, I've gained 1 pound, which isn't bad, considering that I haven't even been exercising regularly and I have pretty much indulged my food cravings - hey, I quit smoking, I should at least be able to eat what I want for a bit, right?
Since today hits the two week mark, and I know scientifically, all of the nicotine is out my system, I am not going to indulge those food cravings anymore. I started eating more healthy today - I am trying out the slow carb diet - and I am about to go jump on the elliptical machine for a bit. My goal is 20 minutes a day, and if I can do more, good. If not, oh well. I am not pushing myself. That was why I burnt out so quickly last summer when I was doing an hour a day. After two months, I was so sick of it, I never wanted to see it again! I literally folded it up under the bed and it gathered dust for 4 months.
I am more active since I became a housewife - I am always cleaning something, doing something, running errands, etc. It is really nothing compared to how sedentary I was when I was working. Also, with this new puppy and our nice weather right now, dog walking is probably going to be a daily occurrence.
I gained 20 pounds last year when I quit smoking. That is NOT going to happen again!
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