That is great news.

as an ex-smoker, that is so good that you have made it to 100 days.
Then it is a breeze after this.

Congrats

But how is the surgery recovery going Jim ?

I also been trying to cut back with smoking, Now if i can only cut back to only 1 botle of whiskey a day i will be fine,

Just kiding. I dont even drink, Git-ir-done.

I am on day 19! You are a mentor for me. Did you quit cold turkey? I started with an e-cig but I only used it for a week. I am addicted to the social aspect of smoking. I weighted myself today up 7lbs. I decided to sign myself back up with weight watchers. Keep up the fight!
Nancy

Cindy,Ron, and Alex.
I think i'm safely on my way to being an ex-smoker.
Alex; been running into a couple of complications from this surgery that i didnt have with my previous surgery, So i got 2-3 doctors appt.s every week, until my body settles itself down.

Nancy; hi and congrats to you.
Hoping you keep up the good job. When you say you are addicted to the social aspect i assume that all is peer pressure, meaning you are around alot of smokers.
Ifs that is the case, i hope you have nerves of steel. Its gonna be hard to quit when all your acquantises(sp) smoke.
I started taking chantix, and at the 5 day mark, i just said the heck with this i'm quitting cold turkey, Put the bottle of chantix in dresser drawer, and i've did rest cold turkey.
But i am not around smokers, and i firmly believe that helped me alot.
Cause i'm off work, that kept me away from alot of friends who smoke.

Best of luck, and i also believe it "mind over matter" just set your mind to it and stick with it.

Thanks for the encouragement. I haven't been around to many smokers lately so I think it has been easier. I go to work after 3 Weeks break tommorrow. I used to come home and power down 2 cigs. I need to come up with ahealthier destressing activity.
Hope you are feeling ok and your complications are not serious.
Nancy

Well done Jim,
Unique people have unique ways of solving their problems, others success is mentoring and we could all think of many reasons not to stop or even cut down, 20 cigarettes here in England cost £6.53 and @ 100 days the cost adds up, come the time when the consequences of a lifetime of smoking catch up with you, then no amount of money will repair your heart or lungs, and as a colleague said to me using a small breathing machine, “I wish I had never started”.

What you have done works for you, if it does not do something different, staying away from others who do smoke initiates a change and part of an ongoing solution, I have seen close up the impact of smoking on individuals and that look of despair and inevitability.

At 55 my dad died from smoking related complications, I would not wish that tragedy on another human being or family.

Well done, take care and good luck with the next 100......one day at a time !
John.

Not sneaking behind the shed anymore gave that up it is too cold now I sneak in the basement ... lol .. Finally got the doctor to agree to do surgery if I am smoke free for 4 weeks so started my script I got a month or more ago this morning for chantix.Quit day Completely no sneaking ... is Feb 1st. If I can make it til the 28th I am hoping they will set up the surgery I can be as fixed as I am gonna get and I can go back to work to get the heck away from my two teenagers. They are driving me as crazy as I am them I think lol
Great Job Jim dont go far will need your help
Sheryl

You can do it! I too had some ups and down with quitting, but once I learned that I would be having my ADR surgery, it was what I needed to stay off the cigarettes.I also cheated when I first quit, but knowing that I needed to to have the surgery helped me stop for good.

You can do it, then we will both be smoke free and recovering from surgery...the begining of a new life!

Karen

Congrats! You must be at 120 days now! Awesome!

Karen

My NS made me quit before he would do my fusion - I still miss my cigs occasionally and never more than when my beloved Packers are disintegrating before my eyes when I had expected another Superbowl - now I join you Bear Fans on the sidelines Jim. Hope the complications settle down soon!

Patti

Hey you I hope your feeling better and things are settling down. Back on my Chantix day 2 been debating alot lately on trying to get my Doctor to let me go back to work at least a coupe days a week until I can have the surgery... I know it is only a month if I quit and I shouldn't take the chance on being in such severe pain, but man I am so bored and the kids are making me as crazy as I ma making them.
I need to just get my crap together and quit like you Jim then I could be laying in my bed post op in a month ...
Thanks for being my motivation I need it

nancy, john, sheryl, karen and patti.

Today is "125", and i admit i still would like a smoke.
But i dont dare go sneakin one, cause we all know it will be too easy to start up again.
I can smell a little better, and i do notice the difference in the taste in my mouth. Taste cleaner.

Sheryl, hang in there and stick with it. Your next surgery to hopefully take care of the problems depend on you staying quit. Thats what the doctor is ordering.
John, its sad that your dad died from illness related to smoking. I'm 56 y/o and my main thing is my 2 kids. my son is 26, and my daughter is 19. and i want to be here for them and they have both been on me to stay quit. They are my reason for staying quit, and i pray i have the mindset to stay quit. Tho that wont guarantee me a longer life, it should increase my chances.
karen; thank you,
Patti; thanks, and i couldnt believe my eyes either watching the pack and giants game.
They played like they didnt have their minds in the right frame. I also thought they had a better team then when they won the super bowl. But that just shows ya there is always someone better on any given day.

I havent been on here much lately. Ive been beating myself up, over whether to hire a different divorce lawyer and take the ex back to court and try to get this alimony that ive been paying for 4 years stopped. Cant even get a lawyer around here to talk to ya, unless you pay them. And i dont have the money to take this to court, so im stuck paying this alimony until i can find a better lawyer then the one i had and i need for them to let me make payments. So basically im kinda stuck, paying a cheating ex, and i cant afford a lawyer totake it to court to attempt to get this stopped.

I really dont know how i have stayed stopped on the smoking, just sheer will-power i guess.

Best of luck to everyone, and Sheryl stick with it, you can do it.

Jim,
You must have changed what you do now when you want a cigarette, you are doing something different in those 125 days, everyone has stress, is must be something as well as will power.

Your habits and behaviour have changed where a cigarette is now the last option, rather than the first, you are stopping for yourself and we all need support and encouragement at each stage.

You are starting to talk like a non-smoker and see the benefits for yourself and others of your 125 days.

How is the weight thing, many others give evidence of some weight gain as a consequence of stopping, my children are 24, 19 and 18 I feel like a cigarette just thinking about them and I never started.

Average age is 90 now, so 34 years to go for you Jim, 12410 days !............... -125.

John.

Well Jim today is day 2 for me without smoking, seems harder this time then last. I am determined to do it tho I really need to get the surgery even if it doesn't work I have to try, because I am not ready to give up getting away from my kids by going to work.
Was thinking about sneaking last night and then thought oh boy gonna have to find a different hiding space Jim knows where I hide lol... I will get through this I know, but man it stinks.
Congrats you are like on day upteen hundred by now.. So very proud and encouraged by that... Hope all is going well with you and post op is going good ... Thanks for all your help and support it means alot.
Sheryl

Jim,
keep focussed and keep it going!
Apart from pride at my achievement and not stinking of tobacco I never felt any benefit from quitting for about a year. To tell you the truth I felt ill and irritable the whole time. Every now and then I still crave but it passes and for most of the time I hardly think of it at all. The morning cough has gone and I don't get short of breath. I am so proud I conquered the adiction. It's up there as one of the great achievements of my life (there aren't many).

Sheryl,
This is hard. This is really hard. This is really, really hard and it doesn't get any easier for a long time. But you can do it. You've just got to keep reminding yourself why you're putting yourself through this. The craving doesn't get any weaker but it does get less frequent. Try and distract yourself when you feel it coming on like singing, shouting, kicking the dog, or whatever works for you.
Remind yourself you could be a non-smoker this time next year and you will have beaten the evil weed.

If I can do it anyone can.

Mick

John; I guess i snack more. Thats probably the only thing i changed that i realize.
I ve gotten alittle flabby on the front of my belly, but havent put on any more weight since i quit smoking.

Sheryl; Hang in there. So then today should be day 12 for ya. Yup if i dont see ya, i'm gonna go checking behind the shed. Just set your mind to it.

I honestly thought before there is no way i could ever quit smoking. I started when i went in the Marine Corps at age 18, and im 56 y/o rite now, that along time doing something just to wake up one day and say, i'm not doing that no more. Sounds goofy but i'm doing it, so i know you will be able to do it also.

Mick; I really dont feel any better from quitting, so i quess i'll just take everyones word for it. I cansay tho i agree with you on the tobacco smell part.

My best to ya's

Yes Jim day 12 Day 9 was horrible... Almost 2 weeks urrrrrr... Honestly I am not sure it is addiction to the chemicals in the cigarettes or if it is an addiction to the habit of smoking. It is like I have spent so much of my life doing it I have too much time on my hands and thats when I really think about it. Anyway Vacation tomorrow Oh ya ... Mississippi here I come lmao.. Yes I said Mississippi... My dad lives there in the winter and it is a hour from Mardi Gra ...so it is a cheap vacation but a vacation non the less and I simply HATE new york ( ya I live here ) ... So I am hoping that will keep me busy and before I know it the 27th will be here and the doctor will say lets get r done... Although since I quit smoking my fat ass has gained about five pounds from the darn jolly ranchers and life savers so now the question is will the doctor say good job with the not smoking now go home and loose 10 pounds because we can't put you under at that weight lol.... Would be my luck...
Someone asked me the other day why don't you just enjoy sitting home and doing nothing... I thought about it ... I make enough money because of my pay rate and all the overtime I had to do being a nurse manager. So it isn't that I need to make more money... I just can not enjoy being home on comp and doing nothing.. With back surgery the chances are so minimal that it will get better but at least it will keep me from getting worse.. Was reading that when someone has a 3rd back surgery the chances are better that they will never return to work .. oh boy it has been since May and I have had 10 break downs where my kids lock me in my room and check on me saying she is crying again ... oh jeez
Was a mom at 17 so ( single) so not working was not really an option since then...
Anyway Jim how is your back and your life?? Back to work yet ??? If you are I am so so jealous right now, but ha ha I get to go to Mississippi ..
Have a great day week everyone...
Sheryl
PS JIM DO NOT BE HIDING YOU ARE A INSPIRATION FOR ALL OF US

So are you back from Mississippi yet?
Hope you had a good time visiting your Dad.

You got your kids to lock you in your room.LOL
What were you being a bad girl, or just your way of avoiding them?

Welp the 27th is almost here, so hoping you havent sneaked any. Then you can get this surgery done with.

I really dont know why cig's are addicting, but them doctors dont make it easy by telling someone to quit doing something that we have been doing for 20 maybe 30 years. But i guess you dont have much of a choice.

I started therapy 3 weeks ago, and this past friday at my appt. with the PM doctor, they did a urine test on me. So i'm glad now that i did stay quit, as it looks like w/c is having me pee in a bottle too.
Todays day 145. and it is getting easier. Just need to keep our mind off them, dont think about smoking and you can be successful.

Let us know how your doctor appt. goes
Best of luck.

Back from Mississippi today... was so nice to get away. It has almost been a month I can not wait to go to the doctor and get this over with. I lock myself in the room so I do not beat my children lol... Too much time with a 14 and 12 year old will make me insane so myself and my 3 year old grand daughter ( my mini me) lock ourselves in the bedroom and watch tv... so peaceful...
She is too funny.... When my older kids are bugging me I usually say no then they continue to ask and I finally say my freaking back hurts we can't... so before we left for Vacation I said Kadence can you pick that up and hand it to grandma she looks at me puts her hand on her low back and says no my freaking back hurts grandma and walks away ... Yep.. grandma complains tooo much ...
I stopped going to PM and am having my doctor mange my pain PM was way over medicating me, Mine is mostly nerve pain so medication helps but the pain never goes away. So the morphine and Fentanal patch were way too much and did the same thing as the weaker medications,I was just high. So no peeing in a bottle anymore but I know the neurosurgeon will do a blood draw no worries tho... I am so so ready... Hope therapy is going good and the pain is decreasing... Take care and thanks for the support
Sheryl

you are doing awesome! You can do it! Do you have an appointment at the end of the month to schedule your surgery?

I am so glad that I quit and could have my surgery. Oh boy, it wasn't easy though. I still get cravings but just push through it.

I had my surgery 2 weeks ago. Am definitely feeling better than right after surgery, but now recovery has slowed down.But it is a marathon.

Keep up the great work Sheryl! Jim, hope recovery is going okay for you. With you not smoking, it will help so much!

Karen

There you are .. I was wondering about you.. so glad you had your surgery and are pushing through the recovery.. I know from my first two surgeries it is not easy.. that is what I am telling myself I have to do it .. and I am so thank full for all of you
Congratulations and Get better soon
Sheryl

Hi; and hows everything going?
You definitely are dealing with alot having 2 kids, and 1 grandchild along with quitting smoking for surgery.
Ican definitely see it being harder for you then me on quitting.
All i have with me is my 19 y/o daughter, and she keeps an eye on me making sure i dont smoke again.
My son has his own house, so he just asks me about it occasionally.

So when the big day? For your surgery.

Karen, Hi and thanks.
I think i'm completely done with the habit. I no longer have any craving for a smoke, but i'm not around anyone that smokes, and i'm sure that is a big help for me.

Just now starting to cough up the junk in my lungs, from all these years of smoking.
And yesterday was 5 months, so it took a long time before i starting to see any benefits from quitting, but i'm gonna stick with it,

Best of luck to y'all.

Oh believe me it is hard but getting easier although sometimes I have to lock myself in my room for a quick reality check lol ...
Went to the doctors Monday and he has put in the request for screw removal and revision of fusion. He wants to take out the screws and add bone to support the spine since the only thing that will be holding my three vertebra together will be the small amount of bone that grew on the cages linking it to the vertebra. SO if no bone grows this time it will be completely unstable which is his concern that the cages wont be strong enough to keep my spine in alignment.
Oh well just wanting it all over with hopefully by the time it is over there will be no urge to smoke or anything else. I think I need to start drinking or something to relax lol.. the kids are alot of help but its tough not to pick up the babies when they are looking at you wanting to be loved...
I am about to beat my two kids 15 and 12 because really I had to get off my big butt to send them to their rooms for not sharing the ps3....
I am using my tread mill as much as I can and paying for it of course but I know from being a nurse being healthy will make the recovery go faster... and easier ...
Jim you are doing great and I am so impressed very proud of you HUGS ...
Will let ya know as soon as comp approves and the date is set ..
Have a great week
Sheryl

If you are dealing with w/c for this surgery, make sure you stay quit on the smoking.
I'm dealing with w/c and they had me do a pee test about 2 weeks ago, they are just looking for an excuse to drop me, by saying i'm not complying with doctor's recommendation to quit smoking so my back has a better chance of fusing.
But i'm mentally stronger then that, and i will stay quit at least until this w/c case is over.
And probably for good. will stay quit.

Yesterday i seen my NS and we were laughing about this. He tells me "well jim i did'nt get rid of your pain but i saved your life, by getting you to quit smoking".
But now if i dont fuse i got from the 1st surgery 2 rods and 6 screws. And from the second surgery a plate and 4 screws, so my spine should be stable whether i fuse or not, i think.

And w/c cant say i did'nt follow doctors instructions.

So anyway do your best at staying quit. No sneakies

lol I think my neurosurgeon knows me pretty good and I def want to stay quit but he is putting screw removal and revision that way they wont test me prior to surgery lol ... he just says are ya gonna keep it up this time and I say yes he winks and I leave the office. Ya that is me to he doesnt think the pain will go away he pretty much told me to deal with this the rest of my life... I tolerate it better then most I think because I am so use to it.. I will not be sneaky tho I can not have comp drop me and I will not give them a reason to... I would much rather keep the hardware until absolutely needed but if I do not do this going back to work will be a def no at least doing it there is a half chance ...
How is your recovery going? Work anytime in the future ?
Sheryl

Well thats definitely a good thing when the doctor knows you and will back you up, and show he's on your side. That means alot to us as patients.

Nope on the working. i been off work 23 months now.
I'm a semi-truck driver, and with 2 back surgeries even if i fused i dont see that as being smart climbing back into a drivers seat.
I'm collecting part of my w/c check, after they take out for alimony. And in August of 2010 i applied for SSD, after my NS and other doctors and my w/c lawyer all gave me the thumbs-up on going for it. Then in October 2010, i was approved for SSD. So i just need a couple more things to fall in place, and i'll then say that work is a thing of the past for me.

It is sad tho having to jump thru hoops for w/c, but it has to be done.

I dated a truck driver for five years and I am positive jumping back in that truck would be a bad idea although he hauled scrap and hazard material but I use to go with him and he would jump around that truck like a monkey lol ... so no good thing you got your ssd... I applied for that through the advice of my wc lawyer.. they need more information so they called with an appt at another doctor on March 15th.. I was skeptical cuz I get my whole wc comp check and it is way more the ssd would be...
Very true wv makes everything very difficult, I keep in contact with the insurance guy who sends me my workmans comp checks very nice guy joke back and forth and he really does do his best to get me everything I need.. they are over loaded with cases I think he said he had over three hundred workmans comp cases asgigned to him Could you imagine I was a nurse manager had 20 or more employees to worry about barely kept up with that let alone paying them thank god for human resources ... I do agree tho I would rather be anywhere then on workmans comp

Hey how ya doing.
Hoping you have stayed quit.
Did you get a date yet for surgery?
It would be worthwild for you to follow thru on applying for SSD.
If approved you would still get your w/c check, and then only a part of the SSD check equal to 80% of your pay.
But that also would depend on if you get approved, which i think you would, do you have a pension plan from your nursing career, that you could start drawing from if you called it quits.
And SSD does not fault you for getting a pension, that is not considered when they figure out how much you will get from them.

Definitely something you should consider, then you could stay home with your mini-me. LOL.

If you have questions i might be able to answer for you feel free to ask, or PM me if you like.

Best of luck to ya.