**** Hath No Fury...

[Hannibal Lecter]

...quite like someone who has smoked half of their life that is determined to quit.

I speak not of myself as an occasional pipe smoker, but of my sweet Lady who has in fact smoked cigarettes for half of her life.

As we embark on this journey, I see the potential for great pain for all involved in our household. :D

Thus far, with the assistance of the nicotine patch, she is faring reasonably well; it seems that the physical habit itself is more difficult to break than the actual addiction to the nicotine.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers over the next little while. My wife is an exceptionally strong Lady worthy of all of the love and support I can provide her in this difficult time.

On a side note, if I don't check in for a few days I would ask JD, Daywalker, or one of the several others that have my name and physical address to please check in with me and be sure I am surviving the experience. :p
(Guys, if it comes to this, please dial 911 and ask the local police to check the house and see who answers the door, additionally checking for signs of decomposition coming from the crawl space.) :D

--------
Hannibal

[smcfalls13]

Should we be sending full tactical body armor to your residence

Good luck to you Dr. Lecter in your ultimate survival test , and good luck to your Lady as well. It will be tough habit to break.

Now if you'll excuse me, I think I need to put 911 on speed dial :p

[The Deacon]

I will keep her in my thoughts and both of you in my prayers Hannibal. By coincidence, today marks exactly 15 months since I stopped smoking. If she likes raw vegetables, carrot sticks are an excellent way to satisfy the "need something in my hand", "need something in my mouth" part of the cravings without putting on major pounds.

[Axlis]

I'm happy to hear that your wife decided to quit. I know that it is going to be tough, but tell her to hang in there, it's worth it! I will remember you in my prayers. Through God, nothing is impossible! :)

[zenheretic]

The Deacon raises some good ideas...also the nicotine gum...although don't mix with patch. There are several prescription options as well if the patch doesn't hold its own, however an OTC patch/gum is the least expensive and a worthwhile option. Encourage her to never break the line (bum a drag or just one cig. at work etc. If that happens any misery that she and hers have already gone through will be for naught. Also it is a good idea to change her work break habits (assuming she has them) to not hang with those that smoke at work on lunch etc. Basically change her daily habits away from any who also smoke...if that makes sense.

[CKE]

I won't preach...but show your wife these. Might change any smokers mind. This is what oral cancer looks like after you are well. Kinda personal pics...never shown anyone online these.

I was not a smoker...just lucky.

Tell her good luck...and make sure you give her tonnes of support.

Take Care
Craig

[WORKER#9]

Good luck on that one DR. when I quit chewing after 20 years I was physically sick!!! then after a week of that months of anger and crankyness!! So good luck!!! :D I wish your wife the best and for you..... :eek:

[Texas guy]

Im glad you are still with us Craig, that is a bold gesture to help a forumites loved one. I am only in my twenties, but have known far to many people close to me develop cancer. No one "gets" cancer. But everybody, I mean everybody, considering they live long enough, will develop some form of cancer. It is truly humbling.
My Grandfather passed away from lung cancer in March, and he quit smoking 30 years ago. He quit smoking all those years ago, because he watched my grandmother pass from lung cancer. He went from first symptoms to death in only 6 months.
My other Grandfather developed prostate cancer, but survived. And my grandmother with him passed last December with colon cancer. So all of my grandparents have developed cancer.
I quit smoking about a year ago. I never knew my health was being harmed (you know, the "I'm in my 20's, and invincible" mentality) until I tried to take up jogging. Whoa! I couldn't make it down the street without nearly fainting. And I had a fairly athletic childhood, playing multiple sports.

YOU DON'T LET HER GIVE UP!!!!!! Even if it takes extremely tough love.

[J Smith]

I quit smokeing 2 years ago.They started smelling and tasteing very bad with in just a few days.I did not give up nicotine just took up Skoal pouchs,I would have liked to give it all up but at the time I still had the need for the nicotine but the gigs just to tasteing nasty.At the time I had no intent to quit so the Skoal sort of took thier place.

[jimbo@stn24]

Have some family history with smoking (both parents did smoke, smoke free for years now), and lost a grandparent to lung cancer. My sisters and I never did though.

At any rate, perhaps a little anecdote may inspire. When I was young some friends and myself were into boxing some and really enjoyed the training and working on fitness. One of the guys was successful in quitting for a few months. He couldn't believe the increase in wind and how much better he felt while training. In a fleeting moment though, he started again noting, "it feels like a stake has been driven right through my chest, I have gone back to being as weak as when I smoked".

Hang in there, I think the pain and discomfort is worth the end result. Again, all the best to you and your loved one. :)

[mikewww]

Good luck, Dr Lecter. If I may just add an idea into the melting pot : I 1972 my girlfriend (and now wife) and I both decided to do something about smoking. We saw an advert in a local newspaper about a Stop Smoking Clinic. This turned out to be the Seven Day Plan run by the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

I was sceptical, not being a religious person. But, as it was free, we thought we would give it a try. Turns out, I had my last cigarette on October 7 1972 ! The course was great, with no religion thrown in at all. My wife did have a relapse a few years later, but we took out the "I QUIT" buttons and the literature, and in no time she was off the Evil Weed again, and has never looked back.

As long as the lecturer is as dynamic as the one we had, I am sure you will find this course thoroughly rewarding, even if, as a partner, you do not smoke.

BTW I am still a born-again atheist, with no connection to any religious organisation. Interestingly, my partner at work has recently joined the 7th Day Adventist church, but we do not discuss religion at all.

Good luck with whatever you do or try.

Best regards

Mike

[agony]

Good luck to you and your lady, Hannibal.

As a reformed smoker, I can attest to the difficulty in kicking the habit. Especially the social/psychological aspect of the addiction. It's not so much the nicotine, but a combination of it plus the physical pleasure involved in smoking cigarettes. Not to mention the unknown additives that the large tobacco companies have added to their products to keep people hooked.

I quit the 'easy' way. I switched to a natural tobacco product made by American Spirit. These cigarettes are supposedly free of additives. Then I gradually weaned myself off the cigarettes completely, over a period of time. I used a small timer that beeped whenever it was time to have a smoke. Every couple days I increased the interval between beeps, until I was down to a one a day. By then it became a nuisance and was no longer pleasurable. Although I must admit I occasionally have a craving for one now and then, but when I take a whiff of cigarette smoke, it turns my stomach.

Statistically, if she can stay away from cigarettes for at least 6 weeks, she has a very very good chance of kicking the habit forever.
:)

[J Smith]

Good luck to you and your lady, Hannibal.

As a reformed smoker, I can attest to the difficulty in kicking the habit. Especially the social/psychological aspect of the addiction. It's not so much the nicotine, but a combination of it plus the physical pleasure involved in smoking cigarettes. Not to mention the unknown additives that the large tobacco companies have added to their products to keep people hooked.

I quit the 'easy' way. I switched to a natural tobacco product made by American Spirit. These cigarettes are supposedly free of additives. Then I gradually weaned myself off the cigarettes completely, over a period of time. I used a small timer that beeped whenever it was time to have a smoke. Every couple days I increased the interval between beeps, until I was down to a one a day. By then it became a nuisance and was no longer pleasurable. Although I must admit I occasionally have a craving for one now and then, but when I take a whiff of cigarette smoke, it turns my stomach.

Statistically, if she can stay away from cigarettes for at least 6 weeks, she has a very very good chance of kicking the habit forever.
:)

I know what you are talking about,about a year before I quit I switched to the no additives and still found myself REALLY wanting a Marlboro even while smokeing the others.Still can't figure out why they started being so repulsive to me all of a sudden.

[spyderknut]

Atta boy Doc. You and your woman can do it!

Craig, thanks for sharing. I hope all is going well.

[Jordan]

Tell you what buddy, longest I've made it without a cigarette in the past 5 years has been about a month, you two make it 30 days from this post without touching the things, I will give it another go... I've been looking for incentive anyway.

If it helps, the month that I quit smoking I saved up enough money to but my Microtech Balisong...

[greencobra]

My thoughts are with her Doc, I know she can do it.

[spydutch]

I wish your lady (and you with coping, of course) the best of luck.

I can't bring myself to even trying to quit so I have the greatest respect for your lady.

Hang in there..

[sgt]

Doc,

I may have some extra body armor laying around in case you need it...

I hope her efforts are rewarded with success. Both of you will be better off in the long run.

Tell to hang in tough.

[snuffaluff]

aaaahhhhh my good Dr.
There was a study done from such and such University and they came to this conclusion. They stuck some ppl(100 total divided up) in a room. Others in a dark room(no light at all) and more they blind-folded. The results are amazing. Ofcourse the first group didn't budge from smoking. The second group, stuck in the black room, 60+% quit smoking b/c they couldn't see the smoke they blow out but only the cherry on the cig. Now, here's the shocker; 97% of the people that were blind-folded quit!! 97% they couldn't see the cherry or the smoke, so it became nothing to them.

I quit smoking about 4yrs ago after having done so for about 8yrs. I just prayed to Lord God Almighty and was "cured" right there on the spot w/ no cravings at all.
I'll keep ya'll in my prayers Doc!!

[HoB]

Dear Mr. Lecter,
I would advice to lock away ALL sharp objects (including but not limited to all Spydies) for the next couple of months . Aside from that.....excellent decision to quite, more power to you and your lady!