Blog Archive
Year in the Life of a new Non-smoker
November 2007: After a rather harsh but very real comment at the dinner table one evening I decided that the time is right and I really wanted to stop smoking. What was the comment I hear you say? Well it went along the lines: "Dad if you don't stop smoking you may not live long enough to see your grand children", it was made by my 15 year old daughter. It was shortly after that evening that I visited my 'stop smoking' advisor and together we set the 02 Jan 2008 as my Quit Date or QD as I often referred to it.
Over the next few weeks several random thoughts went through my head: I had promised my kids I would quit when I was 40 and I would be 42 on my next birthday, March 20th. I was due to deploy to Afghanistan in Feb 2009 could I cope as a non smoker? How will I get round the golf course without a cigarette? Will I have to give up socialising to succeed? All these thoughts are on a constant loop in my head. Not to mention the constant adverts in the media about the damage smoking does, to me, and those around me. Now I have a BSc and I reckon I am clever enough to realise that smoking is bad. But I really enjoy smoking. I don't have many of the issues of other smokers. I don't cough, I don't get sick a lot, food still tastes great, and I exercise and eat well, in fact I am nearly 42 and still pass a PFA in the time allowed for the under 30's. What to do?
Just before Christmas I took a visit to Sam, my 'stop smoking' advisor, I call her that because the term smoking advisor sounds like someone who advises you how to smoke properly. It was at this point, after our discussion that I thought, 'I don't have to do this alone'. I have the support of not only Sam but my whole family, none of whom smoke. I knew what my body felt like when I just "wanted" a cigarette. My skin crawls; I would ache everywhere and often would get a headache. Withdrawal symptoms were horrible. I don't like to deprive myself, and besides, it's not like I'm addicted, I simply like to smoke but if I really wanted a quality of life later on I had to stop.
From this point on it was count down until the day of quitting arrived, I had enjoyed the many parties leading up to Christmas, I had enjoyed my leave and the New Year party we had attended, but of course at this point I was still a smoker. I woke up on the 01 Jan 2008 with a little bit of a hangover, and the first thing I done was to go down the stairs into the back garden and have a cigarette, the strange thing was I remember thinking 'this is the very last morning you will do this'. I smoked what I thought was my last cigarette at 11pm on the 01 Jan 2008, put a patch on and went to bed.
On 02 January 2008 I woke up at around 0900 hrs and went down stairs for a cup of tea, and strangely enough I did not have the urge to go outside for a cigarette I remember thinking that these patches were really good. I had no idea of the roller coaster ride and journey that laid ahead of me over the next several days, weeks and months. 525,600 minutes to be exact.
My first test was a round of golf on the 03 January 2008, I packed my pocket full of chewing gum and armed with a Nicotine patch and inhaler off I went. Amazingly I got through the experience relatively easily, it was when I got home it hit me and this was my first set back, I smoked a cigarette in the back garden. I was devastated, however this proved to be a blessing in disguise, in an effort to punish myself for failure I went for a long run, over an hour, and I promised myself that this would not happen again (not whilst I was sober anyway). I decided that from this point on if I felt that I really could not cope I would go for a run; I covered many miles of tarmac and went through a couple of pairs of trainers in the coming months.
Initially I had been given enough patches for two weeks, which quickly went by and it was time to visit Sam again. How is it going was the first question, I know how I would have liked to answer but bravely I replied, 'I am coping'. We chatted through the issues and the FAILURE, my response to the failure and how to move on from here. After about 25 minutes, off I went with another two weeks supply of patches and yet another mission; to get through the next two weeks. During these two weeks I had my next big challenge, I was driving to the UK to change my car. It would be fair to say that I have enjoyed more pleasurable journeys flicking fag ash out my window. Nonetheless I got through it relatively unscathed and by the time I went to see Sam again I was annoying her to reduce my dose of patches which gladly she resisted.
It was during this third two week period that I decided that I was over this and could now go without the patches, I was cured or so I thought. I decided one day I would leave out the patches, and it was only then that I actually realised how effective they were, it took about three hours before I was faithfully wearing a patch again, and I promised myself I would listen in future. During this early period I had bad days, good days and really bad days. I had days that passed without a thought of a smoke yet I had days were I done nothing else but think of smoke. But amazingly I was coping I fond myself in a position to do something about the thoughts; that did not involve a cigarette, I would go for a run, walk the dog have a drink of ice cold water. I found that really helped in the early days the sensation of ice cold water passing down the back of my throat 'almost' replaced the nicotine sensation. But the point is I was coping without even realising it, something I never thought possible before Christmas.
On 19 April 2008 I took part in the Bruggen 10 mile road race, just to see if this no smoking game was all it was made out to be. After finishing I did not need any more convincing, at the grand old age of 42 after having smoked since the age of 14 I completed the race in 1 Hour 11 minutes and 29 seconds placed 90 out of some 653 participants. That was better than I could have ever dreamed on had I not stopped, it was also indicative of the training regime that had replaced the smoking routine.
Something clicks and it's close to month 6. I wish I had one 'aha' moment to pass on but I don't. I simply but calmly, slowly, peacefully reach the conclusion that I am a non smoker. I am happy and content that I've gone out, moved on, and lived my life somehow, without cigarettes, and it's ok.
Slowly but surely the months pass by, I cannot actually remember when I came off the patches all I know is that Sam managed it perfectly and actually the transition was pain free. But, I have one more test to pass….the Christmas holidays. Luckily I celebrate this year in Scotland and was kept busy for the most part decorating my house. New Year was a quiet affair with friends coming down and celebrating in my house, the 01 Jan 2009 passed and there I was celebrating my first anniversary as a non smoker.
It would be remiss of me to say the year had passed with only the one relapse there were a number of occasions (however they can be counted on one hand), which normally involved alcohol, where I was rumoured to have been seen with either a cigarette or a cigar in my hand, now I can neither deny nor confirm all occasions but what I can say is that the next morning when I woke with a hangover the thought of smoking a cigarette never crossed my mind.
It is now February 2009 and I am about to deploy to Afghanistan, in the last year I feel that I have passed many tests, I have driven to Spain (20 hrs), flown, played golf, gone for meals, been drunk and all without relying on cigarettes to get me though them. Do I consider myself a non smoker; no not yet but I am 80% of the way there. I now know that I can cope with the coming months on tour without thinking about where my next cigarette is coming from. Finally I need to thank Sam Davidson for her support and also my family for their belief without these it would have been a whole lot harder to succeed. My advice to the millions of smokers out there who really want to stop is do not do it alone it is a whole lot easier with support and stopping aids, it certainly worked for me.
Signed
An ex smoker
If you're ready to face the challenges of a NON SMOKER and for further information regarding smoking cessation and clinics or to obtain Nicotine Replacement Therapy please contact
Your nearest medical centre or speak to one of the PTI Health Trainers.