Well, after 35 years of being a 1.5 pack a day smoker I have decided its time to give it up. I am tired of the constant cough, and congestion, and not being able to do the things I want without having to stop and breath so hard I am sucking birds out of the air! I read here about your guys excersizing and getting in shape and I think I would like to do the same. I also would like to be able to run a 5k with my wife next year. Neither of which is possible if I have to stop and wheeze every couple of minutes.
I didn't want to say anything here until I had more then 1 day of not smoking under my belt, so the only people up until now that know about my decision is ST and C2. Well, I am now going on my 5th day smoke free, so I thought it might be time I could post something up. I KNOW I still have a LONG way to go, as I am currently on the patch, and lozenges, to help me along. So I have to wean myself off of those. 6 weeks at the highest str of patch, then 2 weeks at a lower dosage, and finally 2 weeks at the lowest dosage, then done. The first day I needed 8 lozenges to get through the cravings, and now I am down to 1 or 2 a day. (before anybody says I shouldnt be using both please remember I have a 3rd year Pharmacy student as a wife, and its OK, and even prescribed)
The first couple of days were so bad that I dont know why people that get through them ever go back to smoking. It seems to me it is easier to quit the first time then to put yourself through that hell over and over to finally be able to quit!
Anyway, to my question...Psycological or Real??. Everything I have read (and I have spent HOURS reading about quitting smoking) says it takes months to get lung function back. Is that for sure? We have lived here in Laramie (remember Laramie is at 7220ft of elevation) for a little over 2 years. So, for 2 years I have been mowing my yard, and for 2 years I have had to stop once or twice and suck some birds out of the air before I get the yard done. Today was the FIRST time ever I have started the mower and plowed through the yard (in record time I might add) without once stopping..in fact without even sucking 1 bird from the air. Has lung function improved that much in less then a week, or am I just having great thoughts that made me get through the yard so well??
Anyway...
Any of you out there that smoked for a time, then quit....I am up for ANY suggestions you can give me that will help! For any of you out there that do smoke, and have been thinking about quitting, I will be more then happy to post up how I am doing every week or two so you can see how its going.
Thanks!