The Quit Smoking Report Ezine

The Quit Smoking Report 11/25/98

Special Issue

Brought to you by QuitSmoking.com
http://www.quitsmoking.com

In this issue:

<> Letter from the Editor
<> A Word From Our Sponsor
<> Smokers' Stories

You can read previous issues of The Quit Smoking Report on our
web site. Just visit: http://www.quitsmoking.com/ezine

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

A special Hello to you!

Due to the increasing volume of smokers' stories and comments
from readers like you, I'm sending out this special issue. It's
devoted to smokers' stories and questions from readers.

Periodically I'll send similar emails (as mail volume
warrants). My apologies to you if you have written your story,
but haven't seen it in The Quit Smoking Report.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends!

Remember, you can read previous issues of The Quit Smoking
Report on our web site. Just visit:
http://www.quitsmoking.com/ezine

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A Word From Our Sponsor:

"The most amazing miracle has happened to me--I stopped smoking
after 62 years, using the EasyQUIT program! It was a peaceful,
rapid transition without the insanity that accompanied earlier
attempts to stop. Here I am, a new woman at the age of 78. The
cough is gone, the insanity is gone, and I feel liberated!" -
Gladys Elson, RN, MS - Dix Hills, NY
For more information visit http://www.easyquit.com

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SMOKERS' STORIES

If you can help these folks with your suggestions please send
them email.

Kristin Elliott <shebone@earthlink.net> writes:

Fred,
I could really use some help with a rather odd, yet
extremely difficult situation. My sister and husband are heavy
smokers. They have three children who are exposed to the second
hand smoke constantly. The oldest child, my nephew, is only
seven, but he is very aware of what his parents are doing and
that it is affecting his health. (He is a very smart little
boy.)
Recently, he has developed a persistent cough, and his
parents don't have any health insurance for the kids. What
breaks my heart the most is that he knows the cough is related
to his parents smoking. He tells me that he has asked them to
quit, but they don't want to. How can this possibly make a
seven year old child feel when his own parents won't try to quit
for his health? His new plan is to steal their cigarrettes and
throw them away whenever they are not looking. He really seems
to think this will help them quit, but I fear the punishment he
will receive when he is caught.
My question comes down to this: Do you, or your readers,
have any advice on how I can help my nephew cope with his
parents habit? Knowing my sister, whom I love, I know quitting
is not an option for her (if she won't quit for her own
children, why would she quit for me?). She knows about the bad
side effects of smoking, she even knows about the dangers of
second-hand smoke. At this point, I need help helping my
nephew.
Thank you for your help.
Kristin Aslesen

+++

Diana Davis <ddavis78@tir.com> writes:

Hi

November 30th will be my 10th anniversary for not smoking. All
those years ago, I wanted to quit but was not strong enough to
stop. Then my boyfriend came home from work saying he was
coughing up blood, and we decided to quit together then. Well,
within a week he was sneaking them behind my back, and
eventually he went back to being a full time smoker. I, on the
other hand, have not smoked since.
I am no longer with him, but now the man I am married to is a
smoker, and quite a heavy one. He had a bad cold or something a
couple months ago, and decided he would try to quit. It didn't
last long; he would get to work and he and the boss (who had
just started up again after 7 years) would go off to the other
side of the work area and smoke. After a couple of weeks, he
just gave up, and no amount of pleading, arguing, etc. on my
part could make him try to stop again. He argues that the
surgeon general lied before about smoking causing cancer, and
that they have never proved that it does. I don't agree, but I
can't seem to find physical evidence to show him. Any
suggestions to help me help him?
By the way, how did I quit? Cold turkey. Just stopped. And I did
smoke for about 20 years before that, although I did quit for a
few years in there somewhere. But never again! Every time you
quit and start again, it gets harder! Next time I might not be
so strong. Good luck to everyone who is trying to quit, and I
will say a prayer for all of you.

+++

Alice Gilmore <agilmore@cbbb.bbb.org> writes:
Subject: My Story

I subscribed to your newsletter a few months ago, after
having bronchitis so bad (again) that it took me away from work.
I have a history of persons in my family (smokers) with lung
cancer etc. etc. Unfortunately, this is not a deterrent to me,
nor has been losing my breath in the emergency room on a
hospital bed, or the DEATH of a co-worker that was indirectly
smoking related. However, it has made me stop smoking like a
chimney (2 or three packs a day) to smoking less than a pack a
day. I have gotten some support from my co-workers in my
quitting venture (s), but I have also gotten a lot of negative
feedback from some of the worlds WORST REFORMED EX-SMOKERS. Just
listening to those folks sometimes can stress me out so much
that I've just GOT to have a smoke. I am not planning on it,
but I know I'm going to have to go and buy a patch or some gum
to help me . I've resigned myself to the fact that I AM AN
ADDICT AND I NEED HELP. I intend to beat the weight gain thing
by starting my exercise program NOW, before I quit, so I will
have something to do besides smoke. Hopefully my boss will be
liberal enough to let me take some of that smoking break time
and extend my lunch hour in which I go to the gym. Maybe one day
I will be one of your ex-smoker success stories, but until
then......Good luck to everyone !

+++

Laura Ann Renaud <lrjr@ma.ultranet.com> writes:

I started attending a quit smoking support/cessation group 5
weeks ago. You learn various ways to quit and pick a quit
day!!! Most people have tried the patch, gum, etc, i did it
cold turkey. It's great because of the other people in the
group, their support, ideas, etc and even their relapses. out
of the group about 20 people, 3 dropped out and all but one have
cheated. I have taken about four drags of a cig. in 3 weeks
time. I am having a very hard time and it's not getting better.
Help!!! I also was into www.quitnet.org or com--cannot get back
in---Great support. I'll keep working at it. Thanks
LAURA

+++

[Ed. note: a little long but informative]

Stephen C. Biggs <sbiggs@usa.net> writes:
Subject: Your article "What's Your Addiction?"

Hi Fred,

I have been receiving your emails for some time now, but I
generally put them into a folder, unread... not having the time,
you see...

As a matter of fact, I am smoking a cigarette as I am typing
this... pretty hard core, eh? I am a heavy smoker, up to from 1
1/2 to 2 packs a day. I am an American that immigrated to
Israel and I am under a huge amount of stress that most people
in your group probably are not. Good excuse to continue
smoking, especially since I live in a country that is pretty
liberal about smoking compared to anyplace I have been in the
States, lately... another good excuse to continue smoking... I
intend to quit... I actually HAVE quit a few time, once
for a year and a half. I have been smoking for about 17 years
now, being 41 years old.

I read your article entitled "What's Your Addiction?" in the
9/15/98 report. I have some comments.

I am actually one of the ones that DID start smoking to
get a nicotine fix, availibility of cannibis not being
good at all.

My problem with quitting smoking, now, is that I am
fighting a VERY strong physical addiction. I had seen
the segment on CNN where the chief scientist for R. J.
Reynolds testified before a Senate subcommittee. He
outlined a few scary things about cigarettes and
alcohol, the primary one being that, based on his
methodical and precise clinical study of rats, he found
that both nicotine and alcohol are metabolized into
another chemical (acetyl-aldehyde? forgot if that's the
name) in the body. According to this scientist, this
intermediate substance is 400 times as physically
addicting as either of its precursors (nicotine or
alcohol).

Another part of the problem is the abnormal stimulation
of the appetite center in the brain. This center acts
as the motivational force for reducing natural physical
cravings such as hunger for food, sex, thirst, etc...
when it is stimulated by any sort of drug, not just
nicotine, it then acts as if a lack of that drug is the
same thing as starving to death and creates all sorts of
drives to satisfy that lack. This, at least, until the
body is clean of the substance; but then there is the
residual effect that lasts, maybe, for years.

There is some other data that indicates that you can
fine tune your brain chemistry with nicotine, based on
the rate of intake. Since the lungs are the most
efficient way to transfer anything to the blood from
outside the body, aside from direct injection, you get
exactly the dose of nicotine with each drag that you
need at that particular second. This establishes a rate
of intake as well as a level, and apparently, the rate
of intake influences production of endorphins in the
brain itself, so you can influence your moods and your
thought processes by how fast, how deep, and how much
you smoke at any given second.

Then there is the data that nicotine affects the
sympathetic (para-sympathetic??) nervous system as
related to calming of peristalsis or gut movement. This
is why a cigarette is exactly what the doctor ordered :)
after a heavy meal!

Also, don't forget the synergies between nicotine and
caffeine and nicotine and alcohol (also a PH balancing
between those!).

With all of the proven advantages, what a shame that
smoking is death. Slow, lingering, strangling death
from emphysema, lung/throat/gum/mouth/lip cancer, heart
attack, high blood pressure... A crying shame!

Thanks for listening!

Steve Biggs

+++

Bev <BEVOROS@aol.com> writes:
Subject: My story:

I had my last cigarette at 3:15 PM on August 12th?
Like many of you, I am trying to quit using the drug ZYBAN. I
did have to cut back to taking only one tablet each day. This
drug made my heart race. I don't notice any difference taking it
only once a day; so it must be helping me. I smoked over 3-packs
of cigarettes everyday for over 40-years. I really enjoyed
smoking. Cigarettes were always there for me; they always got me
through the crisis of the moment. Quiting smoking is the hardest
thing I have ever done. I have quit before but never realized
that I would always want a cigarette. This time I know the
truth. We smokers are all addicts and it will always only take
one cigarette and all is lost.
This is a tough road we are on, but united we will make it.
Thanks for all your stories, I see myself in every one. We will
always be smokers but I am choosing not to smoke.
Good luck everyone, the first step is always the hardest. If you
are reading my story you have already taken the first step. I
look at all of you and I see myself. I too feel as though I have
lost my best friend but your stories are helping me.

Thanks,
Bev

+++

Douglas E. Morgan <dmorgan@tbwoods.com> writes:
Subject: My Quitting Story

Hello Everyone,
I have found what works for me! I am on Day 14 of the NicoDerm
CQ (21mg) patch. I can't say enough about how NicoDerm has kept
those desperate cravings away! For the first week, I kept
looking for my pack when I started to go somewhere. I still
have times that I realize I would have normally smoked a
cigarette during this activity or that, or following a meal, or
ride home from work, or something of that nature. I call that a
"Physical Habit Reminder Moment". I actually tell my wife, or
whoever I am around that I am having one of these moments. By
the time I say it and take a good, deep breath, it has passed.

I had smoked for over 20 years and attempted to quit several
times. I actually quit once for almost two years and just
wasn't mentally capable of saying 'No!' when a crisis came up.
This time I really _WANT_ to quit! I have been a subscriber
here for about 4 months and I have gotten some really good ideas
to help me start my preparation for freedom.

The most important thing - I had to want to quit for me! People
nagged (I felt like it was nagging at the time) me for years to
quit, co-workers gave me a hard time about the odor when I came
back in from a smoke break, my children even tried to tell me
nicely that my truck smelled like cigarettes. My 7-year-old
daughter told me a few weeks ago, as I lit up after supper, that
"cigarettes will make you die". I hesitated, only for a moment,
and lit up anyway. Later that night I realized what I had done.
I also realized that I had actually snapped at her and my son on
a couple of other occasions when they were trying to tell me
that cigarettes weren't good for me.

I haven't told them that I have quit - yet. I will soon, but in
a way I would like for them to realize the odor and bad breath
are gone and mention it first. I have quit for good - I will
never give into it again. I can smell so much better - I
smelled someone's cigarette in the car in front of me this
morning at a traffic light. I can also smell many good things
so much better.

Finally, I have to give an enormous amount of credit and thanks
to my wife. She has never given me a hard time about smoking,
but she fully, and completely, supports my effort to stop. It
is great to laugh with her and not start coughing; to take a
deep breath in my chest and feel air hitting my lungs and not
start coughing. It is relatively expensive to buy the patches
and stick with the plan for 10 weeks, BUT I AM WORTH IT. My
wife, children, family, and friends let me know that I am worth
having around a little longer, and that means more than anything
in this world to me.

Good Luck to everyone... If I can do it - I know you can.

Doug ;)

p.s. - Thank You Melanie. I Love You Always!

====================

Where's your story? I'd sure like to share it with the other
subscribers to this email list. Mailto:fredk@quitsmoking.com

I hope to hear from you!

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You can find additional helpful quit smoking tips and
information at http://www.quitsmoking.com/quitinfo.htm

While you're there, take a look at our products page at
http://www.quitsmoking.com/products.htm for some helpful
quit smoking tools.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Until next time, SEND ME YOUR QUITTING STORY,

Fred Kelley

QuitSmoking.com
Phone: 770-346-9222
Fax: 770-475-5007
Web: http://www.quitsmoking.com
Email: mailto:fredk@quitsmoking.com

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© Copyright 1998 Fred H. Kelley
This email may be freely distributed and forwarded
as long as the entire email remains intact.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor or professional therapist.
The information included in this email is my opinion and the
opinions of the people sending in their comments.
Fred Kelley and QuitSmoking.com make no warranties,
either expressed or implied, about the truth or accuracy of the
contents of The Quit Smoking Report.

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