As some of you probably know, I've been trying to quit smoking for years, with little success. I've tried quitting cold turkey, using nicotine patches, taking Welbutrin, smoking reduced nicotine cigarettes, smoking weed (which is just as bad for your lungs if you do it often enough) and switching to a pipe (which I smoked without inhaling). Nothing has worked. A few years ago I developed
asthma from my smoking, and that's one of the reasons I want to quit, but for the past few days I've also been suffering from acute bronchitis, and have had to use two different inhalers (Albuterol & Flovent) just so I can breathe normally. This is not the first time I've suffered from bronchitis, which is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes - the air delivery system for the lungs. It is, however, the worst attack I've ever had, and it's made me realize what it would be like to develop
chronic bronchitis, which will be the inevitable result of my two-pack-a-day habit. And chronic bronchitis is only a prelude to something much worse:
emphysema.
But asthma and bronchitis in themselves are bad enough, so the other night I quit smoking again, this time hopefully for good. I'm trying the patch again, and as of this writing I haven't had a cigarette in 1 day, 10 hours, 40 minutes and 32 seconds. I'll keep you informed of my progress over the next few months. Maybe my own experiences of struggling with this addiction will inspire those of you who smoke to try quitting as well. If you want to try, I suggest joining an online support network like
QuitNet. Registration at this website is free, and in addition to giving you tips on quitting smoking, every time you log on it tells you how long it's been since you smoked your last cigarette, how much money you've saved by quitting, and how much time you've added to your life expectancy. I for one have decided to put the money I've saved each week aside so that I can eventually reward myself for quitting by buying something I've wanted for some time but couldn't afford: a widescreen TV. Based on how much money I spend a month on cigarettes, I figure I'll have enough saved up to get it by June 2004.
