We destroyed them. Final score :

N.Y. Predators 26

H.V. Cowboys 0

We improved our record to 5 - 0 in the regular season.
We went 2 - 0 in the pre-season. And going back to last years playoff run and championship victory, we're on a 12 game unbeaten streak.

DC,

How's it going? You hanging in there?


TIS

Congratulations. My dad quit after almost 50 years of smoking 10 years ago. He is still off of the cigs.

My grandfather died of emphysema. My uncle had it too, he was on oxygen and died when he got a "bad" tank. He died because he couldn't get oxygen. A horrible death. Both were heavy smokers.

Lordy, is that how it is? I had 36 hours of back labor...nothing I can imagine more painful!! ::scared::

Really? The patch is how my dad finally quit.

Hi, SB!

That's excellent that it helped him to quit. Good for him! It's tough. And I don't doubt that there are others out there who used the patch and successfully quit smoking without any side effects from it.

I personally wouldn't use it because like I said in my post it caused bad side effects in "SOME" people that I know and caused "SEVERAL" of them to get pretty sick.

Better off with the gum if you're gonna use nicotine replacement in the beginning - at least it keeps your mouth busy...

Don't ask me about my business, Geoff....


I Didn't use any nicotine replacement at all. I just went cold turkey so far.


But I bet I know how you keep your mouth busy!

You guys are still going strong? That deserves and extra shake of the pom poms.

Thank you Beth. But I had a different set of Pom Poms in mind. Should I check my PM?

DC and TIS, you have no idea how proud I am of you guys.

Good luck to both of you, and hopefully it all works out.

Thanks SB and Don Andrew.

Thanks again everyone for all of your encouragement.

So far, so good for me. It's been two and a half months. I still get cravings every day, however the temptation thus far has lessened considerably.

I've been doing reading on quitting and find that one symptom I'm victim to is insomnia. I've always been a light sleeper but I'm getting very little these days.

I read one can expect to put on some weight, usually in the first 3 months. I expect it but I am trying to not change my eating habits too much and in that respect I have been doing pretty good. I am not a huge person, and I read 5 - 8 lbs is average but one can gain as much as 20 or more. I'll hope for the 5/8. See, I'm starting to think long term instead of one day at a time!!! Before it was how to NOT smoke a cigaret for that hour or that day.

Again, thanks everyone and a special thanks to sweet Mig for sending me an encouragement card. Thanks Miggie!

TIS

Aww TIS You are very welcome. We are all here for you and DC.

Yes Mama, thanks a million for sending that encouragement card.

Santino, you are very welcome. Keep up the good work.

Ok Mama!

Cardi,

You doing ok???? Getting better?



TIS

Let me say hello to SB as well. Nice to see you around.

Actually TIS, I'm doing pretty good with this so far. Much better than I thought I would do.

And I'm glad to see that you are doing good with this also.

You've inspired me TIS. So far I owe it all to you!

Well, my dad did survive typhoid fever as a kid when there was no cure for it...so maybe he isn't a good sample! He is the only person I know that used the patch so that isn't a good enough random sample.

Hi J-off!

Funny that I'm hanging in the smoking thread and I've never been a smoker! Of cigarettes that is...

DC, Just checking in. You hanging in there my friend?


I've been getting the urge daily even still but am having an easier time resisting. I just want it to be done with, but then I just heard about a friend of a friend who quit for 2 years and then started up again. Will I ever be out of the woods?

Thanks! just writing here is therapy. No need to reply. I'll come back on a low day when I crave a smoke and read through these posts and will get encouragement again. I am strong, I am invincible....I am woman (hear me roar)!!!

TIS

Fight the good fight TIS!!!! Keep going strong.

Aww! Thanks Beth. If I cave in I'll probably be a big chicken shit and be afraid to say so. You guys might kick my ass.
Not gonna happen! Not gonna happen! Not gonna happen!!!!!



TIS

TIS, hang in there. No matter what, we're still proud of you.

This can't be an easy thing to do. Hang in there TIS you are doing great. Proud of ya my friend.

Actually TIS, I'm doing ok. This is what, 2 weeks for me now? Yes, it is.

I also find the urge creeping up on a daily basis at certain times of the day. Again, I think that those are really "habitual" urges and not "withdrawal" urges. You know what I mean?

I do find that the real "withdrawal" urges are becoming less frequent. In the first week they would happen several times a day. Then there was that really bad one that I had in that first week, remember my HELP PM? And truthfully, ever since that really bad one, they are coming less frequently, and maybe once a day, at most.

What is scary is that while I look at a cigarette and tell myself that it would be so foolish to go back after being smoke free for a couple of weeks, at the same time I look at that same cigarette and realize that I can pick it up and start smoking again like I never even stopped.

I have to be truthful and tell you that there are certain situations that I am in at certain times of the day, where I actually miss the enjoyment that I used to get from smoking. For example this morning I was lying on the beach reading a book, totally relaxed, and while I didn't really crave a cigarette or feel any kind of nicotine withdrawal, I did miss smoking and enjoying one in that relaxed setting that I was in.

Hope you're doing well with it TIS.

You guys are great. Maybe you should go public with your story. It would make a great human interest/inspirational story.
I'm inspired and I don't smoke.

We have newspaper people on the payroll.