I forgot to wearn my nicotine patch this morning...

I forgot to wear my nicotine patch this morning, and I didn't realize it until just now... so it must be helping.

I recently downgraded to the 14mg patch, and am standing steady at only two cigarettes the entire day (coming from a guy who's been smoking a pack a day since 1980, two smokes a day is the difference between night and day). Next week I cutoff to only one cigarette a day through the end of June, and then it's zero.

In just one and a half months, I've saved over $200.00 simply by not purchasing my heretofore daily pack. The patch cost $30.00 for a two week supply, so my net gain is still over a hundred bucks. :P

It's still a bit jarring to take a deep breath and not hear what sounds like backed-up plumbing coming from my thorax, or wind up in a two-minute bout of coughing.



If you're thinking about quitting, I whole-heartedly recommend the nicc patch-- it seems to make up for *all* physical craving for a smoke, leaving only my learned habits to overcome. And there are inexpensive generics available (I'm using my local grocery chain's generic and it does the job well enough-- two week supply for $30.00-- still a lot cheaper than buying smokes...).

I quit just over a year ago with the help of Nicorette gum. It's the hardest thing I've ever done. Soon you won't want your 2 smokes. They'll start to smell bad. I can't stand the smell of smoke anymore.

I quit a year and a month ago using Wellbutrin. I've taken the drug for a long time for a different problem, but it really helped chop down those cravings and withdrawal symptoms and make them manageable. "Whatever works" is my motto when it comes to kicking tobacco. Another thing that helped me with those "learned habits" was sugarless chewing gum. It tastes good and takes your mind off of doing the things that you do when you smoke. I think it actually stimulates the same area of your brain that gets stimulated when you smoke, but I'm not sure about that. At worst you'll become a Wrigley's addict. :)

I'm thankful that I was turned off by my mom's smoking so it never appealed to me. I took a few puffs at 16 and that was enough! My mom quit at 60-something and is 94 now. I'm very happy that my husband quit a couple of years ago.
I think you should buy yourself a present in July with all the money you'll have saved... celebrate "Independence from nicotine Day"!