treepeo
832 posts
Registered:
29 Nov 2017
01 Jun 2018
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Hi abby,
My chest feels so much lighter now. It used to be that if I walked even a bit more quickly than usual, or did a flight of stairs, my heart would pound like crazy. It took me a few minutes of not moving at all until I could get my heart rate under control. And in our humid summers, well forget it. I struggled to breathe on a daily basis. I felt like I had a weight on my chest. But all of that has changed. Don't get me wrong, I still huff and puff when I exert myself, because my lungs are extremely damaged. But my heart doesn't beat out of my chest, and I don't get chest pains the way I used to.
I can't really remember when I started to notice this particular change, but it was probably after 3 or 4 months. Please don't let that discourage you, because that was just my experience. It is different for different people. And also, time flies, it really does.
The other big thing for me was not really physical, it was more psychological and emotional. That is, I used to be extremely embarrassed because I knew I reeked of smoke. I bought Listerine pocket packs and tried to have them with me at all times so I wouldn't have smoke breath. But I knew I was kidding myself, and that people could still smell the smoke. And I can't tell you how often someone would speak to me on an elevator that was crowded, and I worried about responding because I knew I had smoke breath. That weighed heavily on me. Most people these days don't smoke, so smokers are really outcasts now, and I was really aware of that.
Now, I feel such freedom. The burden of being a smoker, the embarrassment, the shame, all of that is gone. And when I am talking to someone, I am really listening, not sometimes thinking about where and when I can have my next smoke. I see the smokers huddled in the alcove of a building, standing alone and getting their fix while the rest of us pass them by while living our lives. And I feel bad for them. That used to be me. I remember what it was like. And I never want to be in that situation again.
Sorry for such a long reply, abby. I just wanted to give you a mix of benefits that you will experience as a non-smoker. I am glad to hear you are on day 8. You made it through the first week, what we call hell week, which means you are really strong and determined to make this quit stick. Good for you. Remember, you are stronger than your addiction. Keep kicking butt, and Not One Puff Ever!