July 31st ~

56 Weeks -- 392 Days --
And my second Smoke Free Birthday in a row!!

I haven't been Smoke free for two consecutive birthdays since my 14th & 15th birthdys. (I don't know whether to be proud or ashamed).

I'm really not sure who's logging in to see my humble blog but I do know not too many people do. Every so often someone will leave a somewhat inspiring comment but every one seems to drop out sooner or later. Usually sooner.

So now my dilemma is: Since I started this blog predominately as my own therapy to counter my urge to smoke and desire to quit ... do I need to keep it going?

Do I drop out?
Close up shop?
Leave out here but quit posting?
Look for someone to take over my blog as their own therapy?
Change the Subject?? Politics? Humor? Health (ie: Crohn's Disease)?
Or continue, just posting once a week or twice a month?

I do not know ... I would ask for advice but so few read this ... But as for now ...

Happy (Smoke Free) Birthday To Me !

'Yuck -- I Can't Believe I Ever Smoked'

~ Hypnosis to Stop Smoking ~

By Amber Greviskes

Blogger's Note: Reprinted totally without permission from AOL Health ~

Rebekah Phelps, a 47-year-old former smoker from Reston, Va., who had smoked a pack a day for more than 30 years, tried quitting cold turkey, gradually tapering off, leaning on friends and going it alone, before she stopped smoking altogether with the help of hypnosis. After finding a reputable hypnotist through a recommendation, Phelps booked an appointment.

Despite fears that this was a spooky, new age and perhaps dangerous and invasive treatment, she found a quiet office. The hypnotist walked her through several activities, including a visualization activity in which she pictured herself at a particular moment during her day when she usually smoked. She was supposed to visualize herself peacefully not smoking and being repulsed by those around her who were smoking. She was told to wake up, feeling more refreshed than she had in a long time, and to begin her life as a nonsmoker. She did both.

Phelps has been smoke free for about five years and hasn't yet craved a cigarette.

"Of course, I think about it sometimes, but I usually think, 'Yuck, I can't believe I ever smoked,'" she said. "It almost seems like 'that' period was another person or another lifetime ago."

It's not unusual for people to experience success when they choose to quit smoking using hypnosis. According to The Hypnosis Network, multiple-session hypnosis has a 66 percent success rate, higher than any other smoking cessation method available. That's important information for the 70 percent of adult smokers who would like to quit smoking. Ninety-five percent of those who attempt to quit smoking without using a program or supportive aid will fail.

Hypnotism, however, isn't usually one of the first stop-smoking methods that people choose. There are simply too many myths behind the practice, such as only the weak-minded can be hypnotized, the hypnotist has complete control over the hypnotized or that the hypnotist can make a person do things they wouldn't normally do.

However, a typical hypnosis session is nothing like a scene from the movies, in which you stare at a watch swinging back and forth. Although hypnotists can perform their services in different ways, most will begin a session by explaining the process and answering any questions. Some hypnotists will then let you have your final cigarette, instruct you to toss out remaining cigarettes and guide you into a state of hypnotic relaxation. The hypnotist will describe situations in which you might be tempted to smoke but instead turn down the cigarettes. After you emerge from hypnosis, you will spend time talking about your experience. You will also receive mantras to recite if you are tempted to smoke in the future, so you can perform self-hypnosis.

Seth-Deborah Roth, who has been a hypnotist for 10 years, said that hypnosis is successful because it allows the hypnotist to deal with the emotional part of quitting by convincing the smoker that her worst fears about quitting won't come true. The hypnotist will also give the smoker positive suggestions like, "I am a non-smoker," "I am proud of being a nonsmoker" or "Nothing feels better than being a nonsmoker" that she can turn to whenever cravings hit.

Hypnosis can give those who are trying to quit a boost in confidence, motivation and strength. It also helps explore solutions for dealing with nicotine withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
"People won't accept suggestions that they're not opened to," Roth said. "Usually they want to quit but are afraid they can't. Later, they're amazed when they don't want cigarettes, but hypnosis lets you deal with the reasons that you're smoking."

Although hypnotism works best with people who are determined to quit, even those who are hesitant can find success. Linda Castellani didn't want to quit smoking. She liked the way the first hit of a newly lit cigarette tasted. The smoke screen and the sword-like cigarettes were her protection from people, and she smoked constantly.
"If I was awake, I was smoking," Castellani said. "I smoked at my desk, in my car, at restaurants, even if other diners protested."

And despite the pressure from her co-workers, who were alarmed by her coughing, and her parents, who offered her $5,000 to quit, she couldn't stop -- until she tried hypnosis.

"I don't know why I tried hypnosis," Castellani, an Almeda, Calif., resident said. "I had my doubts about how well it would work, so I figured that if I didn't stop, I could point to my attempt, chalk hypnosis up as a failure and wait until the next thing."

Instead, she smoked her last cigarette on her way into the hypnotist's office and, after 10 years, finally quit her habit. Both women were able to find credible hypnotists who were able to help them quit, but other consumers are not as lucky. Finding a credible hypnotist can be a challenge. There's no hypnosis governing body and no single licensing procedure. One can become certified in a weekend-long course or in a certification program that requires at least 100 hours, during which the future hypnotist attends lectures, shadows a certified hypnotists and practices various techniques.

Roth recommends looking for someone who works as a full-time hypnotist and has experience working with smokers. Several organizations offer directories of hypnotists in various areas including American Hypnosis, the National Board for Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists and Hypnosis Today.

Additional Blogger's Note: I used Hypnosis to quit nearly 13 months ago. I can't say I NEVER have cravings but so far I have had success! You can click on my Hypnotists web page in the left margin of this blog.

55 Weeks and going Retro ~

Recently I was watching a video -- as in VHS tape! -- of me and my soccer team from 1985 ... That was back when I had stamina .... & Hair.

Its fun to watch all of us run up and down 'the pitch' (actually, it was an arena since we played indoor soccer). After each game we'd go sit in the bar, watch our game video, drink beer (lots) and Smoke (even more) ... Almost all of us smoked back then.

It amazed me how agile and the stamina I had 'back in the day' ... Thirty plus years of smoking has certainly taken it's toll on me. I doubt seriously I could play an entire game anymore. Although I'd like to try.

As of now ... 385 Days Smoke Free and still counting!

Some Broken Hearts Never End~

"Coffee black, cigarettes,

start this day, like all the rest,

First thing in the morning that I do,

is start missing you" ...

Approximately 53 weeks ago ... that's more than one year for anyone who's Math Challenged ...
I wrote a blog post titled: Coffee Black ... Cigarette ...

In case you've ever wondered, that's the opening line from the Don Williams Classic; Some Broken Hearts Never End.

(If you're not familiar with Don Williams you should give him a listen ... you WON'T regret it).

I will have to assume, in the song, the 'YOU' means a lost love as in a person ... NOT a cigarette ...

However -- I admit that after 378 smoke free days, I STILL miss a cigarette along with my morning cup of coffee ...

Few times has smoking a cigarette brought more relaxation and more comfort than to sip on my morning Joe out on the deck savoring my first nicotine rush of the day. It also worked well on vacation too.

Toss on some street ready clothes, run to the hotel coffee bar, grab a cup of fresh brew, my complimentary USA Today, run outside on the terrace and enjoy a coffee, cigarette and my morning newspaper.

Funny, how even after all this time of being smoke free, this one routine remains en grained in what I look forward to in the mornings!

For those of you new to the non-smoking or still contemplating it ...
I want to emphasis that I do NOT regret my decision to give up cigarettes,
I am proud of my accomplishment that finally, after over 30 years of having gone one entire year smoke free,
and that early morning 'craving' I still have -- goes away very quickly now!

Taming That Overwhelming Urge to Smoke ~

Here's an interesting artcilce from The New York Times; May 9, 2008, written by Martin Downs ....

In Brief:
* The brain of an addicted smoker treats nicotine as if it is essential for survival.
* Genetic traits may predispose some smokers to stronger addiction.
* Most smokers try to quit unaided, resulting in a high failure rate.
* If you smoke, no one needs to tell you how bad it is. So why haven’t you quit? Why hasn’t everyone?

Because smoking feels good. It stimulates and focuses the mind at the same time that it soothes and satisfies. The concentrated dose of nicotine in a drag off a cigarette triggers an immediate flood of dopamine and other neurochemicals that wash over the brain’s pleasure centers. Inhaling tobacco smoke is the quickest, most efficient way to get nicotine to the brain.

“I completely understand why you wouldn’t want to give it up,” said Dr. David Abrams, an addiction researcher at the National Institutes of Health. “It’s more difficult to get off nicotine than heroin or cocaine.”

Smoking “hijacks” the reward systems in the brain that drive you to seek food, water and sex, Dr. Abrams explained, driving you to seek nicotine with the same urgency. “Your brain thinks that this has to do with survival of the species,” he said.

Nicotine isn’t equally addictive for everyone. A lot of people do not smoke because they never liked it to begin with. Then there are “chippers,” who smoke occasionally but never seem to get hooked. But most people who smoke will eventually do it all day, every day.

New discoveries in genetics may explain why certain people take to smoking with such gusto and end up so addicted. Some people, for instance, produce a gene-encoded enzyme that clears nicotine from their bloodstreams rapidly, so they tend to smoke more and develop stronger addictions. Others possess special receptors in the brain that bond extra tightly with nicotine, giving them an especially intense high that makes it harder to quit.

Drug makers are exploiting the science of addiction to create novel treatments to help smokers quit. The newest stop-smoking medication, the first to be approved in 10 years, is called Chantix. Available by prescription, Chantix masquerades as nicotine well enough to occupy the brain’s nicotine receptors, where it may lessen cravings. Real nicotine, when it comes along, cannot find enough free receptors to do its thing.

Chantix seems to have a higher success rate than Zyban, an antidepressant that helps to balance dopamine levels. And recently released federal guidelines to doctors for helping smokers quit reported that the drug, combined with the nicotine replacement patch and use of nicotine nasal spray or gum as needed, produced higher long-term abstinence than the patch alone.

Doctors have written millions of prescriptions for Chantix, though enthusiasm for the drug was tempered by reports of suicide and bizarre behaviors in people taking it. The reports prompted the Food and Drug Administration to issue a safety warning about Chantix early in 2008.

“That’s something that needs to be taken very seriously, but it needs to be put in the context of what happens if you don’t quit smoking,” said Dr. Michael Fiore, a smoking cessation specialist at the University of Wisconsin and chairman of the government panel that issued the new guidelines. Dr. Fiore used to consult for Pfizer, the maker of Chantix, but said he cut those ties in 2005. He still prescribes the drug but now takes care to discuss the safety warning with patients.

Dr. Nancy Rigotti was involved in Chantix studies conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where she directs the Tobacco Research and Treatment Unit. “Those trials mostly enrolled people who were pretty healthy,” she said. “They did not include people with depression or much of a history of depression.”

Dr. Rigotti said it was possible that varenicline, the generic name for Chantix, “might have more psychiatric side effects in certain groups of people.”

Continued research should help to resolve lingering concerns about the safety of Chantix. Meanwhile, experts continue to recommend the old standbys: nicotine replacement gums, patches, nasal sprays, inhalers and lozenges, which have been proved to be safe.

Nicotine by itself does not cause cancer, heart disease or other major health problems linked to smoking; other chemicals in tobacco smoke are to blame. Nicotine replacement can be used alone or with prescription medications or, for best results, combined with counseling. Recent evidence suggests that using two forms simultaneously, like the patch and gum together, works better than either alone.

Although nicotine replacement products do not require a prescription, the F.D.A. limits where and how they are sold. They are also expensive.

“It’s so much easier to go down to the corner store and get a pack of cigarettes than it is to get access to evidence-based treatment,” Dr. Fiore said.

This year, the New York State health commission petitioned the F.D.A. to revise its rules so that nicotine gum, patches and lozenges could be sold anyplace that sells cigarettes, and at prices comparable to a cigarette pack. The agency is currently reviewing the petition.

Still, no treatment works for everyone. And even with the most successful treatments, only about 30 percent of attempts to quit last more than six months. Compared with willpower alone, however, that’s a huge improvement. Fewer than one in 10 smokers who go it alone manages to go six months without a cigarette. Most do not make it past a week.

When longtime smokers finally do quit, they soon realize that not smoking doesn’t necessarily make them nonsmokers. That’s what counseling is for — learning to function without nicotine and to cope with the cues that trigger smoking urges.

Most important, former smokers have to rediscover that it is possible to enjoy life without cigarettes, although the yearning may never die completely.

“I’m an ex-smoker,” Dr. Abrams said, “and I still miss it.”

Quitting Success Rates ~

Before you start using nicotine replacement or sign up for a stop smoking class or program, you may wonder about its success rate.

Success rates are hard to figure out for many reasons.
First, not all programs define success in the same way.
Does success mean that a person is not smoking at the end of the program? After 3 months? 6 months? 1 year? Does smoking fewer cigarettes (rather than stopping completely) count as success?

If a program you're considering claims a certain success rate, ask for more details on how success is defined and what kind of follow-up is done to confirm the rate.

The truth is that quit smoking programs, like other programs that treat addictions, often have fairly low success rates. But that does not mean they are not worthwhile or that you should be discouraged. Your own success in quitting is what really counts, and that is under your control.

Success rates in general

Only about 4% to 7% of people are able to quit smoking on any given attempt without medicines or other help.

Studies in medical journals have reported that between about 25% and 33% of smokers who use medicines can stay smoke-free for over 6 months. There is also early evidence that combining some medicines may work better than using them alone.

Behavioral and supportive therapies may increase success rates even further. Check the package insert of any product you are using to see if the manufacturer provides free telephone-based counseling.

Are e-Cigarettes Safe??

Since 2006, the electronic cigarette has attracted millions of people around the world who have switched from traditional cigarettes to the e-cigarette, also referred to as the "safe cigarette, the e-cigarette, and the smokeless cigarette".

Electronic cigarettes share some aspects of there traditional counterparts, such as appearance, feel and taste of a normal cigarette. But the differences are substantial in that the "safe cigarette" gets it's name because it produces none of the negative aspects of traditional smoking like tar, ignition (heat), up to 4000 types of chemical additives that often lead to respiratory and cardiac system diseases, nor the carcinogenic effects of traditional cigarettes.

Ever since the Surgeon General determined that cigarette smoking is hazardous to your health, cigarette companies have searched for ways to reduce tar and nicotine levels, in efforts to create a more safe smoking experience. Nothing, however, has ever come close to the electronic cigarette.

This revolutionary new smoking alternative, not only simulates cigarette smoke but also the temperature associated with dragging off a common cigarette (50-60 degrees Celsius), thus adding to the psychological habit without adding the hazardous substances which have proven to cause cancerous, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrocyanic acid, acrolein, arsenic, lead and hydragyrum.

Smokeless cigarettes were first viewed with trepidation but more and more have become embraced by the public as well as the Medical Association. E-Cigarettes are now manufactured by a number of different companies throughout the US and China and are readily available across the United States and Europe, even the some of the most ardent skeptics have become believers once they try the electronic cigarette.

Adding to the safety benefits, the electronic cigarette has also been proven as a way for smokers to quit the habit, as the level of nicotine can be carefully monitored, thus giving the smoker the option of gradually lowering the level until he/she can quit without fear of withdrawals. Most electronic cigarette refill cartridges are available in full, medium, light and none, and while electronic cigarettes are not yet approved as smoking cessation devices, the potential for the devices to be used as such is somewhat obvious.

It's recommended that people who have demonstrated a sensitivity or allergy to nicotine, pregnant or breastfeeding, or who have unstable heart conditions should discuss the use of an electronic cigarette device with a doctor before using one.

Additionally, electronic cigarettes may not be used by anyone under the legal smoking age in your state.

If I can Quit ... Anyone Can!!!

I found this essay on Lifestyle website posted by Ada Noll from Cedar Rapids, IA.

It really sums up some of my feelings from the last year as well …

Gone are the days of wearing the scent Eau Du Cigarette Smoke, and gone are the days of breathless stair climbs.

I celebrated the one year anniversary of my last cigarette on February 23, 2007.

I will admit that I did not have a clue as to how much smoking had become an integral part of my life. There were cravings when I drove, after I ate something, or when I was stressed. I soon realized that every occasion in my life was made just for smoking!

Honestly, the worst part of withdrawals was the first three months. There were days I thought I had turned narcoleptic. There were days that I feared for everyone's safety. My mood swings were in overdrive, and I was more irritable than not.

But waking up in the morning is so much fresher and easier. Not only does my pillowcase smell of my hair, but I wake up minus that oh-so-sexy hacking up of a lung. I no longer have to smoke a cigarette to feel awake.

There is more time in the mornings to do things. I can exercise with ease now. I no longer have to plan my life around a cigarette!

Quitting smoking naturally is not impossible. First you must decide that you want to quit. The biggest obstacle you have is yourself.

There are countless non-smoking aides on the market, but the best tool you can have on your side is your determination to quit! You will undoubtedly fail if you truly do not want to stop smoking.

I have found that trying to understand my addiction has helped me remain smoke-free. I suggest keeping a journal. Record your cravings. When do you want to smoke? What makes you want to smoke at that time? Is it out of habit? Are you nervous or anxious?

I smoked often in the car. I smoked in bars and restaurants. I realized that having a cigarette eased my stress and social anxieties. I fidget a lot in public now. At first I was embarrassed. I realized that I felt silly not having something to do with my hands. I did not know what to do with them. For a number of months, I ended up shredding hundreds of napkins. I didn't even realize I was doing it until it was time to leave. My friends would tease me, but it was worth it. In time I was more comfortable and able to leave the napkins alone.

I also found that when I was bored I grabbed a cigarette. If I was driving, I would smoke to pass the time. Now I listen to music and sing, or I chew sugar-free gum.

Another reason why I wanted to continue smoking was because I was afraid of gaining weight. It is true; you will miss the oral fixation. I suggest trying sugar-free candies or chewing gum. Drinking a lot of ice water helps too. I’m not sure why, but drinking water seemed to curb my cravings for both nicotine and sweets. I have spoken to several other reformed smokers, and they have had the same experience.

Exercising will also help with the cravings, and will also help burn off the extra calories if you are consuming more. Chances are you will probably find yourself losing weight since it is easier to breathe during exercise.

There will be discomfort. There will be lack of sleep, too much sleep, nervousness, irritability, just to name a few! You will want to smoke while drinking your morning coffee or during your commute to work.

Your addiction to smoking and your habitual behaviors do not have to rule your life. Make a decision to stop. Make the decision to be pro-active about your health!

Think positively. Think about laughing without coughing. Think about how much better you will smell. Think about your life and how you want to live it.

I promise you, it will be well-worth the short-lived discomfort!

One Year Completly Smoke Free!!!

It's finally here .... One Year Since I posted my first post:

~Re-Born on the 4th of July~

A lot of ups and downs ... A whole LOT of anxiety in the beginning .... But it did get easier and it DID pay off!

My first goal has been completed ... Go one entire year completely smoke free! New Years Day this year I added an addendum to that goal ... Make 2010 a totally Smoke Free Year ...

Of course the overall goal is to remain Smoke Free for the rest of my life ... and hopefully it becomes a longer life.

One Year Ago Today ~

Finally!! I had smoked my last cigarettes.

I should have stopped smoking on July 1, 2009 but did not. I had a few on the second ... then a half of pack on the third .... and, you know how it is, when you swear up and down tomorrow will be your last! I had FIVE cigarettes on the Fourth of July!

It feels good to have the one year mark under my belt ...

Finally ... For the first time since I was a teenager I can say, I have gone completely smoke free and CHEAT free for one entire year!

It is a whole different Holiday this year!

I guess all my previous quit buddies and followers have dropped out ... That's too bad, I miss them and the comments. But wish everyone well ....

And hope whoever reads this has a Fabulous and SAFE Fourth of July!!!

And what every you do .................

Keep that flag Safe!!!

(Even if it means throwing your body on top of it!)

Happy Fourth of July ~

[teal][u]Orkut Scraps[/u][/teal] - [red]4th Of July Graphics Scraps[/red]

Paraguay's Naked Loss ~

Larissa Riquelme, Paraguay’s biggest soccer fan, promised to run naked through the streets of her hometown if her homeland were to win the World Cup.

With Paraguay’s sweet shoot-out victory over Japan, the South American Paradise seemed oh-so close for the heavanly Riquelme's run of the century...

Unfortunately, it is now just a dream of Paraguay and a Fantasy for the rest of the world. Spain beat Paraguay today by a score if one to nil in what was hands down the best match of the semi-finals ...



The question I don't need to answer now:
Whould I feel like I needed a cigarette afterwards???

FIFA World Cup Quarter Finals Today ~

Some one's Gotta Say It ..... Go Paraguay!!!!!!!!!!! btw:
Just two days till my One Year Mark!