No I haven’t started smoking again, I’ve been in London.
Actually, before I tell you about London, I will tell you about my smoking and my attempts to stop. I smoked for about 15 years. I think I must have tried everything to stop. Laser therapy - worked for about 3 months and then I fell off the wagon. Chewing Gum - tasted foul (not that cigarettes don’t taste foul too!). Pills from the doctor – made me sick but worked for a few months until I had a moment of weakness (just one won’t hurt!). Patches – I would remove the patch, put it on my cigarette packet, have a cigarette and then put the patch back on!! Each time I thought I really wanted to stop but obviously I didn’t.
I think I made it into a new Olympic sport – the stop smoking 100 metres, nah I only got to 80 metres. It was the little lies that my conscious and subconscious would tell each other.
‘Go on, one won’t hurt’
‘Nah, I’m in a really stressful job, so now is not the right time’
‘I’m useless at giving up smoking’
‘I’m going to give up, giving up smoking’
Yadda, yadda, yadda and the lies go on…
Then I had the stroke.
The doctor was very clear from the start. No more cigarettes. I should never put one to my mouth again.
… and that was it. I haven’t.
It had suddenly become the easiest decision I ever made. No more lies, no more cigarettes, no more smoking. Easy! The reason for giving up smoking was stronger than the desire to have a cigarette.
I downloaded the NHS Stop Smoking App on my phone so I can see how many days since I stopped and how much I have saved. To date 461 days and over £4,000. Go Me!
Now about The Big Smoke. Yup, I went on a trip to London to get coaching on some new things I am studying. Really knackered travelling so I spent an extra day, and I mean a day, in bed recovering. Just when I thought my energies were getting better.