I quit smoking….

I started this blog to kinda consolidate my thoughts all into one place. I had two blogs, at least three journals, and random social media posts as outlets. I found that having things that spread out was just not conducive to my random, come as it may, stream of consciousness type thinking, so here I am. My boss would tell you that if I have too much on my plate, even with the best intentions, things slip. So, I figure this will be a good way to have my thoughts all in one place. I don’t get paid monetarily for having an appropriate outlet, but the mental and emotional impact is huge, and well worth the time.

So I quit smoking, a week ago yesterday. That’s been interesting. Went to a hypnotherapist. I was very skeptical, but my options were limited. Vapes, patches, gum, cold turkey — none of that worked in the past. And I can’t take Chantix or whatever the new version of it is called, so I had to try something. The session itself was great. I haven’t been that relaxed in forever, and what a difference it made for the spasticity in my legs!! He gave me self hypnosis audios to listen to, and those have been helpful. Tomorrow, I’m starting my second round of metabolic detox via Doterra products, figuring it would be good to do a second round to get rid of the ickiness (yes, that’s a word, because I say so!) from all the shit I’ve been inhaling for the past 20 some odd years.

It’s funny, and I’m sure that there’s a well documented statistic somewhere, but I’m not going to look for it — every smoker I’ve known started in their early teens. Me? 18 years old. I remember the night very well. I was driving a friend of mine just over the border in Jersey to meet some dude she met on line. We live in Orange County, NY, so it should have been a 30 minute drive at most. Six hours later, after being on various random local roads, route 17 (which is now interstate 86), the Thruway, driving by the Rockland Psych Center, and winding up in the middle of nowhere via the Palisades Parkway, she asked me to stop somewhere so she could get smokes since she was smoking like a chimney and had run out. In my mind, I just said, “Fuck it”, and demanded a cigarette. And the rest, as they say, is history. For the record, I remember paying $4.11 back then for a pack….

I’m done with that now. I’ve had cravings, but not smoked in just over a week. In fact, I went to put on a hoodie the other day and almost puked from the smell. Aside from being in the hospital at random points, this is the longest I’ve gone in everyday life without a cigarette since I was 18. Yay me!

Anyway, it’s time to cook dinner. Nothing spectacularly profound in this post, just an interesting story. Either way, have a good night!

L


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