A PERCH TOO FAR AWAY

I need to congratulate myself------ Well Done Bill--- as I have now passed the six month anniversay of not having a cigarette.. I really am chuffed about this as I see it as a major milestone along the short lifecycle I have left in front of me. Being 60 years old and acknowledging I have far less time ahead than behind I can at least recognise that I finally did something concrete to try and extend my life before the feet finally loosen their grip and one falls off the perch.
I am feeling somewhat better, my wallet is fuller, my daughter is looking forward to seeing what her father actually smells like without nicotene, I can now smell a cigarette at 15 metres, and my food is tasting better. Thius is still somewhat of a pity as it also means I am enjoying it more and am struggling to shed the 8 kgs I have put on. I remain committed to working on it.
Maybe the upcoming trip to the US, UK and Greece will assist in a lifestyle change in food. This trip is now only 1 week away and is the reward for giving up the cursed nicotene. WE will be staying with Al and Ant in the UK so they will be able to see how I have managed to control my temper and overcome the bad habits that go with smoking.
I dont intend to blog again until I return from the trip so enjoy this, my final blog for a couple of months.

I HAVE NOT FALLEN OFF THE PERCH

For those who may have believed I had fallen off the perch through my lack of blogging I can assure them that all is well. My toes are able to grip the perch very tightly when required.

I can also assure them that I continue to be nicotene free and the time period now exceeds 5 months. This remains an astounding result as I now rarely think about smoking and nicotene. There are some interesting outcomes evident as a result of giving up smoking, the primary one being there is so much money in my wallet at the end of each week that my Bank Manager now wants to talk to me. I might add that I did expect there to be some significant improvements to my health albeit some benefits should be apparent much further down the track. I remain surprised that my taste has not improved as I expected to be able to taste all my food more. This has not really occurred. I have put on some weight but I was totally aware I let my food intake increase until I was able to be sure my nicotene requirement had abated. Now I have started to work on the weight increase which was just on 8 kilos. At the insistence of Shirl the Girl I have commenced a daily walk starting at 30 minutes whoch I hope to gradually increase.
I have also been doing some increased level of work in the yard including paving and fencing which must have been some assistance.
I am trying to limit my food intake and have virtually reduced the level of carbs by eliminating pasta,breads and potato. This is difficult and I really believe more difficult than giving up smoking.
Future blogs will include weight updates as well as a nicotene position.
Bill the blogger.

HI HO HI HO ITS OFF THE CIGS WE GO

The confusion regarding the counter has not been clarified but I have decided to leave the counter set to the New Year which is when the actual return date to Australia is anticipated.
In speaking with the daughter the ticketing will be purchased in August as originally planned subject to me still being nicotene free in August.
Cravings seem to be subsiding with less and less thoughts about cigarettes occuring on a daily basis. Reality around food has set in though and I can assure people that one side affect is the need for food. My weight has increased by 5 or so kgs in the past month so I need to sit myself down and have a good think about an approach. Might be a good time to renew friendship with the couch on the back verandah. I could utilise the couch as a sounding board as well as a place of solace.

SOMEONE MOVED THE GOALPOSTS.

I can see that the clock counting down the time to purchase airline tickets has secretly slipped out from less than 80 days to now a much greater 220 days. It now coincides with the expected ( well stated) return date.
It does not matter what time is on the clock as I will continue to remain nicotine free irrespective of the time.
Holding back any craving is getting easier and I find that I think less and less about nicotine or cigarettes day by day.
I dont think I am biting peoples heads off but I leave that aspect to be judged by and commented on by others close to me. I guess my wife, Shirl the Girl, would be the best person to comment here.

DOES 13 WEEKS EQUAL 3 MONTHS?

Yesterday was 13 weeks since I made a decision to kick the nicotine habit
Yesterday was 14 weeks since I started to add a prescription drug into my body.
Yesterday I had a craving for a cigarette but I let it pass just as I had done for the past 13 weeks.
Yesterday I was 1/4 of a year nicotine free and I am sure my body must be celebrating. I know my lungs are as now they dont wheeze at me every morning.

I finished my supply of Champix a weeks ago and to date dont see any marked difference with regards to nicotine cravings. In fact it is probably not even considered a craving, more a " I wonder what they taste like now".
I must say I dont believe I could have got through this without Champix. They provided me with a comfort blanket support. I must have been lucky as I did not see any noticeable side affects-certainly none of the more serious ones that have been written about through various sources.
Lets face it- who would not feel some level of depression when you were giving up smoking after 45 years or whatever the time was. I enjoyed smoking, so taking it away did piss me off a little but it was never any level of depression.
The strange thing is that I now have a really bad taste in my mouth. It comes from bleeding gums. I went to the dentist and he decided my teeth needed cleaning and the time was right with the cessation in smoking. Two sessions of pain and polishing and I now have gums that bleed all day and night- not much but the constant taste is terrible. ( Could this be considered another one of those side affects of giving up the nicotine)

I will now manage by future blogging to intervals of 1 month to provide a regular update.
It will be as lonely as my relationship with my couch on the back verandah.

10 blogging weeks

Yesterday was a milestone - it was a full 10 weeks since I had a cigarette. Thank god for those Champix tablets. I am still holding out and its still relatviely painless. I have ebough tablets for another 12 days and then it is all up to me as the tablets must stop for a while.
Wednesday last week was another milestone- I achieved the remarkable age of 60- not bad for someone who had been smoking for over 45 years. I intend many more years in the future but dont ask me how many.
For those following this blog I am please to announce that my relationship with the couch on the back verandah has been reestablished. We are back together again albeit not quite as full on as it used to be. It must be working out OK as I am not hearing any complaints from the other party at all.
The next milstone will be the clock winding itself down to lass than 100 days before my beloved daughter needs to make a committment and go book her travel back to Oz. How much I am looking forward to it-oh so very much.

I AM FALLING DOWN

Not regarding my capacity to refuse a cigarette but to blog. I thought it about time as another week has passed without the taste of a durry. The pang does not go away, only yesterday I had to do some serious talking to myself to convince me that I did not want/need or desire a cigarette.I got over it OK. Maybe my body has started to realise that there is no nicotene in my system so it was calling out for something to happen. On Tuesday is will be 8 weeks so I am very encouraged by this.
I have a birthday coming up soon and for some people,its special to reach 60 but for me I treat it as another day. Its another day of life where I ponder how lucky I have been with with my health over the past 60 years. Nothing major, nothing really stopping me doing what I wanted to do, and certainly nothing which has been life threatening. If we have our health and we have our family, then we have everything.

ITS TIME FOR A BLOG.

My capacity to blog is diminishing. I think it goes along with my diminishing urge for a cigarette. I still want to blog and I dont want to smoke so here I am with another update. The 10th February was my last cigarette and it was my last puff on one as well. I am not sure Shirl the girl believes me as a couple of times she has asked me if I have a stash somewhere to which I usually bark at her for thinking or suggesting such a thing. I guess after 34 years she would know I dont usually follow through on many things I said I would.
I see the counter is rolling along well now that 45 days have since elapsed.Wow- keep up the good work.
I seem to be spending alot more time inside these days and it usually means sitting in front of the computer. Thank god for the VW hobby and a little bit of work to keep me sane otherwise I would be sitting outside on the lounge twiddling my fingers and toes. I want to get out on the golf course again so that will be my target to get to golf once a week after my birthday next month. Bank to hotmail or maybe Ebay.

I KNOW WHAT PEOPLE MEAN

It was Thursday night and I was out to dinner in Sydney with a couple of VW mates on the restaurant balcony enjoying a pizza and talking some business when all of a sudden this odour passed my nostrils at a very slow speed. I thought "thats a cigarette" and I then made a visual confirmation seeing the guy at the next table smoking. The smell was really bad and I must have screwed up my face a little only to have the two guys I was sitting with say " thats what they always smell like" but of course they would have never said anything directly I had been smoking at the table. Now I have some idea what tobacco smells like to a non smoker and all I can say is that it aint something I would put my nose into for pleasure. Maybe its taken me 5 weeks to start and appreciate that a couple of my senses are starting to get to where they should have been all the time.
I guess I have to now adopt the same attitude as many people and not say anything about the perple around me who choose to smoke.. I certainly will not ever become a pissed off ex smoker who tries to take things out on the world. Pity they could not find the Champix tablets. Tuesday is week 6 so I am looking forward to it. I see the daily counter is coming down quickly- ,the daughter better start saving up some pennies.
PS. Thanks to all commentees for the responses. I love having a read.

THE JURY MUST STILL BE OUT

WHAT..... No judgements.....is no one prepared to make a call just in case I bite their heads off ?

Apart from that I am feeling fine and have today, hit WEEK #5 without the nicotene. Well done to me. I think I am finally starting to feel it. Today, the Rogan Josh tasted like Rojan Josh should taste.
Onwards and upwards.....

AS DAYS GO BY......

When you are young you always think that time goes quickly and that you cannot wait until later on in life (read-retirement) when people tell you that you will have so much time to yourself to do whatever you want. Let me make a formal announcement- THEY ALL LIE. When we get older and retire the days are cut by 25% and reduced to only 18 hours each instead of the accepted 24 hours per day- the rationale for this is that we tend to do things slower as we get older( three hours lost) we tend to sleep longer or take nanny naps ( two hours lost) and the final hour is spent trying to remember what we did for the last 12 hours. All in all, time flies when you are retired ,to a point where you cannot afford to sit and read something for an hour because this is an hour that you will never get back in your life going forward. Giving up smoking is similar in that all I wanted to do before was to have another ciggy. Ciggies always meant going outside of the house and sitting down (mainly on the infamous lounge-see previous comments) and just relaxing. Without the desire to have a cigarette I find now I dont have any desire to go outside the house and I spent hours and hours more on the computer doing things like these blogs. Its like a kid who wants to spend time in his room with the XBox or similar. One becomes more insular and more capable of not leaving the house.

Am I sounding more agitated,contankerous and pissed off with things generally?. Are these tablets finally giving me problems with some well documented side affects? Did I get out of bed on the wrong side this morning or maybe I am just letting of some steam. I will let others judge.

TIME IS MOVING SO FAST

Just noticed that I last had a blog on Saturday and its already Thursday. During that period I reached a significant milestone- four weeks, one month , 1/12th of my first year smoke free. Its not getting any harder at the moment and I am convinced that these tablets are really impacting the receptors in the brain. Keep up the good work.
Made friends with the lounge again today and actually sat there whilst enjoing my morning cup of coffee and raisin toast. Been up and back to Sydney for a few days work and again found little difficulty in driving whilst refraining from sucking on a ciggy.

WEEKENDS ARE FOR GARAGE SALES

Its Saturday morning and the Sat Nav is being fired up so we can go and look at garage sales where I usually sit in the car and wait until the missess has inspected anything and everything and has purchased more crap for the house. It used to be sit and wait in the car and have a cigarette or two. Now it is more pleasant sitting in the car which does not smell of tobacco. Went fishing again today for 3 hours.
The score 1 fish , no cigarettes, no sugarless lollies.
Its getting easier and easier.
Keep the comments coming, they are really supportive. And I promise- no more orange undies.

THREE WEEKS AND STILL COUNTING

Yesterday was the end of week 3 and time is really sarting to move along. Have been away in Melbourne for the past 4 days hence the lack of new blogs.
Was delighted to see the comments coming thick and fast, it is really supportive and encouraging.
Driving 9 hours in the car was not nearly as bad as I had believed however sugarless mints were playing an important role in managing the desires. The return trip was easier still.
For the benefit so some I can confess that the orange reg grundies had seen better days and were moved into the garage to come back as wipes( almost a pun) for the removal of engine oil for the motor vehicle.
No other issues with these Champix tablets from what I can see.
Have posted a comment myself to see if it helps others to record a comment

BROAD SHOULDERS AND CRAVINGS

Anyone who blogs to himself must have broad shoulders or be a glutton for punishment. He needs feedback of some level so he anxiously awaits the return of the daughter from Kilamanjaro so his efforts receive some level of comment.
This is about giving up smoking and needs all the support is can muster.
Now, I have put the box away.( at least out of sight until next time)
The lack of smoking is still going OK. I am not crawling up the wall. I am not biting my nails off.
I had the best reason to forget any urges today as it was my turn at the dentist for my 6 monthly teeth clean. Shit I hate dentists. Shit I hate pain in my mouth. I am the only male I know that has a needle to get his teeth cleaned. Its over 12 hours since the work and my gums are still feeling like they have experienced a grenade going off inside the mouth.
At least it takes my mind of cigarettes.
Moving on to Day 19 tomorrow and then another milestone at Day 20

WHY ARE PEOPLE SO UNKIND

For every optimist, there is also a pesamist and I keep hearing from people who have nothing but bad news to say about these tablets ,CHAMPIX, that I am taking. The pesamist lives to do Google searches all day to find out the negative stories about everything and I think they pay Google to get the do gooders to write adverse comments on anything and everything.
I did my research on Champix before I undertook the course of tablets. Yes- I know there has been a number of deaths linked to Champix in both the US and UK, most related to suicide. Depression has been listed as the primary side affect together with nausea and lack of sleep. I continue to watch anything out of the normal and am alert to stop taking the tablets as soon as I am able. The course of tablets lasts 12 weeks and I am almost at the end of week 4.

Today was good, no urges,plenty of sleep and 1 packet of sugarless mints.

TODAY WAS DIFFERENT.

TODAY WAS DIFFERENT AS I WAS AWAY FROM THE COMFORT ZONE. Travelling to Sydney and return by car clearly increases the urge to light up. I have always smoked when driving so looking for a cigarette was not unusual. What was unusual was how relatively simple it was to think about something else to get the mind away from the urge.Home is definately a comfort zone, allowing you to go do something different and take away the urge. In the car is not so simple but I was still able to manage the urge. Things must be getting easier, my head keeps telling me so with little prompting.
I have yet to match alchohol with the tablets. Some people say you smoke more when drinking. I rarely have more than two beers or wines at the same time these days so I do not expect this will result in any increased difficulty.
By the way, my finger nails are almost due for another cut again- told you non smoking increase nail growth significantly.Maybe I am just looking at them more to see if the nicotene has worn off.
Tomorrow is day 16- keep em coming......

ITS ABOUT TIME

Despite not providing any update for the past 4 days, I have not fallen between the cracks and picked up a cigarette. Its now up to Day 14 and I am feeling so much about about the whole thing. No major cravings and no apparent side effect from the Champix tablets.
Blogs are shorter as the daughter is somewhere up Mt Kilamanjaro or at least trying to get up there.
Enought for today.

TODAY WAS SIGNIFICANT

SIGNIFICANT.
I had been up about three hours this morning.Had finished breakfast and was catching up on emails at the computer.All of a sudden I realised I had not taken my Champix tablet for this morning. Nothing wierd about that except three hours into the day I had not even thought about the need for a cigarette.In fact I could not recall even thinking about a cigarette. Went and took my tablet. THAT WAS SIGNIFICANT.
Everything is tracking along well and will probably take up the suggestion about the Ipod and Podcasts.
The other thing I am finding is about not having to go out every day to purchase anything including cigarettes. I was always finding a reason to go to the shops for something-many times of which it was for cigarettes and the odd rock cake or apple turnover with cream.
The count up to today-
Cigarettes NIL
Rock cakes NIL
Apple turnover with cream NIL.

Must admit there are a few sugarless mints being devoured.

INTO DOUBLE FIGURES

Today was a test. Today was a mind test. Today was a bloody major mind test. Today was fishing day. Today was sitting for three and one hours whilst fishing and not having a cigarette. Today was a day where I only thought of a cigarette three or four times and only two of those thoughts was when fishing.
There were two other guys fishing around me. Both were older than I and both of them smoked.I wondered how they felt about smoking and thought they looked as though they enjoyed it. One of the guys told me he should not have been fishing as only last night he had a cataract operation on his eye. Went back to the Doctors this morning, the patch was removed and less than 12 hours after the operation he is back fishing. Boy- how times changed. I then wondered how the cigarette smoke would affect his eye.
Score for the day
Me- 3 fish, no cigarettes,quality air around me, health improvement,more money to spend on VW stuff.

Them, - no fish, improved vision in one eye, continued enjoyment from smoking,health deterioration

Legs eleven tomorrow

DAY 9 HAS GONE TO OBLIVION

Getting continued support for this activity is an important aspect so I enjoy reading comments for the daughter regarding my ongoing efforts.
Day 9 was fine and I even went into a shop selling cigarettes and just told myself that I dont smoke anymore so there was no point of even looking.The urge subsided very quickly and I dont even remember how long the urge was with me. I will continue to control any urges. Non smokers dont even have the urge so I can manage that as well.
My wife is fully supporting me to give away the weed by taking a view that involves not saying anything to me about smoking, cigarettes or giving it away. This may sound like a strange approach but she has lived with me and my outrageous habits for over 30 years and has a fairly good grip on what jerks my chain. Nagging is a major chain puller and she know that only tooooo well.I am comfortable with her approach.
Tomorrow I move into double figures, an achievement in itself.

DAY 8 HAS SLIPPED PAST

Still free of the noxious weed and finding that my former friendship and reliance with Uncle Nic is diminishing rapidly. Its a feeling that is getting better and better BUT Day 8 aint a long way into the tunnel.
One thing that is missing is a Q & A forum or similar to answer some of the many questions that are now floating around the space in my skull in place of the smoke haze. I need to know why finger nails and toe nails grow so much quicker without the use of Nicotene. Mine appear to have grossed themselves out in no longer than 24 hours and I think it will be necessary to trim them every 2 or 3 days to keep up with the growth spurt. Anyone else experienced a similar occurrence?
On we go

OFF AND RUNNING AGAIN

Following words with the Doctor I am assured that my recent sickness was not, could not, did not, have anything to do with the smoking suppressant tablets I am taking called Champix. Based on this confirmation I am now back on the tablets. It is amazing how much comfort some tablets can provide/ At least they have helped me to reach Day 7 with many more to come.
I needed to clear the air with regard to the lounge on the rear verandah. It is not moving anywhere. The lounge and I have reached a compromise in that I will still undertake occassional visits during my coffee breaks, reading of the local paper and checking out the birds.
Another strange activity that has been occuring as I move along the path of being nicotine free is the extraordinary growth rate in the nails hanging off the ends of my fingers and toes. More about this during the next update

LAZING ON THE LOUNGE

Today is Sunday, thats a day to rest up in preparation of a busy week coming up and to limit the amount of stress and angst. I choose to lounge about on the lounge,the one that has been feeling a distinct lack of large rounded arse. It also allows me to watch the grass parrots and quarrions we are endeavoring to breed in the back yard.
I will feel comforted when I can achieve a full week without Uncle Nic. Then I can set some other short term targets to work towards.
I am surviving- not sure that my wife agrees.

DAYS GO SO QUICKLY

DAY 6. Cannot believe I am up to Day 6 without any major issues. Talk about needing distractions though. I am updating this blog because I wanted to go looking for a cancer stick.
Still holding off from taking anymore Champix tablets until I get advice from the doctor. I never smoked inside the house for the last 8 years.
There is this nice cane lounge on the back verandah which greatly accepted my oversize rear end each time I had a smoke previously. The lounge seat never complained about the weight or the quality of air.
Strangely, I now hear slight complaints coming from it during the day as it feels unloved and alone.
Maybe I need to do something about it.
Bring on Day 7

WITHDRAWAL PAINS

Giving up smoking is all in the head,however for me its alot more and to be successful I think I need to set up some goals, get some support from family and friends as well as take some sort of tablets to at least think they are supporting the overall desire to give it away.
History
Started smoking at 15 years of age, will be 60 this April so that sounds like 45 years at a minimum of 30 per day add up to over 492,000 cigarettes. And experts tell you that each cigarette is doing you harm.
Today is day 3 of the battle which I am currently winning.
Not sure what happens on Day 4 but stay tuned,
BTW, I have decided not to turn to food to replace the nicotene. At 145 kilograms ,I dont need any more weight to drag around

Till tomorrow

the first post!

CONGRATULATIONS DAD!

After over 40 years of smoking, mum and i are very proud to see that you're finally throwing in the towel! In honour of your decision, i've created this blog for you - to record your thoughts/ideas/progresses/achievements and as a reminder as to why it's worth it! For yourself - and for us!

I know you like some facts and figures, so I thought maybe we could start the blog with some of the money you're going to be saving! You're much better at this than me, but allow me to get the ball rolling.

In 45 years, you've spent an estimated $145,000 on cigarettes.

Am I even close? Come on figures man, you're better at this than me!

We are all proud of you dad. You're a very strong person, and we know there's no way you're going to let a little stick get the better of your life. Look forward to reading your daily entry - even multi-daily entry! Much love, Al xxx