SHORT THOUGHTS WITH JODI K Episode 1
Episode 1
I’M A QUITTER!
100 days today! 100 days ago I quit smoking! In 100 days I’ve saved 12 days of my time. In 100 days I’ve saved $939!
100 days ago I got very very sick. I kept vomiting from coughing. Every time I would get done vomiting, I would reach for a cigarette and then vomit again. It didn’t take me long to realize there was a connection. It turns out I had pneumonia! My mother died of pneumonia at 51. I’m 52. Scared the crap outta me! I really thought I was gonna die and I wrote letters to my children and grandchildren. Yes, it was bad. I had granddaughters to live for and now a new grandson on the way!! I had to make a choice then and there. I chose to stop smoking for good.
I never thought I would ever quit smoking! I loved to smoke! I enjoyed smoking! I started my mornings smoking with my coffee at 3:30 am. I smoked on the way to work, during long songs, and on my way home from work. I looked forward to my cigarettes. I even convinced myself it was okay to smoke because it was my only vice. I also convinced myself that stepping outside was my most creative time while enjoying a smoke.
Do I miss it? Yes. But its getting easier every day! Sometimes I’ll just randomly say “I really want a cigarette!” I don’t act on it. I could easily just go get some smokes, I have no one to answer to. I am the only one who would know if I smoked. I’m the only one holding myself accountable. It’s like a devil on my shoulder saying “just one won’t hurt you” But THANK GOD for the angel on the other shoulder saying “you’re doing so great, don’t listen to him!”
No one warned me about the coughing after you quit! It was brutal and lasted more than 30 days. It almost made me want to smoke again because I thought “what does it matter, I’m still coughing!” (It’s the devil on my shoulder) So, if you ever quit smoking, I’m warning you about this! You will get thru it, I promise.
I have several triggers that make me want to pick that habit back up:
~People smoking in tv shows or movies. I see someone take a long drag and I can remember what that felt like.
~Friends and family members that smoke. I don’t know how I’ve not slipped. I almost did at a friends party. I asked for a drag off someones smoke and my friends flipped out on me…my smoking friends!! lol Thank you guys!
~My daughter having a traumatic experience giving birth to her first child and then being put into ICU after. Then there was a cancer scare followed by a surgery! I didn’t smoke! technically. lol My daughters mother in law has a fake cigarette type thing….I almost had to fight her to get it from her! I took a half puff off that thing, almost choked to death. That was my only slip! But I deserved that one. (that’s the devil talking again)
~THE DETROIT LIONS make me want to smoke too!
I’ve literally had to keep myself busy so I wouldn’t smoke. Besides cleaning EVERYTHING in my home, I’ve found new hobbies! Some of them are pretty strange.
~bedazzling things. I have bedazzled the swoosh on 3 pair of Nikes with Swarovski crystals! (They look amazing by the way)
~Shopping! Online or actually walking into a store like a caveman. Amazon prime is my new friend. I’ve gotten something in the mail almost every day at work for a month including Swarovski crystals and DIY temporary tattoo paper…This leads me to my next new hobby….
~DIY Temporary tattoos. I don’t know where or why I came up with this idea. It’s snowballed into an obsession now. Look for Moose tattoos at my live remotes now!
~Nails. I’ve been doing my own gel nails for about a year now. I’ve expanded. This might fall into the shopping hobby and the tattoo hobby. I had to buy another shelf for all the new colors I’ve bought thru Amazon and my stops into Sally’s. I think I’m done buying new polish for a while….i think. Doing my nails keeps my mind occupied. I don’t just paint them, I have to get elaborate! Now I’ve added temporary tattoos on my nails. I can pretty much put anything on my fingernails now!
~Last but not least, babysitting my grandchildren is a great distraction and a great incentive to stay off the nicotine. There is 6 year old Audrey who goes on adventures with me, Novalee is 2 and is so curious and funny but really rough. 1 year old twins Tegan & Trinity keep me very busy and the only boy, baby Liam is really new.
The only downside to quitting is that I’ve put on a bunch of weight! Holy smokes! I quit slow turkey without any drugs or fake cigarettes like vaping. I substituted cigarettes with peppermint patties and popsicles! (don’t laugh, it worked)
Weight Loss plan coming soon, but I need to focus on one addiction at a time!
If you are thinking about quitting, I have a great app that has helped me. It’s only for android and its called Cessation Nation.
Quitting is not for the faint of heart, BUT SO WORTH IT!!
