I've smoked daily since 1977 (I'm 57). I've never tried to give up before now. When I was at [unspeakable times] boarding school in 1972-5 I first started smoking, but only occasionally. Had very few when I mercifully changed to going to the local high school in the rural area where I lived then. My mum dropped me at the Hall of Residence where I lived when I was at Uni in Adelaide in March 1977 (I was still a week away from turning 17, having skipped Grade One in Primary School, because my sister had already taught me to read and write, etc). As soon as she left, I went to Madam P's (the local deli - long story) and bought a packet of smokes. Escort reds - 67c for twenty, and you're a Member, as the ads said at the time.
Now, cigarettes cost $20 for a pack of twenty - ie, a dollar EACH. I have smoked rollies (tobacco) almost all the time, though, which is less expensive, but a 50g pouch of tobacco is over $60, and lasts me less than a week, so it is still expensive!
I have previously not even THOUGHT of stopping smoking. I don't want to use the phrase "giving up" because I am trying to make this all positive, not about losing something that costs me heaps and is undoubtedly killing me (or worse) slowly.
When I was in Europe in September/October last year, I got a cold which essentially did not go away the whole month I was over there. By the time I flew home, my ribs were killing me when I incessantly coughed. I had to literally hug myself tightly to make the pain bearable, which is extremely embarrassing in public. It was worse than post-operative pain I had in 2006 when I had my crumbling aortic arch replaced with a plastic one.
My doc here put me on dog-biscuit sized antibiotics and steroids to fight the secondary infection I had - X-rays showed an opacity on one of my lungs. I reckon that was my first scare - I have long ago recovered, but the coughing lingers to some extent, especially in the mornings when I first get up.
I remember my father coughing like that (well, much worse than I do now) every morning when I was a little kid (he stopped smoking when he was about my age) and I had no intention of ever, ever smoking back then.
So anyway, I started on a course of a stop-smoking aid - Champix (varenicline) almost two weeks ago. Tuesday, January 23 is the last day I smoke, if my plans work.
I don't know HOW it will go. Part of me is terrified, but part of me is also exhilarated at the prospect of winning the battle to free myself from the Nicotine Prison.
Please, anyone here who has stopped smoking successfully, or knows someone who has (or not - I want truth, not just feelgood), can you tell me anything about your experience?