by Joy Sunday

Created on: February 28, 2009   Last Updated: March 06, 2009

There are no best reasons to quit smoking - I know - because I was a smoker for over 40 years from my early teens and I enjoyed each and every one of the cigarettes I smoked. I loved and enjoyed smoking and I never could find any reason to quit. To be honest health concerns did not bother me. This is despite the fact that my Dad died at age 52 years from smoke related lung disease.

I followed all the information about how much damage smoking could do. How many years you cut off you expected life span. The damage and suffering that smoking could bring upon a smoker. I kept up with any new or related information and even when I began to realise that there was no way that I would escape damage to my health from smoking - I was still willing to take that chance - that is addiction.

When you are addicted to something you imagine that learning all about the damage you are doing to yourself will help you to just quit and save yourself. Save yourself - why would you want to - the only reason you are doing, what ever is your addiction, is because it is the one thing you can depend on to give you satisfaction. Maybe all of us that are addicted are also lost.

I for one could never find any reason whatsoever to quit smoking, I mean never. I did try. You better believe I did, especially on national 'no smoking day', - Oh Yes especially on 'no smoking day' because if you were smoking you were likely to start World War 3.

BY the Way - by now in my story it is 2007 my Sons are fully grown they are finished their education and my husband and myself will now be able to continue planning for our complete retirement. Oh what plans. My husband has already been retired 2 years and he believes that it is the very best thing he could ever have done. We are hoping to plan out a few things that each of us have dreamed of, more than a few times.

Our oldest gets married at the beginning of July 2007 and one week later we are told that my husband needs heart by-pass surgery. He is very damaged and need at least 5 or 6 by-passes - oh my God, the world has stopped. Let me tell you the day he had his operation was the longest day of my life. I prayed. God, did I pray. God what did I say? Did I promise?

I QUIT.

What a struggle - it was awful - it was awful. I just went 'cold turkey' and I did not expect the 'horrors' that I faced for many months. I believe that it was just like depression because I could find no reason to get up any day. I was unwell during the day and I could not sleep for the full night. I found it hard to manage food and I CRAVED a cigarette every minute of every day. I cried a lot - for a day or two I have the 'shakes'. But for months I was crying day and night without shedding a tear many times a day and sometimes I would wake up at night terrified.

Today, 16 months later I am very happy going to meet any challenge on a day to day basis

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