Show Calling it Quits Brenda Lewis Globe Weekly News By the time you read this I will have hopefully not smoked a cigarette in four days We Ve have these things called deadlines in the newspaper newspaper newspaper news news- paper biz and Im I'm actually writing this on my last day of smoking The past week has been inter inter- esting The Globe staff is rooting for me as well as the friends Ive I've told My old pal Patrick Reynolds from the American Cancer Society's smoking anti-smoking points out that smoking begins as a choice and suggests suggests suggests sug sug- that I ask myself Am I truly making a free choice when I smoke I honestly have to say no I want a cigarette even though I know I am inhaling poison The urge isn't a simple thing like thinking that a banana split sounds good With food I can rationally decide to have and go J b i t business With smoking I cansay can cansay cansay say no but my head just shouts louder and louder and LOUDER until I cant can't think of anything else Reynolds lists lots of support groups Nicotine Anonymous based on the infamous Alcoholics Anonymous suggests the first thing to do is to admit that you are powerless over tobacco That makes sense to me If I accept that tobacco is ruling my life it is easier to see it as an enemy rather than thana a friend Reynolds says that admitting that Im I'm smoking from addiction rather than choice will help me stay smoke-free smoke permanently I hope hes he's right Getting help with the process is is high on Reynolds to to do list He sites an interesting statistic Eighty percent of smokers who quit do so without being to in any pro pro- gram Studies show that 95 percent of these go right back to smoking Its It's the same recidivism as heroin Between school and work I dont don't have a lot of spare time for meetings or whatever I Iam Iam Iam am using nicotine patches and writing this column That's about all the program I can manage right now When overwhelming urges occur I can c call ll friends and ask them to remind me why Im I'm doing this If I get to be bean bean bean an annoyance I can also use the National Cancer Institutes Institute's Smoking 1 1 Professional counselors have no choice but to listen to me whine Maybe they'll have some useful suggestions too The biggest thing according to Reynolds is not asking IF the program will work but if I am WILLING to do the work I 1 AM I want to be beable beable beable able to breathe through my nose I want my house and car and hair and clothes to smell good again I want to tobe tobe tobe be able to exercise without gasping for breath One thing I am very afraid of ofis ofis ofis is gaining more weight Im I'm going into this already 20 i pounds heavier than It II want to be Its It's pretty much guaranteed guaranteed guaranteed guaran guaran- teed that Ill I'll gain another seven to ten pounds as my metabolism adjusts Dang Using the gym that Ive I've been paying dues to for the last three years is probably a good idea Ya think If I pay attention to what Im I'm eating I might make it easier on myself in the long run I can cando cando cando do it Patrick Reynolds tells me I Ican can I bought some very nice cigarettes cigarettes cigarettes ciga ciga- to smoke to today I look at it as a fond farewell Ill I'll be at Heathers Heather's tonight and she hates smoking smoking smoking ing so Ill I'll put on my first 24 hour nicotine patch before I go So begins calling it quits It feels odd Im I'm scared and content all at the same time I feel sure its it's possible and wonder if I really will stop All I can do is go for it hopefully hopefully hopefully hope hope- fully with some grace Editors Editor's Note Calling it Quits will Kill be a five part pan series on the struggles of becoming a non If you'd you d like to share your comments suggestions or personal stories on smoking email Brenda at basket- basket |