Show Calling it quits Brenda Lewis Globe Weekly News I messed up According to the schedule on the back of the box of patches I was supposed to use the 21 milligram milligram milligram mil mil- patch through week four the 14 milligram patch weeks five and six and the seven milligram patch for weeks seven and eight Im I'm going into week five with a 21 milligram patch I misread misread misread mis mis- read the box Oh well more nicotine for me Oh yea Im I'm trying to reduce the nicotine Well I get big points for cutting out arsenic and carbon monoxide anyway Its It's been going alright Stress still makes me think about smoking but its it's never gotten to the point where I make the decision to throw all this effort out for instant gratification Could u I J. J re really liy be be done The dreams are going gang busters Lately they've been about cleaning up messes Actually they've been a bit disgusting and I wonder what the consistent theme means Also almost every night I dream that Im I'm smoking Everyone I talk to says that's pretty common so Im I'm not too concerned At least inthe in inthe inthe the dreams Im I'm not getting any happiness out of the cig cig- It goes something like this- this Ill I'll be smoking and will suddenly suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly realize I dont don't smoke and wonder why I have a cigarette cigarette cigarette cig cig- arette in my hand Or I cant can't taste them or smell them but get the haze of the smoke filled room Or Ill I'll be disappointed disappointed disappointed pointed that I caved caved in and hope I can start again agam I got an email from Tricia Bishop She's the Program Coordinator for Health and Wellness Services here at the college She wanted to let me know that offers a afree afree afree free that's right folks FREE Smoking Cessation Program Bishop said It is an eight week one on one one-on- ne or group session program We go over overa a lot of information about peoples motivation to smoke why people smoke overcoming overcoming overcoming ing barriers to quit methods of quitting a personalized quit plan benefits of quitting quitting quitting quit quit- ting handling recovery relaxation and symptoms imagery exercises dealing with conflict and negative feelings coping strategies establishing support networks networks networks net net- guidelines fit lit works di dietary tary facts a and ana d tips to staying tobacco free That's That some good stuff how Tricia wanted to tell me and important it is to Health the Services that Well Wellness Wellness' ness ness' students at be aware She she of this service Im I'm glad wrote in Id I'd like to to hear tHeir tips tips about st staying ying smoke free I feel like th the e worst is over for me now buIm but bu t Im I'm all about anything that tha t will help me NOT pick u up p that one cigarette One thing that completely y sucks about this quitting business is my weight When the weather got hot I broke out all my summer clothes I have one pair o of f shorts from last year that f fit t comfortably I cant can't blame i it t all on I had d already gained some weight but it reinforced that I probably probably probably proba proba- bly wont won't be getting skinnier A good thing though is instead of beating myself up over what Im I'm doing wrong Ican I Ican Ican can always say Yes Brenda but youre you're NOT smoking That's a big deal and I have to remember to congratulate myself occasionally If you want warU to check o out t the Smoking Cessation Program you can contact Tricia Bishop at or Preston Lindhardt at preston lind- lind Health and Wellness Services on the Redwood Campus are in Maybe Ill I'll see you there Editors Editor's Note Calling it Quits will be a five part series on the struggles of becoming a non If you'd like to share your comments suggestions suggestions suggestions or personal stories on smoking email Brenda at bas- bas com coin |