About a year ago there was a thread going titled “If I can anyone can”. I opened it and realized it was about quitting smoking. I closed it as fast as I could! I didn’t want to jix myself.
I didn’t plan on quiting a couple days before that post. In fact I didn’t want to quit. I had 5 smokes walking from my truck through the parking lot before opening the doors to the hospital.
Nope, the smokers cough while on the phone could be cover by using the mute button, the yellow stained fingers could be hidden in a pocket or where ever. Even when the Dr. said “the blockage in your leg isn’t going to kill you Brian, but your smoking will” didn’t have an effect. You can relate, every doctor tells you that. What did start bothering me was the congestion and wheezing in the lungs. Never heard it during the day, but when I laid down at night, it was sure loud.
It’s funny looking back, no it’s actually pretty sad looking back to starting smoking. Really no reason to besides most others that I was hanging with did. But I could stop at anytime. Didn’t inhale you see.
37 years later, I gave up on quiting. I liked it too much.
I really didn’t know that those five would be my last..they just were. I hope. I’m like the guy that can’t just have one drink or eat just one potato chip.
Now am I nicotine free? No, I’m sucking on those Nicotine Lozenges. Started out with the 4 millegrams and after a week of a burning mouth and hickups almost all the time, switched to the 2 mill. The package says I should have weened myself from them several months ago…but you know what?
They are much less expensive, they stink less, my hands aren’t yellow, I don’t cough or wheeze in the FW’s ear at night and I’m working on quitting those too…someday.
So Slider, I read your post tonight…here’s to my first year without and hopefully you’re on your second year! 
up here this summer 
