Intellectualizing It

While it is clear to me that my dear little Chanties will take care of the nicotine addition as well as anything can, what about the psychological? As stated in a previous post, "Get Quit" is not helping. I guarantee it was developed by people who never smoked a day in their lives.

So, again to the Internet. I am not happy unless I have read every damn thing I can about whatever my current obsession is - alas! "Chantix, the Magazine" is still just a gleam in some publisher's eye. There are, however, at least 10 billion books about quitting smoking.

So I spent an hour or two deciding which one to spend my Hard Earned Money on and came up with "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" by Allen Carr. Armed with a 20% off coupon, I trotted to Borders. This is the first time I have ever entered the "Self Help" of any bookstore. I just am so not a new-agey kind of gal. And I mean so not! However, ignoring the obvious question of "It's so damn easy how come it's so damn hard to quit?", I bought the book.

I have read the first three chapters - mainly all about Mr. Carr and how wonderful he is. (He actually compares himself to Sister Kenny - a great movie, by the way, if you have never seen it!) It would give me great pleasure to agree with him but he has yet to get to discuss anything but himself. About a year ago the poor man did die of lung cancer, however. That could be attributed to the 100 (!!) fags a day he smoked before he developed his "Easy Way". So I am determined to give him the benefit of a doubt and continue reading. Stay tuned...

The Food Issue

I awoke around 6 am and felt very queasy - but then I always do. Had me coffee and a fag as per usual and became obsessed with the fact I needed to begin taking a morning Chanty (my pet name for the little dears). I think my sudden fear and obsession about this is all tied into the realization that my Quit Day is getting closer and closer. The more I thought about it the more nauseated I became - truly I feel this is all my head. Finally about 10 am I went to Starbucks - had a piece of banana bread - took the pill and I was fine.

However, now at 2:19 pm I am queasy again - so perhaps not all in my head. I ate lunch- so who knows what is going on. All this boring detail - but as long as I can get it out I don't really care if anyone reads it. I am just recording it so that I can attempt to figure the best times to eat to avoid a rolling in my tummy.

The pharmacist suggested Dramamine - gonna take one and see if it helps.

Chantix: Day Four

First things first, of course: days one to three are all in my head - I am starting my blog on day four. You will find no record of my first three days of obsessive worry about getting nauseous (like 30% of Chantix supposedly do) or even more constipated than normal (that's about 20%, I think) whilst smoking merrily away. Well, I have yet to toss my cookies and, suffice it to say, I had a lovely poop this morning.

But, today is different. Today I move to two pills a day - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The pills MUST be taken with food and I have never been able to eat in the morning. So, a new obsession (excuse?) - how long can I wait after I get up to eat and how much food must I eat before I take the morning pill?

I scoured the Internet for answers and they aren't there.

Further, the daily communications from "Get Quit" (the online program from Pfizer that is supposed to assist one during the quitting process) are very weak - nothing one hasn't heard a million times before. The exercises are silly. I assume they are supposed to address the psychological issues involved in smoking and quitting but so far all they have provided me is amusement and wonder at the how the very ungrammatical "Get Quit" was chosen as the name.

So, I decided to start this blog for three reasons:

1. To provide answers to the questions I had, have, and will probably have as I find hopefully find the answers.
2. To sort out my psychological issues in regard to all this.
3. To allow anyone else who needs the answers I need or to address the issues I need to address a chance to, as we say to be PC "share".