A Personal Achievement...

I have been a smoker for the past six years and hated every day of it.  I began smoking because of a surplus of weight gained with one of my pregnancies coupled with a new thyroid condition.  Everything that I ate stayed with, and on, me and my weight was completely out of control.  So, with the naïve thought that I had great willpower and I would be able to put the cigarettes down as soon as my thyroid levels were in balance and my weight returned to an acceptable level, I made the horrible choice to begin smoking.  That was the biggest mistake of my life!!  What a nasty, unhealthy habit smoking is!  My assumption regarding the awesome strength of my willpower proved to be entirely incorrect.  Six years later, and countless efforts, aids and tactics used in the attempt to quit and here I am, still smoking.  The nicotine has, thus far, proven more powerful than my willpower.

That is not the end to this particular story, but the beginning.  I would never post something that makes me feel so ashamed of myself unless I had a triumphant ending to share!  I discussed my repeated lack of success using the common aids available over the counter (patches, gum, etc.) with my doctor and we agreed that Chantix would be a good option for me to try.  Though I generally try to avoid medications if at all possible, I decided that a medication in the short-term is better for my health than smoking long-term.  A little over a week later, and I'm delighted to say that I am cigarette free.  I don't even have an urge to smoke when I get stressed out, which, believe me, having five children will do to you.  I'm super excited and thrilled to be able to say, once again, that I am a non-smoker and proud of it!