(note: for those who don’t know, Bayer was my maiden name)

I don’t know what led me to it, but I just knew it was time. I had visited my doctor for something else and, when I said I was still smoking, he suggested Chantix. I told him it was too new but I’d think about it. After a month, I went back again. It was suggested again by the other doctor in the office. Again, I said it was too new but I’d think about it. She turned around and said to me “Jenn, the side effects are no worse than the side effects of smoking.” I had never thought of it that way! Here I was, concerned that a new drug was going to do some type of harm, or worse, kill me when I had been slowly harming (and probably killing) myself for about 16 years! I was scared to death but at my next visit I told my doctor I was ready.

Chantix is a freakin’ miracle drug! Well, it was for me anyway. I started taking the medicine and set my quit date — you’re allowed to smoke the first week you’re taking the meds. By my quit date (07/07/07 — yes, I picked that date on purpose) I had already significantly cut down on how much I was smoking. I had my last cigarette around 11:55 PM on July 6th so that the 7th would be my first full smoke free day. I’m not going to lie – it was tough at times. It took all my strength not to give in but I was so determined to do it this time. Jolly Ranchers became my best friends – they really helped me get through some bad cravings. Now, technically, you’re supposed to take the meds for 3 to 6 months. After about 1 month, I realized that I kept forgetting to take the pills so I finally decided that if I forget to take them and am ok, I’m just going to stop taking them. So today, I have been smoke free for a little over 8 months!

It’s still difficult sometimes. I’ll be in the middle of something and all of a sudden I’ll think “boy, a cigarette sounds really good right now”. You have to keep on your toes and remind yourself that you quit, your reasons for quitting and, in my case, that it just tasted really nasty.

That’s all for now! Next post will be about going vegetarian.