Prayer thread
- Thread starter Prophetess
- Start date
Admission: I have been a smoker for 30 years.
Fact: I enjoy smoking.
Scare: Had some chest pains today....nothing serious, but it sure scared me into looking more seriously at quitting smoking (something I have been thinking about of late).
Result: Came home and threw out cigarettes, lighters, and ashtrays. It has been 10 hours since I had a cigarette and it is NOT easy.
Need: Pray for God's help to help me quit smoking. I will not be able to do this on my own. This I know.
Fact: I enjoy smoking.
Scare: Had some chest pains today....nothing serious, but it sure scared me into looking more seriously at quitting smoking (something I have been thinking about of late).
Result: Came home and threw out cigarettes, lighters, and ashtrays. It has been 10 hours since I had a cigarette and it is NOT easy.
Need: Pray for God's help to help me quit smoking. I will not be able to do this on my own. This I know.
Oh, my God...... Thank you soooooo much VF21.... I just happen to come across this and got all very emotional when I read your post. Thanks for remembering. Yes, I just returned from Serbia 2 nights ago, from attending the funeral. It is a VERY tough loss.
My thought and prayers are with everyone else who is going throu tough time at the moment.
My thought and prayers are with everyone else who is going throu tough time at the moment.
You don't have to do it on your own. You have us...
I smoked for 37 years. I quit on Dec. 8, 2000. A friend of mine died of cancer; his wife - knowing I smoked the same brand of cigarettes he did - called and asked me if I would like the two cartons of cigarettes he had purchased but never got a chance to smoke. She was sobbing as we talked.
I heard Barney's voice in my head, something he had said about 6 months earlier..."I know I should have quit smoking. I just never took it seriously enough and now it's too late."
I thought for a moment and decided there was only one thing I could do. I told Linda to bring the cigarettes over to my house. She did and we started a fire outside. We tossed the packages on it - one by one - and while we watched the cigarettes literally go up in smoke, we talked about Barney. I went inside and grabbed my pack of cigarettes off the coffee table and added them to the flames.
I made a promise to Linda in Barney's memory - one that I have actually had very little trouble in keeping. I promised I would never smoke again, and I haven't.
6th - A lot of people care about you and need you in their lives. You CAN do this. I know you can. You're a Kings fan, woman! You're used to toughing it out through the really bad times.
Hang in there! We all have your back!!!!!
I smoked for 37 years. I quit on Dec. 8, 2000. A friend of mine died of cancer; his wife - knowing I smoked the same brand of cigarettes he did - called and asked me if I would like the two cartons of cigarettes he had purchased but never got a chance to smoke. She was sobbing as we talked.
I heard Barney's voice in my head, something he had said about 6 months earlier..."I know I should have quit smoking. I just never took it seriously enough and now it's too late."
I thought for a moment and decided there was only one thing I could do. I told Linda to bring the cigarettes over to my house. She did and we started a fire outside. We tossed the packages on it - one by one - and while we watched the cigarettes literally go up in smoke, we talked about Barney. I went inside and grabbed my pack of cigarettes off the coffee table and added them to the flames.
I made a promise to Linda in Barney's memory - one that I have actually had very little trouble in keeping. I promised I would never smoke again, and I haven't.
6th - A lot of people care about you and need you in their lives. You CAN do this. I know you can. You're a Kings fan, woman! You're used to toughing it out through the really bad times.
Hang in there! We all have your back!!!!!
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My dear friend, thank you for the reminder that I am not alone. And, thanks to everyone else for your words of encouragement.
Update: I have not had a cigarette in 29 hours, but who is counting? Me! Me! Today was difficult at work. I was very very tired and then it dawned on me that I have been putting this stimulant in my body for 30 years. Withdraw the stimulant and, of course, my body will feel very tired. So, when the craving was particularly strong, I went for a walk (to release endorphins and replace the missing stimulant with a different type of stimulant).
Thanks again for your support.
Update: I have not had a cigarette in 29 hours, but who is counting? Me! Me! Today was difficult at work. I was very very tired and then it dawned on me that I have been putting this stimulant in my body for 30 years. Withdraw the stimulant and, of course, my body will feel very tired. So, when the craving was particularly strong, I went for a walk (to release endorphins and replace the missing stimulant with a different type of stimulant).
Thanks again for your support.
VF21 said:
Just wait. The best is yet to come.
I had no idea how really flavorful some foods are - until the deadening effects of tobacco on my taste buds were gone.
We are your panic button, my friend. If you need us, we'll be here!!!
I had no idea how really flavorful some foods are - until the deadening effects of tobacco on my taste buds were gone.
We are your panic button, my friend. If you need us, we'll be here!!!
Thanks again for the encouragement. It was pretty hard at the bowling alley tonight, but the guys I bowl with sat behind so their cigarette smoke wouldn't tempt me. They do not understand that the temptation is there all the time anyway. But, so far (approx 56 hours) I have not succumbed to the urge to smoke.
But, so far (approx 56 hours) I have not succumbed to the urge to smoke. 
Dangit!! I just lost my entire response, for some reason. It was long too and I am not recreating it....so, hoopsfan, prophetess, The Freak....you and your families have my prayers.
The nicotine craving in INTENSE right now....worse than the 1st couple of days. ARGH!! arwen, showed me a website where I can download a counter. It is kinda cool. Here is the info at this moment>>>
time quit: 3D 15hrs 28min
am't saved: $16.40
cigs not smoked: 109
Life saved: 9hrs 5min
The nicotine craving in INTENSE right now....worse than the 1st couple of days. ARGH!! arwen, showed me a website where I can download a counter. It is kinda cool. Here is the info at this moment>>>
time quit: 3D 15hrs 28min
am't saved: $16.40
cigs not smoked: 109
Life saved: 9hrs 5min
The Freak - How did it go?
Prophetess - Your dad is gonna feel sooooo much better. One of the guys up here had the same thing done a year ago and he was stunned by how much better he felt. He actually said he felt like he'd become about 10 years younger.
hoopsfan - Your mom and your family are in my prayers.
6th - The craving is intense right now, just like it's always darkest before the dawn. Once you get past the INTENSE part, it will level off a lot.
Do yourself a favor. Take the money you would have found a way to spend on cigarettes and put it in a jar or something. It's a lot more visual than just the total. Then, after a certain period of time, take the money and treat yourself to something special. You will have earned it!!! Hang in there, my dear friend!
Prophetess - Your dad is gonna feel sooooo much better. One of the guys up here had the same thing done a year ago and he was stunned by how much better he felt. He actually said he felt like he'd become about 10 years younger.
hoopsfan - Your mom and your family are in my prayers.
6th - The craving is intense right now, just like it's always darkest before the dawn. Once you get past the INTENSE part, it will level off a lot.
Do yourself a favor. Take the money you would have found a way to spend on cigarettes and put it in a jar or something. It's a lot more visual than just the total. Then, after a certain period of time, take the money and treat yourself to something special. You will have earned it!!! Hang in there, my dear friend!
My father-in-law had a heart attack at age 50 and had a quintuple bypass. He has since had numerous surgeries to replace/re-insert stints and he's getting so good at realizing when he has a problem he just goes right to the hospital. It's been almost 20 years since he had his surgery and he's still kickin like chicken!!!
Although it is a scary thought the advances in medicine have made these fairly routine and a full recovery can happen!!
Although it is a scary thought the advances in medicine have made these fairly routine and a full recovery can happen!!
Props to 6th w/ stayin smoke-free.
Hoopsfan; I hope your mom's surgery turned out ok.
Ryle: I hope your father-in-law has a full recovery as well as Prophetess' dad.
As for my surgery; It went pretty well. I was knocked out last night and it was so hillairous...The guy who got a surgery in the next room we both went to the same waiting room and we were all talking about how the IV needle thing didn't really hurt that much. (haha i think we were both a little tuned out) But anyway, thanks for all your prayers.
I'd like to add a lot more prayers for my school and their loss with yet another student. I'd like to pray for her brother and her family which lost 2 cousins.
I'd like to add the driver of the vehicle that somehow the mother who has lost 4 children, which has one remaining, forgive the driver who made VERY BAD choices that affected this poor family. I pray for him that he has a speedy recovery and has a good rest of his life. (He may be going to jail for 40+ years and he's a high school senior who also goes to our school).
Hoopsfan; I hope your mom's surgery turned out ok.
Ryle: I hope your father-in-law has a full recovery as well as Prophetess' dad.
As for my surgery; It went pretty well. I was knocked out last night and it was so hillairous...The guy who got a surgery in the next room we both went to the same waiting room and we were all talking about how the IV needle thing didn't really hurt that much. (haha i think we were both a little tuned out) But anyway, thanks for all your prayers.
I'd like to add a lot more prayers for my school and their loss with yet another student. I'd like to pray for her brother and her family which lost 2 cousins.
I'd like to add the driver of the vehicle that somehow the mother who has lost 4 children, which has one remaining, forgive the driver who made VERY BAD choices that affected this poor family. I pray for him that he has a speedy recovery and has a good rest of his life. (He may be going to jail for 40+ years and he's a high school senior who also goes to our school).
hoops-- how is your mom recovering?
update:my dad is doing well. Nancy, on the other hand is going in for lazer surgery on her eyes, she has wet macular degeneration in one, dry macular degeneration in another, and she does have cancer and will undergo chemo. She has a very positive outlook on all of this, her faith is strong. But having your prayers couldn't hurt.
You don't know how much it means to me to be able to ask for this simple thing from all of you, so thank you all.
update:my dad is doing well. Nancy, on the other hand is going in for lazer surgery on her eyes, she has wet macular degeneration in one, dry macular degeneration in another, and she does have cancer and will undergo chemo. She has a very positive outlook on all of this, her faith is strong. But having your prayers couldn't hurt.
You don't know how much it means to me to be able to ask for this simple thing from all of you, so thank you all.
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