Day 59

Wow! A week really is a long time when you're not blogging.

Day 59, and the start of April, meaning that I've been on this project for nearly three months and off the cigs for almost two. It's 22 days since I even had a draw of a cigarette on 24/02/10. It's 11 days since I took my last Champix. Even by Alan Carr's reckoning I'm now a non smoker.

To the casual observer it may not seem much but, to anyone who has stuck with this site or anyone who knows me, it's nothing short of amazing to think that I really don't smoke. I'm not sure what my doctor will think when they discover that I didn't bother renewing my prescription with Champix. To me it all seems good.

I'm also finding it hard not to recommend to other smokers that they give up. Not because I gave up or because I don't like them smoking. Not because I've succeeded and know that they could or because of some Alan Carr type wish to help. I want to recommend giving up smoking because, as a heavy smoker that didn't want to quit, Champix made it realistically possible to quit.

From a health point of view my cough went away within a couple of days of stopping. Being truly lazy I've no idea if my lung capacity has significantly increased however it certainly hasn't decreased nor can you hear my breathing. I still clear my throat a lot suggesting that there's still badness to come up and I still have spots on my face that I never had as a smoker although they are beginning to die down. I also still get nagging urges to smoke. They don't even begin to compare with what a smoker would normally get but they do still occur. The reason I can ignore them is not because I'm strong. It's just that if I picture smoking in my head it doesn't seem to answer the craving. I still remember that cig back on day 27 and think that, what I want must taste better than that.

From a social point of view smokers don't annoy me and I probably side more with them than with non smokers. I'm almost apologetic if I meet a smoker and they ask where I've been. To be honest I really didn't want to become some sort of ex smoker that couldn't stand smoking. Also I personally still don't find the smell of smoke offensive. I had a smoker in my car earlier this week and was happy to let them smoke provided they opened the window. Whilst they smoked their whole conversation was about how amazing it was to them that I didn't smoke.

From a temperament point of view I'm a bit worried. This week I've felt almost as if I've got the word 'mug' (where I'm from that means idiot) tattooed to my forehead. I needed new brake pads for my car. The manufacturer wanted three times the price that anyone else wanted and then the other places prepared to do the work all wanted to tell me that I needed more work done than I actually required.

I also wanted to upgrade my membership status of a professional body that I belong to. In order to upgrade they want me to provide all sorts of information, recommend a client that would verify what I have said (lies and all) but, and this is the rub, also pay them £500. Even worse the £500 is a special offer price and will increase if I don't take up their offer now.

Finally I'm in the process of changing my bank accounts because my present bank want to charge me £1 per day to bank with them. When I phoned one of the companies that I pay a direct debit to I got an Indian call centre. I need a call centre agent to be fully conversant with my language. I don't care about their sex, age or ethnic origin but English MUST be their first language. To my shame I found myself almost screaming at a poor person over the phone. Not because of my direct debit, not because I'd been on hold, not because I could see on my PC that the info that they had was wrong but, because they just couldn't understand what I was talking about. I hate that. I keep saying that it's got nothing to do with giving up smoking that people are upsetting me but, maybe it has. It's not Champix because I've stopped that over a week ago. I just am in a mood to kill the next person that thinks they can rip me off. Look out chancellor.

Yep. This week was also the budget and cigs went up once again. Apparently only Cider drinking is worse for your health than smoking. Beer and spirits increased in price but cider went through the roof with an increase of 10%. A 2 litre bottle of white lightening might cost about £2.20 now. I could just imagine the Chancellor saying 'what do you make of these apples darling?'. Fuel also went up but, we should somehow feel good about that because, although we will lose our jobs and homes as a result, the planet and government will be much better off. Aaaahhh!!!

The clocks also went forward this week but I for one won't be loosing any sleep over it. Boom boom.

No comments this week so I'm assuming that my fellow quitters are all doing well. Good luck folks. Until next week......

Stay quitting!