Never Take Another Puff – Day 21

“Your circulation has substantially improved. Walking has become easier. Your chronic cough, if any, has likely disappeared. Your overall lung function has improved up to thirty percent.”

A part of me still can’t quite believe that I’ve managed to quit smoking for three weeks now. When I question myself as to why I still doubt it, an instinctive response is that I will surely smoke again, that this “smoke-free” period will come to an end, that I’m not strong enough to quit for good etc etc. Such is the strong mental grip nicotine addiction has on you that these irrational thoughts and fears seem so real and inevitable… until you reaffirm to yourself that NO ONE or SITUATION can ever make you light up another cigarette ever again.

Quitting smoking has got to be one of the greatest things I’ve ever accomplished, the pride and satisfaction is hard to describe or explain. In some ways it’s like you’re travelling back in time to right the wrongs that caused you to pick up this stupid habit in the first place, be it your mindset or the people you chose to surround yourself with at that time. The flip side is that the future seems so much brighter, for instance, if you told me previously that I would be running the distance of a marathon every week for my cardio I would have said you’re crazy!

Yeah, I’m definitely happy and proud that I’m now an EX-smoker. Period.

Never Take Another Puff – Day 14

“Your brain and body have now physically adjusted to again functioning without nicotine and the more than 3,500 chemical particles and 500 gases present in each and every puff.” (from whyquit.com)

It’s been 2 weeks since my last cigarette. I was hoping there would be no cravings by now but sadly that’s not the case. Actually, some of the craving episodes have been quite severe but so far, the Ricola Mountain Breeze lozenges have been doing the trick, thankfully.

The city I live in, Kuching, has been enveloped with a worsening haze the past week. The condition is due largely to irresponsible burning to clear land for crops by palm oil companies throughout the state of Sarawak as well as in parts of Indonesia on Borneo island.

When I drive around the city, the thick haze reminds me of the lungs of a smoker like myself, polluted and congested. I cannot help but draw a parallel with the tobacco companies and the similar effects of the haze and smoking cigarettes.

Why are the irresponsible acts of burning which caused the haze allowed by the authorities? Similarly, why are tobacco companies allowed to peddle their harmful products to the general public? Rhetorical questions aside, while cries of outrage over the haze have been forthcoming, I cannot but quietly contemplate why there has been relative silence over the continual and widespread presence of an even deadlier force in the form of cigarette/tobacco manufacturers and their addictive products.

Indeed, maybe I’m the quintessential ex-smoker who becomes the staunchest opposer to an addiction which had enslaven me for close to 15 years, but why shouldn’t I? Smoking kills, and we should take bolder steps to ensure that our future generation does not fall prey to this subtle yet deadliest of killers in years to come.

Never Take Another Puff – Day 7

It’s been a week since I’ve quit smoking. Am sucking on a LemonMint Ricola lozenge which has now replaced my usual pack of Marlboro Reds in my pockets.

An amazing occurence on Sunday: I strapped on my Polar Heart Rate Monitor before going to the gym. As usual, I set it to detect my resting heart rate during the drive to my gym. Previously, my resting heart rate will be between 70-80. To my surprise and delight, today it was between 55-65!! I know smoking causes your heart rate to increase but can the benefits really come through in less than a week of me kicking the habit?? Apparently, they do!

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