It's been almost a year since I quit smoking.

[Tobin S.]

I have a Quit Counter that's been keeping track of my stats since then. When I quit, my brand was almost $6 a pack with tax.

"Tobin - Free and Healing for Eleven Months, Two Days, 12 Hours and 51 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 35 Days and 3 Hours, by avoiding the use of 10126 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $3,080.35."

I think the life expectancy stat is off. I heard somewhere that if you quit by 35 you increase your life expectancy by 10 years. I quit when I was 39.

I probably smoked an average of a pack and a half a day for 23 years. I can still feel it. Sometimes I still have little coughing fits and I can tell its from the smokes. Overall, it's been a vast improvement, though. I don't get winded as easily. There's no phlegm. I don't wake up in the middle of the night having coughing fits. My lungs no longer tickle when I draw in a deep breath. I don't wheeze. As you can see, I've saved a boat load of cash. When my anniversary rolls around it will be over $3300 saved.

What got me to quit? Well, it came from an unexpected source. I had been considering quitting for a little while when on July 5th of last year I was talking to a co-worker about it. He was 52 and already had emphysema from smoking. I knew he had problems with his lungs sometimes, but I didn't know it was that until he told me. I was 39 and got to thinking...that guy's young enough to be my older brother. The kicker? He was smoking at the time he told me that. He still does. He misses work here and there on bad days. I'd say he'll be lucky to see his 60th birthday.

I went home that day after work, sat out on the porch, and drank two beers and smoked two cigarettes. I haven't had anything with nicotine in it since then.

[Bertha Venation]

1. This is quite an accomplishment!

Congratulations, Tobin!

[raccoon]

2. Good for you! nt

[Hassin Bin Sober]

3. If your co-worker lives past 60 he will be miserable.

I watched my partner's father suffer from emphysema. Not pretty. Gasping like a fish out of water even WITH the oxygen in his nose. Making it to the bathroom or shower was a chore.

My dad had a very mild case when he died at 80 and he quit when he was in his 40s. My mom smoked an additional 10 years and died of lung cancer at 70.

[RILib]

14. My grandfather and his brother, heavy smokers

dead at 61 and 59 from lung cancer.

[Revanchist]

4. switched from tobacco to just vaping (e-cig) year and a half ago

So you can say I'm still using nicotine, but at least I don't have all the other nasty chemicals in my system. It was tough to quit, I went from buying commercial cigs to rolling my own for the last few years to save money, but I don't think I could have gone tobacco free without the e-cigs.

[MiddleFingerMom]

5. I won't go into ALL the factors that got me to where I am today (literally),...

.
.
.
... but I didn't quit 'til I was 42 and I had gradually worked my way up to 3 packs
per day. You do the math. Never having been in denial, I have.
.
I and a LOT of people are very glad for you and VERY proud of you.
.
You're a good man, Tobin... and this shows you are a STRONG one, too.
.
Another one of the reasons I'm glad to call you my friend.
.
.
.

.
.
.

[IrishEyes]

6. What are you going to do with the money you saved?

I would do something special with some of it to celebrate getting through the first year. I have heard it gets easier the longer you don't smoke. My father quit 44 years ago when my older brother was born. He said that it was really hard at first because he quit at the same time he had a new born baby to take care of. He quit because he wanted to live to see his kids grow up. By the time I was born many years later, he said that didn't even crave cigarettes anymore. Now, he is in his early seventies, in great shape, enjoying life, traveling, working and might live to be a hundred.

[Tobin S.]

12. Use part of it for our vacation this year and put the other part in a retirement account.

My wife and I want a child. We haven't had one yet, but I quit for the same reason your father did.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. Congrats, my dear Tobin!

You're enjoying a normal, healthy life, and we all benefit from that.

Thank you for not smoking!

[Wounded Bear]

8. When I quit smoking, cigs were 65 cents a pack...

in town. On base, they were 25 cents. I actually quit several months after discharge, but you know what I mean.



Congrats. I hope you get as many smoke free years as I have had. It's one thing I did that I never regretted.....well maybe once or twice. But any thoughts of picking up have been fleeting.

[Aristus]

9. Bravo! Best thing you could have done for yourself!

I'm happy for you. And proud of you.

[SwissTony]

10. Good onya, mate.

Bit of Oz-lingo for ya.

Never been a smoker (had my last cig on my 13th birthday - so just the usual teen experimentation for me). So, no idea what it's like to quit.

But you have my admiration.

Stay healthy.

[olddots]

11. hopefully our tobacco habits will be something we can forget about

I can't remember being a smoker ,you see its not about " Hey I'm Joe and I'm A smoker " its more about smoking didn't make me happy or cool or less lonely at times smoking was something I saw others do and now I don't do it.

I quit after 43 years and probably 50 thousand dollars going to evil corporations ,I am not a better person if that can be measured ,I just don't smoke , my friends who do smoke are their own people and will die from something ,they quit when and if they choose .

[RILib]

13. Thank you! I am sure I speak for your family

It worries me so much that my beloved brother smokes.

I am sure the life expectancy change stats you quote are off. I have seen much longer effects listed on posters in docs offices. Plus quality of life.