05/19/2026
Maybe this helps someone.
❤
Sitting here thinking about the last year and half. I’m pretty lucky.
Getting the canoes out of storage tomorrow,
30 seasons, makes me think…
I smoked for 37 yrs
Found myself in hospital from Crohns (again) Nov 2024, on I.V. antibiotics, with perforated bowel, awaiting surgery.
Young lady doctor intern on morning rounds was almost done her internship, and was quite unreserved in her opinions.
She said “ we can fix you up but at YOUR AGE (emphasized) you won’t heal unless you quit smoking “
Now we all know this to be true, and, It was cold, It was dumping snow, it was 6 something am and I was hooked up to an IV.
She was right. It caught me off guard And a little offended (not really, just like OMG 😳 you know)
I said you’re right, I Quit!
(Silently adding BITCH!)
“When?”
Half hour ago, I just came back from outside having a smoke, I knew you were all coming soon.
I don’t want to smoke anymore.
I asked for patches (should NOT have gone step 1) step 3 worked better. And they gave me the inhalers. Health Insurance paid for it
By the time I left the hospital 14 days later, I was almost done. Couple days of inhaler and a couple patches at home, and then dropped all ni****ne products completely.
I do not want to smoke.
I’m a stubborn SOB
18 months or so NO ni****ne
Consciously avoiding beer at this time as well
Beer + smokes,
brain wants both.
KNOW YOUR BRAIN, Food, beer, task/ reward related smoking are common and easy to identify and avoid why it is an urge each time.
Now, it’s less, but I still see/ smell smoking and my brain tries to tell me that it would be ok to have one. I expect this never goes away completely.
I’ll likely have a cold beer this summer, I’m aware of the psychological risks but feel it’s manageable soon.
