Thursday, April 10, 2008

New York City 2008

I am getting geared up for the NYC Workshop in May. It is now like an annual reunion of students every year. The workshop is limited, so please sign up soon if you are planning on attending. I have people signed up that have planned a NYC holiday. What fun! I myself have plans to visit my family, as well as enjoy the wonderful culture that only NYC can provide. Oh yeah, I quit smoking this morning. Yikes! It has only been two hours, but I really feel this is the end of a very long relationship with an enemy. I am sucking on a cinnamon stick and using committ lozenges. Please write in with any advice on how to make this difficult task a bit easier.

28 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Good for you!! Good luck! My husband quit 3 yrs. ago after a 26 yr. habit. He sucked on a lot of hard candy and chewed a lot of gum. He also tried a prescription but I can't remember what it was. I tried to keep healthy snacks around for his munching too. It has to be a terribly hard habit to break but you can do it!!

April 10, 2008 at 10:52 AM  
Blogger val said...

Good luck with the effort to stop smoking. I've never smoked, so I have no tips to offer, just good wishes for your success.

I must admit, though I had a VERY brief flirtation with little cheroots when I was a student (about 2 packs of 5) and lit up my last ever one after just having taken a sip of jasmine tea following a Chinese meal. One puff, then the next sip and YUCK, the delicate flavour was ruined. You are in for a treat of flavours if you persevere.

April 10, 2008 at 11:11 AM  
Blogger Miss Lou said...

Haven't an acting bone in my body even though I have been called a "Drama Queen" a time or two in my life. A trip to NYC sure sounds good though.

Good luck with the quitting smoking. I don't have any advice for that; I'm still trying to figure out how to stop eating.

After smoking for 60+ years, my dad put them down one day and never picked them up again. The reason...after my mom's first heart attack, the smoke bothered her, so he quit. Good luck!

April 10, 2008 at 5:09 PM  
Blogger beep1 said...

You go girl! Quitting smoking was probably the hardest thing I've ever done. Walking, running, and knitting helped. I also drank a lot of water. The first few days were really hard. At some point, later on, I tossed an open pack of Benson and Hedges in my purse and carried them around for a couple years before I was confident enough to throw them away. I don't recommend having them handy at first though - way too tempting.
Good luck. I'm proud of you!!!
BP

April 10, 2008 at 10:19 PM  
Blogger unknown author said...

Elizabeth, you have my utmost respect for quiting smoking. I am not a smoker but my son has struggled with its grip for 10 years. He tells me that it is as difficult to quit as any drug addiction. Quiting can be done, but like anything, just one moment at a time.

Sounds like the time in NYC will be busy for you. Glad it will give you a chance to catch up with old friends and visit with your family. The workshop sounds fun. Please fill us in on how it is going and pictures too of your visit. Have fun !

April 11, 2008 at 6:37 AM  
Blogger Laura Cousins said...

Good luck with the whole smoking thing, Elizabeth ... I managed to just stop when I was first trying to get pregnant, but I'm in the minority.

A certain gentleman I know of (wink!) who spent some time in Australia when he was younger has been known to such and/or chew on tea-tree oil toothpicks when he is trying to quit.

http://www.evitamins.com/product.asp?pid=4263

I cannot personally vouch for their effectiveness (though I am sure you could ask him yourself), but at this stage I would have thought anything that can distract you from your cravings might help.

In England there are support groups and buddy schemes for people trying to quit - like the Alcoholics Anonymous scheme, but for nicotine addicts instead! Have you anything like that where you live?

http://gosmokefree.nhs.uk/?WT.mc_id=ilevel_search_08

Wishing you luck!!

April 11, 2008 at 7:11 AM  
Blogger Tami said...

Elizabeth,

I was never a smoker, but I kicked an equally addictive (but less legal) habit myself. I had a mantra...anything I have done, I can do again. So, if you haven't had a cigarette for ten minutes you can go another ten minutes without one. If you haven’t had one for two hours, you can go another two hours without one. Every time I felt the urge, I would say, “Anything I have done, I can do again. I have been without for 9 days. I know that I can go 9 more days.” Sometimes I would actually time myself. It helped.
Then distract yourself. Go for a walk or read or anything. Know when you are weakest-1st thing in the morning, after dinner, after sex, while drinking-and have a plan to deal with those times. Don’t hang out in smoke filled rooms. Tell everyone-even strangers-that you are kicking. Then just do it. Good luck.

Peace,
Tami

p.s. I have been without for 10 years. I know that I can go 10 more years.

April 11, 2008 at 7:49 AM  
Blogger mary said...

Sugarless popsicles are a good 'oral' fix. I quit 18 years ago. If I ever smoke even 1 I know I'd be right back at it. I still think about it but I don' have any need for it and do not plan on starting up again(I was a 2 pack a day smoker). Wish I could get to the workshop I know it will be great!

April 11, 2008 at 2:57 PM  
Blogger Regina Caschetto said...

Dear Elizabeth-
Hope you have a great time in New York and that all these airline delays are done by then-
I only smoked for two weeks after my divorce or tried to smoke-everyone at work got a kick out of seeing me do it so badly-
So it didn't work for me-
My ex-husband smoked for years and finally got tired up getting up every morning and coughing until he vomited and then lit up his first cigarette of the day-
He went to a hypnosis center and I took all the ashtrays out of the house and loaded up with his favorite snacks-
Somehow it worked-
And know the creep didn't put any weight on either-
Skinny bastard-
Regi.

April 12, 2008 at 1:08 PM  
Blogger Regina Caschetto said...

Dear Elizabeth-
How is it going today-been thinking about you-did you ever see Dr. Mahmet Oz on Oprah-he did an entire show on quitting smoking-might be worth checking out her website-
Hope things are going as well as can be expected-
Though I never smoked, I have been on diets about a hundred times in my life and I know how hard it is to change a part of your lifestyle-
I wish I had better answers for you-
Use your relaxation techniques from your acting and try and psych yourself out-
Wish I could do better for you-
Regi.

April 13, 2008 at 10:45 AM  
Blogger Mainer from away said...

Elizabeth,

I have just passed my 10 month mark on quitting smoking. Prior to this try I only every lasted 3 days. I used the new medication called Chantix. You take it for a couple weeks and can still smoke. It is not a nicotine replacement, but breaks the connection in the receptors that make smoking pleasurable. After the first two weeks, you stop smoking. You take the medication for 3-6 months. If you can get past the side effect of nausea, it is a dream. Other than the first week or week and a half of giving up the cigarettes it was pretty smooth sailing. I actually lost weight when I quit. It really helps you to get through the process of disconnecting the association between doing something and smoking. For instance, I used to smoke every time I got in my car because that was the only place I could smoke inside. Gradually, I broke that connection and my car smells a lot better for it too.

April 14, 2008 at 8:11 AM  
Blogger Laura Cousins said...

Another especially grim 'aversion therapy'-type technique you could try - if you are getting really desperate, is this:

Fill a jam jar with the contents of an ashtray, and a large cup of water. Put the lid on. Tight.

Then, when you are most craving a ciggie, swish the evil mixture round, take of the lid, and have a good old sniff. The longer you go without smoking, the more your sense of smell will improve, and the more ghastly this concoction will seem to you.

April 14, 2008 at 8:29 AM  
Blogger Regina Caschetto said...

Dear Elizabeth-
Hi-
Hope it's going well today-
Whenever I started another diet, sometimes I didn't know if it was better to not tell anyone and therefore not rish comments or questions, or tell people, and hope for support but get criticism along the way-
But when you don't tell anyone, then they regard you as not caring or trying-
Tough call-
Dr. Oz will be on Oprah on Tuesday and the subject will be smoking-
Just thought I would let you know in case you might want to watch-
Regi.

April 14, 2008 at 9:52 PM  
Blogger beep1 said...

Oh, for crying out loud. How could I have forgotten to mention hypnosis?! Two good friends of mine were incredibly successful with hypnosis. One was such a confirmed smoker that he could not get out of bed in the morning without first lighting up. The other could not get through a whole movie without having to step out for a smoke break. They both quit after their first session (out of three) with a hypnotist - and I swear neither one ended up quacking like a duck every time the phone rings!

At the very least, it's like chicken soup - can't hurt to try it.
BP

April 14, 2008 at 10:59 PM  
Blogger Regina Caschetto said...

Watched the Oprah show on Tuesday with Dr. Oz helping a husband-wife smoking duo-it seemed very helpful for both but to tell the truth I got quite confused exactly how it was working-
I have to admit that I often get confused with some shows on Oprah but I guess it boils down to overcoming fears and using either eating or smoking to avoid the feeling of fear-
Sorry that's the most I was able to get out of it-
Regi.

April 16, 2008 at 1:12 AM  
Blogger EDO said...

Wow, I made it a week. "Day by Day". No turning back now. I am using the lozenges and they are working out nicely. I feel like a zombie, though. Don't quite know what to do with myself. Life is good though and I have a lot of work to do, so I will survive this.

April 17, 2008 at 7:34 AM  
Blogger Laura Cousins said...

Congratulations!

I gave up the internet for a week. It was PAINFUL :-D

April 17, 2008 at 7:58 AM  
Blogger Regina Caschetto said...

Dear Elizabeth-
Congratulations on one week-
Yes the old one day at a time-
You deserve a big pat on the back-
Feeling like a zombie-
Not exactly sure what I can suggest-
Guess maybe the shock of losing something that's been a part of you-
Regi.

April 17, 2008 at 1:51 PM  
Blogger Regina Caschetto said...

Dear Elizabeth-
Hi-hope things are still going well for you with the not smoking goal-
I wanted to ask you a question about North Carolina-you can post this or not if you want to-
I have a cousin Peggy who lives in the next town, Milford-she turned 65 in December-her husband, John, is 70 and semi-retired-
Peggy is still working full-time but has now decided to retire-
They own their own home in Milford and have been there in the same house over 40 years-
But they have decided to move to North Carolina-Peggy has a friend from high school that lives in Clayton, North Carolina with her husband-
My cousin and her husband have put their house on the market, asking $354,900, and figure that they can get a comparable house in North Carolina for around $150,000 or less-
My cousin also heard that there were a lot of theatres there and she would like to get something part-time working in a theatre maybe in wardrobe or something-
Are there a lot of theatres there like she has been told-
Her mother and mine were sisters and we were always surrounded by the movie magazines of the time and knew all the movie stars from the 30s and 40s through our Mom so I guess we have the unfulfilled entertainment dreams imbedded in us-
I, of course, am very sad that they are moving but wanted to be supportive for her and that's why I thought I would take the chance and ask you about the theatres-
Thanks-
Regi.
regicasch@optonline.net

April 20, 2008 at 3:42 PM  
Blogger affordmore.info said...

Day 11...keep it goin' girl

(I quit cold turkey Feb of 1989 and there honestly has not been a day since without me wanting to light one up. I smoked Marlboro 100's in the old gold box. MMMMM so fine.)

My advice may sound a bit wierd but it's real. So here goes....

No matter how incredibly strong the urge, don't ever put another smoke up to your mouth and light it. That powerful desire, absolute need for a smoke may lessen with time but I don't believe it ever really completely goes away. A lot of folks are making a lot of money trying to ease the agony but ultimately it's really your own personal strength that carries you.

Take the money you save from quitting and do absolutely whatever you want....splurge big time! You deserve it.

peace...

April 21, 2008 at 9:58 PM  
Blogger EDO said...

Dear Regi,

I don't know about there being a lot of theatres in NC, although I do know that most of them are community theatres. That means that the only person that may get paid is the director. If Peggy is looking to have fun, then yeah, they are always looking for people willing to devote their time.

April 22, 2008 at 6:59 AM  
Blogger Regina Caschetto said...

Dear Elizabeth-
How are things going-
Hope you are still doing well smoke free-
Thank you for responding-
I had the feeling that maybe this opportunity would be more of a volunteering effort for my cousin than a paying job, but if I mention that I'll be sounding too negative-
But thank you for the information-
Regi.

April 22, 2008 at 5:28 PM  
Blogger unknown author said...

Elizabeth,
Congratulations on keeping up with you decision to quit smoking. It must be very hard on stressful days. If you can replace this habit with something healthy, that would be even better. I have never smoked, so I have no idea what you are dealing with. I've just watched my family members struggle with its grip. You have my admiration.

April 23, 2008 at 5:29 PM  
Blogger Gigi said...

Keep up the good work!
I wish my dad had been able to quit. He did quit for a year once when I was in high school, then a co-worker offered him a cigarette and it was all downhill from there.
He became very ill and ultimately that is what finally ended his life. I still miss him greatly and it has been 9 years he has been gone. It is a terribly hard habit to break and I am rooting for you!!!!

April 26, 2008 at 12:46 AM  
Blogger Gigi said...

I am new at this blogging stuff:)
Forgot to say good luck with the workshop.
Hope you have a great time with the family and enjoy NYC. There is nothing like it!
Take care!
xx

April 26, 2008 at 12:57 AM  
Blogger Regina Caschetto said...

Dear Elizabeth-
Hi-
Just checking in to see how you are doing-
Hope all is going well with the no smoking-
Did you happen to check out the Dr. Oz section on Oprah website-might have some good tips for you-
Regi.

April 30, 2008 at 9:41 AM  
Blogger unknown author said...

Elizabeth, How are you doing with your efforts to quit smoking? What has worked for you so far and what hasn't? I'd be interested to hear about it. As I shared earlier, my son struggles with smoking too. Any new ideas or what worked for you would be nice to know.

How is your prep for the workshop? Have you received lots of interest? Hope it is successful and you have a safe trip. Take care.

April 30, 2008 at 12:18 PM  
Blogger Gigi said...

Elizabeth,
I have been thinking about you and hope you are still doing well with the quitting. It will be so worth it. Just think of all the money you will save and you can use it to buy something totally awesome for yourself:)
Hang in there.
Ginny

May 12, 2008 at 10:57 PM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home