I got my prescription, and with high hopes, I began taking it immediately. I asked my doctor about it, and he thought it would be a great fit for me. It reduces withdrawal symptoms and makes it so you don’t enjoy nicotine. Then I saw a TV commercial for varenicline (Chantix). I smoked for a few more years, trying to quit now and then. I was crying uncontrollably, couldn’t sit still, was extremely agitated and anxious, and I was STILL SMOKING! I called my doctor, who instructed me to stop taking the pills immediately and throw them away. I was supposed to take the medicine for 7 days while still smoking to allow the medication to get into my system. This drug is an antidepressant that can also help people quit smoking. So I asked my doctor for help, who prescribed bupropion (Zyban). It was part of everything I did!įighting my nicotine addiction made me irritable, and my kids started hating me because of my mood swings. I would smoke right after the shower, while doing my hair, on the way to work, on breaks and at lunch, after eating, several cigarettes on the way home, and several in the evening before bed. That’s right…sometimes even before going to the bathroom. I would have my first smoke the minute I woke up. Part of the problem was that I really enjoyed smoking. I tried the patch and the gum, but nothing worked. I tried smoking lights instead of full flavor, but I just ended up smoking more. I tried to wait 10 minutes after the urge kicked in before having one, but that didn’t work. When I was 32 years old, I finally decided to quit. By the time I was 16, I was at a pack a day. My high school even had a smoking area for students! As a freshman, I was smoking about a half pack a day. When I started smoking at a young age, it was the thing to do. It wasn’t easy, but it is worth it! The Start I don’t know about that, but I know how hard I struggled to get smoking out of my life. I have heard that nicotine is as addictive as heroin. Thankfully, that isn’t true anymore, and many people have quit this expensive and dangerous habit. She is currently an insurance agent, softball umpire, and lung cancer advocate.Ī few decades ago, smoking was cool. Tracy has been a teacher, Junior Olympic softball player, and softball coach. She has a family history of lung cancer and then was diagnosed herself in 2009, after she stopped smoking. Tracy started smoking as a teenager and finally quit after decades of smoking. To underscore how hard it is to quit smoking after starting, cancer survivor Tracy Anderson describes the long, challenging journey she undertook to stop. March 16 is Kick Butts Day, a youth activism day that encourages children to not start smoking and stand up against tobacco.
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