Eve, Thank you for reminding me... When I was preparing to quit, I counted how many times I coughed during my work out. They were just little "dry thoat" kind of coughs but I remember counting 8. Now I need to notice if I cough when I work out now. I don't think I do anymore... Mama [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 6/18/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 22 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 907 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $125.4 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 9 [B]Mins:[/B] 36 [B]Seconds:[/B] 10

Eve, Thank you for sharing your thoughts with the SSC community! Danielle ______________________ The SSC Support Team

I'm (Cough) O(cough, cough cough)K. Illusion #8 I must have coughed every 10 minutes of every day of my natural smoking life. I would tell myself I was OK. And it was just a little cough from smoking. Yeah, that's all. It'll go away once I quit. And when I was going to quit remained to be seen. The lies you tell yourself are one thing, but the lies we say to cover up what we really know is true with others gets my goat. For example, a little cough here and there. What did we say to justify our flemmy throats? Well here are some of my excuses and reasons that I believed I had everyone convinced that I was either really sufferring with lots of throat problems or that I needed my tonsils out sooner or later. And it was because of everything BUTT smoking. "I'm just clearing my throat." Or, "my throat is dry, going to get some water." Or how about this one, "I've had this cold for awhile and it just KEEPS hanging on!" How about, "It's allergies." Yeah all that dust and pollen flying around every single day of the year. We can forget about pollen season folks. Smokers have that one coined as a year-round thing now. And how about that cold that just keeps hanging on? I must have been pretty ill for that cough to be hanging around 24/7 like that. And that dryness? How much water can one drink to help you stop coughing? Dang, the water isn't working. Well I must just have to go choke in the bathroom and hack it all up and get it out. (That is what I did do alot of the time. AND IT WAS NOT FUN.) The excuses are pretty rediculous when you really look at what they are and what you said to others. How about someone you just met and really liked? Oh yeah that was great, and everything would be going perfectly along, UNTIL YOU HAD TO COUGH. And screw everything up for yourself. Dammit. And your new friendly mate there. Double poop. Yep. Your friend would say, "Are you ok?" and OF COURSE you would reply "Yeah I'm (Cough) O(cough, cough cough)K. I just had a scratch in my throat." They would buy it for a few minutes but then they would find out sooner or later that you smoked and then, well, they can do the math and figure out why you had a scratch. Sooner or later you would also need to scratch that itch. I HATED THOSE TICKLES in the back of my thro

Great #8. :) I remember lying in bed, waiting for sleep to take over, and trying to hold back the cough so I wouldn't disturb my wife. I remember waking up in the morning and almost holding my breath so I could get my shoes on and get out of the bedroom before coughing up the crap that built up overnight, again so I wouldn't disturb my wife. I remember her asking me if I was coming down with something because I coughed quite a bit during the night (never remembered it). I remember stifling laughter that really wanted to come out so badly because I would just break into a hacking fit that would drown out the next joke. You sure know just how to invoke memories, Eve. Keep it up. :) Shevie [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/23/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 413 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 8,263 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1569.4 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 77 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 25 [B]Seconds:[/B] 56