"One thousand Americans stop smoking every day - by dying."
My Story
Those of us who smoke know we shouldn't do it. We don't need people we love to remind us of it every day. There are some people who love to smoke and will never quit. There are some that have fifty million reasons about why they can't quit smoking. The thing is there are fifty million reasons why I should quit smoking. So I am here, 2 days smoke free. I know a lot of you are thinking, "So?" I also know that there are those who say, “Keep going!" Well, here is my story; it is a story about what the effects of quitting smoking are having on my body.
I should have stopped 8 years ago when I almost died. I just lost so much control over everything else and smoking was the one thing I still had control over at that time, like it or not. Believe me, it was not my finest moment in time. I did, however, make a promise to myself, and my kids, that I would quit before I was forty. Well I am going to be 39 years old on Tuesday, so I figure I only have a year and I need to get started. I want to live a healthier life for myself and kids. I also want not to smell; I am so tired of spending money on perfume. You can't smell it because as soon as I smoke that cigarette the smell is gone. My hair smells, along with my clothes and my house. What kills me is when we had to give a piece of hair for our life insurance. We have to retest in one year to get lower rate.
Over time I have watched my skin yellow in some areas, and I'm noticing those extra wrinkles on my face that only smokers have. My kids have missed out on their Mom for other health reasons and I don't need to add any more.
I also want to taste better. As you may have read, what goes in to your mouth comes out elsewhere. Nicotine is a big part of why smokers have sex fluids that are bitter. The poison comes out of my skin and is in my bodily fluids. My husband has never said anything, but he is also a smoker. They say that if you eat pineapple a day or two before you plan to have sex it can make you taste better. You have to be a non-smoker to make this work so I am looking forward to trying this out.
Your sexual libido is decreased as a smoker. Women find it harder to achieve orgasm, and men may have problems maintaining an erection. Now I am not talking about a cure for ED, this erection effect has more to do with the blood being able to flow easier to the penis.
I started my stop smoking quest with a web search. I found out that a women smoker may have a harder time reaching orgasm because of blood flow issues. I already have decreased sensation from nerve damage. So I have that problem and I smoke. Reaching an orgasm is hard; I am screwed, and not in a good way! I want to go into my forties screaming from the big "O", if you know what I mean.
I set a date and began my journey from smoker to non-smoker. I have to say day one, and hour one, sucked! I had to remind myself to take this one minute at a time. One minute is all I have right now. I took a shower, and then I had to brush my teeth. I had a foul taste in my mouth that I needed to get rid of. To tell you the truth this is something that happens a couple times a day.
They say your heart rate drops to normal about 20 minutes after your last cigarette. After 20 minutes I certainly wanted another cigarette. I stayed with it though; I brushed my teeth, I walked to the end of the block and back again, and then I drank some water.
Two hours after your last cigarette your heart rate is supposed to decrease. Mine felt like it was going through the roof. I wanted a cigarette so bad I felt I was crawling out of my skin. They say this is normal. Great! I walked to the corner and back, again and again. Increased circulation, yep, I got that! At that point I couldn't sit still.
They say that 12 hours after your last cigarette your carbon monoxide levels decrease. I wouldn't know if this is true. I feel like I am losing my breath walking to the corner and back. 24 hours after my last cigarette and I am less likely to have a heart attack. Really? All this walking makes me feel like I am having one, right here in front of my home.
After the first day I felt as if I had lost something. I had to fight the knowledge that I could just jump in the car and buy just one more pack. I felt good about doing this, and at the same time I felt like I was crazy for doing it. I couldn't sit still so my fall back is cleaning. I had woken up early; like freakin' 4:30 am early! I thought, "Are you fucking kidding me?" I had the house cleaning and laundry done by 7:30 am. Now what? My husband is at work. Suddenly my sex drive kicked in! My mind was in chaos and I felt like I was losing my grip.
It has been 2 days. I left my house to go to the store. I had avoided doing this the previous day so I couldn't buy a pack. At this point the nicotine is gone and I felt as though I had no more cravings. I got to the check out and wouldn't you know it? The lady in front of me is a smoker. I could smell it. It was overwhelming. I asked my son, who is fourteen, to finish the check out. He can't buy cigarettes and, boy, did I want to! I bought some gum instead, and we walked outside. I could smell the smoker a half a block down! I was, at this point, running to my car to get home. I didn't want to stop to get a pack of cigarettes.
I feel pretty good about not needing the smokes. I am, however, still getting up early. That I could do without. I have more energy all around, but that does not mean I really want to do more, necessarily. I am still somewhat snippy and I know I have to figure how to deal with stress better, and I will work on that. My libido is high right now. It is actually getting easier to have an orgasm. "Yes"! Over the next few weeks and years my lungs will heal and be clear again. My risk of developing cancer will decrease and there are so many more benefits i will reap. It will take my body like 10 to 20 years to recover fully, and I hope I have that long.
Right now, I am exercising. I can only do 10 minutes at a time because at that point I feel like my heart will explode. So this may be my last article! This is where I am right now: trying to exercise to keep from eating everything I see. It is like I have been starving myself. I feel like I have nothing to do; bored even.
My husband and I are both smokers. I am now three days smoke free. My husband has decreased his intake of cigarettes per day and hopes to be smoke free soon. We want to live smoke-free, healthy lives and increase the quality, and quantity, of our sex lives. As he watches my libido change and re-ignite I am hoping it will give him the courage to give up the habit for himself.
If you have more questions about smoking and how it will affect your sex life check out Dr. Michael Roizen's website [Dr. Michael Roizen. https://www.sharecare.com/question/does-smoking-affect-sexual-pleasure?utm_medium=sharecare|here].