hello all,
i have read several posts here and have recently quit smoking. i have a strong family history of stroke (not cancer i know!) and need motivation. i quit 21/04/05 and used patches (a godsend)
mark.

Good on you!!! Just think positive thoughts and do things a little differently - instead of drinking coffee, maybe have tea, keep sweets handy and best of all, enjoy getting back your sense of taste and smell

Well done Mark, you are over the worst bit.The craving does'nt dissapear suddenly one day,it slowly subsides over a period of months.You may find that you cough more and feel congested for a while--the sort of symptoms you associate with smoking.This is a normal reaction and will clear after a while.A word of warning though, when you feel you are over the problem stage don't be tempted to have "just one puff" or a small cigar after dinner.You have to treat this like a reformed alcoholic, one drink and he's an alco again; one cig and you are a smoker again.It is not worth it particularly after the hard work you have put in.Keep up the good work Mark everyone on this site will be proud of you,most of us know only too well the suffering that smoking can bring.
Keep Smiling
John