What made me give up smoking was playing soccer with my nephews and nieces on February 14 at a family get together. Within five minutes my lungs were burning as if I was suffering some sort of gas attack. I ended up playing largely in goal but even so at the end I felt miserable. I vowed to quit the next day and did just that. No patches, gum or e-fags just cold turkey.
Okay I have put on a few pounds despite six weeks this summer working on the land in Greece but the cough has gone, I do not feel breathless walking up hills and though I, now and then, think that I would fancy a quick fag, if I consider it for a few minutes I conclude that it would taste foul and would lead to a total relapse. And so I have stayed clean.
And today and on Wednesday I played soccer with the younger generation again. Okay my legs are aching and I would probably give myself 3 out of 10 for overall fitness but I was not breathless, there is no coughing or heavy breathing. Walking up the hill afterwards was hard on the legs but I breathed as normal. Both games were celebrations of progress.
In three days time I shall hit the six month landmark. These days I don't count days or weeks I really just don't think about it at all. But, after almost thirty years of twenty a day, six months without a single relapse is pretty damn good is it not?
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