Rainbow Phlegm

There are quite a few things that happen to a long-term smoker like myself when we decide to butt out of the habit. My least favorite is what I refer to as "rainbow phlegm." Rainbow phlegm is the colorfully unpleasant stuff I've been coughing up intermittently for the past two weeks as my body fights to clear my lungs of all the tar and dead tissue that's built up over the years. It's actually a good sign because it means my body is healing.

I'm producing a bit more phlegm than is (probably) normal, partly because of what led up to my decision to quit smoking: I caught the flu.

I actually think that getting sick is the best time to quit. When anyone comes down with a cold or the flu, it can get uncomfortable... for a smoker who needs a nicotine fix, it can be hell. My throat was sore and I had a cough, so smoke was the last thing I wanted in my system -- just a couple puffs off a cigarette sent me into a fit of coughs that made me think a lung was going to come up.

After a few days of torturing myself by smoking while sick, I couldn't take it anymore and decided to stop. I just wanted to sleep, anyway, so I figured the nicotine withdrawals everyone gets the 2-3 days after quitting would happen while in the care of Nyquil Cold & Flu Relief... and it did help. I spent most of the time in bed, drinking lots of fluids, and doing my best to avoid smoking. I don't think I felt the impact of the withdrawals so much, because the flu was far worse. Then I got a touch of bronchitis, and that sealed the deal... no more smoking for me.

Lesson learned? If you need to quit, try catching the flu? No... nobody wants the flu. If you happen to get sick, though, it's a good time to consider throwing out the rest of the pack you bought earlier. Your body will thank you by healing both your sickness and the withdrawals at the same time.

Here are some other statistics that I learned about the body's healing process after quitting smoking:

• Just 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your blood pressure and pulse rate drop to normal and the body temperature of your hands and feet increases to normal.
• A mere 8 hours after your last smoke, the carbon monoxide level decreases and the oxygen level in your blood increases to normal.
• Just 24 hours after your last cigarette, you substantially lessen your chances of having a heart attack.
• Two days after your last cigarette, you will notice that your ability to taste and smell is enhanced.
• Three days later, your breathing should be noticeably better because your lung capacity will be greater.
• Your circulation will improve and your lung functioning will increase up to 30% within two weeks to three months after quitting.
• Between one month and nine months, the cilia in your lungs will regenerate, allowing your body to clean your lungs and reduce infection.
• One year after quitting, your risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker.
• Five years after quitting, your risk of stroke is reduced to that of a nonsmoker.
• Ten years after quitting, the lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smokers. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases.
• Fifteen years after quitting, your risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmokers.

(U.S. Surgeon General's Reports (1988, 1990)

In 30 more minutes, I will hit the week mark of my quit. My lung capacity is increasing and my circulation is improving. I do notice the results... I'm glad I'm sticking to it.

200 Cigarettes

It's Day 13, 200 cigarettes avoided, $73.87 saved. This is my fourth attempt to quit smoking over the past 17 years.

I downloaded an app called QuitSM onto my Droid phone that shows me basic statistics about my current non-smoking status:

• I haven't smoked since October 8,2010.
• I have avoided 200 cigarettes.
• It's been 13 days since I quit smoking.
• I have saved $73.87 by not smoking.

It goes on to tell me some basic health details related to my progress, as well. Things like increased lung capacity, better circulation, lower blood pressure, and decreased risk of heart attack are displayed as progress meters -- the app does a pretty decent job of inspiring me to stay quit.

I feel like I'm succeeding -- I've been fighting the cravings (they aren't even that bad), but then again, I've tried this before and every time before I have fallen back into the habit. The longest I've quit for has been 8 months.... that was nearly 10 years ago... and when I think of it in those terms (how many cigarettes I've smoked, how much money I've spent on puffing away my health), it's scary and depressing. The reality that smoking will kill me has finally hit home. I just hope it's not too late.



It was by chance that I checked my phone at the exact moment that I'd reached the "200 cigarettes" mark. It made me think of the movie 200 Cigarettes... even though that movie had nothing to do with quitting smoking. Somehow, my thought process rushed me to my computer to start a blog -- partly because I am proud of myself for hitting that milestone and wanted to ensure that I kept up the good work, and partly because it seemed like an interesting way to start a blog.

My hopes are that maintaining this blog at regular intervals will help keep me on track... and perhaps help someone else one day.

I don't want to be a smoker anymore.