My attempt to change my lifestyle

[bravos4evr]

Well, I'm sure many of you on here have been waiting for the day you could say " I told you so" well, apparently, sunday was yer day!

I experienced intense chest pains and coughing intermittently for about 40 minutes. I should gone to the hospital, but I'm broke, pretty much jobless and therefore no insurance.

Next day, i went to my crappy job that is falling apart due to the swine flu scare ( long story), finished my pack of smokes around 2pm, and haven't had one since then. I'm also going to stop drinking any hard liquor and attempt to curtail my beer drinking ( which is gonna be tough, I'm in bars a lot).

I'm 36, have done every non opiate drug there is prolly, smoked for 23 years and drank for 20. I'm kinda surprised I made it this long to be honest with y'all. But, here I am!

I am pretty much completely insane right now, cuz the only way i can quit is cold turkey. lmao, But I'm too broke to buy smokes, too broke to buy booze and too broke to buy gas to even go buy the other stuff if I had the dough for it! So I'm committed ( or soon will be!)

Coming to grips with everything falling apart sucks, but is manageable, coming to grips with dying is a whole different animal. Especially since I am not a religious person...... I need to win the lottery!:D

[Andy G.]

I hope everything works out for you man. Improving your health is always a good idea. Even if things seem to be going great. It's about quality of life more than it is how long you live. Keep with the things you talked about and you'll soon realize the great benefits of leading a healthier life style. All the best.

[Lauren T.]

Good luck! When my dad quit smoking and drinking (25 years of cigs and 22 years of beer), he also quit cold-turkey. He said the most important thing was replacing his old habits -- the ones that put him in poor health -- with new habits. He started going to the local park every day with my mom and walking the trail around the lake; he says that helped his anxiety levels, too. Hopefully you can find something you like to do that's cheap and keeps you away from "temptation". :)

[bravos4evr]

Good luck! When my dad quit smoking and drinking (25 years of cigs and 22 years of beer), he also quit cold-turkey. He said the most important thing was replacing his old habits -- the ones that put him in poor health -- with new habits. He started going to the local park every day with my mom and walking the trail around the lake; he says that helped his anxiety levels, too. Hopefully you can find something you like to do that's cheap and keeps you away from "temptation". :)

I'm not leaving the house until sunday prolly tho.... All my friends smoke..... so I gotta get the serious craving over with before I venture out to much!

[Agent-X-]

I've got two words for you that could seriously help you in your endeavor.

E-cigs.

My parents have been smoking for more than 30 years, and these are by far a much healthier habit and not nearly as expensive. They only contain 4 chemicals as opposed to the thousands that are added to cigarattes.

[bravos4evr]

I saw those things. They cost like $150. I don't have $150. I don
t have $3!!!! I am so screwed!!!! My job is two weeks behind on paying me, they are foreign owned so if I sue they might just bail and I will get nothing. Not to mention they have been violating the law by refusing to pay per diem if I had to work in New Orleans.

If I go to jail , y'all will know why!!!!

[The Rap]

Ok here goes;

1. Get to see a doctor as soon as you can. There must be some free clinics where you are and if not then just go into an emergency room saying you have chest pains.

2. Whoever you see should check you out and if possible have a long talk and some literature about lifestyle changes and ideas how to do it.

3. Regarding money isn't there food stamps or some kind of aid you can get? Why do you continue to work for someone who isn't paying you? Is that person aware of the hardship he is causing you? And if he doesn't care then why are you still there?

Remember one thing; It is your life and not being religious I can even stress that it is the only one you will ever have so it is totally up to you. I would suggest moving somewhere else but that usually doesn't work because the problem is you and not the place.

[bravos4evr]

The problem is that there are no casino dealer jobs right now. I went back to doing marine cargo surveying for a russian owned company that seems to not understand things like overtime and perdiem. Oh, they are gonna pay me, you can believe that I know where these guys live!

It's a long involved thing as the russians banned pork like a week after we added a new pork customer..... argh!!!!!

I'm presently looking ro fomething else but pickings have been slim down here since the hurricane unless it's food service and I'd rather be poor than work food service ( fast food I mean, there are few table waiting jobs either...)

I need to move from here, but you can't move without legal tender or yer just a bum!!

[The Rap]

Don't you have any family who can help you? Just asking and not criticizing at all.

[KB 34]

Bravo, first off I can't say I understand circumstances like yours. I've never tried smoking, drinking, the works. In fact I decided caffeinated beverages needed to go about 2 months ago. What strikes me about what you wrote is you seem to be giving your pride a lot of power. You can't afford a $3 pack of smokes but that's better than working fast food? I'm really not buying it.

I also have a philosophy about life that basically revolves around the idea that when you swallow your pride and/or reach a state of wanting something desperately things work out for the better, with challenges along the way that make you a better person that are well worth it. 1.5 years ago I realized I needed to experience living on my own. I applied to live 700 miles away for the summer because I didn't think I'd get it and would end up at what I felt was a better place closer to home. What happened? I ended up 700 miles away, had to face my fears, and in doing so had a great time and learned a lot. Fast forward 9 months. One Tuesday night I came to terms with the fact that I was basically screwed for this summer. I had figured I was a really good candidate for summer positions and had no backup plan. That night I spent hours looking for a summer job where I could get something out of it beyond a little bit of money and salvage a bad situation. The result? The next day I got a phone call inviting me back to NASA for a second summer. Tuesday was absolutely horrible and depressing but man, that was a nice phone call on Wednesday, if only I had the opportunity to enjoy it like I had dreamed of it happening for months. At the same time his was happening I was facing the struggle of not being really close to my friends and living in a stressed out cave. A few hours before the NASA call I got the news a close friend had lost a parent. We've become really close since then and my friendships with mutual friends has grown. Suddenly I wasn't as anxious to leave for the summer and the separation has been difficult. In the end I've gotten to a much better point in life but the way in which things have happened is downright crazy and I never would have expected it. I believe when true desperation and willingness to make whatever is best work good things come. That is a philosophy I hold tightly and anxiously await my next realization experiences that will improve my life.

[bravos4evr]

KB..... I'm old, I've had my shot , I screwed it up a time or two. All I ask out of life anymore is a fair shake and on my own terms. if I can't get it, I am willing to suffer.( and I have) It's easy to sit from yer grad school perch and talk about pride my friend! In the real wordl( ya know the world that exists ouside of academia) It doesn't work that smoothly.

I can't "prove" my worth to anyone. I can do any job you throw at me( cuz I'm friggin smart and also crafty) but getting a chance to prove it... therein lies the rub...

[Freddy_Ballgame]

As someone who has smoked and drank over the years, I can tell you it is tough to stop. I gave up cigs back in 1985, riding the backlash of a 4 day bender over a 4th of July holiday. I worked in a bar and when I crept in a day after most were back at work, the first customer ordered a pitcher of draft....AT 10:30 IN THE MORNING! I nearly hurled just pulling it. I had arrived at 10:00, placed my smokes and lighter at the end of the bar and remembered them around 11:30 that night when we were closing. I figured I'd see how long I could go without one, and haven't had one since. Yeah, it was tough, but it spurred my Dad, brother and sis-in-law to quit. My Dad and bro haven't smoked since. You can do it. Pretend the smokes are me or some other poster you detest and just shout at them or cuss 'em. Even I think you're strong enough to quit. As for boozing, I don't do a lot of that any more, but nature took care of that. I still love some beer but not in the mass quantities like I used to. I rarely use any liquor, mostly because I just never enjoyed the stuff enough to tote around the makin's and few want to "party" with a guy who's throwing down out of a bottle! Heck, that stuff just hurts too much as you get older, unless you're really bad to the point you don't get hangovers.
The nonsense about not working a fast food job is false pride, bud. You don't have to like it, you don't have to make a career out of it but it might just help you find yourself. (And give you a source of food!) Face it. At your age, you should be able to outshine about 99% of the folks working in those spots, so you may advance fairly quick. You could be a manager in months, and that can quickly lead to better gigs at other places. Believe it or not, working at Burger Doodle may make you feel undervalued, but actually working and earning some bread while you look for a better spot will boost your ego. You'll feel better and maybe more positive, and things can change for the better. I've had to hunt jobs every 4 or 5 years since high school. I despise it. Here's the kicker....I've never followed a job in a field I just left with another job in the same field. I have changed my experience and grown, and learned a lot about me. I'm not the same pushy s#itkicker I used to be like this guy Nick, I know at Chop, oops! My present job is the only time I've kept a similar job and I have stepped up in my new gig. I haven't been this happy in years....since my old Norrell days. You can do it too, bud. You just have to reach down deep, ask for help (even if it's from a God you don't want to acknowledge or admit) and get out there and kick some A in a positive manner. If it doesn't offend you, I'd be happy to ask others with similar faith to pray for you. If that doesn't do it for ya, think My Name is Earl, and start making up for all the rotten crap you've done! You've got a host of us pulling for you, dude!

[Chris_Moderato]

I'm pulling for you, if only because I don't want to have to wade through another one of these threads about how you're quitting smoking and changing your life. Seriously, for someone who trashes lefty cry-babies so often, you sure are feeling sorry for yourself Nick.

Nut up, man. Stop smoking. I did, and I'm a cry-baby lib. Lay off the booze, get the hell out of the south if you can't find work. Put your guitar on your back, pack a little bag on a stick, and trudge up north. Sitting on your ass dying of extreme chest pains is also something bums do.

[luvdembravos]

I'm pulling for you, if only because I don't want to have to wade through another one of these threads about how you're quitting smoking and changing your life. Seriously, for someone who trashes lefty cry-babies so often, you sure are feeling sorry for yourself Nick.

Nut up, man. Stop smoking. I did, and I'm a cry-baby lib. Lay off the booze, get the hell out of the south if you can't find work. Put your guitar on your back, pack a little bag on a stick, and trudge up north. Sitting on your ass dying of extreme chest pains is also something bums do.

Tough love -- a lost art form that so few apply these days.

[Chris_Moderato]

Tough love -- a lost art form that so few apply these days.

I figured bravos would appreciate it.

[bravos4evr]

argh.....

[Chris_Moderato]

"Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair or f*cking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man...and give some back."

[bravos4evr]

Believe me , I have delivered much pain onto the world! I may just say to hell with it and just drink and smoke until I friggin die. Heck my grandmother smoked for 65 years and she's still alive!

[Hobbes]

That's all well and good if you go out in a blaze of glory. But how about if you are wasting away for years hacking up phlegm and carting around an oxygen tank?

Besides, have you calculated how much money you have spent and will spend on cigarettes over the course of your life?

[Freddy_Ballgame]

Tough love -- a lost art form that so few apply these days.

My, how times change.....I tried the "tough love" approach on one of your earlier attempts and nearly got banned! Yeah, when I went hard at the situation I got pasted for being heartless. Guess I should've been a mod, eh?

;) :wall:

[Chris_Moderato]

My, how times change.....I tried the "tough love" approach on one of your earlier attempts and nearly got banned! Yeah, when I went hard at the situation I got pasted for being heartless. Guess I should've been a mod, eh?

;) :wall:

Well, at least you've gotten over it.

[Freddy_Ballgame]

Yeah, well, there is that.....

[jlcct]

Here's a way out. Find a job working for a cellular company either doing repairs or installs or upgrades or what ever. They will send you all over the country and when you are in better financial shape you can settle where ever you like. I did it for a couple years. The pay was outrageous, I got to travel to St. Louis, Chicago, Houston, Miami, the entire east coast and a few other states. They gave me a hundred dollars a day for meals and hotels. They paid for a plane flight home every three months where I was allowed to stay for up to two weeks. I had my own company van/truck, laptop, cellphone, air card, camera, tools and lots of other perks. I didn't meet my boss in person until after the first year. I worked at my own pace. A few years ago I posted a weak resume on monster and I still get emails from companies on a weekly basis so there is plenty of work to be had in the field. You don't even need an education in telecommunications. It's hard for these companies to find guys who can travel and stay away from home for long periods so there is always work. When I got hired (over the phone) they asked for a bank account and routing number and sent me an advance of $1000 to get me started which was taken out of my first paycheck which easily covered it. Some of the positions will have you climbing towers so check that if your affraid of heights. The cell phone industry is so fast paced that every time they come out with something new like 3g or two companies merge it sends a wave of work flooding across the countries and people start scrambling. It's a huge frivolous industry. It's just an idea.

[Hobbes]

It's just an idea.
And it sounds like a good one.

[bravos4evr]

I actually applied for one of those jobs earlier this year and I failed the heights test..... Thanx for the idea though , it is a good one! ( I had to go down to the place in person and climb this tower that was uber high and I couldn't make it to the top, heck barely made it back down!)

[jlcct]

How about a taxi driver? It's a $50 application fee here. You have to wait a couple weeks before you are approved but you would always have cash in pocket. I think that might depend on DUI's and your driving history although I'm not sure. I'm extremely outgoing when I travel and I'll talk to everyone. For me driving a cab would be fun. Plus depending on the outfit you work for you can get your choice of which calls you want to take so you could work other jobs as well. I got a ride home from the Mohegan Sun casino one night and the cabby was selling beer out of a cooler in the back of his cab. :thumbsup::cheers:
Maybe a truck driver? Though that has to be the most boring job possible.
Your area of the country has got to be in need of some blue color construction right? Most community colleges offer the classes required to complete the academic portion of a tradesman apprenticeship. You could find a job as an apprentice making **** money but once you make it to your third year you would be paid much better. The government requires a 10% or 15% raise every year until your apprenticeship is complete. You could then afford the classes and then have a license to take you anywhere. If you applied for financial assistance right now you might be able to take those classes for little to nothing. Plus you could moonlight after work for a couple hours every night or every other night making what a licensed guy makes.
I have my E2 which is an electricians license. I was waking up at 4 and getting home at 6 for a while so I started looking around for a change and I noticed that there are a ton of government jobs starting to open up. I applied to a company which does work exclusively for the DOT and I landed the job. That's prevailing wages. A ton of money. Point is I can't imagine it would be to hard to find a similar position in your area. I was getting prevailing wage working at Uconn as a third year apprentice and making $30/hr. plus another $15/hr into my benefits package. I had 18 grand in retirement in three years. (I spent it cause I'm stupid but meh). Also Obama is retrofitting tons of government buildings so there is a lot of prevailing wage to be had. Maybe you could take some solar energy classes while you are doing the school thing and see where that could take you.

[jlcct]

Ohh. Another idea. What about the department of corrections? Good money. Good retirement. I don't know what it takes but again it's not a job you have to commit to at an early age.

[The Rap]

I love the ideas especially the one where Nick would work for something that Obama had the credit for creating. lol

[bravos4evr]

I love the ideas especially the one where Nick would work for something that Obama had the credit for creating. lol

Number one, there is no corrections down here, Parchman farm is up north...shudder.... one of the scariest prisons in the country!

Number 2, i worked carpentry a lot in my 20's but the market has really dropped out here lately cuz noone is building....

Number 3, I have no idea what Obama created program you are referring to! ( and I'm seriously not being an ass, I just don;t know what it is you speak of).

Numero quatro, the ended up paying me and agreeing to per diem and mileage for the New Orleans job, so I am making headway it seems. I really want to get out of this bidness , but its hard finding career oriented jobs man, it really is. Especially when your work record kinda looks like dooks!

[The Rap]

"Also Obama is retrofitting tons of government buildings so there is a lot of prevailing wage to be had. Maybe you could take some solar energy classes while you are doing the school thing and see where that could take you.
"

That was what I was referring to.

[BigWorm]

Bravos,
We really got off on the wrong foot. We had some words and we'll probably have more. I just wanted you to know that quitting smoking is a valiant act. It takes a strong soul to achieve success, trust me I know. I'm weak. I've tried to quit smoking numerous times, and most recently will attempt to quit tomorrow. I've let my family down after failed promises. I promised my baby daughter that I would quit for her when she was born, four months later I picked up the habit again. I have one and a half packs left and I'm having a smokedown right now as I type this. I need to quit, I don't want to have my family suffer due to my weakness. I've also suffered medical problems due to cigs, and it's obvious that they are killing me. It's nice to know that other people have the same monster to slay, and hopefully we can both beat this evil somabitch.

Good luck.

[argentina brave]

Bravos,
We really got off on the wrong foot. We had some words and we'll probably have more. I just wanted you to know that quitting smoking is a valiant act. It takes a strong soul to achieve success, trust me I know. I'm weak. I've tried to quit smoking numerous times, and most recently will attempt to quit tomorrow. I've let my family down after failed promises. I promised my baby daughter that I would quit for her when she was born, four months later I picked up the habit again. I have one and a half packs left and I'm having a smokedown right now as I type this. I need to quit, I don't want to have my family suffer due to my weakness. I've also suffered medical problems due to cigs, and it's obvious that they are killing me. It's nice to know that other people have the same monster to slay, and hopefully we can both beat this evil somabitch.

Good luck.

hey, if i can quit, anyone can.... don't give up fighting!!! it can be done. it's been 5 years for me, and i can say honestly, the withdrawals do go away. it'll take about 2-3 months though, before it gets manageable, maybe 6 monts.

in my experience, you have to remove yourself from places/people/things that remind you of smoking, at least temporarily. for me, i couldn't drink or go to bars for a period of time...i know that sounds extreme, but it worked for me. also, keep a pack in your house. you know its there, but challenge yourself each time you have the urge, wait 10 minutes....just 10 minutes, and 9 times out of 10, the urge will pass and you'll be fine without it. i held on to that pack of marlboro lights for about a year, before i finally gave them to a buddy after a night of beers.

i used to smoke a pack a day FWIW.

[Chris_Moderato]

hey, if i can quit, anyone can.... don't give up fighting!!! it can be done. it's been 5 years for me, and i can say honestly, the withdrawals do go away. it'll take about 2-3 months though, before it gets manageable, maybe 6 monts.

in my experience, you have to remove yourself from places/people/things that remind you of smoking, at least temporarily. for me, i couldn't drink or go to bars for a period of time...i know that sounds extreme, but it worked for me. also, keep a pack in your house. you know its there, but challenge yourself each time you have the urge, wait 10 minutes....just 10 minutes, and 9 times out of 10, the urge will pass and you'll be fine without it. i held on to that pack of marlboro lights for about a year, before i finally gave them to a buddy after a night of beers.

i used to smoke a pack a day FWIW.

I tried three times before it finally took, about three years ago (give or take). I can't suggest strongly enough that anyone with access to Zyban take it. Take it, take it, take it. It helps so much. You do that, and follow argentina's suggestions, you'll be alright.

I feel for you though, Worm. There ain't much to do in Winder except smoke and farm. Good luck.

[The Rap]

I smoked from the time I was 15. In those days there was nothing about it being harmful to your health. The only thing being said was that it might stunt your growth. I looked at my parents and realized I wasnlt going anywhere and lit up. I varied between 1 and 2 packs at various times of my life. In 1987 I found out I had a heart condition. I stopped smoking cold turkey and also lost about 30 pounds over the next few months, something I was told was practically unheard of. Then in 1988 I met a young lady and we got married the next year. I was 41 and she was 22. I hadn't smoked and she was a smoker. I begged her to quit because I knew what was bound to happen. However, explaining stop smoking to a 22 year old is like explaining a beach to an Eskimo. I held out for a couple of years and then caved in. I smoked two packs a day until August 2002 when I was told I needed a triple bypass operation to save my life.So I quit smoking about 5 days before the surgery and haven't touched a cigarrette since. I do know one thing that I believe very strongly. Anyone under 30 who smokes must be stupid or just doesnlt care because of the wealth of information out there telling how dangerous a habit it is to one's health.'

[ScooterBrave]

I don't believe its ever too late to change and make a difference in or with your life.

I chewed tobacco (and occassionally smoked) from when I was 13. Didn't start having kids until I was almost 40. I quit tobacco because of health and I wanted to be an example my children could learn from. I didn't want to use the do as I say and not as I do logic.

The failure of my first marriage (along with major roadblocks in my career path at the time) led to my falling into a self-destructive phase. But I have spent the time since then re-building and re-establishing myself.

Now, I am re-designing my body. I was tired over being very overweight and the health problems that resulted from that. I have begun a workout program and a diet. I am trimming down and feeling good.

Now, this is not meant to glorify me, but I want to reinforce that you can always start again. There is hope.

Hang in there and press on.

[Andy G.]

Bravos,
We really got off on the wrong foot. We had some words and we'll probably have more. I just wanted you to know that quitting smoking is a valiant act. It takes a strong soul to achieve success, trust me I know. I'm weak. I've tried to quit smoking numerous times, and most recently will attempt to quit tomorrow. I've let my family down after failed promises. I promised my baby daughter that I would quit for her when she was born, four months later I picked up the habit again. I have one and a half packs left and I'm having a smokedown right now as I type this. I need to quit, I don't want to have my family suffer due to my weakness. I've also suffered medical problems due to cigs, and it's obvious that they are killing me. It's nice to know that other people have the same monster to slay, and hopefully we can both beat this evil somabitch.

Good luck.
Good luck man.

[hoosjon]

"Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair or f*cking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man...and give some back."

The irony of quoting Al Swearingin ...

I've quit smoking for about 2 years now (I've quit a thousand times, but this is the longest that it's "stuck"), but I desperately need to get in shape and lose some weight.

I just wanna thank y'all for your stories and encouragement. I know it was meant for Braves4ever, but you have inspired me as well.

4ever, good luck with the job and the beer and the smoking (for me, that was the hardest thing ... I have to go cold turkey and hanging out with my smoker friends might have been the hardest thing.)

[Chris_Moderato]

The irony of quoting Al Swearingin...

How is that ironic?

[hoosjon]

I meant quoting someone who does shots literally every waking hour of the day to someone talking of moderation/quitting smoking drinking, etc.

Okay, not THAT ironic, and it IS a great quote that I had to google to remind myself where it came from.

[Chris_Moderato]

I meant quoting someone who does shots literally every waking hour of the day to someone talking of moderation/quitting smoking drinking, etc.

Okay, not THAT ironic, and it IS a great quote that I had to google to remind myself where it came from.

I gotcha.

[Hobbes]

Deadwood was such a great show. Too bad it had to end, and in such an unsatisfactory way.

[BigWorm]

Deadwood was such a great show. Too bad it had to end, and in such an unsatisfactory way.

and to end in such an unfinished way..... to make way for a complete bomb (John from Cincinnati)

maybe someone will pick it up one day and add to it. It'd make one hell of a movie.

[BigWorm]

Smoking Update:

I'm no liar. I'm also still not a non-smoker. I sneak around the house and smoke a few a day, I'm trying but so far to no avail.

[Dreamscape]

I hope you continue to work at, BigWorm. My mother is a smoker...she has quit before, but due to some situations in life, she started up again. Until recently, we didn't even know she had gone back to it until her blood pressure spiked up incredibly and I took her to the ER and we were there when the doc asked her if she smoked and she said yes. It was a shocker. It's tough to watch a smoker...hardly as tough as it is to be the smoker...but I know how much it's tough to care so much for someone, only to see her smoke. So I wish you a whole lot of luck. Keep working on it.

[sdp]

I have a very occasional cigar, but cigarettes were directly linked to the death of every single one of my grandparents.

- Paternal grandfather: lung cancer. Smoked three packs a day until the very end.
- Paternal grandmother: stroke, aneurysm. Needed a brain operation but her arteries were so brittle from smoking for 50+ years that they essentially fell apart on the operating table. Died three weeks later.
- Maternal grandfather: fatal heart attack at age 50, way before I was born. Smoker.
- Maternal grandmother: stroke, COPD. Smoked 50+ years.

Obviously, you can reach a point where the damage is done, but for the most part, within ten years of quitting, your body has largely healed itself and your risk levels for certain things linked to smoking return to normal levels. There are nothing but positives that come from quitting smoking and you should be commended for your efforts.

[siscadurban]

Just try changing lifestyle by consuming natural ingredients. eat vegetables and fruits, especially green and nature. Also meditation, this may help

[bravos4evr]

I just quit doing blow, still drink like a fish.... one thing at a time.