The moment I have been waiting for..

Easter weekend for me holds a very special meaning in my life.

It is not only the weekend of Egg Thieving Bunnies or Chocolate covered sin.. It is much more than the time off work and beaches and parties and friends.

However, nothing is more special than the christian rejoicing in the rebirth of Jesus, and the sacrifice he made for us all those years ago..but definitely right up there in importance to me.

It has a personal and therefore very precious meaning to me.

Ten years ago, on Easter Monday I sat by myself (as I so often did back then) and made a life altering decision that I have managed to stick to. I sat there on that couch in the lounge area of the B&B we were staying in at the time armed with nothing more than 3 Benson & Hedges Special Mild cigarettes and a resolve to quit smoking.. So I chain smoked al three smokes and with each drag I said my goodbyes to a lifelong friend and a filthy habit.. I have never looked back.

Ten years later I am proud at my ability to hang in there in the dark and scary hours when all I wanted was a drag from a long and warm smoke..Damn, thinking back on it now I really really don’t know how I did it.  It was probably one of THE most difficult things I have had to do.

I am by no means one of those ex-smokers that bashes all smokers and tries to get everyone to quit..I KNOW HOW TOUGH IT IS.. I wouldn’t want to force such a decision on anyone.. it is a very personal thing and can only be done by someone who chooses to and for the right reasons. So I respect the rights of smokers as long as they respect mine not to.

One of the key reasons for me quitting is because I am a high risk for cancer as most of my family have been cruelly snatched from me by this obnoxious and cruel disease.

At the time that I quit I watched my Dad suffer with Emphesymia and Cancer. He was morphined up to his eyeballs most days and would phone me often with conspiracy theories and fearing for his life. He unfortunately passed away in 2001 and I miss him still so much and despise the disease that finally took him from me so early in life.

So here I sit celebrating my little victory against ciggarettes, armed with the knowledge that I am just that one step closer to a long and healthy life to spend with those I love.

Arb Information for those who like stats:

• I started smoking in 1987 and quit smoking in 1999.
• My first smoke was a Chesterfield and my last smoke was a Benson & Hedges.
• I smoked anything between 20-30 a day.
• I never smoked indoors, regardless of the weather and would often be found outside shivering with a smile on my face.

And, here’s a little timeline about some of the more immediate effects of quitting smoking and how that will affect your body RIGHT NOW.

• In 20 minutes your blood pressure will drop back down to normal.
• In 8 hours the carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) levels in your blood stream will drop by half, and oxygen levels will return to normal.
• In 48 hours your chance of having a heart attack will have decreased. All nicotine will have left your body. Your sense of taste and smell will return to a normal level.
• In 72 hours your bronchial tubes will relax, and your energy levels will increase.
• In 2 weeks your circulation will increase, and it will continue to improve for the next 10 weeks.
• In three to nine months coughs, wheezing and breathing problems will dissipate as your lung capacity improves by 10%.
• In 1 year your risk of having a heart attack will have dropped by half.
• In 5 years your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.
• In 10 years your risk of lung cancer will have returned to that of a non-smoker.<-I am here NOW!!
• In 15 years your risk of heart attack will have returned to that of a non-smoker.