James,
My wife asked me to stop smoking shortly after her arrival , I tried the Chantix pills without success twice. I finally managed to quit going using Equate brand nicotine patches from Wal-Mart and lollipops. A 2 week supply of patches is 25 dollars and tax. There is 3 stages of patches, they recommend using each stage for 2 weeks. I took no chances I used the first stage for 3 weeks and the 2nd stage for 3 weeks and never used the 3 rd stage. I set my quit date on a Monday morning, so on Sunday night before bed I applied the first patch to curb the urge for the morning smoke and it seemed to help. Always keeping some gum or lollipops around also helps when the urge to smoke occurs. The lollipops help more than gum in my opinion because they also give you something to do with your hands to pacify your mind. Plan to gain some weight also, I gained about 30 lbs after I quit but have lost about 10 of that. I still keep lollipops in all my vehicles and at home just in case the urge to smoke arises ( it will many time a day in the beginning ) One more note about the patches to keep in mind, using them at night has caused some people to have some strange dreams so if that is a problem just apply patches in the morning and remove before bedtime. Some of the dreams I was having were so exotic and interesting I was considering adding patches at bedtime!
Anyway that method worked for me and I have smoked 1-1.5 packs per day for the last 33 years. And yes I am still smoke free today but I could smoke a cigarette 10' foot long right now, so plan on this being something that requires diligence and fortitude on your part and you are lucky because your wife will help you every step of the way. There is also prizes for smoke-free anniversaries such as 7 days, 30 days, 31 days, 32 days, 33 days, ( this is when you start getting your wind back!)
and so forth! Good Luck and Best Wishes, Robert
