"I do feel proud of myself!
The thing I am most proud of is the colour of my fingers. Seeing that they are no longer stained yellow puts a big smile on my face. There have been times when I’ve spent the whole time with my fists clenched because I didn’t want people to see my yellow fingers. I would scrub them, but before I knew it, they were yellow again.
I’m now 4 weeks smoke-free, and that is a big achievement for me. In the past, I could stop smoking, but I would usually go back to cigarettes before week 3. I don’t know what is different this time.
At the start of my quit, I used an inhalator, but I’m no longer using it because I’m not thinking about smoking or feeling the need to have a cigarette. There was one moment when I thought I might lapse. It was after coming home from hospital. I was feeling frustrated and fed up with everything that was happening. My neighbour caught me at that moment and said I should have a cigarette if I felt like that. I really did want to light up, but I didn’t. Instead, I laughed it off and made myself a cup of tea.
Looking back now, I’m glad I made that choice. It’s another reason to be proud of how far I’ve come".
