Saturday, September 5, 2009

Exile in Kennesaw


It's not quite how it sounds. I've intentionally stayed in/near the house for two weeks, now. The reason? I put down the cigarettes.

Now before you start being congratulatory and supportive, and all that crap, let me be perfectly straight...I would feed you into a woodchipper for a Marlboro Light right now.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not jonesing so bad I'd smoke a menthol, but I see that day in the not too distant future.


I'm pretty annoyed about the whole thing, actually. For years, every do-gooder and "concerned" friend and family member has been riding my ass to quit. Finally, I gave in, due to my current domestic situation. A couple things I have found to be true...non-smokers generally have no clue what quitting smoking is all about, and I now want to punch the majority of everyone that told me to quit right square in his/her junk.


Allow me to elaborate. While no one ever said quitting would be easy, not one of my "quit buddies" ever told me about the following reactions that, evidently, come with putting down the smokes:


1) Insane headaches - not just headaches, these super-gripping ultra mau-mau numbers that grab you by the back of the head and treat you like a prison bitch on OZ.


2) Rolling pain in the legs - I don't even know what to do with this one. From my upper thighs down to the middle of my shins, I've had twitches, tremors, convulsions and general muscular revolutions for about a week, now. I had to Google this symptom, because I was convinced I had scurvy or SARS or some such delightful malady. It turned out, of course, it's just one of those side effects no one told me might happen...fuckers.


3) Sense of Smell - totally misleading. Everyone told me my sense of taste and smell would improve and I'd experience old sensations for the first time in years. Kiss my big country ass. The only new smell I've encountered is this sickly, moldy stink that I smell everywhere I go. Nothing good, just the rough equivalent of a bums foot that is suffering from rot. Oh, joy!!!


4) Blood Sugar - huh? I don't know too much about this, other than apparently, I'm compelled to eat more frequently due to it taking longer for sugar to be delivered to my system, or some such crap. Or I have an oral fixation. Or I'm just a hog. It depends on what pseudo-scientific monkey-fuck you ask. The vast majority of them, apparently, have never smoked so they're really just guessing. Bite me. As a result, my weight shot up quickly. Yay.


5) Just taking a break here to thank all the "quit buddies" that pushed for this over the years. I feel so much better now that my weight is up, my patience (which was never really strong) is gone, and of course there's the whole woodchipper thing. sigh


6) Bleeding gums - WTF? I'm told that my improved circulation is the culprit here. Huh??? I quit smoking, now I'm gonna bleed to death as a result? At least my breath will be minty fresh, right? Geez.


7) Chest pains - yep, chest pains. I'm 41 years old, my blood pressure pre-quit was so low, people were actually envious of my big ass. Now, I'm having chest pains and shortness of breath because I'm "getting healthier"...WHAT THE FUCK??? How in the hell is that supposed to work?


To summarize: Evil cigarettes are out of the picture, but now I'll most likely have a brain aneurysm while running for help for my scurvy/SARS affliction, assuming I don't pass out from low blood-sugar while smelling the unwashed ass that seems to be following me around and bleed to death via my gums just a little before my heart attack finishes me off.


At least my clothes will smell fresh. Bite me, you do-gooder asshats.

6 comments:

  1. This soon shall pass...ok maybe like a kidneystone...but it WILL pass...bear with it bro...I'll congratulate you when the withdrawl symptoms subside (not a big fan of woodchippers).

    Lew

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  2. Eh, the constipation has been lurking for ages. I'm not even attributing it to the quitting.

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  3. Soldier on, my friend - soldier on.
    I didn't have most of that crap happen to me (or of course I wudda toldja) - I DID know about the blood sugar thing, found out when I was 20 that the reason I'd go until 3 pm without one then have 3 at once was, yup, a sugar jones.
    All these afflictions are years of numbed-up and dormant STUFF waking up at the absence of the megatoxin and trying to leave, like splinters working their way to the surface. WHOO, hurts like hell while they're going - but, oh, the relief! when they're out! I say stay outta the doorway an' let 'em go.

    Focus your weary psyche on this... your reward, for finding your way out of self-imposed exile:

    Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day.
    Coming Soon. (REAL soon!)

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  4. Yeah... I've tried a few times, and while I haven't experienced the leg thing, I recognize the headaches, lack of patience, odd smells and chest pains. Since my attempts were all patently unsuccessful though... I sincerely hope ljast and Kathleen are right and it passes!

    If anyone can punch the asshat that is addiction in its metaphorical throat, it's you. Stay strong!

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