Quitting Smoking Again (Part 2)

In 2004 after watching my then girlfriend now wife Chris battle cancer including many rounds of chemo, I decided I had to quit smoking. I used the patch and I quit for three years. Right before we got married in 2007, like the week before, I started smoking again. At that point, I smoked for a little over a year before I was diagnosed with bladder cancer. After I was diagnosed and before the surgery to remove the cancer, I bought patches again and quit smoking, again. I probably went two years without touching a cigarette.

As time passed, I would have a few drags off a cigarette that one of my friends were smoking. I would do that maybe three times a year. As time went on, that got a little bit more frequent. Then I would have one of my own if I was out drinking, or if I was gambling, and little by little, I started having more and more.

After I lost my brother to cancer in May, I started smoking more to deal with that. I know it sounds stupid but if you are a smoker or a former smoker, you can probably relate. I knew I wouldn't be able to smoke long before I would have to quit again. I felt that smoking helped me deal with the loss of my brother.

Watch for Quitting Smoking Again (Part 3)