I’ve been smoking since my twenties. It was the cool thing to do back in the day. I tried several times to seriously quit but for a million reasons, I couldn’t drop the habit.

Each time I tried to quit, I gained weight (30 lbs once!!) and succumbed to stress. I would succumb to obsessive thoughts about smoking where I almost couldn’t think of anything else, as well as extreme cravings (smelling smoke drove me crazy). Quitting just never worked out for me. So I just continued to smoke.

I remember trying this Electronic Cigarette, which didn’t work at all. It was awkward and heavy and I really had no idea what was in it. I also thought about trying the gum, but then I heard of a friend who had been chewing the gum for 11 years! There really wasn’t a difference in cost or in chemical content so ! never bothered with that.

I was thinking about trying to quit again for the latter part of 2012, mainly because my brother-in-law successfully quit in December of 2011. Now I was one of the only members of my family that still smoked!

Then I met Dr. Shannon Williams at Cardio-go’s Staff Pool Party during the summer of 2012 and part of our conversation was about how I would have to learn more about her, this new Doctor of Chinese Medicine, so I could be a better Administrator for her in our Health Centre. She mentioned Non-Smoking as part of the many things she had become a Master of.

I decided to give this all natural approach to Stop-Smoking a shot. First, I read a book she recommended and then booked my first appointment.

I had a total of 3 sessions (yes, only 3!!) with her, but knew I was done with smoking the first time she treated me.

For the first week, I found myself counting the days I didn’t smoke, and then I just stopped thinking about it. It’s crazy that I could now, after all these years, go outside to the smoking area and talk to the people I used to meet regularly without the smoke affecting me at all. It didn’t entice or irritate me – like smelling gas at the gas station – it was not pleasant, but not a problem.

It will be 5 months February 25th, 2013, since my last cigarette. I’ve hit high stress levels with family and work and I’ve hit weight gaining times over the holidays but I have NEVER given a thought to having a cigarette again.

It is a freedom I really never thought I could have.