Zencat said:Oh my...I've only broken a finger. I tend to need sutures for things rather than casts. Head and fingers, mostly.

Yep. When kids were breaking bones I was getting stiches. The most embarrassing time? I ran down the stairs, swung around the knewlpost into the hall and smacked right into my then boyfriend. Cut my head the open right over my left eye. It all healed just fine but lordy did I get teased for quite awhile. After I reassured everyone that boyfriend hadn't hit me or anything because the bruising was not pretty. Even the doctors in emergency teased me about it.
Only bone I ever broke was in the foot coming down from a jump ball in basketball.

LynnG said:Good for you for quitting smoking Neal! Are you still missing it? Keep up quitting. Think of all the money you will now have to spend on more iris!

Great idea! Congrats on quitting! What about those is us who do not drink or smoke! I would like to figure out how to quit eating. That would be lots of money for iris!

Lynn, I am amazed at all the energy you have despite your pain! Don't be too hard on yourself...you can always plant more next year. I quit smoking over 40 years ago, and have never missed it. What I am trying to do now is cut out junk food, and eat healthier food. That may be harder, but so far I really AM feeling more energetic. I have also started taking cod liver oil again and between the two, I am having mostly good days.

I quit smoking 30 years ago. Smoked three packs a day for a looooong time. I don't miss it either -- but once in awhile I'll dream that I'm smoking a cigarette -- and in the dream I'll think "oh NO -- I thought I quit smoking!!!" It sure gets into your psyche, as well as your lungs..............

If it's an option Lynn, check out Dr. Dearborn here in Cali. http://www.dearbornsah.com/ He's one the best Orthopedic Surgeon's out there. At age 70, my Mother had both of her knees replaced by him...at the same time! It's been several years now and she still doesn't have a problem with her knees. He now has his own floor at the hospital staffed with his own people to help you with your recovery.

They also do hips there...

I have a torn meniscus in my right knee and I'm avoiding arthroscopic knee surgery for as long as I can.

I'm so proud of all of you who have quit, or are in the process of quitting to smoke.

3 packs a day? In iris terms of cost, that's a new rhizome a day. (In today's cigarette prices)

I agree with Rob. It is a difficult habit to kick and I commend all who can successfully manage to give it up. I never smoked cigarettes but I do like to smoke a really, really GOOD cigar now and again. The first thing I thought of when I read that we were talking to Cuba again was maybe now I can get a decent cigar.

Confession time...

DH and I recently slipped on the No Smoking mat. A pack just FELL into our house. We really don't like it but it's an extremely hard habit to quit.

Find yourself a good hypnotist, Celia!!

Before I stopped smoking, I switched to American Spirits. They have no added chemicals. I quit with no withdrawal. I never smoked again. That was over 15 years ago.

My advice to my clients who smoke is:

You are not addicted to nicotine. You are addicted to the drug chemicals manufacturers add to addict you to their brand. Buy American Spirits. Cut the filter in half so it draws well. Alternate 2 of your current brand with 1 American Spirit for a week and then every other cigarette, then 2 American Spirits and 1 chemical cigarette until only American Spirits are smoked. One naturally smokes less. Even if you don't quit, you will feel and smell better. If you do quit, you won't have withdrawal.

Wow. I did not know that, Linnea. Wow.

Linnea, that's kinda how I did it. Started rolling my own with American Spirit tobacco about 8 years ago, and did cut the amount I was smoking about in half (without the additives that make them burn faster). I lost my smokers cough and quit having the pain in my chest. I do think that made quitting easier. I've been really stressed and kind of depressed lately, so I have really been having the worst cravings so far. I keep telling myself I need to survive to see all these newly planted irises form clumps!

Very, very true Neal -- good motivation there.

Try to identify the emotion that triggers a cigarette craving. For me it was a spirit of rejection. Jesus freak that I am, I cast the spirit of rejection out in the name of Jesus and loosed a spirit of peace and wholeness. If one isn't into such, one could use an affirmation like "I'm done with that feeling of _______ and I am going to entertain a positive feeling of ______ instead. When we give something up, don't leave the space empty. Fill it with something good. The cigarette craving will pass.

I want to see my granddaughter do all the stupid things and funny things and heartwarming things and silly things kids do. I want to see her graduate high school, maybe college, a career, a place of her own. Can't do that from a coffin.

I want to see iris bloom and someone step onto Mars. I want to see all the things humans do and laugh, cry, laugh some more.

Right now, I want a cookie. I'm going to enjoy my cookie and not think about not being here to see all those things.

Zencat said:I want to see my granddaughter do all the stupid things and funny things and heartwarming things and silly things kids do. I want to see her graduate high school, maybe college, a career, a place of her own. Can't do that from a coffin.

I want to see iris bloom and someone step onto Mars. I want to see all the things humans do and laugh, cry, laugh some more.

Right now, I want a cookie. I'm going to enjoy my cookie and not think about not being here to see all those things.

Yeah! Only I have been waiting all day for a banana split with son and grandsona who are here for a day.