My expired nicotine patch

When I finally quit smoking, permanently, I dispensed with a lot of the ritual that had accompanied failed attempts. My attitude was along the lines “stop cutesy-pieing this up with your spreadsheets and countdowns and whatever else and just put them down.”

Consequently I can’t tell you my exact quit date, though I think it was sometime in the late spring or early summer of 2011. I can’t remember when I used patches, or when I used the gum, or whether I was using one or the other when I quit, or for how long I used one or the other afterward.

patchI have a little daily recharge of my will, though. I still have a patch where I used to keep them in my bathroom drawer, for application after showering but before dressing. It has an expiration date of October 2012, and I enjoy watching that month fade further and further into the past.

I used to put them on my upper arm. Itched a bit for a few minutes. Didn’t take long to hit its targeted neuroreceptors, and if I was relatively idle then I could feel when it started. Had to take it off a couple of hours before I went to bed or it was harder to sleep, and when I did sleep I had vivid and not-always-pleasant dreams.

Didn’t cost as much to patch as it did to smoke, but it still wasn’t cheap. I want to say these store-brand ones were $3-3.50 each or so, like a two-week supply was $45 or something. I used to feel so defeated when I’d patch and then fall off the wagon. Why didn’t I just set fire to the money in the driveway? That’d be more entertaining, at least.

I hope I quit in time to avoid serious attendant health problems. Nothing to do but wait and see.

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7 thoughts on “My expired nicotine patch”

  1. Like having you around, brother. Dropping the cigarettes improves the odds of that being true for a long time. Keep it up! You have an army of supporters.

    Reply
  2. 600 points for cotinine coming up negative, bro. Just think about having to walk 10,000 steps every day for two months to make up the difference or paying $120 a month more for health insurance on top of the cost of the cigs. I’m frugal and lazy, I find inspiration where I can.

    Reply

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