Friday

On Pain and Smoking

The neck pain continues and the foot is actually started to act the same as well, though I can still walk on it no problem.  Ibuprofen stopped working a while back, and obviously I couldn’t drink rum every night, so I started on the pain meds again (Ultracet to be specific).  Only this time, I took only one pill instead of the prescribed two.  This worked out much better as I am actually still conscious!

Anyway, I’ve been frustrated  by this recurring pain, thinking I’m only 31!  - is this just what it is like when you get OLD??  On a whim, I did a search on Chantix and “neck pain.”  Among other disturbing items, I found this message board thread, with like 99 pages of people sharing their stories about pain they’ve had after taking Chantix.    One said that 4 months after stopping the Chantix, the pain was still there.  Worrisome to say the least.

New game plan:  I am going to stop taking the Chantix.  Hopefully these pains will subside soon, and then I will switch to Zyban, which I took a few years ago when I quit for a year and a half (more or less).  I didn’t have any side effects with that.

Kitty News 

Yesterday morning, our cat, Peanut (the gray one), went missing.  The boys were very upset, Boy #2 to the point of tears.  We have looked everywhere inside and out for her, put food out on the porch, wandered around the yard with kitty treats… to no avail.  Today the boys are going to make up “Lost Kitten” signs to spread about.

Parenting Update

The boys are still on board (as much as they were) with the new regime, and the adults are still energetic enough to keep up with it.  We did chores altogether after work yesterday, then the boys spent some time designing their dream homes on paper.  I had them make a list of things to do without electronics, but they weren’t terribly creative or excited about this.  We had turkey meatballs and egg noodles with homemade garlic Parmesan pesto, which turned out pretty good.  Later, the boys worked on the snap circuits with Dad, which turned into a lesson about electronics, which turned into a lesson about magnetism, atomic structure, and the periodic table.  We’re going to refocus on the basics of atomic structure for our next session.

Meanwhile, we need ideas on stuff to do. What kind of suggestions do you have for non-computer, non-TV, non-electronic…  1) Things for the kids to do by themselves without adult interaction, 2) Things for adults to do with kids,  3) Things for kids to do with each other, 4) Rainy day things, 5) Play outside things??   I’m compiling a list and would like your suggestions.

Wednesday

Well, yesterday I got this brilliant idea that I would just quit smoking cold turkey (I took Chantix on Monday but forgot the bottle at home on Tuesday).  This worked for about 4 hours (that’s actually a long time) before I caved.  Now today I am back to normal and am taking the Chantix.

My neck (trap!) pain is still there.  Ibuprofen does not seem to do the trick anymore, so I nursed it to sleep last night with a rum and coke.

Some links for you…

• USA 2008: The Great Depression
• Brilliant 404 Pages
• 10 Things They Didn’t Teach You at School

Chantix, Day 1, Redeux, among other things

We ended up not going to the Field Museum on Sunday because Boy 1 was at his friend’s house.  Their dad may take them on Tuesday instead, else perhaps this weekend we can go.  We spent the day cleaning the basement instead and doing various chores (laundry, etc.).  Very productive day.  We reorganized one little area in the basement as our “workshop,” where I can work on computers and do other hobby-ish things.  Today, I’m going to get some garden stuff (dirt, peat moss, etc.) and price out lumber for some more beds.

I’m starting over with the Chantix today.  I threw off my sweetie pie this weekend… As we were working in the basement, I found that I had just one cigarette left.  We were discussing picking up Boy 1 and other stuff we might do when we went out, and I mentioned that I only had one cigarette left.  Apparently he took this as it being my very last cigarette ever and thus that I would be actually attempting to quit.  So, later, when we stopped a gas station ($47 tank!), and I picked up a new pack, he was surprised. 

OK, off to work… have a good day, all of my loyal fans. 

I’m getting old

So, in case you didn’t already know… the foot limp got a bit worse throughout the weekend (my dear husband bought me a cane - proof that I am getting old)… and Monday I went to see the doc.   He said it is probably an inflamed joint (something that happens when you get old!) and prescribed me some stuff that has pretty much knocked me out since then.  It has also had the effect of mixing badly with the Chantix, so I’ve wrestled between pain or vomiting.  Today I didn’t take the Chantix and just took the other meds and have felt better.  The foot feels ok now, so hopefully tomorrow I will begin the Chantix again and feel fine.

Monday, Chantix Day 7

So, the week of Chantix has been filled with feeling wired but exhausted, getting sleepy at the wheel, being moody and even sad for no good reason, and generally feeling blah. The cigarettes I smoke… I tend to only smoke half of them, and I sometimes forget to smoke.

Meanwhile, had a relatively uneventful weekend. I did something sometime to my foot and have been walking with a limp. I’m getting old.

On Saturday, we celebrated Earth Hour by turning off all of our lights from 8 to 9pm. The boys surprisingly did not complain, and rather enjoyed reading by candlelight. We spent the hour finishing up The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

Chantix Day 3

So today begins my third dose of Chantix.  I had my first restless night - trouble falling asleep and continually waking up all night.  I’m not terribly tired today, but already someone at work said I looked tired.

So far the effects of Chantix on me are a bit like speed or caffeine.  I’m jittery and wired during the day and by afternoon, I crash and am very tired.  I took a short 10-minute nap yesterday afternoon, and when I woke up I was wired again.  Probably didn’t fall asleep til 11 or 12 (my preferred normal bedtime is shortly after 9!).

I’m also taking a vitamin along side the Chantix, since I have to remember to take something anyway.

Quitting

So, I went to the doctor yesterday and got myself a prescription for Chantix.

The most common side effects are nausea, sleep disturbance, constipation, flatulence, and vomiting.  Less common side effects are mostly digestive related, but there is a flurry of sleep related ones: insomnia, abnormal dreams, sleep disorder, nightmare.

Some others:  headache, dysgeusia, somnolence, lethargy, fatigue/malaise/asthenia, rhinorrhea, dyspnoea,  upper respiratory tract disorder, rash, pruritus.

This one could go either way:  Increased appetite or Decreased appetite/Anorexia.  I hope I get the decreased!

Fewer than 1 out of 1000 patients reported euphoria in clinical trials with CHANTIX.

And here’s the worrisome bit:

All patients being treated with CHANTIX should be observed for neuropsychiatric symptoms including changes in behavior, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior.

Anyway, the doc said I will probably stop smoking in 5 to 7 days.  The drug blocks the nicotine so smoking just won’t work anymore.  I’ll detail my progress here.