Stop Taking Welbutrin for Smoking Cessation

Ok, so part of my first post back in October mentioned that I had quit smoking. 4 days ago, it was 5 months since I quit - October 9, 2010. I used Welbutrin per the advice of my doc. I wanted to use Chantix and experience really kick ass dreams, but all the negative side effects pushed me away from that. So, get on Welbutrin - really easy right. Start taking this pill, bam, you're done. Well, for me, the first 3 days was not great. Well, let me rephrase - first 3 days for my girl was hell. I had an extremely lackadaisical attitude about everything. House burned down?....*shoulder shrugg, eh*, Girl of my dreams leaving me?....*shoulder shrugg, eh*, Lost my job?.....*shoulder shrugg, eh*. Nothing got me exited in a good or bad way. After the 3 days,  I guess the medicine leveled out in my system and it got better. I think overall on it, my overall mood/attitude was slightly different. Not horrible, and worth it for the stopping smoking factor, but it was different. Slightly less patient, slightly disinterested.

Well, then came the time to stop. They (info I gathered online) tell you to take it for 3 months when using for smoking cessation. My aunt suggested I take it for 6 months. At month 4 I decided I thought I was ready to stop. I started looking online for info on how to stop taking welbutrin. Aside from learning not to simply stop cold turkey, there is NO information out there. They'll slap you on the shit real quick and are less interested in helping you stop. After getting in touch with the doc, she suggested cutting pills in half. I was taking the 300mg extended release tabs. She said to take half a pill for 2-3 weeks and then take half a pill every other day for 2-3 weeks. This is what I did - 2 weeks of each.

This morning was my last dosage!!! I've been quit smoking for 5 months and 4 days as of now. My desire to smoke is not present. I think about it, but it's a fleeting thought and gone in 30 seconds. Happens mostly after I've put down a few drinks! I feel good and am not afraid about not being on the pills. This last week of 1/2 pill every other day, I've actually looked for my smallest half of a pill to take. I guess with it starting to be out of my system, it was affecting me slightly like it did originally. If any problems come up, I'll be back to tell about them. Fingers crossed.....no more smoking for me!

VD

Valentine's Day that is.......was amazing!! My girl surprised me Friday when I got home from work. We were going to Chicago for the weekend!!!! For 10 days prior to Friday, she'd been giving me clues each day, that were hints about what my V day present was. Pictures of a burlesque dancer, polar bear cubs, pair of white sox, t-bone steak, lantern, the Obama family, a whale. Everything had ties to Chicago. We left Friday night at 8 o'clock and were in the Windy City by 10. Saturday was spent at Shedd Aquarium (awesomeage!!!), we had dinner a Kit Kat that evening with her cousin and cousin's friend, Sunday she rented a car for us to drive to Milwaukee to see my best friend and her partner and their new baby!!! Then Monday back home :(. Monday night, we spent dinner at Fleming's Steak House, then had drinks at a bar after. Got 2 very sweet cards with hand written notes and several lotto scratch offs. Couldn't have asked for a better Valentine!!! She is my world and I adore absolutely everything about her.

NYE 2010

Spent New Years Eve at the farm with mom, gram/pop, Pam, and my girl. Terry came over for a bit, Chris and his crew came over for a bit too. Played a few rounds of Outburst which was fun. Had a few drinks. Watched some of the NYE shows on tv. For the countdown, it was us, mom, and gram - everyone else had left or fell asleep. A fairly uneventful NYE but was good to spend with family. Saturday,  we were serious mattress backs. When we finally woke up, we headed to the farm for New Year's Day dinner. The old folks all had the traditional hog jowl, black eyed peas, and cornbread. They also had a cabbage casserole and broccoli cornbread. Gram fixed us a roast and mashed potatoes. Was very good! Damn good chocolate cake for desert - YUM! AC got a call Saturday morning that her doc scheduled a surgery for Sunday at 7:30am. So, we would have to cut our visit at the farm short and leave Saturday night. We took down all of gram's xmas decorations for her. Went to Amanda's for a Wii party and snick snacks. Went to Wally and got some flowers and put them out at the cemetery. Was first time I'd been there on New Year's Day - broke down, felt good. Pulled up the old flowers and put in the new ones. Hello 2011.

Another List?

So that last post got me thinking of other events I want/need to keep track of. So, let's see what I can remember.

Christmas 2010 - covered previously.
AC's Bday, Nov 2010 - went to mountains with PRJV. Her parent's came up and took us to Red Lobster. This was first time I'd seen her parents since high school when they told her she could no longer associate with me. Had a wonderful dinner and nice time with them. Came home wondering if it really happened.
Anniversary, Aug 2010 - AC got us a frickin' amazing day at the spa. We went to Escape Day Spa. Couple massage, bath soak, facials, lunch, pedicure. Locker room had amazing shower - it was huge! Absolutely amazing day. I don't remember what I got her - eek. I'll have to figure that out.
My Bday, May 2010 - I got an amazing box that inside had 100 pieces of tiny blue paper. On each piece of paper was a reason why my girl says she loves me. So very sweet! I have savored these and actually still have 2 left! I'm sure we went to dinner, but I don't remember.
Xmas 2009 - was an odd xmas. JS was still in hospital so we picked her up and drove her to Camden on xmas day.

Christmas List

So Christmas is over and it could NOT have been better. I'm horrible at remembering what I got for certain occasions or where I went for certain things. Decided to make note of it here so I'll always have it to reference. And no paper to keep track of - or more in my case, no paper to lose!
My sweet baby girl got me the following:
A bi-fold picture frame; one side had a pic of us on our Colorado trip, the other side had the following quote: "If you live 100 years, I want to live 100 days minus one day so I never have to live without you" Winnie the Pooh. This was BY FAR my favorite gift. I haven't gotten too many homemade gifts like that from her so it meant so very much. It was an odd sized frame too, so it took her some time to size the pic right. She put a lot into it and I definitely appreciated it!!! Made me cry.
Oakley sunglasses - my favorite non-homemade present. I hadn't asked for them and she picked them out by herself. I have a hard enough time myself picking out sunglasses so the fact that she picked them out and they are perfect is amazing to me.
Fossil watch - very cool, solid black.
Clothes from Buckle, with necklace and cuff
Lucky t-shirt
Long sleeve baseball type shirt
The makings for hot stone massage. Sweet thing that she is, my girl ordered the stones you use for a hot stone massage and some massage oil. A homemade certificate accompanied this for a massage whenever I want. It was too cute and very sweet. So thoughtful she is. Oh, and the coupon never expires - sweet!
Travel coffee cups
Miscellaneous fun stuff in my stocking - which was jam packed.
Mom got us a gift card to Escape Day Spa. Funny too b/c she said she didn't know that is where AC took me for our anniversary. It was orgasmic!! We looked at the menu, and we can get a couples massage and bath soak for the money on the gift card. Super excited!
Mom also got me some Clinique makeup, a picture frame ornament, and misc stuff in stocking.
Gram/Pop gave us a joint gift of money
Darren gave each of us a travel coffee mug with a Starbucks card and chocolates inside. He also gave us each a Cuban cigar. Really?? Did he have a momentary lapse that I have quit smoking?!?! I'm going to say that he had a momentary lapse of memory on that one. It's the thought I suppose.

We opened presents with each other Christmas Eve morning. After that, got ready and drove to Paris to AC's 'rents. It was us, her mom/dad, and sister/her family. Surprisingly, we had a really nice time! I jokingly told AC that I think she's been lying to me about how horrible her parents are. They have welcomed me in a way that neither of us ever expected. AC, her niece, and I played Just Dance 2 on her dad's Wii. Then, I helped her dad hook up his Cabella's game he got for the Wii. Has a rifle that was really fun. We played that for awhile; when we left, her dad said I'd have to come back and play again. Can't even begin to find the words to explain my disbelief. Overall a wonderful time with all of them. Her sis was better this time - she actually looked me in the eye and made small talk with me. We left the in-laws and went to the farm. Drove over to gram/pops xmas morning to open stockings and presents with everyone. Brunch was served at 11:30 and it was absolutely wonderful as always.

Fucking Sucks

Found out last week that my grandmother has stage 4 cancer - it's in her lungs, liver and bones. She goes Friday for an "official" diagnosis and to find out what's next. This fucking sucks. It more than fucking sucks. She is the beacon of our family, that of which everything is centered around. All birthdays, holidays, celebrations, everything is held at her house. I am so angry, so sad. I fluctuate between extreme sadness at the thought of her not being here and extreme anger at the fact that this is happening to her. FUCK

Bring On the Fright

Halloween weekend is here. Haven't been to a haunted house in years, but we'll be checking out Turbidite Manor tomorrow. Can't wait!! My girl hates everything scary and has agreed to go with me. It's gonna be great!!