Marie, I stopped smoking 14 days 23 hours and 17 minutes ago, I love smoking and have smoked for 26 years, I am on patches and nicotine gum.
I went to the GP after a week to get the patches on prescription, IT IS BLOODY HARD, there is not one hour of the day that i don't want a fag, but stick with it, if you read up on nicotine addiction on the Internet some sources say that it is equivalent to coming off an A class drug.
I switched to Silk Cut silver (very mild) for a few months, went on a diet (lost two stone) and then gradually cut down from 30 a day to 10, I then stopped, don't know if i will last out but i am trying.
If you have not smoked you have not got a clue what its like quitting, and the money was not a problem as my mate travels to Greece 5 times a year so never paid more than £2 a packet.
I actually feel worse now i have quit, cant sleep cough is bad and a few other things.
On a lighter note i have 26 cigarette lighters and 46 boxes of matches for sale if anyone wants them.
Best of luck
Frank