Is my Doctor's Office in Cahoots with Big Tobacco??

Ohh what a day. It wasn't filled with much of anything, but was busy none the less.

I won't go into all the bloody friggin details of the day. I will touch on one thing. Doctor's offices. Are they not supposed to be somewhat intelligent there?

Ok here's the story. I have decided that I want to quit smoking (go me, yeah I know) I made the decision last week sometime and started to call the Maine Tobacco Help Line. They have a program that will get you any supplies you might need to quit smoking, like nicoteen patches and so on. I think that is wonderful considering the fact that the patch is very expensive. They also offer support and help to those who have called the help line.

After waiting days for them to call back me and a councelor decided that it would be more beneficial for me to get the patches from a perscription from my doctor. They offer a longer supply though medicade then the Helpline offers. I then immediatly call my doctors office (cause I was ready to quit that very moment, I had had some grand breakthough or something about not wanting to smoke anylonger). I explain to the first lady that I spoke with that I had talked to a Maine Tobacco Helpline councelor and he instructed me to call right away, and to get in that day (before the desire was lost I suppose). They (the doc office) then put me through to the appointment line. I was like..OK... put me through to a answering machine that offers to call me back in 24 hours! I could not poosibly go cold turkey, so I grabbed my smokes and smoked away. (the helpline also said that if I did quit cold turkey that moment not to use the patch, cause it could make you sick if you have no nicoteen in your system or some shit)

Needless to say, the doc's office finally called me back the next day, offering me an appointment on April 24th!! I could not believe it! They were simply saying to me that I should just smoke for 2 more weeks, or when it was convient for them.

Several phone calls later I finally got my patches today with no need to go in for a visit (that would have only cost me money in the first place..rather the state health plan..comes outa my pocket one way or another) DANG! People, I wanted to quite last Monday. It will be these final 4 days of smoking my fool head off that eventually causes my finaly demise.

Sooo... tomorrow I will put on my patch and try to begin my new smoke free lifestyle. I really hope it works. Between me and Scotty we smoke 3 packs a day, that is $12 dollars a day, $372 dollars a month, $4464 dollars a year!!! I was appauled! We are running so far behind of nills and look what we could have been accomplishing if we had that money in our pockets! Gawd that pisses me off.

OK, I am going to go puff away a few more smokes, and call it a night, I am ready to Zzzzz right here on the keyboard from cryin' out loud. Wish me luck!