doonesbury
KICKING BUTTS

I took my first wellbutrin today at 10:30am. I was in good spirits and I thought it amusing that the logo printed on its purple shell made a smiley face since its original use was as a mood elevator. I showed it to Karen before I popped it. I was thinking that if it elevated my mood as well as suppress my desire to smoke cigarettes, I could have a great day.

By 11:30am, I was cranky and dying to have a smoke. I know they say it takes two weeks to get to therapeutic levels on this drug but I expected a little more magic on the first dose from a pill that smiled at me like a tab of LSD, particularly with my low tolerance to pharmaceuticals. I'd have to say so far, I haven't felt any effect whatsoever. (I didn't read the potential side effects of course; being the good hypochondriac that I am, I would have felt them all immediately.)

So in any event, I've failed to quit smoking cigarettes a dozen times in the last two decades and today I embarked on this new cessation plan. I really want to quit this time, yet I still bid the habit goodbye with no small regret. There's a lot I love about smoking cigarettes. The only thing I hate is the stench, the mess and the health consequences.

I decided to chronicle my progress here, as part the process. I'm hoping the embarrassment of having to publicly admit failure will help me finally succeed. They're not kidding when they tell you nicotine is the hardest addiction to overcome.

My report for day one is cigarettes are still winning.