symptoms of success

here i am, two months and three days clean, and i'm finally starting to feel pretty good.  i mean, there are different levels of good that come and go, but generally up until recently i have just felt horrible most of the time.  so i thought i would share a list of all of the strange effects that quitting had on my body.  i'm sure not everyone will have the same experience as me, but i'm also pretty sure that no one will bother to warn you about these symptoms in fear they might dissuade you from quitting.  my advice is to fight every day to stay smoke-free; whatever suffering is happening now is sure to get better with time. at first i counted the hours, then the days, and now the months, each one a tiny step towards wellness and happiness. the purpose of this list is not to discourage, but simply to let anyone who reads this know that if you are experiencing one of these symptoms, you are not alone!

cardiovascular:

pounding heart
loud heartbeat in my ear
tingling in extremities
the feeling that my heart will stop

gastrointestinal:

humungous poop (measured one at 2" x 10 1/2")
severe nausea before pooping
flatulence
fluctuations in appetite
feeling of drunkenness after one drink

respiratory:

shortness of breath
trouble breathing
sinus drainage
phlegm production
cold/flu symptoms
loss of singing voice, cracked voice
mouth infections
sores on tongue
dry, irritated nasal passages
highly annoyed by odors (like exhaust from a car or the smell of an ashtray)

hormonal:

spontaneous bouts of intense sexual desire
times with complete lack of sexual interest
feeling powerless when exercising
acne
intense fatigue

psychological:

depression
anxiety
peripheral hallucinations (feeling like i'm seeing things out of the corner of my eye)
jolts of terror
forgetfulness
self-doubt
paranoia
insomnia
night sweats
horrible dreams
nicotine cravings

muscular, skeletal:

constant back pain
elbow pain
muscle tension
muscle twitches
flu-type body aches

visual:

blurred vision
trouble focusing eyes
dizziness
dry, irritated eyes
sensitivity to bright light