Stop Smoking Support Thread
Comments
-
Welcome Linda. Good for you for making it through the weekend. Keep on going!! Good call on taking off the patch at night. I didn't know to do that and I had the weirdest dreams if I slept with my patch on. I used the patch and Wellbutrin. It's been 12 weeks + some days for me now. VJ's workbook is great, so be sure and write her for that (VJ, I'm still reading through it and doing edits, I'm just slow as I've gotten side tracked with being in the hospital twice and some other stuff. But I haven't forgotten!) Jancie, count that month however you want to - pretend it's Leap Year and celebrate 28 days if you feel like it!0
-
Hi seaside,
Sorry It took so long to reply. I have just been kind of down in the dumps since I failed AGAIN and have been kind of embarrassed to post. I bought the patch now i just have to put it on. So here I go with attempt # to high to count !
Thanks for checking on me though
0 -
(((HUGS)))) Christy. We have all failed so don't be embarassed! We all know how you feel. You CAN do it. Just believe!
0 -
Christy:
You will conquer this! A set back is like a bump in the road. Keep trying and you will do it!!!
As Barbara says: Just believe!
Jan
0 -
ugh what a day so far. i've had four ciggs but it's been a stressful morning (dental appointment with major panic attack in the chair).
i cried. it was bad. but anyways i am now off to get my diagnostic mammo done. i didn't smoke while driving but i did have a smoke while parked. i guess it's not really the same thing. i don't know. i'll be keeping track of how many i have today. hubby might start smoking when he hears how much the dentist is consting us!~M
0 -
christy - don't beat yourself up! I am on quit #13 - the fourth try this year alone. I felt like such a failure each time I didn't succeed but I still picked myself back up and would try again. I am pretty sure I always had problems in the past because I really didn't want to quit. I loved to smoke. I tried to quit for everyone else but me. This time is for ME and I think that is why it is working so far.
I will feel much better when I get 60 days behind me and not worry so much about breaking down and having a puff.
0 -
pisces - gosh I understand that dentist feeling. Last time I went I took 2 lortabs and 1 valium and that pretty much relaxed me to where i could get through it. I have total panic attacks going to the dentist..
0 -
Linda603,
That is GREAT news! I was wondering how it went over the weekend!
Congratulations on going through your first weekend smoke-free (and you even had plans to go OUT... impressive)!!! I think you will find the first few times you do anything that you used to smoke while doing may trigger a pretty strong psychological craving! So do be on your guard with your "firsts".
Good plan on the extra water! Eating grapes or any other low cal items to keep your blood sugar level will also help. I did carrots and cauliflower. I swear I ate a truckload full...lol.
Sounds like you are off to a GREAT start!!! Keep it GOING!
0 -
CHRISTY2,
No need to apologize and, definitely, NO need to feel embarassed!! Each of us has had to find out what works and what doesn't for us as individuals. Sometimes, I think we learn more from trying something that didn't work, changing our plan, and trying again than we do being successful right away!
I read something when I first quit that said that sometimes people who have had the hardest time quitting are less likely to relapse once they finally quit because they KNOW how hard it was to stop and are more likely to not fall prey to the "I can have just one and quit again easily" way of thinking!
Pick yourself up, brush yourself off and get that patch on!! You CAN DO IT!!! We will be here to help!
Jennifer
PS. This is a place where you can post when you need encouragement not just to report success!
0 -
Pisces,
Good LORD, a dentist appointment and a diagnostic mammo in the same day??!! I think I may smoke just thinking about that!
What IS it about the dentist that makes grown women turn to jello????
I feel EXACTLY the same way. I had chipped one of my molars right before my diagnosis and had gone to a new dentist for a consult to have it repaired. Not sure what was worse, the actual appointment (during which they were great, and, I was NOT) or the estimate for what the work would cost!! In either case, got my breast cancer diagnosis that same week and that took precedence over dental work (that's my STORY, anyhow). NOW, however, I need to get it taken care of. Just have to work up the nerve!
You are taking really good steps right now in cutting back.
You'll get there!
0 -
Jancie,
Glad to hear you are still doing well on the stop smoking front!
Can't remember, but, was the 60 day mark your second "danger zone" timeframe (after day 17?)? Have things settled out a bit at home? I hope so!
Jennifer
0 -
All of you ladies are soo brave. I wish I could stop smoking. I know I have to but with all the stress right now, it's like why even try because I will fail.
0 -
Mari: No, you must'nt think you'll automatically fail. I've quit smoking a zillion times. I feel like this time is going to work. Never, never, never give up (Winston Churchill, not me:) Come back here for support and tips. I hope you'll read the previous posts and try some of these methods until you find what works for you. You can do it!!
0 -
Mari:
I tried to quit many many times!!! I was going to do it for 'all the wrong reasons'. When I finally decided to do it for myself it seems to be working.
There is a wonderful woman in here that teaches smoking cessation and she has shared her teaching materials with us. I'm sure if you email her she will be happy to help you out. Her email is vjsl8@cs.com
I'm sure there will be others along to help also.
Like LandyinBama says, never, never, never give up!
Jan
0 -
i have to put in my 2 cents to Mari - if you are undergoing a tremendous amount of stress, now is not the time to quit because you will be adding on more stress trying to quit that you will get mentally overloaded and yes....to some extent you would be setting yourself up for failure.
When I got diagnosed the first thing on my mind is that I need to stop smoking - we all know that smoking does not cause breast cancer. My oncologist told me to wait at least until I finished my treatments because I would be going through too much stress to try to quit at that time.
In a way it gave me mental relief that my oncologist was not going to biatch at me time and time again for smoking and that I knew when it was time for ME then I could do it.
My dh talked to my therapist prior to me quitting and she told him "when your wife is ready to quit, she will - don't pressure her"
3 weeks later I decided that the day I returned from my trip to Las Vegas in October I would quit - I knew trying to quit and then go to Vegas - not such a good idea and so my quit date was planned for 2 months and I hit 30 days yesterday - never once before got to that point in my life.
So read for encouragement and ideas on how to quit - what has worked for others - educate yourself and when YOU are ready you set a quit date and stick to it. And if you fail - believe me these girls here know of all of my failures - we will be here to pick you up, encourage you to stop again and we won't judge you.
0 -
Well said Jancie!
Mari:
You have a great support group here..
0 -
Thank you ladies for all the wonderful advice. I will come back once I have a date to quit. This is such a supportive site.
0 -
Welcome mari65,
Not much else to say in addition to what all the others here have said!!
Like Jancie said, take this time to read, learn and form a plan! You have taken the first step in just entertaining the thought of quitting! That is an IMPORTANT step! VJ's workbook is an excellent suggestion as well!
Feel free to post if you have questions! When YOU are ready, we will be here!
0 -
Ladies you are all wonderful and so full of encouragement at times I feel like I do not have much to contribute, but I know we all have our own stories to share and that is what we are doing here is sharing and supporting each other.
Mari65, I tried to quit numerous times and finally it has stuck. I quit because I had to for the DIEP reconstruction surgery. My doctor said I had to quit smoking 6 weeks before the surgery and 6 weeks after the surgery. I was not sure if I'd keep my quit after my surgery was finished but I have now decided to keep it and not to go back because it was too hard to quit when I finally did quit. It is very hard for the first few days up to a week and then it gets better. Like Jancee said, if you are going through lots of stress then right now might not be your right time to quit but when you do pick that date then try your hardest to stick with it. But if you fail then just try try again. Keep coming back here and talking even if you have not quit yet. A desire to stop smoking is good for a start. You do not have to quit smoking to be here. Just wanting to for now is good and you are always welcome to write on our thread. We are ladies with lots of unconditional love and support.
Jennifer, that is great that you remember and share what I went through in order to get my surgery after voluntarily delaying it for 10 years. And yes I went through hell and back to get the insurance to approve the DIEP reconstructive surgery. They were willing to let me get implants or the TRAM flap reconstrucive surgery but I wanted the DIEP. I fought them for at least a year and once I took them to the Independent Medical Review Board, then I won. It was hard as heck not to smoke when I was going through it and once they denied me, I said what the hell and I started to smoke again. But once I was approved for the surgery I stopped smoking the next day and that was 8 weeks ago. Like I said above, I stopped smoking for the surgery but I am keeping my quit date for me.
Congratulations to all of the women who have hit milestones with their stop date anniversaries.
Evelyn
0 -
Dutchy,
Glad to hear from you!!! Each of us has a different story that may help someone else! I sure hope you didn't mind that I told a bit of yours! I just think your story is remarkable and one worth sharing!
How are you feeling? Are you getting ready to return to work soon?
Hang in there!
0 -
Jennifer, Glad to hear from you too. I go back to work next Tuesday. That will be exactly 8 weeks from the day I had my surgery. And of course I do not care if you share my story because you have such a great memory that you probably remember it better than me. I am 56 and am getting concerned about my memory as it is not that good anymore. I often wonder how you keep track of all of us ladies because you do such a good job. How is the walking going. My walking partner and I walk a brisk 2.3 miles in about 30 plus minutes at least 3 times a week I want to get one of those pedometers and keep track of my daily steps though. I bought those Sketcher Shape Up shoes and they are difficult to get use to. I continue to heal very well and am looking forward to stage 2. I just hope the insurance company does not decide to fight me on that one too. With my insurance I can say I can never tell. I hope you have a great week and keep walking and stay smoke free. Evelyn
0 -
Dutchy,
I remember a lot about you and Jancie because you both were the first girls that I 'met' on this thread!
I hear you on the memory thing! The only way I can keep track of everyone here is to go back and read posts before I respond. I look at that as a GOOD thing in that there are now so many more of us that it is hard to keep track at times!
My memory has really gotten to the point if I don't write it down, you might as well have not even told me because I won't remember it! Talked with my oncologist about that last week and he agreed, probably Tamoxifen related! VERY frustrating!
2.3 miles in around 30 minutes!!! HOLY MOLEY GIRL, you are flying!!!! I am doing well, so far, in getting my steps in. Finished the 'just monitor whatever steps you take' phase and have moved to the 'add 2000 steps to that' phase. Been doing OK with that by adding 30 minutes of treadmill at 3.2 mph. Feel GOOD! Hope to see progress on the scale SOON
Here's to hoping your insurance company KNOWS better than to mess with you!!! BUT, even if they do, your past experience will help you! Just HOPING it doesn't come to that!
Jennifer
0 -
Yes, I agree that it is a good thing that we have so many women it is difficult to keep track. Ya all have a great evening.
0 -
Thank you for all your support ! It is just a little frustrating to me that this crap has so much control over me. Only one other thing made me feel like I had no control and that was cancer UGGHHH. Ok well I beat the cancer and I am determined to beat this just wish it wasn't so freaking hard! Friday is my new date. My kids will be at there dads house for the weekend so I figure It will be a good time. Wish me luck !
HUGS
0 -
Just wanting to provide some up to date information about smoking and breast cancer. While smoking may not be a causative factor, it may be a promoter. We know that the harmful chemicals in smoke are present in breast tissue and breast milk, so it's not a huge leap finding a connection between smoking and breast cancer. The is compelling evidence that in a sub-set of woman (pre-menapausal and without children/pregnancies) that smoking is a causative factor (I fit into this group, having breast cancer at 32 and not children/pregnancies). This is an article I wrote about this subject last summer: http
/www.examiner.com/smoking-in-los-angeles/link-between-smoking-and-breast-cancer-growing-stronger (American Cancer Society has recently changed their website and says that smoking may be llinked to breast cancer).Also, smoking interferes with the effectiveness of medications. Often after a smoker quits, their meds need to be decreased (except pain meds which may need to be increased because smoking modualates pain). This happens even with OTC meds/drugs such as caffiene. Heavy coffee drinkers that smoke, will often experience jitters, anxiety and other caffiene overdose symptoms after they quit smoking, if they don't decrease the amount of coffee they drink, but they will blame it on withdrawals from smoking. While all chemo drugs have not been researched to see if their effectiveness is compromised by smoking, their effectiveness may also be related to smoking.
When we talk about stress, we need to make a distintion between the mental/emotional stress that we feel and physical stress (the release of stress hormones). Smoking increases physical stress and decreases mental stress. Some smokers will choose to quit during heavy stress because they think if they can make it through difficult times without smoking, it will be a breeze during normal times. So while there is no perfect time to quit, but there are advantages to either quitting or cutting down during chemotherapy depending on the individual. I had quit smoking 3 months prior to my first diagnosis and relapsed while going through chemotherapy because of stress and smoked for another 3 years before I was finally able to quit.
I'm here to offer any help to anyone that wants to create a plan to quit now or at anytime in the future. While I normally do not promote harm reduction (continuing to use but in a safer manner), I would help anyone who is interested in tips that will help them cut back on their consumption while going through treatment.
Good luck to all, where ever you are in your process to become smokefree.
0 -
It's funny to hear others talk about having to write things down in order to remember. Well, have you ever wrote a store list outand when your at the store realize you forgot it or you put it in your purse and can't find it. I have also put something important away thinking I will put it here so I know where it is, well then when I need it can't remember where the heck I put it. I told my mom that if I'm this bad at 45 I hate to see what I will be like at her age. LOL
0 -
My quit date was October 19th... well. Let's be honest. I have cheated 3x. I don't recall the exact dates tho... I know it was around day 7 or 8 the first time, then the next day, then.. like around 4 days later.
But I'm keeping my October 19th quit date, because, well. Because I want to!
I have quit because of reconstruction. The doctor said I had to before my diep w/implants. Three mos before surgery, and no smoking until we are COMPLETELY done with recon. So about a year. The diep w/te's.. then exchange... then nips.. then tattooing.
Whether or not I STAY quit? We shall see. I'm pretending I'm pregnant. I quit for each pregnancy and while bf'ing... I can quit for a new set of twins. I'm doing this with the full intention of smoking again.. someday.
What can I say? I LIKE to smoke!
0 -
mari65,
I forget my list for the store ALL THE TIME. Then you stand there and try to tell yourself, maybe I can remember what's on the list so I don't have to go back to get it, then it dawns on you, 'who the heck am I kidding? I couldn't even remember to BRING the list much less what's on it'!..lol
I also hide things so well that even I can't find them! Before we left to go on vacation to the beach this past summer, I removed my wedding band and engagement ring (my hands tend to swell in the humid, salty air at the beach).
When we got home I could not for the life of me remember where I hid them! All I remembered was thinking 'no one would ever think to look for them here!' Well, I guess that included ME! It was over 3 weeks before I found them! Thought my husband was going to have a fit... lol!
Oh well, if we can't change it, at least we can have a sense of humor about !
0 -
Anne, I too quit for the DIEP surgery. I had to quit 6 weeks prior and 6 weeks after. My intention was to smoke again too but have since changed my mind because it was so difficult to stop for the surgery that I do not want to have to quit again. It is funny but as my six weeks after the surgery was coming to an end I started having cravings and had to make a decision to smoke or not to smoke. I chose not. Anyway good luck and congratulations on chosing the DIEP. The tummy tuck is painful but well worth it and I love my "new girls".
0 -
Mari and Seaside. I can so relate with both of you with regards to the poor memory. LMAO!!!!!!
0
