Stop Smoking Support Thread
Comments
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No escape in NH from the blizzard. But I work in MA and there was a state of emergency declared, so my boss said to stay home. Also, I live in a Condo, so no shoveling for me! I did laundry, napped, made nice dinner..really enjoyed the day!
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Jan- great results! Congrats!
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Hi Laurie:
Yes, I was happy. One less thing to worry about.
Jan
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Jan,
PRICELESS is RIGHT!!!!
SO happy for good results for you!!! Bet that burger tasted GREAT!
Now onto bigger and better stuff with your fill tomorrow!
Jennifer
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Laurie08,
I know it really is no fun in the beginning but, after some time passes, you will be so happy that you did it!
Right now I think maybe just get through however long you need to before and after your surgery and then, after that time is up, you can re-negotiate whether or not you want to go back to smoking. I think you will be surprised at your answer after a few weeks!
Congratulations on 48 hours!! You are off to a great start!
Post when you need to!
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Ladies, have a question: how did you give up the first smoke of the day? I put it off and then start again, I want to do this, I have the workbook and then I screw up, what's the problem?
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Maureen813,
The first cigarette of the day and the late evening ones were the hardest ones for me and were the ones I still held onto even when I had cut back from 1 1/2 packs to less than 1/2 pack before I quit for good. I think what helped for me was to make myself go outside (or at the least) into my garage while I cut down gradually over a few months.
Once the intense symptoms of nicotine leaving you subside (and in my case it went kicking and screaming) you are left with the association cravings which can be tough for awhile but do gradually get better.
Like VJ said so well, moving to a place where you wouldn't normally smoke and doing nothing else other than smoking while there helps to break the associations like, have a cup of coffee, have a cigarette... Answer the phone, have a cigarette... If you keep doing something that you used to do while smoking without smoking, your brain finally gets the message, "Ya know what, I give up! It's not going to happen" and that activity will no longer result in a craving.
I also had no cigarettes in the house! If I was going to smoke, I would have to go buy them first and I hoped that delay would help me come to my senses. Staying busy, almost crazily so, helped too. Pushing myself to put that first one of the day off as long as I could (while I was cutting back) helped too (and I was one who had a cigarette lit when my feet hit the floor in the AM).
I also set a time limit of 1 week. If I gave it all I had and could honestly say it was NO better, I would start smoking again and find a different way. It truly was better for me around day 5 (although everyone is different) and got steadily better from there.
Are you using one of the quit smoking aids (I can't remember)? They can help you get through the beginning as well.
I will say, quitting smoking was the hardest thing I have ever done (and I've had some tough ones) BUT I think it is perhaps the thing I am most proud of!!!
If what you are doing now isn't working and you feel you've given it a fair shake, there are SO many other methods to try!
You will get there too!!!!
Wishing you the best! Post when you need to.
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Hey Kitchenwitch...
A little birdie told me that someone is having a 1 MONTH quit-aversary tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!
You are doing GREAT!!!!!
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Kitchen: Congratulations!!! So proud of you..you will do just fine.
Maureen: The 1st cigarette in the morning and the late evening ones were the worse for me too. I found that if I can bypass the first one in the morning I could go almost all day. But I really liked that one in the evening.
If you change your morning habits that may help. Try eating a piece of fruit or drink something citrus...try taking a shower as soon as you get up if you don't already....try emptying the diswasher or try taking a walk first thing...just some suggestions I can think of.
Either way, you will get great support from us here and I"m sure you will do just fine.
Post often, it really does help.
Jan
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Laurie:
Keep up the good job, 48 hours is 2 days down...after the first week it does get better!
Jan
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Thanks Jan, good ideas that I will definitely try tomorrow. I agree, if I can get by the first in the AM I can conquer this beast too!! Man, so many wars to fight this year....
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Maureen- my only suggestion to beat the first morning cig is to not have any around and have no way to get to the store....I wouldn't buy cigarettes if my boys were with me, which they pretty much always are, so if I didn't plan ahead for my cigs I wouldn't have any. Just a thought...I was always strong in thought at night when I had a cigarette and weak in the am when I had none- but couldn't alter the choice I had made the night before...
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Thx. Laurie, I am going to the mall to buy an e-cig tomorrow and will switch to using that. My sister's WW lady swears by them and I need to beat this addiction. My goal is to be smoke free, cancer free and healthy in 2011.
Maureen
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Maureen: My DH is on e cigarette and really likes it. It comes in mg as the patches do and he started at 24 mg and is now down to 11. He's doing really well.
Jan
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HOw much did he smoke?
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He was a 1-2 pk a day smoker
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It's so nice now...nothing, including DH doesn't have that smell anymore!
When I quit I couldn't believe how much I must have smelled like a dirty ashtray. It was gross!
I'm sure you will do fine with the e-cigarette. I know several people on it and they love it. You are still getting the nicotine from what I know but none of the other chemicals. At least, I hope not.
I would say to give it a try.
Also, I'm sure there will be others signing in to give their advice.
Jan
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Hi Ladies, I am doing great this morning but have been up since 2am. Since I couldnot sleep I cleaned the kitchen really well. My update since my last post is I went 3 days without smoking and it was a piece of cake then I got real irritated by my wonderful son and had 1. The next day 2...I don't know why I keep sabotaging myself. I too am in the type of delemma like Laurie08 is. It was as if she was telling my current story. One here, two there and before ya know it 3-5. I also am trying to find the guts to tell Dr. Festekjian's coordinator, but I keep chickening out and thinking that it is only lypo suctioning and making my nipples what can it hurt if I only have 10 days clean so why cant I still have my surgery that I have been waiting so long for? I did try to call her the other day and she was out of the office and probably on vacation like the rest of the world...so I hope I get the guts to call again or I may just let it happen unless they ask for blood work and then I will fess up.
I am so proud of all of you girls and hanging in there with each other. Since I have been back at work I often do not have the energy to type when I get home but I love reading the threads whenever I can so I may not be posting as much but you all are in my thoughts on a daily basis. Jennifer I would really love to see a roll call so I can visually see how well everyone is doing.
Hey a while back I was reading about a party to celebrate someone's anniversary but I was so tired around that time that nothing I read registared.
A wonderful thing has happened in my life and that is thet my grand daughter is moving back to California. I am soooooo happy. {{{{{{{{{{{{Hugs to all my girls}}}}}}}}}}.
Glad to hear you all are surviving those snow storms. We have had lots of rain and it has been as cold as 40 here and believe me that is cold for us Californians well at least this one. I am suchy a wimp when it is cold.
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Dutchi- It is nice not to be in this crappy boat alone. After talking with friends and my husband the consensus is, tell the anesthesiologist that I cheated with the no smoking thing a few times but I am not calling my PS to confess. I might be a moron, but I feel the same way, it's getting rid of my TE's and getting nips. Other women have had much more involved surgery and had less smoke free days. In the last 7 weeks I have smoked a total of 7 days, and if I stay 100% nicotine free for the last 2 weeks I think it will be fine.
Maybe I am just kidding myself...since the consensus here was to tell...
*edited to add thw word not- in my boat comment
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One of the reasons I quit smoking 20 years ago was if my cancer ever came back, I didn't want to say it was something I did to myself. (see my blog enter below). So my question to those of you who don't want to tell their doctor---how will you feel if you have complications or your results are not what you expected? Is smoking worth not having the best results or will you be satisfied with whatever happens?
This is similar to when I talk to women who tell me that they smoked through their whole pregnancy and their child is "fine". What they don't know is how much healthier the child WOULD HAVE BEEN IF she had not smoked (since smoking affects not only the physical development but emotional and intellect of the children later on).
A close friend of mine has 4 boys. Two are "A" students, no problems etc. Two are "C" students and have been in and out of trouble. She smoked during two pregnancies and didn't smoke during the other two. I bet you can guess which. While her two "C" children are "fine", Could they have had better development if their mom had not smoked during the pregnancies? A question we can never fully answer.
The problem is that we never know for sure how the smoking will affect the surgical results until after the surgery. So are you willing to accept "C" surgical results instead of "A" results? Regrets are a hard thing to live with and hindsight is always 20/20.
I wish you the best results regardless of your decision. We all deserve the best!
http://stopsmokingstayquit.blogspot.com/2010/10/if-you-continue-to-smoke-then-live-with.html
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Laurie
I know just how you feel. When I had my exchange surgery I did not cheat much.....So I was kinda fooled when I had my nipple reconstruction with skin graph surgery. Everything worked out fine healing from the actual surgery but the anesthesia was my problem. It seems that smoking sometimes causes a specific type of aspiration. It was the first time I threw up after surgery and felt like I had a mucus plug stuck in my chest for the next month. I too had a PS who would have canceled my surgery. I did not tell him but I told the nurse the day of my surgery, and anesthesiologist(week Prior) . that I had cheated so they were well aware of that during surgery.I kinda said hey if we have to cancel than so be it. I don't want a bad situation. Well It took a month of coughing to finally get the huge mucus plug out. My primary Dr was the one who explained the need to have clear lungs before getting anesthesia. (colds, mucus and smoking.all have the potential to create problems) My PS saw me every week that first month and never assoicated the surgery with my terrible cough. I suggest to be honest, call your primary DR, people know that we have a terrible amount of stress assoicated with each of our surgeries. Perhaps they will have you do a chest xray prior to surgery. or take mucinex. see what your Primary recommends to you. You have ten days to get clear lungs relax.
malle
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Since I have not had reconstruction done and was still smoking when I had my lumpectomy, I really don't feel I can add much of value other than to say, as with every step on this journey, the choice is yours and yours alone to make. It is scary while you are going through it (and there were times that I just felt "someone, anyone, please decide for me") BUT somehow empowering in the end!
As I was told when I was contemplating chemo or not.. DECIDE what is right for you and DON'T second guess yourself from there!
Dutchy and Laurie, Take your time to really contemplate how you feel about your surgeries. What is your gut telling you to do? Then GO there! You have asked for feedback and you have it (some may not have been what you wanted) but take it all in, consider it, and DO only what is right for YOU!
This stop smoking beast is a tough one to beat but it can be done!
I wish for both of you the wisdom to know what is right for YOU and peace in whatever decision you make!
Sending both of you a really big HUG tonight and hoping that all is well for you!!
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Going to go watch a movie with my DH but wanted to wish ALL of my sisters here a VERY Happy and Healthy 2011!!!
Jennifer
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I've missed checking in for a couple of days. Good to see all the activity in our little group. Hard to remember everybody, but congrats on all the anniversaries. Those who've slipped - don't let it get you down. It's part of it for most of us. Dust yourself off and try again. Here's to a healthy, happy, smoke-free 2011 for us all!!!
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Happy New Year All!
I hope y'all are having a great start to the New Year!!
For those who are in the middle of their quit, congratulations on reaching the New Year smoke free. To those just starting out....you can do this! Just post often and many of the wonderful sisters here will help with support and encouragement.
Jan
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Hi girls,
Yesterday went great. No cigarettes and barely any gravings. Today, so far has gone well too. Hope everyone had a great New Year. I went hiking for 5.5 miles at Mt. Rubidoux and went bike riding with my grand daughter on New Years day. What fun we had. It is suppose to rain pretty soon so I guess I will not get to ride today.
I hope all of you covered in all that snow are surviving. It sounds too cold for me but sure does look pretty.
Have a great day.
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Hi Ladies
28 days, or 4 weeks, smoke-free, I am bushed, still seem to have the "gotta move, do something all the time syndrome", easy to do physical things, and hard to do mental things,I know I would never have been able to stay smoke free without the inhaler though, and although it is worry-some that I need it, I will deal with quitting the inhaler at a later date. I am using 4 cartridges most days, and should probably try to cut down to three soon, but thought I'd wait another week or so. Right now just saying: "I am a non-smoker" given me great pleasure, and catching up on posts and reading others are doing well too is great. Welcome to new members, and to everyone just hang in there and keep trying.
Jan, good to read you had a great report on the colonoscopy, I did have one polyp, but just got the letter Thursday saying it was benign, and see you in 3 years. So good news for me too.How did the fill go ? Are you done ?
Just found out if I read back too far I lose my post, drat, I guess I will have to come back later to read more and end this post now.
Happy New Year
dsgirl
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(((DUTCHY))) Good for you! You can do it, you know. And good for you dsgirl. It is tough. Wow, today is my seven month quit anniversary. Cool!!
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dsgirl, congrates on your month and keep up the good work.
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Congratulations BarbaraA- 7 months, that's a bunch of days as well, I guess over 200 anyway, where's the calculator? I will be there some day too. Way to go
dsgirl
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