Stop Smoking Support Thread
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Seaside - Re-couping from surgery this past Monday. All went very good and drain comes out next week. Re-con on TRAM looks great and straight....LOL! Groucho.....oh got to LOVE him and them, just watched Animal Crackers this past week, what a hoot!!!! I too, have quotes that get me super charged and feeling good when all is lost, it really isn't...and I have a necklace that states, "all who wonder are not lost"....and one of my favorites, "Imagination is more important than knowledge"....quess who????
Hugs to you and the other ladies here, admire your support and words of care, love and concern!!!
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I have been thinking about joining you guys ever since I first saw this thread after joining breastcancer.org. After feeling like a fool for smoking for a year after finding out I have Stage IV breast cancer I finally decided yesterday that I have had enough and I've now gone 36 hours without a cigarette. I read and listened to Allen Carr's "Easy Way to Quit Smoking" and while it feels far from easy I have grabbed on to some of his words when the urge to smoke gets really strong. My husband and I bought bicylces yesterday so we are going to spend at least a half hour riding every morning to hopefully offset the potential weight loss and I am going to focus on deep bvreathing and drinking lots of water. I am a pro at quitting (my last quit was for almost two years) but need to work on staying quit.
Looking foward to getting to know all of you.
Lorraine
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Welcome, Lorraine! VJ is a smoking cessation professional who will email her workbook to you for free. Just scroll back a few pages and look for here and send a PM. It has many tips on quitting and staying quit. Quitting is a hard journey and don't beat yourself up if you slip. You can do it and we are here for you!
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I hope everyone is doing well.
Im still here.... Just been busy with Rad onc getting ready to start rads on Thurdsay. I put in my fafsa application for college... waiting for that to go through then I am gonna head back to college. I was registered before DX and had to withdraw. It's time to go back now.
Im suprised myself, but I think I am going for the RN program..I have panic attacks, and really dont like blood and guts, but there is a side to me that cares deeply for people, and I have seen soooo many bad nurses, that I know I can do much better and make patients feel comfortable and happy. Plus, I kinda need a good paying job to support myself.
I have lots of prereq's so it looks like I wont be able to apply to the selctive admission program till 2013. I need a's in my sciences and a good score on some hesi <?> test before consideration to the program. So I will be a very busy girl, which is good. I need something to look forward to and a goal to work twords.
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Onetoughwoman47,
Glad to hear you are recovering from your surgery and pleased with the results!!! Please take your time to heal and recover!
Have to admit that I was really kind of surprised at how many really good quotes Groucho had... Who knew??!! LOL
Loved your quote but, I must confess, I had to look up who said it.....
"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand."
Albert EinsteinI think as we get older, we all get caught in what we "know" and forget how important imagination is.... Your quote has been copied to my collection!!! Thank you!
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WELCOME lorrhaw,
Glad you have decided to join us!!! I used Allen Carr's book when I was quitting... It does a great job in getting you in the right frame of mind to quit and I do remember reading and re-reading sections early in my quit!! It falls apart a bit in the "how to" part...
That's where many have found VJ's workbook to help a lot!!
Sounds like you have tried before to quit... In fact, if you went 2 years you are ahead of most of us here! On thing that I did find was really helpful was the support AND accountability I found here!
Good for you on the bikes!!!
Welcome aboard.... Look forward to hearing more from you soon!!!
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sweet!!!
HOW EXCITING!!!
Waaaaaaay back in 2002 I got layed off from my job in the computer industry and, at the tender, young (lol) age of 40 went back to school to get a degree in Medical Lab Technology (the people who run all of those tests that are ordered by our doctors)!
It took a LOT of HARD WORK going back to school but, I JUST loved it!! I know I was a lot more focused than I was the first time I went to college (in fact when I looked at my high school transcripts I was thinking, Geez, if this was my kid's report card, I wouldn't be happy!)... LOVED the interaction with the younger students (once they got over the fact that I was old enough to BE the teacher)!
Not all nurses deal in the "blood and guts" aspect of treatment! The sense of accomplishment that you will have... SOOOOOO rewarding... guaranteed...
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Hi everyone, just a quick post, just back from Pa., and sweet - thank you for your "stay strong", I would get to a stress point and would just invision your smileing face and hear your 2 words. Seaside - you are so right about accountability, it is an tool to hold onto when that urge to smoke strikes. Wecome to our group larrhaw, we will all stand by you. Did not slip once while I was away, and Seaside just as you said there would be long periods of time when I would not think about smoking. Bama, hope you are doing well, I will catch up on all the posts, and talk to you tomorrow. hugs, Karen
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(((Karen))))
I was getting worried that we had not heard from you! Hope that all went well in PA.... I know that was probably a difficult time for you but, hopefully there were some good memories too! We all are keeping you in our thoughts and prayers!
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My in-laws are here this weekend. Both smoke and, because I can't bare to make them go outside to smoke (they are 80+) are smoking in my house.... Which explains why I am here posting.... Yikes, feeling a bit of nostalgia!! It IS all a bit tempting BUT I WILL NOT give in!!! Got too much invested in NOT smoking!
Almost bed time for them... Tomorrow they head home!
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oh Seaside that's tough!!! Stay strong - we know you can do it!!! (((HUGS)))
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O2B,
Even though it was a bit chilly here today, I did crack open the windows to try to not have it so smoky! Normally, I'm not sure the smoke would have bothered me but with 2 people smoking and the windows closed it was getting a bit hazy in here! Plus, the "devil on my shoulder" started chiming in a bit with... "What would one hurt?"
I've learned a bit in the past year where I wasn't going to fall for that! Just ONE is too many and a THOUSAND is never enough!!
Tomorrow starts my testing week! LOTS of scan anxiety stress BUT, while I may break the chocolate bank this week (sorry, fellow E-Lab Hummingbirds), I WILL NOT smoke!
Thanks for the hugs!!
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{{{Seaside}}} You are strong and your scans will be fine! Holding your cyber hand!
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Thanks Barbara!
I just got back from the breast center and they knew I was a little (HA) nervous so they had the radiologist read the results while I waited!
Both Mammo and Ultrasound came back a perfectly normal BIRADS 2!!
I am so relieved but also so very tired from stressing over it! My in-laws left for home this morning so, in a bit, I think I'm just going to chill with a glass of Chardonnay and hit the bed early!
Now to just have to get through the D&C on Wednesday with good results and then I'm DONE till fall!
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seaside Congratulations on the clean mammo and US!! Good luck with the D&C, I'll think about you on Wednesday! No offense to your in-laws but it's better they have left so that you're not tempted.
I just finished radiation #5 of 28. I've become incredibly anxious during the treatments, my entire body tenses up and I'm breathing these short quick shallow breaths. I keep thinking that I'm screwing up but the techs say I'm laying still. I wish I could take something but then I'm afraid I won't be able to drive myself.
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Seaside, what great news, you must go to a fabulous breast center like I do, they tell you right there so the stress ends. You certainly deserved a class of chardonay, after being exposed to cigarette smoke, having guests and scan anxiety. I start my round of testing next week with a mammo and a week later with my BS. I know what you mean about being exhausted from the stress. I will not sleep the night before. Super news, now need super results from the D +C and you are all set til the fall, that is so great. Karen
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kal_1865, I know exactly what you are saying, I too tensed my whole body for each treatment. It was for the ever present demonstration that I had cancer. I did not relax till I took the gown off. I was already on an anti-anxiety med, and did drive myself back and forth, but I had been on the med and knew I could drive the 4 blocks to the center. Why not mention it to the RO when you talk with him/her. No harm in asking, if it would help you and not effect your driving, perhaps a low dose. Karen
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Seaside: Great news! Glad you go to a center where the patient matters! Also glad the temptation (in-laws) are gone. Just Febreeze the smell out of the house; or you may want to leave it to remind you of the stink.
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Hello everyone!
Just started taking chantix, and am on day 2. Feeling a bit jittery and irritable and it's only the second day (.5 mg in the AM). Wondering if anyone else had this experience? On Wednesday I will need to increase to twice a day (for 4 days) and then increase to 1mg twice a day. I'm wondering if this is normal and will pass as my body adjusts to the medication, or if the anxiety is more likely to increase as the dosage increases? (I know that some meds level out once in your system for a while.)
I'm also taking klonopin with it as MD and pharmacist said there was no interaction between the two. I'm also taking vicodin (have been for last week or so on and off) but was told no interaction with that either and it's a very low dose.
If anyone has words of wisdom, it would be most appreciated! Not sure whether to continue with chantix, although I've been told it's my best chance at quitting.
Hope everyone is doing well!
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kal_1865,
Same thing here while going through radiation!
My protocol was 4 "zaps"... A short one followed by a long one and then the instrument switched to the other side and.. again.. A short one followed by a long one... WITHOUT FAIL my heart started beating really fast on that first long zap.... I think it just had a different pitch that JUST didn't agree with me!
Just hang in there and it will be done before you know it! I really hated going there every day BUT will say, I was really kind of sad to leave that last day! It (and the people there) had really become a part of my life!
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Karen and Bama,
The breast center that I go to has really been the shining star is this whole ordeal! Even though I don't live in a big city they seem to really CARE and, also, are very good at what they do! We went to a top notch cancer facility out of town and chose to be treated here because we really didn't hear anything different at the "out of town" place!
Bama,
I tried Lysol and will have to get the Febreeze! Lordy, I didn't think my house smelled this bad when it was "me" that smoked...lol Will be thinking and praying for nothing short of GREAT results on your pathology tomorrow!!! God knows you so deserve a break!
Karen,
Please let us know what day you will be having your testing next week so we can keep you in our prayers!
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Lisa65inNY,
Can't really give you any advice on the Chantix because I didn't use it! Hopefully, someone who has some more experience with it will be along soon!
Just wanted to say welcome!
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Bama Praying for good news tomorrow!
Whew Seaside! Mammo's down, D&C to go then you can kick back a relax!
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Jennifer, Congrats. You must be on cloud 9.
Bama, Im also praying for you.
I start Radiation on Thursday. I already had my simulation and tattoos. 33 treatments to do.
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sweet, will be sending calming thoughts to you on Thursday. I wanted to say thank you to you. While I was in Pa. when a craving would hit strongly, I would think stay strong, the message you sent to me before I left. Bama sending prayers your way for good results. Seaside, my mammo is on the 14th, appt. with BS on the 21st, I will hold onto my cyber sister's hands, as I get quite anxious, enough to raise my blood pressure each time. The nurse always asks if I always test high, I am going for an initial appt. on Thurs. to a new PCP, I was very disatisfied with my old one, and ask her about it. I also want her to check my thyroid, as I tire easily and have quite a bit of hair thinning, I think the old PCP did not haave me at the proper dosage for my thyroid levels. She has been recommended by quite a few people, and invites questions from her patients, the old one was very defensive about it. Will let you know how I make out. Karen
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Karen,
Will be thinking about you on the 14th... do you have mammo's done every 6 months? That was the schedule I was on but, was told that now that I am 2 years out, I can drop back to 1 per year in the spring and that they will do an MRI each year in the fall.
I also don't do well at the doctor's office as far as my blood pressure. My PCP has me take my blood pressure every couple of weeks or so and then bring my numbers for him to look at when I have my appointment. Like he said, there's no way he can tell if my BP meds are at the right dose based on the numbers in the office!
I must say, when I was at my pre-surgical appointment last week, I had a full-blown panic attack in the waiting room. When they took my bp it was an astounding 173/105... I thought they were going to call an ambulance... lol. They did the rest of the stuff they needed to do and let me calm down before taking it again and it was a respectable 124/82.
Hopefully the new PCP works out for you!
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Sweet,
After chemo, most likely radiation will be sooooo much easier!! Other than the pain in the butt to drive there everyday, once I got used to the instrument, it wasn't too bad.
Make sure to follow their instructions as to what lotion to use (or not use) to the letter. I'm not real fair skinned so my skin held up pretty well. Big thing with me was how TIRED I was after about 3 weeks... Just a heads up on that one!
Will be thinking of you Thursday! Let us know how it goes!
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Ladies, your prayers are working! No cancer was found in the omentum!! Hooray! I still have to be classified as Stage 3 (even though what they found was microscopic) and I still have to do more chemo, but in my heart and mind, I feel like I'm Stage 1. I just feel like it's going to be ok. Thank you all so much for the prayers and support. You all rock!!!
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OH Bama,
I am sitting here with tears in my eyes!! I am sooo grateful for this news!
YEP strange world we are in... It's stage 3, which for ovarian IS early, HALLELUJAH!!! It is going to mean more treatment which is a bit of a YUCK but, with everyone behind you, you will get through it!!! We'll be there holding your hand!!
Soooooo Happy for this news, sistah!!!
PS.... We always forget about the husbands... give yours a BIG one from all of us!!!!
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Woooowhooooo Bama!!!!! No fun about chemo but I know you will beat this beast too!
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