Stop Smoking Support Thread
Comments
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Karen - Thanks so much for asking. It is Dayy 8 and I am still smoke free. At times, the cravings seem to be intense but I always carry my handy dandy spray. Started the maintenace herbal pills today. There is a couple in my park that are both ex smokers - they have been away on vacation. When I told them today that I quit 8 days ago, they were amazed at how "calm" I was. I told them about the combined stop smoking programs I tried and she said it definitely must be working. Like having to deal with BC, stop smoking is also a big time mental game. If I can beat the BC beast, I can beat the cig beast.
Sorry I went on for so long.
How was your day? Remind me again, how long smoke free now for you?
Hugs
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Jo, the cravings do lessen. For me now, the cravings I rarely get are more like 'remembrances' of wanting a cig. It has been 1 year 1 month 20 days and 12 hours.
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Dear Jo, 8 days!!1 woo hoo!! Keep on keeping on, the cravings will lesson as time goes on, that spray works great for you. You are right, it does become a merntal game just like fighting the cancer is. You just have to go one step at a time. I am smokefree for 6 months, and the cravings still come although they have lessened in degree and frequencey, first it will be you don't think about it for an hour, then 2 and so on. Now I just get them once in awhile but can't imagine me lighting up, it is not part of my behavior anymore. Hugs and strength to you, Karen
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Smokers who have had changes in their brain structure due to nicotine, usually can't keep up social smoking but will eventually go back to the same number they smoked before--because of the effect on the survival instinct part of the brain. But the real qustion is--Is there any safe level to smoke?
How often do you have to wear your seatbelt? If you said--all the time--you're wrong--you only really need to wear your seatbelt when you're in an accident--the problem is, we never know when we're going to be in an accident. For some individuals, they may be able to smoke a few cigarettes here and there and not have any health problems, but if a smoker has a pre-disposition to heart disease (or COPD, or cancer), those few cigarettes could make a difference between going on to develop a health problem or not.
Especially with heart disease--the number one killer and smoking (any amount) has an immediate and direct effect on the heart and blood vessels. Unlike cancer which is dose related (the more exposure, the more likely of disease) with heart disease, the effect is immediate because of heart rate variability--your heart pumps at a slow rate while you sit, it must make an immediate adjustment when you stand up and start walking, bending over, or exercising. The carbon monoxide in smoke makes the heart have to work harder because of the lack of oxygen caused by the carbon monoxide. Plus all the harmful chemicals go into the blood system and damage the vessels. Take your pulse rate and blood pressure just after smoking and compare it a time when you've been without smoking for several hours--there will be a huge difference.
Sorry to be so blunt but there is no safe level of smoking. Our bodies were not meant to have 7000 chemicals going through our lungs, heart, into our blood vessels reaching every part of your body.
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OMG!!! Can someone take my smoking DH and kick some sense into his fat head????? I am so trying to hang in there - today is Day 10. I have to admit, he is driving me crazy with smoking in the house and no matter what I say - he is not taking it outside. I am constantly spraying the house to get rid of the smell.
Beginning to figure out there are foods I have eaten all my life and don't like them anymore. My ice tea tastes like crap - may have to find something else to drink besides water - can't do just plain water. Have put on 5 lbs - Yikes! Gotta work on getting that off soon. Not stressing about anything - just taking it one day at a time.
Thanks for letting me vent. I try not to sound to pitiful.
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Jo, you need to gain a little for your DIEP, right? Just don't get carried away. Try exercising when you have time (indoors). A little Wii Fit maybe or some yoga on DVD. DH needs to get with the program and smoke outside. I actually stopped smoking inside in 2000 and when it was freezing cold, I would go into my garage. Tell DH that you need to do this and he really needs to help you by smoking outside or in his car.
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Barbara - I am not scheduled for surgery anytime soon. I had a lumpectomy and rads. A Wii Fit may be an idea. When we bought our mobile home in 2001, we did not smoke in it for the first 3 years. When the summer temps got over a 100 for many days in a row, DH started smoking inside and the rest is history. We used to go out on the deck or in his workshop which has heat and AC. He is being totally stubborn about this - he was the one who tried to get me to stop smoking for years - would even go so far as to tell our doctors it was MY fault he could not quit. Now, he is the one with the problem - not me.0
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You need to jump up and down and tell him he is Hurting your quit effort. He needs to go OUT!
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After 38 years of marriage, that is easier said than done. I just stay away from him as much as I can. Hate for it to be that way but I am determine to not go back to smoking.
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You can do it gal pal despite obstacles.
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After 10 days, it is not so bad now. I still get the cravings at different times but I always have my spray and now use sugarless gum.
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Jo, you are doing so well, despite the constant prescence of smoke around you. You are so determined to quit that it is giving you an extra dose of courage. Yah for you!! Hugs, Karen
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Sending encouragement your way today, Jo.
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My mind still tells me have a smoke cravings , be strong Jo you have done so well keep it up ignore your hubby the best you can , hugs
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Jo hope your still hanging in there.. I'm at 2 weeks today. I had cravings over the weekend and just put gum in my mouth tried to forget it.. Of course this was the 1st weekend I've been around it not as easy as I thought..
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akeefe - Congrats on 2 weeks - I am at 11 days and it is not as easy as I thought. The cravings still do get to me but they are getting fewer and fewer. DH is not makin it easy for me - still smoking and in the house. I just stay away from him as much as possible. The other thing is both of my assistant managers smoke. At least the office is non smoking and everyone has to go outside.
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gosh Jo I need to come down by you and you send DH up here to stay with my DH, they can smoke their brains out in my garage....I really wish that they could "see the light" but they are going to have to do it in their own time (with encouragement, of course--keep moving that ashtray towards the door). I don't think the cravings ever stop but like Karen says, they just aren't as often (sometimes they can be brutal). We went out to DH's family on Long Island for the weekend and there were a lot of smokers there, it was tough but I kept my ground and made them feel guilty by giving them "the look" everytime they lit up around me-haha!
we all deserve a pat on the back and an "ata-boy"!
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Hey, I'm a LD girl also diag 12/10/09, I still have 1 more surg. to improve size. how did yours go. Hope all is well/debi
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Kal - That would work for me. hey can light up as much as they want. How long have you been smoke free? It is hard to me to keep track of everyone. Why is your DH still smoking? I think mine is because he most likely thinks I will cave in and go back to smoking. In all the times I have tried to quit - this is the longest I have made it. Went grocery shopping today and picked up some sugar free life savers and told DH to keep his fingers out of my candy jar and I also got some black licorice - just love it and fat free to boot.0
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debi2009 - LD went well, I just had a followup with the PS last Thursday for my exchange. I was really happy with my scars, he was impressed that I have been "feeling myself up" for months now with skin lotion (he didn't get the reference, a PS with absolutely no sense of humor at all-what a waste...). I originally had 8 drains but all of them were removed within 10 of the surgery. I have to admit I did not return to work until June (surgery was Sept 29th last year) after I completed chemo and radiation. Feel free to ask any questions, you can PM me too!
Jo I quit 9/29 the day I went into surgery. DH is just a complete addict, he uses any excuse to smoke (he smokes if I say my bones ache from the Aridimex...it's Monday, he smokes). I don't think he even wants to try, but at least he doesn't smoke around me. He is really good about going out to the attached garage or around the side of our camper when we are up in the woods. I just hope one day he will at least give it a try.
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Kal - I really don't see mine quitting anytime soon either. He thinks he is doing himself a favor by not buying cartons anymore. I can't get him to see he is actually spending more money. Doesn't make sense to me. I have made it clear that there is no smoking in my car. I really need to take it somewhere and have the carpet and seats cleaned. It really could use a wash and wax. No sense in doing it myself when I can get it washed & handwaxed for $40.00.
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Jo - I am sorry your DH is not supporting you by going outside to smoke. Even as a smoker, we never smoked in the house after my first child was born. When I was smoking I would visit friends who smoked in their homes and although I would enjoy the opportunity to smoke inside, the smoke would become overwhelming and I would not stay long or I would step outside for fresh air. Ironic but true
My car now was another issue. I would smoke like a fiend in the car and it was my worst trigger for the first 6 months. My DH & I had to buy another vehicle because of all the road trips for surgeries and specialists about 6 months after my dx and that became my car. It did not smell like smoke and the triggers actually started to fade away. Having the car detailed is a great idea!
I am sorry I have not been keeping up with all the happenings here but finally got good news - bone scan came back clear - NED! I guess I am just getting old
Congrat's to all who are doing well and hugs to those who are struggling.
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o2b, happy dancing for you.
Here's a big ATTA GIRL for all you new quitters! You CAN do it!! I can say that after a year and two months (almost) the cravings lessen to the point of maybe one per month. Not bad.
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o2b - Congrats on the clear scan - doing the happy dance with you. Yeah! It is hard getting old LOL Yes, I know what you mean about being able to smoke inside. We would play cards on Saturday nights with some relatives and there would be 3 smokers sitting around the table going at it at different times and sometimes the kitchen would look like a smoker's convention. It would get overwhelming at times and I couldn't wait for everyone to leave so I could air the house out.
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o2b what wonderful news! Happy Dance!
Jo it seems to me that your DH, like mine, may feel left behind in our success. I think that our former smoking buddies find it difficult that we no longer "share" the smoking addiction. I had the problem with my SIL over the weekend, I felt like she was trying to sabotage me, she kept saying "one won't kill you". It was such an absurd statement and I told her so (mind you she is my cancer buddy, she has had a multitude of cancers over the years...). I didn't preach, I just walked away.
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KAL - Good for you. I really don't have a problem being around smokers as long as the smoke is not going up my nose. I am really trying to not be one of those pain in the ass ex smokers but sometimes it is hard not to be. Day 12 and counting.0
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Oh my gosh Jo, you are coming in on 2 weeks!!!!! With a smoking partner, that is just so great. Initially my daughter and I were to quit together, mine "took" she is still struggling. I have noticed she is hesitant to light up in front of me, and like you I do not insist people drop their habit around me. It doesn't bother me if people light up in my presence, I do notice people seem more ashamed (I don't know what other word to use) when they pull out their cigarettes, they will often refer to their future plans to quit. That happened just this weekend at a friend's house out by the pool. My friend has taken the first step to quiting by not smoking in the house. Certainly wish your DH would take it outside too, for your sake as well as his first step. As kal said it is as if they lost a smoking buddy. hugs to you, Karen
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Karen, When I was in the military, I worked in inpatient alcohol rehabs centers and one of our goals was to re introduce patients to their environments and let them know that they will be in situations where others are drinking. We worked with them to be able to do that and not go back to drinking. That is the way I feel about others smoking around me. I really doesn't bother me - we have to remember, we were on the other side of that fence at one time. As far as I am concerned, no one owes me an explanation or have to tell me about their plans to quit sometime in the future - been there, done that.
I maybe unique in that I really don't have cravings anymore. I do struggle with the "mind games." I am working on those issues - specifically, DH still smoking in the house and my mind wants me to smoke - how that makes some sense.
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Jo, I agree wholeheartedly, you have to be able to be in situations where people are smoking without giving off "bad vibes". Two of my friends and my daughter just stopped by for a short visit, all 3 are smokers. My apartment absolutely smells like a smoking den, hard to believe I never noticed the smell when I too was a smoker. Karen
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Karen - We don't realize how much smoke smell there really is in our homes until we quit ourselves. I don't think I could allow smoking in my house once I get DH to go out. I told him a little while ago he is making it tough for me to stay an ex smoker. His response was that he has cut down - and he has but still is not going to cooperate.
I have to confess, after 12 days he did try my patience and I caved - I had 2 puffs off his cig and it made me sick to my stomach. That is all the incentive I need to not do that again. Guess it was going to happen sooner or later. Already back on track and not going to beat myself up over it. I am really proud of myself up to this point.
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