Stop Smoking Support Thread
Comments
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Hey Jo....
Did you notice something Robo said in her post? She didn't remember the exact number of days it's been!!!! Remember when you had that moment??!! For me, that moment when I had to go back and count how many days it had been, was the day I knew I was going to make it!
Yay Robo!!!
You have reached a pretty big milestone in your quit.... That moment we all have, each in their own timeframe, where you move from thinking 'Oh my God, it's only been 1 minute, or hour, or day' to 'Wait a sec, how long HAS it been anyway?'....
You're on your way!!
dffro,
You hanging in there?
Lago,
You are right that the smoking is far worse for you than some weight gain (although neither is optimal). My Dr said that I would have to gain 100 lb for it to be as detrimental to my health as smoking...0 -
Seaside,
Now that you mention it, I would have to go back and count the days. I know I quit on a Friday but have not been keeping track. The cravings are not so bad now - I do have my e-cig with me all the time and don't always use it - just having it in my pocket or on my desk it sometimes enough. Looking back, I never would have thought I would have lasted this long. I have tried many times to quit in the past and this is the longest I have gotten. This must mean that I am going to make it this time. All this and DH is still smoking. He has talked again about trying the e-cig but you know as well as I do that talk is cheap. His time will come. I just know it.
Thanks for all your support.
I am so glad to see this thread a bit more active. Even though I have no immediate issues, it is just nice to know I can post and don't have to wait long for a response. The exchange of ideas and hearing others stories has been my inspiration.
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jo1955 which e cig is the best to purchase.? I've been thinking aobut this for a while now. Thanks in advance.
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ginarn - I don't know which is the best, but I use one called "Cloud9". I was able to buy it in a store at the local mall. I went down and looked at what it all entailed and was able to see a demo. The store manager uses an e-cig so he did have some expertise in it. Also, if I have problems with any of it, I can go back to the store instead of dealing customer service and waiting for the mail. Some of the better ones are a bit pricey to begin with but if you look at the cost over the long haul, it is much cheaper and a safer alternative to the real thing. I would recommend doing research - looking at websites and reading reviews. You can find websites that are just for reviews. Then you have to decide how much you are will to pay to get started. I am very happy with mine. I do not have nicotine in mine. For me it keeps me from going back to smoking - DH has not quit yet and it keeps me from eating. I have gained 8 lbs since I quit and don't want to go any further up. I love the idea I can smoke and don't have to go outside especially now that winter is just around the corner. No more smoke smell on me or in my car.
Please keep me posted and let me know what you decide. I am more than happy to help you out.
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Hi all, so many of us posting, it truly is great all the interest in quiting the dreaded little cylinder. So much give and take of advice and tips. On the 16th it will be 10 months for me, something my grandchildren are so proud of. Feeling a little bit better each day, took today to just relax and rest, it has helped alot. I know if I was still smoking this would have been an occasion to see the Dr. for bronchitis. So glad I quit, this site is the best support group you could find. Karen
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Oh Jo,
I sure hope you didn't misunderstand my post.... When I talked about remembering when you had to go back and figure out how long it had been, I was not referring to anytime in the present.... I think it was way back at around 6 weeks for you that you posted how long it had been and then, re-posted saying, oooops, now that I go back and count it was xxx weeks....
The point being.... When you reach the point where you don't know how many days (or hours, or minutes, or seconds) it has been since you last had a cigarette because it slipped your mind, you hve turned a corner in the quitting process! Moving from smoking or not smoking occupying all of your thoughts to not thinking of it on a day to day basis is a big turning!0 -
Seaside - I did not misunderstand you. I was simply saying that the only way I know how many weeks it has been is if I go back and count. In other words, like you said, perhaps I have turned that corner. If I do stop and give it a little thought, I quit July 15th and November 15th is not too far away so that would make it 4 months. I do remember the miscount at around the 6 week mark. Seems like a long time ago. I owe my success to you and all the other great gals here. Hugs!!
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Jo,
So glad to hear that you understood what I was trying to say.... And, yes.... I do believe you have turned the corner!!! So proud of you!0 -
Karen
Glad to hear you are on the mend.... My husband and daughter are both battling the respiratory yuck that is making the rounds... I had it in early October and it was really a bear to shake.... Just when you thought it was done, you would feel sick again for another 3-4 days or so! On the upside.... it was then done!
Hope you feel better soon!0 -
Seaside . Thanks so much.
Hope your DH & DD get better soon.
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so its been over a week, I have not smoked, I am in NOLA recovering from my stage 2 reconstruction. coming home today. hope I can keep it up when I get home.
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djfrro, you are doing great - remember "stay strong", if we can get through cancer treament we can beat anything. hugs, gentle ones, Karen
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For all the new posters here, I will again make my offer available to anyone who would like a free copy of my "Tips to Quit" book, just send me a PM with your email address and I'll send it to you. No strings. Have a joyous day. VJ
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Newbies: Get VJ's book, it is great, full of tips. I'm 15 months smoke free after smoking for 32 years, so you can do it!!!
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djfrro - You can do it - stay strong. I am almost 4 months after smoking for 40+ years.
Karen - How are you doing? Hope you are having a relaxing weekend.
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Dear Jo, I start feeling fine go back to my regular routine and 2 days later wham it hits me again. Today I restocked on Nyquil, Dayquil and Sinex, Walmart's store brands and I am not getting off the couch tomorrow. Gonna be me, my sweats, and a box of kleenex. Hopefully it will be a Law and Order marathon day. Went to a great conference yesterday on new research on bc and they were giving away free books, so I picked up one called My Breast written by a reporter who had bc, so I have enough to keep me from being bored. Seaside says this respiratory thing lasts about 2 weeks, and I am a little over one week in. Thanks for asking Jo. hugs to you, Karen
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Karen, So sorry to hear you are not well but it also sounds like you have a plan. I don't think I would move too far if I were sick. I think I am one of the very lucky ones and just don't get sick. Before BC, I missed 2 days of work in 11 years. Not a bad record. Even after BC, I took off a week after surgery and my rads appts were late in the day so I was there for the better part of the day. My boss could not believe how much I did work. Heck, he could not believe that my lump surgery was same day. Wish I could pop over and make you some hot tea with honey and lemon and fluff your pillows while we have a nice talk or watch a movie or two on TV. The company would be nice. Get better soon. HUGS!!
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Dear Jo, I would love it if you could!!!! Karen
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Karen - Since I can't be there - I can send you a cup of tea via cyberspace.
Thought I would also throw in a big hug!
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Dear Jo, having it for breakfast, it's the hug that really does the work! hugs right back to you, Karen
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Karen - Hope you are feeling better today.
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Dear Jo, I am feeling better, drinking hot tea with honey, on the couch, there is a Law and Order marathon on and I'm reading the book I got at the conference. So far it is very true to what we all experience at diagnosis, "get it out". it is called The Breast, written by an investigative reporter who was diagnosed with bc. Thank you for keeping track of me! hugs, Karen
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robo, old ones too with Curtis and Lenny Briscoe, the best! How goes the non-smoking, how many days now? Karen
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I love all the Law and Orders . The original, Criminal Intent, Special Victims Unit. Bring on the marathons.
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Jo, me too, I always search for those first when am looking for something to watch, especially SVU with Stabler!!!! Tonight is Dancing with the Stars night though. Rested all day, hope I am turning the corner, I have errands to run tomorrow. Karen
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Hi Everyone!
Thank you so much for your encouragement and really good tips!! Although I am not yet ready to put the darn things down, reading your posts are very inspring! I know that my addiction is mostly psychological - yesterday I took a cigarette out of the pack only to find 2 already in my pocket.. This quitting thing really scares me!
Jo: What is the herbal spray? Is that something found in a health food store? I'm going to go to the local smoke shop this week to see if they sell the e-cigarette. I know I need to be completely nicotine free for the DIEP, but right now I can't even be nicotine free at all. I am hoping that if I can have some success with the e-cigarette then that will give me confidence to slowly cut down over the next month to prepare for the "cold turkey" quit (which at this point sounds like the impossible!)
Robo: Feeling like sh** is right...that is how I feel every day. I am tired of giving things up and accepting 'what is' because of my smoking addiction! I have put this surgery off for 8 months already and I don't want that to be the next thing I give up...
Seaside: Thank you for the welcome back! I've been staying away because I just have not been able to pull myself together to come up with a quit date. I know that with the holidays approaching I am setting myself up for failure but hoping that in January I can be done with this.
Please keep those tips coming and congratulations to all of you! I so appreciate your help!!
Lisa
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Lisa and robo, you are both so ready and fantastically motivated, you can do it, I am so glad we have Jo to give you tips on how to do it with an active smoker in the house. My daughter prefers Vincent D'omofrio also, for the exact same reason as you, remarkable how popular these series still are. I rested, Dayquiled and Afrined my day with Criminal Intent and Law and Order, feel so much better! If I was still a smoker, I would guaranteed have been to the Dr. with bronchitis. All because of the power of that little cylinder. Stay Strong ladies, hugs, Karen
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robo - I have to confess it is hard at times with DH still smoking. He does smoke in the house but stays in the kitchen with the window open a little. How do I do it? I use my e-cig but I use the cartridges with no nicotine so I am not really "smoking". In my mind it is either do this which is not harmful at all or eat till I can't get through the door or go back to smoking. I really don't want to do the last 2 - there are not options.
Lisa65 - You can do this girlfriend. I did it with a smoking DH. What you can do when you get your e-cig, start with maybe a low nicotine level and take about 10 days to wean yourself off the real cigs and go with the e-cig. Then you can work your way down to no nicotine refills. In answer to the herbal spray - it is called Smoke Control. You can find it at this website - www.quitsmoking.com. I think it was about $18.00 a bottle and worth every minute of it. It can be used as often as you need it. You just spray it under your tongue. In addition to the spray, I also sucked on a lot of Crystal Light hard candies. It was not as hard as I thought it would be. I had cut down quite a bit before I set my quit date. I have tried many times in the past to quit and I really think this was my time. I smoked for 40+ years and if I can quit so can you. These gals really helped me and we will all band together to help you. I have to tell you - Karen has been the lead cheerleader for me. She is such a doll.
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Hi Everyone!
Personally, I think there should be a whole forum dedicated to stopping smoking while dealing with the stress of cancer diagnosis/treatment/all the other shit life throws at us, am I right?
So like a moron I smoked the first 5 of my 6 weeks of radiation...Bad, I know, but I think I would have been homicidal had I quit. Seriously. I quit for like 3 or 4 days, and was the biggest b*tch ever, acknowledged it, and lit one up, which immediately returned me to my normal only slightly bitchy self.
My RO prescribed Chantix, and I finally quit. Haven't smoked in...it will be 2 weeks Thursday. I am done for good this time...maybe. And since this was so long and many of you were probably bored to death after the first paragraph, I will ask my question in a new post.
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CHANTIX - does the depression related to it occur immediately, or can it be a few weeks after starting it? I ask because I have been on it for about 3 weeks, felt fine until a few days ago, and literally haven't been able to get out of bed for the past 3 days, depressed and lots of tears. I am also struggling with radiation aftereffects, so this may be the cause of my exhaustion/depression? I don't know...just wondering what others' experience with Chantix-related depression has been, and if I should stop taking it at this point. I do think it's helping me not smoke, so I'd hate to quit taking it if the depression is unrelated...Thanks for listening.
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