Stop Smoking Support Thread
Comments
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Cher56: I've been an active member of N/A for 5yrs and clean so far! I havn't tried to apply the steps to cigarettes as of yet, but I do maintian that there are healthy alternatives available and i've found the one that works for me! 7 months for me! Sounds like you are working with patches and i've heard they do work as well. I pray that you are able to find a solution that helps you to kick them altogether, I have been told when I had my elbow surgery that smoking greatly reduces the bodys abiltiy to heal itself. I cut down at that ime, largely due to a drug induced sleep pattern but I became more conscience after the lectures I recieved. FYI malpractic come to mind when I read what you posted the other day!!!
I'm sitting on the back porch right now and am fixin to get up and go back inside... I can't take my roommates wifes(Who had a breast removed and a portion of her lung as well) chain smoking....SMELLS SO NASTY!!! :-( I feel so sorry for her...is it reaally worth it?!?!
I love ya'll....stay strong,
Steve
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Cher 56, it is shorthand for benign, I had a lesion removed and waited 10 days for the pathology report, it came back as benign, B9. I was ever so thrilled - i got a tremendous amount of support and prayers from the women here. We are a full service support team!!!
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Cher--- I used patch first week. I literally cried when I smoked my last cig. The first days were a minute at a time and boy were those some long days. I used ecig too but plastic surg says no nicotine whatsoever, not even second hand. So....I am happy to say I bought a Binkie today and I'm so excited cause I know it will help make it thru the toughest times like this past week. Praying for you!!!
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Steve-billiemay, glad to hear that you beat the smokes. You are so right when they say smoking inhibits healing. I was so worried that I couldn't even entertain the thought of smoking. Wondering what your alternative was? Beckers, glad to hear you got your binkie. Karen is so right about the support here. Even when I think of having one and even say to myself that I'm going to have one, I think of this group and the power within it. So, no smokes has of yet. Going to the MO on Tuesday for a check-up so getting ansy. But positive thinking is all I need - right?
Jo, hope all is well with you!
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JudiH: Much like the patches I still am taking nicotine, I use a e-cig from dfwvapor.com and have the ability to drop my milligrams as I see fit. As an added bonus, no bad smells, carcinogines, shortness of breath and all in over 300 flavors!!! Oh yeah, it only costs about $15.00 a month!! I know I love it and so does Billiemae! Her approval is all I needed to hear!!!
Wishing everyone a great night,
Steve
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Judi - I overdid it today. Like an idiot I did not rest enough after the surgery yesterday and am paying for it. Promised myself I would rest more tomorrow. Should be good to go on Monday. Thanks so much for asking.
steve - I also use an e-cig and am interested in checking out the website where you got yours. It is cheaper than the one I have.
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Dear Jo, definitely a day of rest and relaxation for you tomorrow, you have to keep your promise, your pocket buddies are watching. hugs, Karen
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I am pleased to report that I did not smoke yesterday or today, despite an extremely long night at work. We had majore storms in my area and much of the college system lost power. They needed me to stay, and since I really need the money, I did. I worked from 5 pm to 9 am, most of that time doing nothing but waiting for BGE to restore power, which never happened. They finally let me go home . . . with 8.5 hours OT. That will definitely come in handy now that I am officially RETIRED. My pension check will not be enough to support me, but I am cutting things out and selling things and now this OT. This all buys me a few more months of retirement to get myself well and also hopefully be awareded disability retirement, which would then give me enough to live on. Anyway, that's nothing to be worried about here and now. The point is I can celebrate that I barely even thought about smoking all those hours of doing nothing. It has really been a breeze these past few days, since I checked out cognitive quit. Maybe my head is finally in the right place. The only time I even think of them is to fear craving them, not actually craving them. Later I will work on reinforcing the fact that I cannot have "just one" or "just one hit." I was going to add "forever" but the fact is, it must always be one day at a time. Since today is nearly done, I am going to publicly commit to not smoking tomorrow.
Congratulations to all of you. Freedom from the nicodemon is an amazing feeling.
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Hi dunesleeper, "nicodemon" what a great word, so accurately describes it! And "rockin the quit", I just love your way with words. Congratulations for going all that time without a craving, I think you've rounded the bend on constant thoughts, see what Seaside said is true, it does get better, when she first told me that, I thought it was impossible, but it does finally happen. Not to say you'll never have another craving but they get fewer and farther between. I saw your area on the news last night, you truly got slammed, and many said the weather was fine and the wind came out of the blue, with trees just snapping off and landing on cars and houses, old "Mother Nature" reminds us now and then that she is boss. Hope the power company is able to restore power but one wonders how they even know how to start.
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Hi Eveeryone,
It's a beautiful day to spend our energy on things like, spending time with our loved ones, visiting with dear friends or even just lazing around the house!!! Not to hot and not to cool...somewhere around perfect I would say...so long as I am smoke free that is!!!
Best of luck to everyone,
Steve
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Thanks Steve! Enjoy!
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Smoking sucks the life out of us. I don't want to play that game!!!
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Good morning everyone. Had a great Canada Day - great weather, great friends, great food and great drinks. Oh yeah - it was great not smoking. I have to tell you I thought about a smoke: 1) I remember these events when I smoked and 2) someone was smoking. But then I don't do it. Oh well, I think this will be like this for the rest of my life.
Jo, glad to hear things went well and now your relaxing. Remember, everything will still be there so relax, rest and get healthy.
I hope everyone has a great day - holiday here today because Canada Day fell on a Sunday - yay!
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A belated happy Canada Day to you Judi! Congrats on not smoking!!! You stomped that nicodemon down to the ground.
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Happy Canada day to our friends to the north - glad you all got a day off!
I've been struggling with horrid urges since I got out of the hospital, to my surprise. That was the big scary #1, so why now?
Big scary path report came back w/ 4 nodes positive, so I will be doing chemo next (big scary thing #2) soon, followed by rads. I guess maybe my strong cravings might have to do with the path report.
ANYWAY, here I am wittering on and on. Congrats to my tough sisters, I hope everyone's day has a beautiful quality of ease in it somewhere.0 -
Just going through the stress of each step of this process and not smoking is amazing! Hang in there Maddy. Path reports are very scary. I find myself getting more anxious when I know it's time for the next step in treatment. After my first surgery, I was recovering and I was less stressed but when it came time for rads I panicked. Now doing BMX and I know I will panic when i get closer to that day for sure! Smoking was calming and now I have the ecig with no nicotine for the roughest patches. It helps. Hang in there.
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MaddyMac, big hugs to you! I wish I was there to wrap my arms around him and just hold you! You will be o.k. The scary part is over now! From here on in, you will beat the crap of this! Don't hold back. We are all here for you! I wish I lived closer but you will always be in my thoughts!
Beckers, stay strong as well. You too will get throught this.
A wise friend said to me "you have to stay positive all the time to beat this s#@t". She also said that even though it's tough, it's doable. Now, she is a 5-year breast cancer survivor and I will be like her. So will you!
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Oops, typo MaddyMac. I meant "you" and not "him". Too much popcorn!
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Thank you Judi.
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MattyMac, the 3 stressors you listed are more than enough to bring on cravings!!! You are some strong lady to resist! I was waiting for a path. report the dr. told me was going to be benign, and I was anxious for the 10 days it took for me to read benign, I walkind into his office on legs that were like rubber, so you are doing triple duty and not smoking. Beckers is right on point, each new step in the process brings it's own anxiety, so we have to remember to rock the quit and stay strong. You, my dear are doing beautifully. Karen
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Hey Jo, how are you doing, are you resting and taking it easy? Hope you are feeling better each day and that we all cheer on the 10th, you'll have to begin the party and maybe we can get o2bhealthy to contribute some of her marvelous servers, drinks and snack ables. I know you have the chocolate man! hugs, Karen
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Karen - Thank you so much for asking. I am doing much better today. Had a very busy day but nothing strenuous - can't do those kinds of things for a couple of weeks. I am anxious to get back in the pool tomorrow and start my water aerobics again. I have missed 4 days - grrrr!! I go a week from tomorrow to get the path report. As it gets closer, I know I will be more and more nervous. After much research, I have found out that the thick uterus - 2 years in a row and now the polyp is Tamoxifen induced. My GYN told me the polyp had nothing to do with Tamox but I have several articles printed out to take with me that says he is wrong. You know doctors hate it when we come loading with ammo.
I know I have not been posting much lately. Been busy but I try and read every day.
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Dear Jo, that waiting is just the worst, it feels lke time is standing still. By the time I saw my path. report, it was a 10 day wait, I felt like I was walking on rubber legs into his office. Water exercise sounds wonderful, great low impact on the body and in the water in this extreme heat. I can bet you are armed with all the research that links Tamoxifen to the thick lining of the uterous and the polyp. I don't think many doctor's really enjoy a woman who does her homework as you have done. many hugs, Karen PS., sending calming anti-anxiety waves your way, the water exercise sounds like just the ticket.
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OK. Today was the first real day of my retirement. I ended up drinking a bit and I smoked some herbal, non-nicotine cigarettes. Even though they were not nicotine, for my own purposes, I consider myself back at the beginning. That's just because I know me. However, I normally do not drink since I am treating my cancer (which supposedly is gone) through nutrition and supplements instead of chemo and rads. This was just sort of a day off of the strict diet. Unfortunately, besides smoking the herbal cigarettes, I also did not get to the gym. However, I did clean out my car; and that was no small task. I have a couple of Guinness left (I downed six, took a nap, then went out for six more). I used to drink a lot. I'm hoping, and I hope you will hope with me, that when I drink those Guinness that I have left, it will be a reward for doing something very productive and will not be accompanied by a cigarette, herbal or otherwise.
Thanks.
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Good morning Dunesleeper! Congrats on your retirement ... sometimes it is just time to retire and I hope you enjoy yours. Now, with the smoking - big deal. One (and one that is herbal) is not considered you a "smoker" again. I think the Guinness got to you. Look back and be proud of all of your accomplishments .... make a list and now you will know why you had the "herbal smoke" and the Guinness. You have worked hard all of your life, achieved a lot, and then you retired. I think that is a pretty amazing feat! Don't look back now but more ahead. Enjoy your day!
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Dunes - as long as I stay away from the cigs, I don't care what I smoke! Ha! Well I do care but you know. Definitely don't beat yourself up. New day!
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Tee hee, Beckers! Imagine the ways we think of to have a smoke! Just kidding, of course!
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New day. Life is good. No cravings today. I did have a thought or two about smoking one of those herbal things but decided I didn't really want to do that. Kewl! I did some yoga. I think I will now take a shower and then fix some dinner. Thank you all for being here.
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Great job dunesleeper, you've got another day almost down, keep on keeping on!!!! Karen
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Dunesleeper, good going! See, you thought the herbal smoke was o.k. and maybe that was all you needed. Today, it wasn't what you needed. You thought about it and decided it wouldn't do the job. See, you are there even if you don't believe it. I too had a fleeting thought of having a smoke today but then poof, it was gone. Seems to me that I have these fleeting thoughts every day. But as long as it is just a thought, I'm o.k. with it.
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