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Stop Smoking Support Thread

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Comments

  • lisamarie68
    lisamarie68 Member Posts: 971
    edited January 2015


    Yeah Bosom .... you are not a wacko .. mental patient .. you are going through the normal... I am sooooo Proud of you ... xoxoxoxxo Big Hugs .....

    Now breathe ... and pat yourself on the back ...

    Minus .. How are you ... Hugs

    April and Judi Hugs ...

    Lisamarie

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,356
    edited January 2015

    Bosum - evening check in!!! How's it going? As long as you haven't already climbed the walls up to the roof, you can make it through today. Seriously - as much as I'm not an exercise junkie - when you get rocking (& crying) - grab your keys and walk around the block. Can't tell you how many blocks I walked when I was first quitting. It was just my 'go to' discipline - want a puff, go walk. Slammed lots of doors on the way out too & said lots of very bad words!! Thinking about you.

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,356
    edited January 2015

    Yes!!! Hooray Bosum. Actually I had to give up coffee for awhile. It was just too much of a trigger - morning coffee & newspapers & .... Of course since I substituted a coke, the health benefits were questionable. And rushing out for a walk at 7am was a real pain, but kept me from weakening. I gave up alcohol for an even longer while. It made the cravings impossible. I never really got back to coffee every morning, but did get back to a glass of wine in the evening.

    Days ahead will be hard but if you believe in yourself, you can do it!!! I'll check in later tonight.

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,356
    edited January 2015

    OK Bosum - only 8pm in CA. How'd your day go? Sending another positive support message. Get sunflower seeds in the shells. Hand to mouth - break the shells with your teeth. Hand to mouth - remove the shells from your mouth. Chew the kernel. Start over. One at a time. They are so small it will keep your hands busy for a long time. Thinking of you!!

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,356
    edited January 2015

    Bosum - Most important you know we are standing in the background supporting you - WHATEVER happens. Hugs.

  • lisamarie68
    lisamarie68 Member Posts: 971
    edited January 2015


    Bosom ... hows it going .. ? I now have a stick of gum with coffee every morning. I know it sounds gross but its my way of dealing .. and tonight after dinner Im having a blow pop ..lol said im having my smoke lol...as time goes by it gets easier .. I am sooo darn proud of you ...If you need that e cig then go ahead ... your on your way .. so excited for you .. xoxoxoxo

    Hey Minus .. lots of hugs ...

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,356
    edited January 2015

    LisaMarie - glad you chimed in. I'm worried about Bosum but I know you had to disappear for awhile when you were struggling to quit.

  • lisamarie68
    lisamarie68 Member Posts: 971
    edited January 2015


    Minus .. yeah .. I am just so messed up with my thyroid stuff .. that I forget a lot .. my mind is not right lol. I hope that I don't fail school because I am having ,memory troubles .. I am also cutting back on some gluten.. I don't know what to do . I know I hope Bosom is ok

    Bosom .. I know you are doing the best you can do at this moment . and we are all in your pocket cheering you on .. did you ever see that tv commercial where the guy is quitting with the patch and when he tells his friends h is not going to smoke the little people on the table are dancing and singing ,,, lol well that's us here for you .. xoxoxoxo

    Lisamarie

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,356
    edited January 2015

    LisaMarie - sorry to hear they don't have your thyroid medicine adjusted yet. This must be so scary. How many hours are you in school? Are you still trying to work too? What are you doing for transportation?

    I hate it that Judi is out of the country & missing this. She would be sending encouragement & hugs to both of you.

    Bosum - The weekend had to be hard. guess I'll send a PM.

  • lisamarie68
    lisamarie68 Member Posts: 971
    edited January 2015

    Hi minus .. no thyroid meds are not good yet ..lol I have brain fog so bad .. anyway I have another doc apt tomorrow.. I know lots of what im going through is my thyroid ... I have a truck I bought .. yeah ...I am getting unemployment .. but today thy were giving me crap about going to school because it is not one of the programs they offer .. so wtf ,, I guess bettering yourself has to be on their terms .. jeeze ...

    Bosom ... like to know how u are love ya lots .. standing here on the sidelines routing for you 'xxoxoxox

    Lisamarie

  • lisamarie68
    lisamarie68 Member Posts: 971
    edited January 2015

    Minus .. maybe this helps u understand the way I feel all the time ... lol

    image


     

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,356
    edited January 2015

    Good heavens LisaMarie I don't think they missed anything. Great poster description. I hope the doc tomorrow will give you a) some answers; b) some new meds. What a mess

    Bosum - as I said in my PM - whatever is happening, we're here. Hope you're OK.

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,356
    edited January 2015

    Bosum - here's a positive thought for the Chantix. It REALLY worked for me. And I think that's what finally worked for LisaMarie too?

    Sorry to hear about your neuro issues. Do you have just numbness or pain too? I still have mostly "dead" feet and partly numb fingers. I was told that CIPN (chemically induced peripheral neuropathy) sometimes take 2 years to resolve (if it's going to) so I'm determined to wait one more year before taking their drugs or doing the neurological tests. If your insurance is paying for the tests, it can't hurt and sounds like a good precaution.

    Good luck tomorrow.

    Edited to add - NEVER BE EMBARRASSED. We've all been there.

  • lisamarie68
    lisamarie68 Member Posts: 971
    edited January 2015

    Hi Bosom ... so glad to see you .. Hey we have been there . do you know how many times I had to come back here and say oh jeeze guys I failed .. well lots and not one of them put me down ever ... so like they say keep coming back...Yes Yes as minus says you will be amazed at the Chantix it really does take the urge away .. you will see you wont want the cigarette .. and you can take it for 3 months ... and the best part well for me was you can smoke the first week ... I think it took me longer than the first week actually ...sooo Hey Hey don't beat yourself up ... just keep moving forward ..I am sorry for all the tests .. I was also told to go to a neurologist and get EEG but sp far no neurologist takes Medicaid .. so oh well ... anyway doc gave me med for acid reflux and bloating , naproxen for inflammation, meclizine for the dizziness.. and Xanax to sleep and for anxiety .. and she checked my magnesium and potassium as they are always off.. and I get to wear wrist splints on both hands as she says its carpel tunnel and cause is the culprit my thyroid ... hoping to feel better someday ...lol

    Minus yes the Chantix was my friend for months ..xoxoxo Love you guys

    Hope judi is having a great time .. miss you April ... oh my I need to stop typing .. it is hurting my hands .. xoxoxoox

    lisamarie

    I

  • VJSL8
    VJSL8 Member Posts: 486
    edited January 2015

    There is NO failure when trying to quit until you absolutely give up and die a smoker. Until them it is a learning process. Each time you stop for no matter how long, is a success!!! Each cigarette you don't smoke, is a success! Each time you try, is a success! You learn something from each try. How long were you off? No matter how long--how did you avoid those cigarettes? A pack a day is 20, so even quitting for one day, a person avoids 20 temptations. That is HUGE!

    Think of quitting as gathering different tools for your toolbox. If you were going to make a table, you would need more tools than just a hammer. When quitting you need a lot of different tools as well. Chantix will help with the physical. But with each cigarette you didn't smoke--you did something else--that is a tool, whether you went for a walk, ate sunflower seeds, or drank water. The more tools the better. think back and what tools did you use. Often we don't give enough credit to what we did do, instead of thinking--I just need a couple more tools in my toolbox. Often when people quit, they will give credit to the last method they used instead of realizing the knowledge that was gained with EVERY try.

    We all have a morning ritual. I get up, go to the bathroom, feed the dog, make tea and do a crossword puzzle. Every morning is exactly the same. Think of your morning ritual and what happens if you run out of coffee, the paper doesn't show up or something changes your morning ritual--doesn't it throw your whole day off? It does to me. Cigarettes fit into that morning routine too but there are another 19 rituals during the day as well. In a week that is 140 cigarettes--which might require 140 different "tools". Not really, you'll find a few that work well for you but sometimes you have to try a bunch of different stuff to figure that out.

    Don't be so hard on yourself. Two common emotions with smokers trying to quit are shame and guilt--guilt that I'm still smoking when I know I shouldn't and shame because there is something wrong with me that I can't quit. Both emotions just keep a smoker wrapped up in continuing to smoke. Let go unrealistic expectations of what quitting "should" look like. It is different for everyone.

    You can do this but it might be one of the hardest things you ever do, but you CAN do it.


  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,356
    edited January 2015

    Great posts LisaMaria & VJ. For grins & just checked the weather in Cape Town, South Africa. Friday's high will be 90 and low at night will be 66. I KNOW Judi is having a wonderful time.

    Bosum - did you start the Chantix?

  • lisamarie68
    lisamarie68 Member Posts: 971
    edited January 2015


    wow minus .. nice warm weather for judi .... yipppeee ... we are getting a nor easter tomorrow... yuck .. snow ...

    Bosom hows it going hun ... xoxoxoxo

    lisamarie

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,356
    edited January 2015

    Bosum - thinking of you. We'll all want to know how you react to Chantix.

  • lisamarie68
    lisamarie68 Member Posts: 971
    edited January 2015


    Im sorry Bosom , I had some crazy dreams too ..One my mom died in .  but I know it was not real .. and yes they make the smokes taste yucky after a bit ...xoxoxoxoxoxo

    Minus xoxoxox

    April xoxooxo

     

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,356
    edited January 2015

    Bosum - I was willing to deal with the dreams to get the final result. As you said, the dreams can be vivid but mine weren't evil or malicious. Yes, depressing because you miss the people, but.. Maybe the trade off is worth it? Or maybe cut down the dosage?

  • VJSL8
    VJSL8 Member Posts: 486
    edited January 2015

    Talk to your doctor about different dosing. It is that second pill close to bedtime that causes the dreams. Some people do OK with just one pill a day (in the morning), or try to take the 2nd pill early, they still need to be at least 8 hours apart, but it might help to take it several hours before bedtime.

    Also talk to your doctor about depression--which can get worst in some people when taking chantix. Tears all day long isn't right. Doing a combination of chantix and bupropion works for some people too. Bupropion is an anti-depressant.

    If it does help, another way to look at it, is that the dreams won't last forever, but the effects of smoking do?

    Could your dreams represent the "safety" you feel while smoking and by not smoking, you're not "safe" anymore?

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,356
    edited January 2015

    VJ - interesting, I hadn't considered safety feelings. I always felt secure when I was smoking. I was strong & brave & could & would do anything. Probably an exaggeration, but that's how I remember it. Post smoking - not so much. But of course I only had 3 years after smoking before I got breast cancer. And we all know that that does to our psyches. I'm still amazed that I didn't start smoking again at diagnosis. I try to reward myself regularly!!!

    Key point - Bosum. Start thinking about your rewards. It's easy to make them food but I made my rewards money. For every pack of smokes I didn't buy, that same amount went into my reward fund. Bought some great clothes. Took a couple of great trips.

  • VJSL8
    VJSL8 Member Posts: 486
    edited January 2015

    Quitting smoking is an emotional journey and often people underestimate the power of emotions when quitting. There are 4 ways to deal with emotions- release, express, suppress and escape. Smoking enhances positive emotions and suppresses negative emotions. After quitting negative emotions can seem to be more powerful, and the positive ones not so much. The challenge is to learn to express and/or release emotions in a healthy manner. But without nicotine to mask emotions they can feel overwhelming and more intense. Plus most of us have been smoking since were were a teenager and haven't learned other ways of dealing with emotions since we always turned to our cigarettes when we were happy, sad, needed comfort, were lonely or angry. Anger was my issue, I used to "smoke at" people and I used it to stuff my anger. My last challenge was learning to be angry without smoking it away but dealing with it.

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,356
    edited January 2015

    Bosum - glad to see you're forging ahead & lucky about the Rx. I never did take the double dose - just continued with the smaller. The meditation tapes sound good for background calm.

    VJ - good post. Thanks.

    Be safe to all of you in the East. Sounds like a whopper of a storm. Gee poor Judi - it's only going to be 79 degrees tomorrow in Cape Town!!!

  • VJSL8
    VJSL8 Member Posts: 486
    edited January 2015

    I normally don't watch any movies that have cancer or death in them. I resisted Breaking Bad until the final season and too many people were talking about it, then I binged-watched it one weekend. Loved it.

    I used today's discussion for a post on my blog. It is the first time I've ever told the true story about my last relapse which was in 1990. My Dad died 17 years ago and I decided to let go of the shame that kept me from being honest about my smoking relapse. There is more to the story- I called my dad and told him I had a gun and I was going to shoot myself while he was on the phone. He hung up on me but he never drunk dialed me or anyone I knew ever again.They say you are as sick as your secrets and this is one of mine that I'm willing to let go off.

    http://stopsmokingstayquit.blogspot.com/2015/01/wh...

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,356
    edited January 2015

    Way to go VJ. Glad you could finally let go. Thanks for sharing.

    I've been re-reading my junior hi & HS diaries. Talk about secrets!!! Even if I filter out the standard teen-age angst, I can see 'why/how' I 'was/became' an addictive personality.

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,356
    edited January 2015

    Bosum - glad you're hanging in there. We'll be here for you. It's sort of like the hourly updates from my niece, who is in labor with her first baby. I think she's in for a very long night.

  • VJSL8
    VJSL8 Member Posts: 486
    edited January 2015

    I'm osf to Orange County. My friend is having surgery for BC tomorrow. She has short term dementia. She doesn't remember she has cancer which is both a good thing and bad. Other friend and I are the decision makers for her advanced directive, trust, and power of attorney. She is 74 and in really good health except for her mind. So sad. Every time she has a test or exam, by the time she gets home she doesn't remember what it was for, so every time cancer comes up, it's like she is hearing it for the first time all over again.

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,356
    edited January 2015

    Oh VJ - how heartbreaking. Hope the surgery goes smoothly and the recovery isn't arduous. You are so great to take on this duty of love.

  • onlywendy
    onlywendy Member Posts: 1
    edited January 2015

    Hi ladies, I'm still smoking. My oncologists knows they haven't said anything about it. I thought they would be "chewing me out" every appointment, but they haven't. I wonder if they don't want to stress me out anymore than I already am? Who knows for sure? Sometimes I want to quit but more often than not I don't. You would think a cancer diagnosis and going through chemotherapy would be enough to cure me. But NOOO, I'm so hard-headed!! I guess I should just thank God that I never got into hard drugs or I'd probably be addicted to them as well. I was reading some previous posts, and what is it about a cup of coffee and a cigarette? Instead of looking forward to them I should be treating them like the devil. Sometimes I want to quit, I did it before and gained a lot of weight. So there is that. But Really, how, why do I want to continue to poison myself.

    Thanks for letting me rant!

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