Stop Smoking Support Thread
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Hi everyone ,
The day will be tomorrow , I am on the longest flight but well worth it as Mom's Birthday is tomorrow so I am hoping to be the best birthday gift ever ..lol I leave Long island at 7 am and then I get to vegas at 3:44pm.. with 2 layovers .. one in Philly and the other in LA .. sheesh .. never had so many planes to switch but I will be fine .. glad to know I am not smoking because no way could I ever go on a 12 hour trip without a smoke or the fear that I couldn't .. I am sooo grateful I do not have to feel that way ... its 10 am here so its 7 am there .. too early to call her and give her the news that I will arrive tomorrow ...
jitters in the belly ... I got a one way ticket as I have no clue when I will return .. I feel I need this time with Mom and I am hoping for the best as her and her sig other are both very ill and fragile .. but her sig other can also be very verbally abusive ...as he is a very bad alcoholic and about 70 pounds soken wet also on oxygen 24 -7 .. it's very sad to watch and deal with for me as I don't drink or smoke and that is what im going to see day after day ... But I am praying that I can and will have the guidance and strength not to .. I know mom says there is a meeting in walking distance so maybe an escape for me .. I sure hope anyway ... well blah blah blah huh .. Minus it sounded amazing .. I am so glad you had a great time and actually got to meet some BC friends .. exciting .. I really hope someday to meet up with all of you ladies on the thread as this is my life line and has been for quite sometime ..
Bosom , I am still routing for you .. hoping all is well .. xoxoxo I don't know about the interet at moms . I may have to get a router i shall see .. if not maybe the library or a hotspot lol ...I will do my best to keep in touch ..
well I am so happy for all you new ladies who are overcoming this smoking craze .. you will soon be sooo free of the bumps and humps in the road and be happy you did it .
xoxoxoxox
Love to you all
Lisamarie
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SVG - great news - another milestone down. Are you from cold country like CBWitt? Maybe that will push your DH a little too.
CBWitt - WOW girl. Month one down!!!! You're well on your way. You and SVG are tracking each other pretty closely. Wouldn't it be something if both of your DHs decide to quit too.
Bosum - So sorry you have to wait for results & hope the MO really does call. My dream place is Carmel, CA. Nothing to do with Clint Eastwood (who was once mayor there) but everything to do with the ocean. I can loose entire days sitting on the rocks watching the waves pound in. It looked like Bar Harbor would offer similar peace, but only part of the year unless you actually owned a 'cottage' facing the rocks with a roaring fireplace on the opposite wall.
lisaMarie - I know you're excited about your trip. Has your Mom been with this SO for awhile? Difficult since you just got away from your own nasty situation. Maybe you can ignore him & just do things w/your Mom. We'll be sending extra strength while you deal for staying in a smoke filled house. Hope you will have access to computer so you can keep us updated.
Judi's right about two things. After a while thoughts of smoking disappear almost immediately - poof. And I like her wishes that LisaMarie will win the big jackpot. Wish we could all send her a couple of quarters. My problem is you have to play to win, so I'm out of the running.
HI to April & VJ. You two are great to keep sending support while still working. Hey VJ, is that delightful man still around?
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MinusTwo, Yes we are still together, 20 months now and not even one argument. He is really supportive, kind and generous. I am lucky to have him in my life. Thanks for asking. VJ
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VJ - Good gracious - not one argument? Sounds like a dream. So happy for you.
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@MinusTwo, I'm in California now (originally from New England so can appreciate your recent trip!). My DH is annoyed when he can't smoke inside regardless of weather - but the rain & cooler nights haven't kicked in here yet. He's really motivated, and the last time we quit it was me who fell off the wagon before him. I have faith.
cbwitt1970, congrats on staying quit! I wanted to ask if during the first weeks of surgery recovery are you finding yourself bored & craving more, or less craving because the need to heal is so apparent? Speaking of, I hope your recovery is going well!
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Ladies, ladies, ladies. So much info and good to see that the two smokers on the "quit band wagon" are still at. Good going girls! Bosum, you have so much too handle in your life that now is not probably the time. But remember "you are always thinking of it" so that is a good thing. Good news on the X-ray and another one never hurts.
Interesting question of where you can go to veg out and be your ideal place. Never thought of it. I also knew that when I was first diagnosed with bc, my bucket was empty so I knew it wasn't my time.
Mammo was today so now the waiting game. I took an aspirin one hour before and the mammo didn't even hurt. I read that on this site 4 years ago and have tried to stick with it. Last year I forgot and it hurt. I pulled back and then I had the call back. So there must be something to this.
VJ, you have a "dream man". Hang on to him. Never even an argument. Amazing!
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JudiH, I do plan on hanging on to him. I've always been very picky with men so when I told my sister about Joe, she said, "Yeah, how long is this one going to last?" After she met him she told me, "He's a good one, don't screw it up".
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Bosum - so glad your MO isn't worried about the X-rays.
My PCP is trying to get another bone scan (DEXA) approved after only 12 months because all the cancer treatment apparently did a number on my bones. Usually the rule is 2 years, but I called Medicare and they said they will pay if it's "Medically Necessary". Hmmmm. They said it doesn't need to be pre-approved, but..... We all know how much fun it is fighting w/insurance companies!!!
Interesting that the reason I quit smoking in the first place was because of bones - not lungs. I did NOT want to end up in a nursing home w/a broken hip, so I quit smoking, & drinking carbonated sodas, and started walking & working out. Eventually I got up to walking 5 miles per day ahd working out for another hour, & my bones went back from osteopenia to normal Then at my absolute healthiest - I got cancer. Go figure!!! Oh well, at least I haven't started smoking again.
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VJ, thanks for the "chuckle". Sounds like sisters, eh? MT, interesting about your walking and workout routine and the reversal of the bones. I think I'm going to try this routine. How long did you do it before the reversal?
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Judi - I quit smoking in July 2007 and started out by walking for 30 minutes around the neighborhood. Then I joined Curves and added a 30 minute workout, and gradually worked up to joining Bally in 2009 because they had an indoor track & better work out facilities. Sadly Bally is now LA Fitness and they got rid of the indoor track when they re-modeled. And the water in their pool is way too cold for me to do water aerobics there. Well I guess instead of complaining, I should just say I've never gotten back to exercising after the BC recurrence & subsequent chemo & surgery & rads. My bad. Anyway, to answer your question - I started the walking in July 07 and my bones had 'recovered' back from osteopenia to low normal by the fall of 2010 - so 2-3 years since I wasn't tested in 09. I should mention I was obsessive about all this tho, and spent 1-2 hours at least 6 days a week. Even on vacations I found a way to get to a Curves facility when I was still working on not smoking. Anyway - I do know weight bearing exercise works.
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Hi MT, thanks for sharing. I work out 1 hour x 2-3 days a week. But interesting how it reversed for you. My doctor had no concerns with my bone density but I liked having it done at Sunnybrook as I got all the notes.
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Now this is what I say when people ask me how much I weigh!
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Judi - thanks for the laugh. Hope LisaMarie is safely in Vegas. Bosum - when's the bone scan?
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Well, I simply HAVE to bite the bullet (instead of cigarette). I've been a heavy smoker for 40 years. Initial consult with RO yesterday.
Key point from our talk for this thread: Smoking while doing rads increases the risk of lung cancer by FOURFOLD. With everything else going so strongly for 100% recovery, would be so wrong not to Stop. I quit for 3-1/2 mo. last year on the patch, no idea why I picked up again. 23 years sober so I know I can do it, but my own obstinacy in my way. Met the 7 m.o. grandboy Sunday, another motivator; son is sending a booklet of photos.
Question: I have patches on the shelf from MI Quit Line. RO says good success with Chantix also & happy to prescribe if I want. I'm bipolar type II and hope it won't be like eating tic tacs. Counterproductive to do both. Anybody here have experience with either/or? If the Oncotype-DX says no chemo, I start rads in about 3-4 weeks. Gotta get on it. Aiming for this coming Monday 10/19 for a firm quit date or possibly the next Monday, 'cause I read you have better success with quitting on a Monday (or maybe just another excuse, ergh)...
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Welcome Kitty. You can do this especially with all that you know. I didn't know that smoking while on rads increase the risk of lung cancer. God, I'm glad I quit before I did mine. But I do remember freaking out when I had to had the lung x-ray. It was after my surgery and I kept thinking (stupidly) what if it's in my lungs. Enough to share the shit out of me. I can't help you with your questions but MT or someone else can. You've got this girl!
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Welcome KittyL. A couple of people here quit with Chantix. I used the patch and an e-cig and it worked for me. You will find your best way. I quit the day before starting rads 2.5 years ago...worth it! Hugs and best of luck and welcome.
Ladies, no time for individual shout outs as am leaving to babysit the grands in a few minutes. Love to all...has been a rough week,co-worker and friend had a stroke and first cousin passed away (don't know from what yet) so am kind of scattered and not myself. Hugs! xo
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KittyL. You can do this!! I tried every possible method to quit in times past & was finally successful this past time by using the vapor. Are you familiar with it? I found that that act of "smoking" was very gratifying. And clearly I need the oral fixation satisfied. Once off the cigs you start tapering the amount of nicotine down in the vapor until you are off nicotine all together. I whole heartedly recommend you try this method if you haven't already. My BS, PS, & Oncologist all agree that it is ok to do if it's getting me off cigarettes.
Of course the goal is to get off nicotine as well, hence the tapering of the dose. I'm in your corner, cheering you on the whole way!😊
p.s. I hesitate to recommend Chantix. It made me psychotic for lack of a better word. And with your history, it might have some adverse side effects. I urge you to try the vapor 1st before trying another drug. Plus Chantix is so darned expensive!!
Keeping fingers crossed,
Catherine
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another choice to replace the hand to mouth motion is the nicotine inhaler, it's by Rx only but it is FDA approved. This is the answer I did for Quora on vaping and my concerns:
I am not a chemist but my concern is not the nicotine but the flavorings. Currently there are about 7,000 different flavors with a couple hundred being added each month. Many of the flavorings used are GRAS (generally recognized as safe). But this designation is used for chemicals that are ingested, not inhaled.
When you eat something, it goes into your stomach and mixed with gastric juices, then goes into your intestines where the broken down food is passed into your blood system. It is then filtered by your liver.
With inhalation, the chemicals go into your lungs and pass through to your blood system and are pumped to your brain. Inhalation is the quickest way to get any substance to your brain. This blood is not filtered by the liver and your lungs are more delicate tissue than your stomach.
The Flavoring and Extract Manufacturing Assn. (FEMA) is the agency which issues the GRAS designation. This is from their website:
- E-cigarette and flavor manufacturers and marketers should not represent or suggest that the flavor ingredients used in e-cigarettes are safe because they have FEMA GRASTM status for use in food because such statements are false and misleading.
- E-cigarette manufacturers and marketers should take appropriate action to assure the safety of flavor ingredients used in e-cigarettes. FEMA GRASTM status for the use of flavor ingredients in food does not mean that FEMA GRASTM flavor ingredients are safe for use in e-cigarettes.
Safety Assessment and Regulatory Authority to Use Flavors: Focus on E-Cigarettes
The concern about vaping is clouded by the history of the tobacco companies. The tobacco companies used to say that while the individual components of their product might be harmful, they were in such small amounts that it didn't matter. "The dose makes the poison" as Paracelus said.
In the BBC documentary, "Death in the West", one of the scientists for Phillip Morris stated that anything can kill you if you get enough of it, even applesauce. The interviewer said that he didn't think applesauce was killing very many people. The scientist replied, "They're not eating enough."
A disease profile will likely emerge from long term vaping, but it will take decades before we see what the cumulative effect may be and if it is only some flavors that cause a detrimental effect.
It may be that vaping just becomes another vice like drinking. Many people drink responsibly and have no ill effects, however others are addicted which can compromise their health.
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Kitty - welcome. I was going to tell you to read some of the great info in previous posts, but good heavens - we've produced almost 400 pages now, so that would be quite a chore. Never the less, one of the things I did at nights when I was desperate to distract myself was to read several "quit smoking" blogs. Others found they had to quit reading because they couldn't even deal w/the word cigarette.
The nature of the beast is that no one thing works for everyone. VJs detailed posting about vaping is thought provoking & scary. We even had weird pictures of a "vap-con" in our paper. But I know several people who were able to use the hand to mouth action of an e-cig short term to successfully quit. I'm in favor of trying almost anything to quit (short of snorting cocaine or mainlining the big "H" which might be harder to quit - or not). I like the idea of a nicotine inhaler. VJ - can you turn down the dose? Anyway, I did use Chantix and wouldn't have succeeded with out it. Given your history, I think you are right to be skeptical, but think about your doc's recommendation. Bosum has had problems even w/Wellbutrin, but others have succeeded with that.
If you don't use Chantix, you can still use that "weaning" theory. Count out the reduced number of smokes you will allow yourself. Some even mandate the hour they will smoke each one. Keep reducing that number. LisaMarie quit everything except one smoke in the morning and went on that way for some time before finally realizing she no longer needed that one. I first quit smoking in my house. I immediately had the carpets & drapes cleaned & washed all clothes or took them to the cleaners. Kept me busy scrubbing everything and no way would I incur that expense again. Two weeks later I quit smoking in my car. I had the car detailed. So I was forced onto the porch. Once my "cut down" was zero, I raced out of house and walked around the block everytime I wanted to smoke. On the other hand, "cold turkey" works better for many. Again - that dichotomy.
The most important thing is to set new patterns and alternate activities to distract your craving. If you always have a cigarette when you wake up, maybe shower in the morning instead of at night. If you enjoy a smoke after dinner, that's the time to take a walk, or wash the dishes by hand. I even smoked while cooking. Picture me chopping onions & stopping every few minutes for another puff (with tears running down my face). It now seems ludicrous but was normal then. I actually had to quit drinking alcohol for awhile, since that was a trigger for me. Another trigger was long car trips, so I didn't visit friends across town for awhile. You need to analyze your personal triggers and build quick & temporary defenses against those times.
As an example - think about hand to mouth action. I ate sunflower seeds in the shell. Arm up to put seed in mouth. Arm down. Crack shell. Arm up to remove shell. Arm down. Start again. You can't imagine the quantity I went through. Well, I guess most of you can since you've been there.
Sorry to bend your ear for so long. Good luck. You can do it. Keep us in the loop. We'll be at your back.
CBWitt & SVG - how's it going?
April - sorry to hear about your friend and your cousin.
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Interesting how patterns change. My niece, who is barely 5 ft tall just had a baby weighing 7lbs 11 oz and 20-1/2" long. When I was pregnant, my OB said that was NOT a good time to quit smoking since I needed to be calm & rational. I should keep smoking. I am 5'8" and my son was 7lbs 1oz and 21" long. Surely the smoking reduced his birth weight. Luckily there have never been any health problems, he grew to 6'3", and he is a genius (my opinion of course). Anyway it made me think about the way things used to be.
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April, so sorry to hear this new about your friend and cousin. If it's not one thing, it's another. MT, I read your post and chuckled about your smoking/cooking. Didn't we all do that crap? I remember getting ready for work, having a smoke then another 2, getting in the car and having a smoke then another, then another - it was a long way to work. In those early days, we could smoke at work so who knew how many, and then home and smoked until the pack was finished. This was my cycle unless I was partying where I made sure I had minimum 3 packs with me (just in case people OP smoked). Man, we were such addicts weren't we?
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Whoa VJ, I'm sure glad I quit cold turkey. I would have been addicted to the vap (I intentionally left the e off as when I tried to type the word in whole I got cape or gaping). Ugggh, spell check. Anyways, I know what I'm like and I'm a addictive personality. I wish this information was more out there so people could see what it does!
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Judi - yup, I'm an addictive personality too. Or is it ADD or OCD or a perfectionist or a#al retentive??? Well I'm too old to be diagnosed w/something else new so just glad I was able to kick the smoking. I still grind my teeth though.
Kitty - what did you decide to try first?
SVG & CBWitt - how is this week going? Sending strong support.
Bosum - did they get the bone scan scheduled?
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JudiH--unfortunately both sides of the e-cig issue exaggerate either the benefits or the harm. The truth is somewhere in the middle. It all has to do with chemistry. I do an 1.5 hour presentation on both sides which has been well received. The conclusions I give at the end are: 1. Should not be used by non-smokers (including youth) 2. Less harmful does not equal harmless 3. Regulation is needed for quality control 4. Long term studies are needed to uncover disease profile for long term use 5. Technology is growing faster than the science.
Here is a link to my presentation slides, there isn't sound but I think you can tell a lot from the pictures: http://prezi.com/g1kdg1n5pym1/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share
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Many here have donated . Thank you !........Wandering around and cheerleading again
Donate today, make a difference directly in all our lives. By supporting BCO, we support each other. Thanks and Hugs
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/110/topic/834331?page=1
Link to the mainboard donation page
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Thanks all for your many helpful hints & tips. Made some notes & have done some good reflection on my own triggers & the emotional "why" of smoking, taking into consideration the obsessive habit aspect. Mindless smoking. After doing some research on Chantix, I did call my RO's office Fri. & requested a Rx. Haven't tried that before. Picking it up today. Will let you know how it goes. Also goal setting: with the money I'd save not buying cigs, I could fly to Denver and see the kids and the grand-- monthly!!! Now there's a goal!
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Kitty - monetary goals are great. I went to San Francisco and to Hawaii.
LisaMarie - I'm assuming your Mom doesn't have computer access, but I hope you are OK. We miss you.
Bosum - did they do the bone scan? I just got approval to have another one only one year after the last since the chemo was as hard on my bone density as the smoking was.
SVG & CBWitt - hope you're both chugging along the path.
Just for today I will not smoke.
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MT, don't they do bone scans yearly in the State? I have one every year and have had one since the age of 50. Seursis, nice to meet you. Glad you were able to quit but the other news was crappy. I always worry about getting another cancer. Life sometimes just sucks. LisaMarie, I too hope everything is o.k. with you and mom. Bosum, how are you doing? SVG & CBWitt, like MT says "how are you both chugging along the path". Hard but doable. I always think it is easier to say when you aren't in the throes of quitting but somethings gotta give. After all the years and promises we make to ourselves to quit, this is your time!
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Good evening everyone.
I am still 100% smoke free! It's 3w now - holy crap! I couldn't be happier that I'm doing this, despite all of the dark moments.
suersis - thank you for sharing your story with us. I'm so sorry about your recent diagnosis, stay strong!
KittyL - I didn't know what would work for me when quitting, so I tried to do everything and stuffed my "toolbox" with as many tools as possible. I had to acknowledge that I needed and wanted help to succeed. The contribution of each tool varies, but the fact that I have everything at my disposal is the key. I'm glad to hear you've done your internal contemplation about why you smoke, and please keep us all posted on how Chantix is treating you!
What are all of my Tools?
- Me! - my desire to care for myself & my confidence not to give up
- My list of reasons to quit
- My list of triggers & potential replacements
- Buproprion
- Nicotine Patch
- 1x.week call with a "Wellness Coach"
- Two mobile text messaging services
- Research! Including VJSL8's site & PDF: http://www.vjsleight.com/ and Why Quit: http://whyquit.com/
- iPhone app: "Smoke Free"
- Subreddit for stopping smoking: https://www.reddit.com/r/stopsmoking
- Journal - for tracking thoughts, feelings, anything. I kept my list of Triggers here, and when I'd get past a craving of that Trigger type I'd write "OVERCOME!" next to it. Felt great!
- Acupuncture
- 1st week cleared of major responsibilities (ex., took a week off work, stocked up on food, cleaned house/car)
- Guided imagery / meditation
- Mini canvases on Mini easels on which I wrote "No Smoking" & drew a stick figure image of a happy me - I put these on tables in the house
- More exercise
- Spiritual strength
- 1-800-NO-BUTTS hotline
- ....and finally, this support thread!
all - I've been doing some reading recently - sounds like nicotine itself also contributes to circulation issues. So while I remain on my NRT, I'm not fully prepping myself for surgery? So I didn't put the patch on today, and don't plan to going forward. So much for weening off it. Anyone know about circulation and/or if it's hard to quit NRT if you haven't smoked in weeks?
Be well.
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