Stop Smoking Support Thread
Comments
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Renee - Hugs and prayers coming your way for both you and your DH!
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Just updated my avatar...I have HAIR!!! Its more grey then brown but you can barely see my scalp so I am really excited!!!
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HI, I've not read the whole thread but have noticed it's heading every time I log on.
I stopped smoking Labor Day weekend with Chantix because I was to have back surgery and was having breathing problems anyway. Also, nicotine is said to interfere with bone fusion and I knew I couldn't have surgery again---or wouldn't, anyway.
For the first tiime my dh quit at the same time. (almost) We've both quit from time to time over the past 5-6 years, but never together. Way hard to keep quit that way for either of us.
He has smoked 1-2 a day and for a few times I'd sneak a puff or two from his butts. Don't grimace, when I quit I was smoking the really thin, long ciggs, one to 3 puffs at a time and relighting them.
Anyway, just wanted to stop in and wish you all well. I've not had any more"puffs" for at least a couple of weeks (and I Have looked for his butts, to no avail) I still could likely smoke one the size of a telephone poll, esp. at night and when reading, but since there are none here, I cannot. LOL
I'm on my 4th month of Chantix and it IS very helpful. In the past I used patches, gum,and lonzenges with some success at the time.
I think I'm an all or nothing person. But it's all I can do not to turn into that drive thru at the cigg store.
I know I no longer cough, sounding like an OLD snarky lady, and embaressed to actually go out to ear for fear of coughing afte we ate. AND blaming it on allergies or sinus condition. I know all the excuses.
Michelle, congrats on the HAIR!!! It looks awsome.
I wish us all well and successful. Will ck back in with you.
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O@B I am so happy for your. It is such an important step towards recovery. I used Nioxin scalp treatment and shampoo and people just can't beleive how think my hair is coming in. more gray that brown but I'll take it.
MImi I am sending you prayers and hugs for you and yours.
Iodine keep up the great work. I hope you don't find a cig.....
Sorry, I haven't been on to much. between my last surgery for my silicone implants - which the PS did a really great job this time, taking care of my mom and now looking for a job.
My dh just got laid off, So I have to get back to work full time since he's over 62 and I'm under 50 medical benefits will be my constant issue ....so I looking.
To everyone else quitting I wish you the best of luck and with the rain storm I know it will be hard to smoke.
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Hello Ladies -
Apparently I am quitting also. Again...lol I've quit before 2ce - the first time for a year and the second time for 8 months. I've decided to use Chantix to help me quit simply because I want that nicotine out of there!
I'm wondering if anyone's oncologist has recommended against using Chantix? The way I think of it is - if nicotine can interfere with chemo then no way am I going to use patches/gum, which is what I was actually planning beforehand. Does anyone have some feedback on this plz?
Good luck to everyone who is quitting - you can do it! We can do it!
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Chantix is fine and the preferred method by my doctors because it has no nicotine. It does not interfere with chemo nor healing. Best of Luck
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Michelle,
YEaH!! for Hair. I had success with Nioxin also. Thank you so much for the feedback and support. Hi everyone. Good question about the Chantix. Don't know what taking it does with treatment. I doubt if there have been any studies. I know it has worked for so many who have not been able to quit other ways...Good luck and best wishes to everyone quitting and staying quit.
I am quitting on Friday and will be using the lozenges and staying as busy as I can for the first two weeks. Scheduling my prophylactic mastectomies next week and can't wait til I get the surgery over with in Feb.
((Hugs))
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I don't know if any of u have a quit meter. It is kinda cool. I downloaded one years ago...yep it said I had been quit for over 1yr when I updated mine today....Now it says -1day and counting.
You can get one at silkquit.org. It shows up right on ur task bar showing how long, how many, how much money u saved by not smoking. I am trying to tell myself that I just need to quit for three months and if I want after 3 months I can smoke again. Maybe that will help.
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It is so annoying. I feel so so positive and determined when I say I am going to quit. Then I wake up and bam...the addiction screams to be fed. The stressors are still there and will still be there whether I smoke or not. I think I may be staying in bed rather than keeping busy the first few days. So I best get the bed area ready today.
Thinking of you all.
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Hi,
I would like to join this thread. I NEED to quit smoking and have set a date of 12/15 to quit. I would very much appreciate your support, I'm going to need all I can get. I have been a smoker for 30+ years so I know this is going to be really tough. Can I please join and will you please, please support me? Can I get some suggestions, tips on how to do this? What do you do when you get the "urge" to smoke? I dont know if I can do cold turkey, but I think that is the only way I am really going to beat this habit....
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Hi Jean,
Congrats on setting ur quit date
There are great women here who will offer there support encouragement and wisdom. I know I have gained a lot from joining this thread. Is this your first quit attempt? How many do u smoke a day? I made a long list of things to do instead of smoke. Lots of water and eat small meals to keep ur blood sugar level when u go cold turkey. Breathing exercises, staying busy....Gum, Cough drops, suckers, celry, carrots. Other things to keep ur hands busy. Sleep if all else fails. Just some random thoughts.0 -
Hi Cleomoon,
I have tried to quit before but failed. I tried Chantix once, but could not tolerate the side effects. A doctor once prescribed me Wellbutrin and that did not work. I have used the patch a few times and that worked best so I think I'll try those again. The longest I have ever been able to quit was for about 3 days. It just seems every time I tried I would have a stressful event and would go back to smoking for relief. So I think I need a course in stress management.... Thank you for the tips. I'll do my best to keep busy to keep it off my mind and hopefully I wont have any stressful events during the first month of quitting (at least a month!). How do you handle stressful events?
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I have tried many many times also...used all the methods u mentioned. Tried cutting down and cold turkey. I have been a smoker for 23 yrs and smoked at least a pack a day. I dont manage stress well. Seems there really isn't a least stressful time for me to quit, so this time I thought well battle the fight with stress a the same time I battle the fight with the nicotine addiction. Right now I am running on anger at the cigarettes and what smoking has stolen from me.
Learning guided imagery/deep breathing excersices might help. Never hurts to take a stress management course
Oh I forgot to add walking and exercise as ways to help with the urges and it should help me with the stress. I am off to the stores to stock up on a few goodies to get me through the first few days. Icecream and cookies are #1 on the list and Vinegar to begin cleaning the smell out of my apartment.0 -
I felt the best thing I did was make a list of the reasons I Wanted to quit. (not Had to quit) Like: be allowed(daughter really objects to smoking and the smell) to keep my grandchildren in my home with no second hand smoke or smells.(unfortunately, I have no grandchildren) Stop coughing and sounding like a wet puddle -- especially after eating. Be able to walk to the mailbox without becomming short of breath. Walk from the storage buildiing and not have to sit down and catch my breath.
Go to sleep at night without rattle sound in my throat. Not have to open a window and turn on a vent fan during the holidays--re: my kids complain (adults) not automatically get bronchitis or even pneumonia after a cold.
But the #one reason: get back surgery to be able to walk further than 10 yards without pain and having to sit. And I am/was a world class shopper and traveler. Haven't been able to take a vacation over seas for 3 years since I just could not walk very far. And we love to travel. In fact we are a much better couple when traveling. LOL, otherwise we are pretty boring.
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I just typed this long reply but forgot to log in first and I lost it all.
Guess - this will be a short story - I started smoking after not having one for 6 days. Still only smoking 2-3 cigs a day but dangit. I feel defeated. I feel weak - no will power.
Oh....the other thing was my oncologist said it was ok to take chantix during chemo and I was doing A/C and then Taxol.
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Something I did in the past was - whenever I felt a particularily strong urge to smoke, I would jump on the treadmill. That definitely helped and I lost a few pounds as well. Bonus!
Going to the Dr. for my Chantix today. *crossfingers*
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Hi All!!!
I hope you all are doing great!! I am still down to 2-3 a day, but it has been really hard especiall with starting my RADS yesterday. I got number 2 txt this morning. It's not to bad except for the mental stress and I swear my breast burned last night after the txt and I had to sleep unclothed and uncovered. Is that strange? I have decided I'm going to start taking the antidepressant the doc prescribed for me. I am having such mood swings. One min I'm up, one I'm crying and one I'm angry. Hope this helps and I will be able to go ahead and quit smoking. I will check in later.
Renee
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I quit smoking right after I was diagnosed and did not smoke for over a month. Then I started to get urges to have "just one". I can't have "just one" for long and am back to smoking. I think quitting is a very individualized process. Things other people swore by never worked for me. The gum is very effective for me when I am in the right frame of mind....but I haven't been in the "right" frame of mind while going through chemo.
I can't even set a date at this point but I still have the idea that I need (no, don't really "want" to) to quit in my head and that is important. Most people I know (friends, family) don't know that I've started smoking again. Then you worry about the whole judgement thing when they find out.
I don't smoke in my house...I'll smoke in the garage only. This helps in terms of decreasing the associations I make with smoking and daily activities. I offer this as a possible first step for those of you who smoke in your homes and want to quit. Although, who am I to be giving advice? I started smoking again.
I wish us all luck and strength in a process that I personally view as challenging as the cancer itself.
GML
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Wow. Great posts this morning. I find the honesty about the difficulty of quitting shared by everyone so helpful. I thought I was alone and that there was something wrong with me because I could not seem to muster up the will power to quit. I woke and put the lozenge in my mouth and am having a cup of coffee. My quit meter says 17 hrs 41 min 22 not smoked. Minus the 8 hours for sleep makes it 9 hours awake without a smoke. I already am thinking "oh just go get a pack and have one or two today."Yesterday I took the exhaust fan out of the window in my apartment cause it got too cold...-10 windchills finally did it for me. I refuse now to smoke in the apartment.
Like GML it has helped me to not smoke in my homes. Felt good at least to have a space that was free of the smell and I knew from experience that it was so hard to get that smoke stuff out of the living space. So I am off to do a chore and then I will have to make a decision about buying that pack or holding on for a while today.
IsThisForReal hurrah for getting the Chantix today. I think that really really helps with the quit. I can't take it cause of depression and anxiety. Renee antidepressants have helped me with the mood and I hope u find it starts helping u. Good for u for keeping it down to 2/3 a day. Hugs.
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jean09. Good for you that you want to quit. I also smoked for over 30 years. I quit 8/5/08 cold turkey. I didn't want to quit, but HAD to. That alone seemed to help. I also tried all the other items to stop smoking, but didn't work. I came to the conclusion that people were quitting long before the gum and patch so I figured I could to and I did. I had a friend that chewed the gum to quit. She is now addicted to the gum. And has been for the past 8 years. She just picked up another habit. I really can't tell you what to do to make it easier because there isn't anything that will make it easier. You just have to make up your mind and stick to it. It is very hard. First shoot for 72 hours because that is how long it takes for the nicotine to get out of your system. Once you hit that goal, it is only the habit that wants you to smoke. You just have to make up your mind, "do you want to quit or don't you". You really have to be tough on yourself. Good luck
For the ladies that are down to a few a day: I had tried that method too. But the way I see it since I quit is, at the time, I was thinking, "this is great. I went from a pack a day to 2 or 3 a day". But since I quit I can see that that didn't really make it any easier to quit. As long as you smoke one cigarette, you are still smoking and to give up those last few is just as hard as giving up that last pack. In other words you can be a pack a day smoker, or a two pack a day smoker, or a 3 cigarette a day smoker. It is just as hard to quit whether you smoke one or two packs a day or three cigarettes a day. Now that you gals are down to those couple a day please, please take the next step and stop those few. You are so close. Hold your cigarette in front of you and tell them, "I don't need you", "you stink", and "you's aren't my friends anymore".
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http://www.smokefree.gov/resources.aspx Hi wow we have so many newbies. Welcome the link is for the quit smokers site. KK69k you are so right. cutting back to 3 is great but I did that for months and than started adding more to it. But I am making up my mind again my Birthday is the 26th of Dec, last yr on the 22 I knew I had a serious problem and on the 29th was diagnosised with cancer. I just had my last reconstruction two weeks ago and am feeling great. I so want the smoking monkey off my back. Cigs are truly not my friends, they did get me thru this past year. But they are my baggage and I am listening to all of the newbies and feeling their struggle and realizing with support we can and will quit. For me in my heart I know my smoking days are coming to an end. When I turned 40 I stopped drinking cause I was afraid of getting BC, WELL that happened anyway. But now I feel like I need to leave this year and all the stress and anger behind me. When the New year arrives I plan on being nicotine free, cancer free and healthy and happy and get back to the business of living full time. I have tried Chantix and everything else but in the coming days I will be working hardest at changing my mindset. Thinking negative thoughts about cig when I have one. Associate negartivity with smoking. I wish you all the best no matter what method works for each of you. check out the site for tips and charts to help in quitting.0
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Well said Malleme!!! You can do it!
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Welga, where are you??? Drop in a line.
Jancie, happy to hear from you! Keep trying and you will get there.
Mimi, hugs and love going your way. Good luck with your rads, let us know how you are doing. 1-2 a day is a great start!
Cleo, Good luck with your quitting. I know about the fear thing and you are right, is there really any thing to be afriad of. Thanks for posting that, I needed to hear that one! Thanks for that link!
Ob2healthy, you are beautiful!!!! You really inspire us when you post, it can be done.
Denise, wow I did not know you had all that going on. I am soooo sorry to hear that. And then you took the time to help me all day with my computer, what a giver and I hope I can give back to you.
Welcome Iodine! Thanks for sharing, I have tried the patch, gum and Chantix which really helped but the mind has to be there too. Been off Chantix for months and still get weird dreams, lol.
Malleme, Sorry to hear all that! I am going to bartending school and will be looking for a job soon. Good luck to you, let me know if I can be of any help! THanks for the link and your positive altitude.
IsThisForReal, Welcome!!! I stopped taking Chantix because I have been on them too long and did not quit. But I also quit as I have heard that the preventative cancer pills and chantix may have some side effects. Seeing my onc soon to find out which goodie I get. Will let you know on that.
Jean09, Welcome! I think I am with you, I am trying the inhaler next. My life is sooo stressful that when I quit, I get severve pannick attacks. So I haven't been successful. Stick around as someone might have the right word for you.
GML, Welcome and thanks for sharing! I wish you luck and hope you find your mindset soon.
KK, thanks for your post. You hit one of my fears, will I get addicted to the inhaler instead? Losing my mind here, lol.
Sorry I have not been here, my heart is with you but been really busy. Happy to see all the support going on. Awsome, you all rock!
Stay strong and positive!!
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Hope you don't mind my writing you privately, but your screen name and name caught my eye! Do you knit?? Cuz I do... and my name is Jill! And I smoke! (but I mostly quit.) So ... that's crazy! Good luck on quitting... what helped me most recently (bf my dx actually) was that I became so completely addicted to knitting that I felt I'd rather knit than smoke and mostly i have. Best of luck w/ your cessation program. If you have time and inclination maybe you can step up the knitting? Years ago when I tried to quit I remember knitting furiously.
Jill
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Oops, meant to write to someone privately! Hi, everyone - new here, mostly quit (about a month before my dx) - knitting has REALLY saved my life. I've quit so many times over the years but this is it (tho I admit I have one or two every Saturday night - if my stupid DH would quit, I would not have them!). Good luck to everyone here on everything, including quitting. Life is so much better without cigarettes. Whatever temporary "pleasure" I get from them never lasts and always leaves me with smelly fingers, which I hate.
Jill
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Wow... So many newbies on the board: Welcome to you All!!
Janzin - I'm still hanging in there... this is going to be a very busy week with RADS everyday M-F off Sat and then start again on Sunday-Weds due to Christmas Eve and Day. I hope I don't get burnt to a crisp!!! I'm definitely feeling better regarding the RADS, I guess everyone has to work through it. Some of the anger is surpasing so hopefully that will make it better and easier for me to completely quit smoking. Many thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement.
Renee
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Welcome Kitchen Jill! How did you come up with you name??? I hate the smell of cigs on me when I don't smoke, but like it when I do, weird I know. Sounds like you on on the right track to quitting, soon you will be done with those 2. Knitting is awesome, I had thought about doing that too.
Mimi, glad you are hanging in there. I am sorry you have to go through rads, did they give you other choices? I did not have to but had to give up my ovaries. It's all about your mindset when you want to quit.Keep working it!
I am having a tough time with the mindset. Nancy watches me run around and watch me stress out to the max at times because of bills, work, etc. Last time I quit there wasn't as much stress but more fear. This time I have less fear but way more stress, I get panic attacks. Still working it through all of you.
Lots' of love,
Janet
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Hi Janzin,
Sorry cannot post right now, pretty nauseated and dizzy from he h1n1 vaccin received 9 days ago.
Also my computer is out, right now on my son's laptop which I have a hard time typing with..
Good luck with your bartender classes, they must be fun, and to all newbies and quitters, very nice reading you, hang in
Welga
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Hey, Janet - I love to cook! Yep, hate the smell of cigarettes - I could def get rid of those two on saturdays if my husband would just admit that the whole world has given up smoking (practically). Knitting is easy - if I can do it, anyone can. Takes some practice, but there's very little to learn at the beginning. Soon you can make lots of cool things!
Jill
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Sorry Welga to hear that. We will be here when you come back, will try to cheer you on!!! I know all about computer problems, lol. Meanwhile, take care you and treat yourself!!!! Try to find or make some good during this horrible time, wish I could be with you all to help take care of you!!!! Lot's of love!
Janet0
