Stop Smoking Support Thread
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02bhealthy - congrats!!! What a milestone!!
Ok, what is the link to figure out how much money you have saved. I know it was posted pages back but I didn't write it down and I am too lazy to go back through 12 pages and find it.
Doing ok this week, a few cravings here and there but nothing I can't manage.
However, I am about to have a fit because the nerve in my left thigh is zinging me like crazy for the past 2 nights when I have laid down in bed that I end up getting up because it is so darn painful and I don't want to keep my hubby awake with my moaning and groaning. I got through it last night with a morphine pill and 2 lortabs (low dosage) and obviously I have to do that again tonight. I have an appt with my onco on Friday and will ask him. This is damage from back in 2002 when my horse launched me above her back and I fell from 8' above the floor, hit the ground hard, broke my right wrist and screwed up my left hip, lower back, etc. I couldn't ride for over 12 weeks after that accident. I don't know why all of a sudden I am getting these flare ups.
Another late night, my dog is sleeping in a chair beside me. She is always at my side.
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Jancie,
The one I use is http://www.quitmeter.com/ mostly because it doesn't require that you download anything onto your computer but there are tons of others. Just google "smoking quit meter". whyquit.com has links to quit a few also. One of them on that site (it was also one that you didn't have to download anything) also tells you how many days of your life you have saved by not smoking. That statistic is very surprising as well!
I am rapidly approaching the 2000 cigarettes not smoked mark. It truely does boggle my mind but then, I do think I was a heavier smoker than the rest of you ladies.
I know when I was diagnosed and going through treatment I was smoking at least 1 1/2 packs per day. Then I made myself go outside to smoke which got me down to around 3/4 pack. Right before I quit I was forcing myself to have no more than 1/2 pack but was having great difficulty and I know if I hadn't quit it wouldn't have been long before I was back up to a pack.
So when the quit meter asked for how much I smoked per day I put in 20 cigarettes. I figured it was a pretty good average and probably where I would be if I hadn't quit.
Strange. I've been having problems with my right hip lately. I didn't hurt myself as badly as you did (or doing anything nearly as exciting) I just slipped on some ice going out to get the mail a couple years ago. It hasn't really bothered me except for if I'm standing for long periods of time until recently. Now it's been hard to get comfortable during the night. I just chalked it up to all the work I've been doing around the yard. Maybe your remodel has aggravated your injury.
Gotta love dogs! Mine is my baby and I don't know what I would do without her sometimes! Doesn't matter what I've done or how miserable a day I have had, she looks at me like I am the most wonderful thing on earth! Some days ya just kinda need that!
Hope all goes well on Friday at your appointment!
Dutchy,
That's great news that you only need the six weeks and that you are already there!
Can't provide any information on disability but, hopefully someone who knows will be along. Hopefully your insurance company moves along and you get the answer you have been waiting so long to hear!
I also have a MAJOR sweet tooth. Always have and now it's just a bit bigger of a tooth.. lol. Chocolate is and will always be my downfall.
Things I have been doing..... I let myself have a little bit of chocolate each day (like just a few candy kisses). Throughout the day when the urge to just munch on something hits I have been eating lo-cal vegetables with a VERY small amount of lo-fat dip. The carrots and, this time of the year, sugar snap peas are sweet. I know, I know... Not really the same as candy but, it satisfies the need to chomp on something. Having them cut and ready in the refrigerator gets rid of the it's just easier to grab a cookie temptation.
Also I do have a bowl of hard candy (could use sugar-free if you wanted) that I will occasionally grab one out of. They take a long time to eat so they tend to slow you down a bit. Any of the fruits would be good but, they tend to have more calories than the vegetables do. Sugar free gum sometimes works too. I was never much of a gum chewer but, I do find chomping on a piece of bubble gum and blowing bubbles will help a strong craving to pass.
Most importantly, I have found IF a 'REAL' sweet is what I absolutely want and nothing else is gonna cut it it is best to go ahead and have just a little. Otherwise I'll wind up eating the whole bag, box, container, etc. when I finally do give in.
You are doing great by walking and going to the gym. I need to get myself back to walking. I've been saying that for weeks now, this week I'm going to DO it!
Take Care,
Jennifer
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Jancie, I also use quitmeter.com and like it. It is real simple to read and what a read. Ladies, sorry about your hips not feeling well. I hope both of you get feeling better soon. I have never hurt my back except for one time, when it was out of wack, from picking up a 100 pound sack of grain, for our calves that we had on our calf ranch. That was enough pain for me and it took the chiropractor to straighten me out. Jennifer is it this week you are going to get back walking or next week? Which ever week it is just get out there to take a stroll and if you feel like kicking it in the ass then pick up the speed. That is how I have to start out sometimes because I just don't feel like it at first but then that addrenalin kicks in and before I know it I am really walking fast while listening to the music in my ears. Have a great day which ever you decide to do. Evelyn
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This is an awesome thread! It really possible to stop smoking. All we need to do is to have motivation to ourselves.There are so many stop smoking benefits that could help you. Cigarette addiction is a disease, a destruction. But there is HOPE.
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Alexthunder
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I am going to be laying low for a couple of days. I got launched by my horse yesterday and ended up in the ER. I hit the ground after an 8' drop and hit like a sack of potatoes. No broken bones but I bruised every rib on my right side along with my right hip. I can only lay down in one position. I have to grab a fistful of sheets to move around in bed. The morphine pills and percocet aren't giving me any relief at all so I switched to flexeril which will help with the muscle spasms - basically I have a ton of soft tissue damage. So walking downstairs to my computer is really difficult and I am not even going to try to drive until Friday at the earliest.
The nurse was trying to put a bp cuff on my arm and was getting ready for an IV and I said "You can't do it in my left arm" She replied "Oh, I can do it in your left arm" - you see she didn't understand the lymphedema/cancer issue and was trying like heck to stay away from my right side where I was hurting and didn't get it that it was a risk issue (lymphedema) is why I was telling her to use the other arm. I kept telling her she couldn't do it and she kept saying she could. I was in so much pain that I wasn't communicating really clear.
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Oh Jancie,
A BIG but VERY gentle ((((((( Hug)))))))!!!! Boy that Jazzy sure is a hand full!
It sometimes takes a bit of effort to get through to the nurses that we have issues that other people don't as far as where procedures can or cannot be done. She probably thiought she was doing the right thing.
I am sorry that this has happened. You said that you were already having some pain (I think on the other side) and now this on top of it all... Well, looks like, when it rains it pours. Here's hoping for a rainbow at the end of the storm for you!
Got my results from my 1 year follow-up mammogram and ultrasound. The news is OK. Mammogram was all clear for both breasts.... Yeah!!! Ultrasound of the left breast all good... Yeah!!!! Ultrasound of my right breast (the one who has been misbehaving).... Six things commented on. Three definitely benign cysts. The other three they commented on as having benign features but, failed to meet BIRADS 2 requirements due to slightly (mildly) thickened walls. This was the first whole breast (and bi-lateral) ultrasound that I have had so there is nothing to compare it to. I am sure they are noting every little thing they see. Mammogram was deemed normal. Ultrasound short-term follow-up in 6 months, which was the plan anyway but radiology dude didn't know that. End result BIRADS 3. Arrrrrggggg!
Sooooooo..... Not the absolute best news which would have been "we see absolutley nothing" BUT still good news I think. Nothing on my journey thus far has been a clear black or white result. And I think gray is just fine for now.
I called my Mom with the results and I don't think I really got across that this is NOT bad news. I tried to explain and re-phrase many times but I know she was still upset when we got off the phone.... Wish I would have just said everything came back fine and left it at that... Sigh....
I think that unless you have been through this people don't get that this is your new life. There isn't going to be any 100% guarantee ever again and, sometimes, being in the gray area is the best news you can get and it's good enough.
Anyway, praying for a pain free night for you and a speedy recovery!
Jennifer
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Dutchy,
THIS IS MY WEEK TO START WALKING!!! It is Wednesday already and I haven't done a damn thing as far as walking. Of course, it has been snowing on and off here for the last couple of days (is this NOT the end of April???) but, that is totally not an excuse! I have a treadmill for God's sake!!!
I have been trying to get some stuff straightened up around here but, that is now done. Got my 1 year follow-up results and am ready to go. Tomorrow, NO EXCUSES! I WILL post with my walking stats! Hopefully it isn't that I fainted on the treadmill... LOL.
Hope your week has been going well!
Jennifer
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Jancie, I hope you are doing better You better watch it girl you are going to get killed by Jazzy. I hope you are taking it easy. How is the no smoking going? I can not believe how the cravings are mostly gone. Has it gotten better for you too?
Jennifer, congratulations on your good news from your yearly exam. Yes it was good. So did you walk today? I walked 5 miles and went to the gym. I pampered myself today and got my nails done and had my hair weaved and cut. I was finally paid some money I was owed and took advantage of it. I still have not heard about my authorization. I am going to email them to find out what is happening. Hope you get some good weather so you can get your walking in. If not just get on that treadmill and do it. But if you don't, you will soon. Sometimes I don't walk for weeks and then all of a sudden I am walking 3-4 times a week. I feel better when I walk and I bet you will too. Evelyn
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Hi Ladies,
Been awfully quiet here these past few days. Hope everyone is doing well!!
I had a bit of an accident on Friday while, of all things, washing a couple of windows! I have wooden cornices over the top of my windows in my family room. Was looking up washing one of them and, turns out, they weren't bolted into the brackets (something I knew at one point but, had forgotten). Must have hit the cornice just right and it fell basically onto my face! Had a cut on my forehead that bled like crazy but, was able to get that under control so I thought, OK, hurt like heck but not too bad. Iced it for the rest of the day/night and went to bed.
Woke up the next morning and looked in the mirror and couldn't believe my eyes!!! I am now sporting 2 black eyes in addition to the cut on my forehead. I look like I was on the losing end of a big fight!! Needless to say I haven't been really going out in public much. My eyes are starting to look better but, I guess it just takes awhile. Wish I could say that I did this doing something more exciting! Told my husband 'I knew cleaning was evil!'..lol..
Jancie,
Hope that your body is healing and that you aren't in any pain!!
Dutchy,
Good for YOU on having your nails and hair done. Sometimes we just need to do something for ourselves! My 'something' is that I have always wanted a vegetable garden but, never thought I had the time. We were going to do it last year and then I got my diagnosis in the spring (in fact it will be 1 year ago this Saturday) so, of course, our plans took a back seat. This past weekend we spent tearing up a section of our yard where my garden WILL go this year. It's nothing huge but, it's mine! Now hopefully mother nature co-operates!
I did manage to do a little walking (although no where NEAR your 5 miles, you go!!!) but, not until yesterday. Did my walking on the treadmill averaging about 3 miles per hour for 30 minutes (plus 5 in warm-up and 5 min cool-down). So, not too bad, 1.5+ miles. Not where I was when I was doing it regularly but, managed to work up a sweat, and I know it will get easier with time! You are right, I did feel better after I did it.
Hope today finds both of you doing and feeling well!
Jennifer
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I celebrated my ONE YEAR Anniversary as a non-smoker on May 5th!!!
Dutchy & Seaside - I started walking several weeks ago and can almost do 4 miles (big improvement from the 1/4 mile I was able to walk after chemo)
it is amazing how much more stamina I have as a non-smokerDutcy, I hate snow (live in AZ) so I cannot imagine trying to go for a walk when that cold white stuff is falling.
Seaside - I am planting a garden too..have an incredibly brown thumb so I hope I can learn how to do this right, my grocery bill has doubled since I cut out processed foods and have been buying goobs of veggies and fruits.
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O2bhealthy,
CONGRATULATIONS on your one year anniversary!!!
That is a HUGE milestone and you should be VERY proud of yourself!!!I didn't do as much walking as I would have hoped this week. As I posted earlier, I did walk on Monday and then again (about the same distance and pace) on Wednesday and plan to go this morning. My goal is to walk 5 or more days per week and would LOVE to be able to manage 4-5 miles each day. Starting slowly and will work my way up (hopefully) over the next few weeks. Glad to know that it gets easier over time!!
The weather here can be so strange in the spring. We had snow flakes falling (no accumulation though! Thank goodness) one day and then a couple days later it was in the 80's and we needed to run the A/C.
You are soooo right about the grocery bill going through the roof when you are buying a lot of fruits and vegetables!!! I think the bad (freezing) weather that they had in Florida earlier in the season may have had something to do with it. I know, until very recently, even a pint of grape tomatoes was pushing $5.00 and they are usually around $2-3.00! Needless to say, we haven't been buying them much! I'm trying to do the
This is my first attempt at trying to grow my own vegetables. I have found that people who have done this before are more than willing to share their tips and advice! I have a friend who gardens and she and I were joking about how I am bit like Eva Gabor on the old show Green Acres (if you are old enough to remember that show!) She says the key is to not overthink it. I figure if it doesn't work out, I will still have learned a lot.
One thing I have learned already is to not be like a kid in a candy store and buy a ton of seed packets when I only have a 4 x 12 space.....lol!! Now that I see the actual size I am going to have to scale back on my plans.
So far I'm thinking, tomatoes, green beans (bush variety to save space), cucumbers, zucchini (again, a bush variety) beets and some leaf lettuce. We usually grow some jalapenos in pots on our deck.
What do you plan to grow?
Jancie, Dutchy and GML,
Hope you are all doing well!!
Jennifer
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Thanks Seaside! I am pretty please to be able to celebrate 1 yr!
I am plannning on tomatos, herbs, zucchini, squash and maybe some green beans...
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o2bhealthy, Congratulations on your year.
Seaside, I am doing okay just a lot of stuff going on such as having to move August 1 as I have been late with the rent too often. My insurance is also requiring me to see another plastic surgeon in my area instead of UCLA. So I am not the happiest camper but will deal with it all and not smoke anymore, although I did smoke a half a cigarette.. I have 8 weeks with this small lapse of judjement.
Both of your gardens remind me of my father as he had the most awsome garden.
Take care Evelyn
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Hey o2b! I am so proud of you....one year!!! I remember when you quit. Gosh! It doesn't seem possible that a year has passed. I wish I could have stuck with it. I am going to try really hard to quit again and stay quit. You know the reason why....well, we all have good reasons don't we? It will take me a few weeks to get to know everyone, but I'm afraid I'm back. I have such admiration for you o2b. You have quit but stayed to give encouragement and your kindness knows no bounds.
Wishing all of you a good night,
Nancy
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Pantufas - you are in my prayers for b9 results on Wednesday!!!
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Thanks Michelle!
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Welcome (or shall I say welcome back) Pantufas,
In either case, glad you are here! I agree with you on O2b! She is ahead of me by 8 months or so and has been here to encourage us all with her success! ALL of the ladies here are wonderful and it truly has been a very supportive, no judgement zone!
I now have 4 months (on Tuesday) under my belt smoke free! It isn't always easy but, it can be done.
It has been kind of quiet here lately. Hope some of the others come back soon!
Sounds like you have some testing going on this Wednesday. I add to O2b's prayers, for all to be OK!
I will be sending GOOD thoughts your way on Wednesday!
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Dutchy,
CRAP!!!!! That SUCKS about the insurance! It truly stinks when it boils down to the insurance companies dictating what treatment we can or cannot receive based on DOLLARS not what is recommended or what makes sense! Just keep holding your ground and hopefully you will wear them down!
Sorry about the having to move thing to. Can things possible get more stressful for you??!!
Glad to hear that you are still sticking to not smoking! PLEASE don't let the stupid insurance company rob you of that too! I am sending prayers and good thoughts your way that they will come to their senses and approve your surgery with the surgeon that you want! And also that you will remain smoke-free so that you can have the surgery that you soooooooo deserve this summer!
Jennifer
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OK Jancie, WHERE ARE YOU ????!!!!!!
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Jennifer, so glad to see you. I have missed seeing you lately. I am doing okay but not totally smoke free as I did get fed up and have had one a day the past 3 days. I just finished writing my appeal letter and mailed it off, so I will stop my slipping.
Panfufas, my prayers are with you.
Jancie, Where are youuuu?
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Many thanks Seaside and Dutchy, I have been trying to keep my mind busy but I keep finding my hand wandering to my breast to see if I can still feel them. I can...I don't know what I was hoping...that it was a dream. The hardest part, as you well know, is waiting. I want the mammo yesterday and I know I'll have to wait again for the results. I don't know though, if the radiologist is as good as the one last time, I will pretty much know right after the mammo. I know I'm rambling. My thoughts are just all over the place. I have already priced crematoriums and I guess that is going a little too far at this stage. I also find myself thinking of the stupidest things. I haven't slowed down smoking any and I'm disappointed in myself. Trying to quit smoking is nearly as bad as trying to quit cancer. I sure do need your prayers, hugs and good thoughts. I am looking forward to "meeting" all of you. This thread has always been my favorite.
Wishing all of you a good night,
Nancy
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Pantufas
I too would check and re-check and re-check and re-check my breast when I first felt my lump. I remember feeling as you do that this has to be a dream!
The waiting is absolutely the hardest part! I just completed my 'regular' 1 year follow-up and THAT wait just about did me in!I I pray that your scare is just that, a scare.
You said that you feel as though you are rambling. I did not see that at ALL in your post! Please feel free to come here when you need to .. AND, yes, it is FAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR to soon to be thinking of anything resembling pricing out a crematorium !!!!
Unfortunately, none of us can quit cancer BUT quitting smoking is possible! PLEASE do not beat yourself up for not being in the right 'place' right now to quit. You are really in a tough spot (high stress) waiting for your results. Hopefully you get your results quickly and they are good!
My prayers, hugs and good thoughts are with you during these trying times!!! Hope to see you post here on Wednesday (or when you get your results) the GOOD news!
Thinking of and praying for you!
Jennifer
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Pantufas,
Seaside always says it so well and you were not rambling on but if you need to... here is the place to do it. And it is far too soon to be thinking about a crematorium. I can not imagine what you ladies have to go through as I had bilateral mastectomies and they did not require radiation, chemo or follow ups. Although I lost my breasts I often feel like I beat breast cancer. As far as smoking at a stressful time don't sweat it. I have been having a cigarette a day since I was told that the insurance denied me my reconstructive surgery but that is the best I can do for now even knowing that smoking will delay the surgery if I win my appeal for the DIEP. We are all humans and we deal with stressful situations different than each other. And right now you are dealing the best you can. Evelyn
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Where are you ladies at. I have not been doing well since the insurance denied me the DIEP surgery and have been having 1-4 cigarettes a night. Tonight is the first night that I have not gone straight to bed bummed out. I have written my appeal letter and they have responded three times just to let me know they have my letter and they tell me if I have more information then to send it. I wonder if I should send them research on the DIEP vs TRAM procedures. Well I hope all of you ladies are doing well and please come back. You all are needed.
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Dutchy,
Are they aware of federal Law. According to HMO plan if they do not have a dr within your plan area and with the expertise you require to perform the procedure you may find one and have them send in the insurance request.
I would send them the Federal Law on Breast Cancer Reconstruction. YOU ARE ENTITLED TO A BREAST CANCER RECONSTRUCTION SPECIALIST PS. No not just any PS. I wish you the best of luck. My insurance HMO did approve my PS and then short paid him. End result I did get my surgeries and the PS is willing to accept payment in full?? but we are still fighting 4 more to be paid.
Get your energy up and fight ...I know that is so mentally consuming but you should have the procedure you want. I have a friend it took her a while in fighting the insurance but in the end she did get the procedure she wanted just be persistant which I am sure you are.after all your a survivor.
Thinking of you Dutchy.
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Dutchy,
Haven't been posting too much because there hasn't seemed to be anyone on this thread lately but, I do check most days!
I am VERY sorry to hear about your insurance company!! It really does make me very angry when medical decisions are based not on what is best for the patient but what costs the leasts!!!
I don't know much about reconstruction because I had a lumpectomy but I do know when I went for a consult to Johns Hopkins they talked to me about the DIEP (no doctors near where I am do it). It sounded like quite a big procedure BUT it spared the stomach muscles so, in the long run, from what they described, it was a better procedure.
Maybe some of the ladies over on the reconstruction threads have been in the same situation as you and have some tips on what you could send to your insurance company to support your case.
I am also sorry to hear that with all of the stress you have crept up on your smoking! Remember the stress will be there whether or not you smoke (I know, I know, easier said than done). It's not too late to stop again!! I will be here to support you either way.
So far I have continued to not smoke. It has been over 4 months now (18 1/2 weeks) and the quit meter has shown some pretty shocking numbers lately. It says I have not smoked over 2500 cigarettes and not spent over $1,000.00. I am just stunned at those numbers!
I know that I have felt like smoking these past few weeks. I think it's because of the weather change (we've been having a really warm summery stretch) and the fact that my daughter is home from college. She's basically a good kid but, it's an adjustment for awhile as she gets used to having parents around again and we get used to having a mini-adult around.
Finally, got my garden planted. Decided on green beans, cucumbers, zucchini, beets, arugula and tomatoes. With the exception of the tomatoes everything else went in as seed. It will be interesting to see if anything actually grows!!
I have been a real slacker in the walking department!! Haven't done much at all.
Anyway, I hope that you hear from your insurance company soon and know that I will be praying for you to get GOOD NEWS!!!!!
Jennifer
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Jancie,
It's been almost a month since you last posted. WHERE ARE YOU????
I hope everything is OK!
Pantufas,
I did see (on a different thread) that your mammogram and ultrasound came back good!!!!!!!!!!!! That is FANTASTIC news and I am sure you are so relieved. I know I was really not prepared for how scared I was when I went for my 1 year follow-up imaging. I am hoping this gets easier with time.
O2bhealthy,
How's your garden coming along?
Jennifer
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Seaside - my garden is in my neighbors back yard. I was really hoping to start one this year but finances got in the way
My neighbors garden is struggling but looks like it may take off Yummmm none of the work but some of the benefits 0 -
o2bhealthy,
LOL.... Those are the best kind of gardens!!
When my husband and I were first married we lived in a little house out in the country. There was an older couple that lived next door to us that had a big garden. They would put a basket on our front porch of whatever they were picking that day and we when we got home from work there would be fresh vegetables/fruit waiting. Some nights that was all we had for dinner!
They were the nicest couple! Simple times that I think were the happiest that we have ever been.
Jennifer
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I was just diagnosed in April and had surgery last Friday May 21st. I had a bilat mast w/ immed recon TE. I quit smoking the day before surgery and didn't smoke for three dyas after surgery. I then gradually have been getting right back to chain smoking. I am so disappointed with myself. I don't have any idea how to quit. I actually like smoking. It's my only vice, and it's even tougher when I am going through the most stressful thing ever. I am afraid if I don't quit, then all of this surgery will have been for nothing. Does anyone have any suggestions, since fear is obviously not doing the trick. I start chemo within the next month and I already have an infection (probably from smoking) so I need to quit fast. Thanks. Allison
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