Help Smoking

Diseases & Conditions Breast Cancer
1
Hi Ladies,
 
Ok now I have been dx with BC, and I'm trying to stop smoking, help it is so hard, but I want to stop before chemo starts, which should be in about 2 weeks.  I used the patch and it does great, but I get home take the patch off and have 1 or 10 butts.  It is so hard. nono
Was anyone else a smoker when they were dx?  How did you stop?
 
thanks,
 
Hope all you ladies are well.
 
I had my last surgery last Wednesday and they said no lymph nodes, yet I'm still waiting for the pathology report to come back, then I meeet with the doc to get the chemo. 
 
Randi
2
When you take the patch off and smoke 1-10 cigarettes, where do you get the cigarettes from? I smoked for 39 years and when I quit, I think it was the hardest thing I have ever done.

I kept a brand new pack of cigarettes in my purse "just in case I couldn't make it". I knew how determined I was when I took each of those cigarettes, broke them in half and threw them in the bottom of the trash.

about day 8, I knew I was going to kill someone and told MK about it. She asked me if I had ever considered the gum. I had never thought of anything but cold turkey. Nicorette gum (Walgreen's has their own that is cheaper) is what I used.

I used it longer than the time they said you should need it and afterwards, chewed regular gum for several years. It's been four years since I stopped and it is rare that I think about it.

The moral of the story is it doesn't come easy, you have to work at it, and remove the temptation. You CAN do it.

Oh, my decision to quit came when I was hospitalized due to a 98-99% blockage of my left caroitid. I had an "angioblast" on both sides and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I ended up with a plastic stent in my neck. One of the surgeons said that smoking "could cause" something like that. It was enough to put the fear of God in me.

Hugs, Jo-Ann

A good friend will bail you out of jail...
but a true friend will be sitting
next to you saying,
"Dâmn... that was fun!".

3
Hi Jo-Ann,
 
I tried the gum first and boy I hated it, it burned my mouth.  I love the patch takes all the cravings away and I don't even think about smoking all day when I'm at work, but boy you get me home and bam, I want one.  I think what I need to do is make sure I have no butts around, that is the problem, I keep buying them and then I smoke them.  Ok I need to put more effort into this.  Next week I'm getting my treadmill out of storage and putting it back in my home, so what I will do is everytime I want a butt when I"m home, I will put my fat arse on the treadmill for 10 minutes.  Thats it, that is what I will do.
 
I should have the treadmill back in the house by next wednesday.  Till then I will put the patch back on tomorrow and walk in place till I have the treadmill back.
 
Thanks,
Randi yeah
4

Ok, I hate to admit this but I too am still a smoker.  And I was diagnosed 3 months ago today, have already been through rads and know all the risks of smoking while on tamoxifen.  Thankfully I haven't been given that yet.  But I have a follow up appt with my onc. next wednesday and keep thinking he will give it to me then.  And I will have to be honest with him and tell him if I haven't quit by then.  UGH!  It is SO embarassing to have ANYONE know I'm still smoking after having cancer!  I can only imagine what they are thinking, and it makes me feel so vile.

DH and I took Wellbutrin about 2 months ago and it worked so well for me.  I quit no problem for over a week.  Then we had a very big issue with his son, he broke down and bought a pack so I did too.  Now we have had to get off the med. so we could start all over again.  We started taking it again Monday and hope to be done with the nasty habit soon.

I'm 41 and have smoked for about 23 to 24 years!  I've hated this monkey on my back for a LONG time.  So good luck to you on your new life as a non-smoker!  And wish me luck too, I'll need it.

Hugs and prayers for success!

Mia
 
Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together.


-Vesta M. Kelly

5
Mia,
 
I'm 41 too, so you have already started rad's, did you have to do chemo, what was your dx, i'm her2neu +, er, pr+, but my doc just called no spreading to the lymph nodes, all the cancer in the boob is gone, will have to have chemo, and herceptin, but not sure what else.
 
Good luck on the smoking I too have smoked for about 23 years, and the funny thing is I'm an avid sports person, I always work out, run, walk, aerobics.  I can't imagine how much more of a sports person I would be if I did not smoke.
 
Has the smoking bothered you during rads?  Yes you need to quit if you go on Tamoxifn, that can cause blood clots, so lets do this together and get this monkey off our back.
 
Randi
6
I am so glad Jo-Ann has already answered you, because she is the poster girl of how to succeed stopping smoking. When we first met, she smoked like a chimney. She coughed so much and so hard it hurt me to hear her coughing. I told her so but she kept saying she was going to die anyway.................you know that old story. The carotid artery was what made her get serious. You know the coughing stopped. I was also a smoker, altho I was more of a closet smoker and half a pack a day was about it. When I was diagnosed and had my mastectomy I decided that I would no longer smoke and inhale carcinogens into my lungs and from there into my bloodstream. So I quit. I have never bought another pack of cigarettes. I did have a couple of cigarettes I asked others for just to see what it was like. They just did not tempt me to continue, they tasted bad, smelled horrible. Every once in awhile I still think I would like to try one more, but I will not buy them because at today's prices after I wasted that much money I know I would have to smoke them. The cost alone should make you think twice about smoking, and you spend that much for something you know is harmful to your body?????? Really and truly think this through and convince yourself what you are doing is crazy. Like dieting you have to convince yourself first. Now return the favor and tell me to stop eating, it is my biggest problem today. LOL. Love and hugs that you will find the strength to quit soon, MK


7

Hi Mk,

I pray you stop eating, but better to be heavy then smoke and be skinny.  Yes the price alone should be enough.  But after 23 years of smoking it is going to be hard.  I will do the best I can and really try, I have been doing good on the patch till I get home, but I hope when I get the treadmill back that will stop.

 

Randi yeah

8
Randi, my sil is also trying to stop. He has even been prescribed pills which helped for like five or six days, then he gets all hyper at work or something and has another cigarette. Last I knew he was buying some kind of brown short imitation something to help. His description of them did not sound good at all. That was several weeks ago so I don't know how that worked and where he is now. It definitely is a problem there is no doubt about it. Thanks for your prayers, MK


9
Randi, I have to agree that the gum hurt my mouth. (There's supposed to be a new one that doesn't do that.) In fact, I had mouth sores reminiscent of those caused by my chemo.

Sometimes what is needed to cure a problem can be worse than the problem. There are also more than a million excuses that can be used. Why do you take the patch off without putting another one on?

There isn't anything anyone can tell you that can make you stop unless YOU want to. My mother would ask me all the time to stop smoking. While I was in the hospital for the blocked carotid, my mother went into a coma. She died before I could ever tell her I had quit. I think her death added to my resolve.

I wish you the best in kicking this habit but only you control what happens. My ancient dr has told me that I'm like an alcoholic, I can never have just one cigarette. Also, on the exact day of my third anniversary, 4/18/2004, I got a new granddaughter.

It can be done and you should tell yourself that every day.

Hugs, Jo-Ann

A good friend will bail you out of jail...
but a true friend will be sitting
next to you saying,
"Dâmn... that was fun!".

10
Hi, Jo-Ann and I share the same exact date. Just different years. This last April 18th has been 9 years for me. I can tell you I tried everything they have. I tried being hypnotized, I tried that patch, I tried the gum, I tried accupunture. I chewed the gum until I had sores in my mouth and all my fillings were loose. I left the hypnotizing thing and lit up. I truly enjoyed my cigarettes. But after years of addiction they started talking about second hand smoke and what I was doing to others. The more I learned the more I wanted to quit. My husband had quit a few years before and I went to him and told him this habit had to go but I obviously could not do it alone. I told him to take my keys and all the cigarettes out of the house and do not let me out for anything all week end. He made me destroy my own cigarettes and said if I was serious I needed to do that. I warned him he was in for a few really rotten days. He laughed and said it would be worth it if I quit. After all the money I spent and all the misery I finally found out what worked for me. The thing that worked for me was I had to decide I really needed to quit for me and those I love. Not because everyone around me thought so. So this decision made I quit cold turkey....unless you count regular chewing gum....funny thing was I was not a gum chewer. I must also add Jolly Ranchers to the list of aids. I never touched another cigarette as of 1:05 on April 18th. I also know I can not touch even one, because unfortunately I am one of those people that love the taste. Every time I got the urge I used mouth wash. That also helped. I am not going to lie to you... The first 8 days were awful. I have stonger words for it...but I know no one was more addicted than I was and if I could do it you can do...all you have to do is want to do this for you. Hugs and Good luck, Joyce

How wonderful it would be to see Angels where there are only clouds. How sad it would be to see clouds where there are Angels.
 
 

11

Randi,

We can do this together!  I have wanted to quit for a very long time but have just been too lazy.  Now the proper motivation is there.  You just never think anything like this can happen to you.  And low and behold you get that dx and feel so vulnerable.  I think being a smoker has made me feel like I contributed to this.  And I don't ever want to feel like that again.  DH and I have set next weekend as it, June 3 is our last day of smoking.  We did that because the Wellbutrin (Zyban) is supposed to take 2 weeks to get into your system and have the right effect.  In the meantime we are cutting back each day.  It worked for me the last time, I just can't allow myself to get upset and give in to temptation.  If something goes awry (and it usually does where DH's ex is concerned ((custody issues)) I will just go for a walk (the new cure!) or head out into the yard to do some gardening.

As for my diagnosis I was stage I, invasive lobular carcinoma, ER+, PR+, her2neu- with no lymph node involvement.  tumor was 1.6cm. and I had a partial mast. with 7 weeks of rads.  No chemo as I had the Oncotype DX test and scored a very low 3.  Go back for first visit since rads next Wednesday.

I'd love it if we e-mailed each other to keep up our strength and support.  We will do this!  We are stronger than the addiction!

Loving and supportive hugs (((((((Randi))))))),

 

Mia
 
Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together.


-Vesta M. Kelly

12

Mia,

My stop date is Monday the 30th.  going back on the Patch.  On tuesday I will find out what my chemo cocktail will be.  I meet the doc at 8:30am and will probably schedule the first treatment for the following week.  Don't think smoking contributed to the dx, it could be anything, not just the smoking.

 

Lets help each other out and get this MONKEY off our back.

 

Randi

13
I note Grandma Cathy didn't weigh in on this one. We gave her all these pep talks how long ago? Last year? Year before? OK Cathy fess up. LOL I was after her, too. Hugs MK


14

ok, I have been ashamed to admit I also smoked for 15 yrs.Quitting has been very hard, and I have fallen off the wagon here, and there.The longer I go the better it gets.I'am surrounded by smokers (including DH) so I have asked them to not smoke around me.So far, I have depended on my own will power.I quit the middle of april, and it's still hard.I think Im craving stress relief more than the cigarette now.I would like to suggest hypnosis if anyone's interested. I quit that way 3 yrs. ago, and started again last year.Honestly though, I really did feel like I had great success with hypnosis.Randi-its amazing where you can find those butt's isn't it?LOL.I still get tempted to go out in hubby's garage and search every morning.Well, I want to wish both of you luck. Mia-its nice hubby is willing to quit with you.

Best wishes

Michelle