Help me stop smoking!!!

well hmmmmm
I am not sure what to say, part of me says to quit after your done with all the cancer stuff, but if you want to quit now, get yourself set up to the hilt! If you need patches, chantrix, gum get it. Get hot lemon tea to drink at night after a meal, it will help take your mind of a smoke while your trying to sip it. Get a long cinamon stick, when you have the urge you can gnaw on it. It doesn't fall apart and is real hard so you can grit your teeth when you need to . Plus you can carry it in your pocket. Have it ready at all times. Drink and drink all the liquids you can to get the nicotine out of your system. Keep confessing, I dont' smoke. Say it in the mirror, say it when you drink a cup of coffee, say it all day long. the more you confess something the more you will start to beleive it. If you have insurance, you really might try the chantrix, I did and it worked for me. I needed all the aids I could get my hands on. I was a professional quiter, I quit hundreds of times, I was really good at it. And last but not least, pray, dont' beg, pray and thank God you can do it!!! I hope you keep me posted on how your doing, with your treatments and not smoking, Cheers to you on both battles, you will and can claim victory! Mary

CR1954 said:

tat2.........
Hello and welcome!

I too am a 40 year smoker, and I quit 10 weeks ago! I never thought that I could quit, and the fear of trying is what kept me making excuses for a long time.
My docs all said to wait until I had finished most of my treatment for bc, before trying to quit, as battling breast cancer is somewhat STRESSFUL!! And trying to quit then would have surely ended in failure.

So I waited. Then, I armed myself with nicotine gum and a resolve to quit for good. And it has worked!
I don't miss smoking and honestly, rarely even think about it now. i guess I was just ready.

The fact that your boyfriend is quitting with you...well, talk about a good support system! Bless his heart for doing this with you.

My very best advice is don't be afraid to use a "crutch" for awhile, whether it's gum, patch or prescription med. And if you do slip, remember that it's not uncommon to do so. Don't feel defeated! Just start again.

I wish you the very best of luck, and I KNOW that if I can quit....ANYONE can quit!

Hugs and encouragement to you!

CR

How about hypnosis?
Smoking is a real challenge. My sister quit 4 years ago after decades of smoking. I know people who have had great luck with hypnosis. Otherwise, I think you need to replace the habit with something. Whenever you would normally have a smoke, you need to have something else you do. Remember the actor who walked around with a lollypop.

Please don't beat yourself up about being hooked on cigs. They design them that way. I'm proud of you for taking control of your life. You and your boyfriend should put the money you save in a BIG jar and do something fun with it once you are out of the woods with this thing. It could be big bucks.

Good luck.

Roseann

Marlene_K said:

I can't help, but I can relate
Hi, tat! I have read a couple of your posts and I'm so sorry that you need to be here, but having breast cancer and battling this disease... this is the place that can help. I haven't been posting much because of getting ready for Christmas and being exhausted at day's end.

I was diagnosed in June of this year. I am 2 treatments away from the end. Like you, I wanted to immediately get rid of cigarettes. Although I've been told they are not likely the cause, I thought why continue smoking when I know how terrible it is for my life and all the horrible diseases they cause. I tried several times to stop only to pick up another pack within a day or two after being totally determined I would do it 'this' time. My PCP prescribed Chantix but told me I should check with my oncologist. He said he didn't have a problem with it but when I questioned if he had any other 'chemo' patients that went on it, he said he didn't believe he did and said 'on 2nd thought' he didn't want to throw a wrench into something that was going along so well. My blood counts have been excellent until now and I've had minimal to no side effects. I have a box of patches that I've stuck on the few times I've tried, and I'm planning again to try to give it up for my new year's resolution. I've always wanted a nostalgic date to go along with my 'quit date' and thought hmmm... 01-01-10 sounds like a good one, lol. So I'll try again.

I'm sorry I can't be of help in giving guidance to quitting, but I do know that it can't hurt to keep trying. If you fail, try again, and know that I'm here to understand how difficult it is. Hopefully, we will one day (very soon) be non-smokers on our way to a loooong and healthy new life!

You're very fortunate to have such a supportive partner! I read his note on your expressions page and think it's a blessing you have him in your life in your time of need. I wish you the best of luck and please keep posting. I will continue to pray for our success!

Hugs ~ Mar

One thing that is supposed
One thing that is supposed to help is to change up things you do when you smoke. Like if you have a cup of coffee first thing in the morning with a cigarette, skip the coffe, take your shower, eat your breakfast. Just do things differently. This is supposed to be very effective with those "key" cigarettes we have. If you do out and have a smoke right after eating, then go do the dishes, take a walk, read a book, something that changes your patterns because patterns play a big part in our smoking. If you work and have a cigarette at your break time at 10, take you break at 10:30 and go for a walk. These are little things and they won't work all alone but they can help. When I quit I put my cigarettes on the top of the frig. Every time I thought about having one I said I won't have one right now, but in 10 minutes, and after 10 minutes I said 10 minutes again. Each day that I didn't smoke I make the time longer. After two weeks, I threw the cigarettes away. That was about 28 years ago. It can be done. ANd if you slip, then just start over. No guilt, just know that it is hard and that you can succeed.
Stef

I can have it but I CHOOSE not to have it RIGHT NOW.
Some tips from AA can also help with smoking. Here are a few things I did the last time I quit ... Yes I am smoking again ... I re-started right after having my kids (LOL).

Re-wire your thinking. Instead of saying I can't ... say I choose not to. (Silly, but it makes a big difference.)

Say I CHOOSE not to have this cigarette for 10 minutes (5 minutes, 1 minute, 30 seconds, whatever it takes.)


Smoking in the car was a big one and I was stuck twice a day for an hour in the car. I went as far as putting a cigarette in my hand but not lighting it. I rode with the window down and my hand out the window as usual. I said I would wait for ## time and I found that just the act of holding the cigarette took the urge away. The next day I held a pen like the cigarette. It helped. It was the habits, not the nicotene, that made it so hard to quit. I kept a bag of chocolate kisses, and several different flavors of chewing gum with me at all times. I used the nicorette gum for two days and switched to the regular gum. After a few weeks I was sick of gum and quit that too. The kisses (only 1 at a time) were allowed to melt in my mouth so it would take more time and allow the urge to pass.

Anyway ... I have found that the BIGGEST problem with quitting anything is the thought that you CAN'T have something combined with my rebellious nature (Oh yes I can). You also need to only concentrate on right now because if you say forever your rebellious nature will kick in. So the simple step of saying "I can have it but I CHOOSE not to have it right now" is the best solution I have to offer.

Good Luck ...

madcat said:

I can have it but I CHOOSE not to have it RIGHT NOW.
Some tips from AA can also help with smoking. Here are a few things I did the last time I quit ... Yes I am smoking again ... I re-started right after having my kids (LOL).

Re-wire your thinking. Instead of saying I can't ... say I choose not to. (Silly, but it makes a big difference.)

Say I CHOOSE not to have this cigarette for 10 minutes (5 minutes, 1 minute, 30 seconds, whatever it takes.)


Smoking in the car was a big one and I was stuck twice a day for an hour in the car. I went as far as putting a cigarette in my hand but not lighting it. I rode with the window down and my hand out the window as usual. I said I would wait for ## time and I found that just the act of holding the cigarette took the urge away. The next day I held a pen like the cigarette. It helped. It was the habits, not the nicotene, that made it so hard to quit. I kept a bag of chocolate kisses, and several different flavors of chewing gum with me at all times. I used the nicorette gum for two days and switched to the regular gum. After a few weeks I was sick of gum and quit that too. The kisses (only 1 at a time) were allowed to melt in my mouth so it would take more time and allow the urge to pass.

Anyway ... I have found that the BIGGEST problem with quitting anything is the thought that you CAN'T have something combined with my rebellious nature (Oh yes I can). You also need to only concentrate on right now because if you say forever your rebellious nature will kick in. So the simple step of saying "I can have it but I CHOOSE not to have it right now" is the best solution I have to offer.

Good Luck ...

I guess I figured that I was
I guess I figured that I was fighting one cancer, why did I want another one, meaning lung cancer. That was a huge motivation. Good luck to you! I know it isn't easy.

Hugs, Diane ♥

I was scared to even admit being a smoker on a bc site
I just figured everyone else seemed so strong, they couldn't possibly be smokers like me. I've been smoking for 30 years. I had head/neck cancer about a year and a half ago and now I have bc. I figure I'm a walking target for lung cancer next. But I'm such a wuss, I wasn't even sure how to begin quitting. With everyone's candid comments and suggestions, I feel like I just may have a chance at quitting after all, cuz now have some great advice from people who were just like me and walked the walk. Thanks for not making me feel all alone in this battle.

CypressCynthia said:

I haven't smoked in 36 years
I haven't smoked in 36 years so I'm no help, but I just wanted to say I am proud of you! You go; I know you can do it!

I "stopped" smoking 26 years ago this month,
Notice I didn't say "quit"? I have never quit, I just havent' had a cigarette in 24 years. When I stopped having cigs I didn't tell a soul except my husband...and you know what? No one noticed I wasn't smoking. That way, if I relented and had a cigarette I wouldn't get flack from people and feel like a failure. I carried cigarette's with me for a couple of months and then on Easter I had an argument with my hubby and had 3 cigarette's in a row and spent the rest of the afternoon laying down cause I was sick. I quit carying them in my purse.

Back then, we still partied very hardy and had lots of cocktails and spent time in our favorite pubs etc and of course that's where I could smoke triple my normal amount so instead I started playing with bar straws, one in each hand and it worked. For me and many smokers it's the act of doing something in your hands that's a big part of the habit. I have read just recently that we get over the nicotine withdrawl in the first 10 days and then we are left with the habit of the whole ritual of pulling out the cigarette case, lighting up, watching the smoke etc. I chewed sugarless bubble gum and blew lots of bubbles, keeps your mouth busy. I did slip a couple of times but because I hadn't "quit" I didn't get all bent out of shape (like when you fall off your diet and say to heck with it until next Monday). We didn't have all the "helpers" back then so we had to be inventive and create our own "helpers". To this day I play with straws, it's fun.

You have to really want to stop smoking or else you will not be successful, so be honest with yourself. Do you really want to quit or do you just know you should quit. Two different animals. It took me five years to actually get in position to stop. It's funny, I didn't even have a "last" cigarette, I just said to myself "How long can you go without one?"

You can do this, this is a difficult time to try this while you're in treatment unless smoking makes you sick right now and then it's a great time. You'll be surprised how short of a time it will take for you to not be able to stand the smell of someone ele's cigarette. I live in Michigan and we are going smoke free May 1 and I can hardly wait!!!!!

Good luck and we are all here with hints and encouragement. As they say "Never stop stopping". You really will feel better both physically and mentally. And no one will be shooting you dirty looks when your in public either.

Hugs, Judy :-)