Smoking......

pinkkari09
pinkkari09 Member Posts: 877
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Why is it so difficult to quit smoking??? Like being diagnosed with cancer isn't enough to make someone put them down, my Mom passed of lung cancer almost two years ago, now I'm battling BC, why do I even think about a cigarette? Am I really that stupid?? Still, not smoking today! Anybody else run into a struggle with the filthy habit after diagnoses?? Advice??
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Comments

  • MyTurnNow
    MyTurnNow Member Posts: 2,686 Member
    #2
    Cigarettes are a nasty habit
    Cigarettes are a nasty habit but it's been a crutch in our lives and therefore one of the first things we reach for when stressed. I did manage to quit smoking after being diagnosed...as a matter of fact today is the 3-month mark. I have concentrated on giving my body the BEST chance at recovery I can and therefore have been very successful. Good luck to you, you can do it!!
  • pinkkari09
    pinkkari09 Member Posts: 877
    #3
    My Turn Now
    Good job on three months :) I spent the first month and a half after diagnoses "chain smoking" freaked out and using it as a major crutch!! I can't do it anymore, I'm going to try my hardest to be free of the nasty things and give my body the best possible chance too, Thank YOU,
    Kari
  • lanie940
    lanie940 Member Posts: 490
    #4
    My sons both smoke, I hate
    My sons both smoke, I hate it. Maybe I hate them(cigs) more because I take Wellbutrin, the drug in that is used to help people quit smoking. My mother smoked, chain smoked, as a child I hated to see her smoke, I told her I was not going to the store and buy her more cigs, she started crying. My husband also smoked for part of our marriage he quit at age 37. I never really smoked, well, I tried cigs with my friends, and I just detested it.

    I still haven't got over the anger I feel in getting cancer, I wonder where all these cancers come from.

    I wish you all the best and pray for you recovery and hope you soon will meet NED.(((HUGS)))
  • Cat64
    Cat64 Member Posts: 1,192
    #5
    Oh yes!
    I'm one of them! Still struggling with putting them down today. STRESS along with pure habit is my excuse. It's not that we are stupid, we are horribly addicted! My Onc. tried to make me promise him I would quit-I could only say that I would try & one thing at a time! He did say I could use help if needed, gum, patches, etc..so now I am working on the mindset. Congrats on being smoke-free! One day at a time.
    Hugz,
    Cathy
  • pinkkari09
    pinkkari09 Member Posts: 877
    #6
    lanie940 said:

    My sons both smoke, I hate
    My sons both smoke, I hate it. Maybe I hate them(cigs) more because I take Wellbutrin, the drug in that is used to help people quit smoking. My mother smoked, chain smoked, as a child I hated to see her smoke, I told her I was not going to the store and buy her more cigs, she started crying. My husband also smoked for part of our marriage he quit at age 37. I never really smoked, well, I tried cigs with my friends, and I just detested it.

    I still haven't got over the anger I feel in getting cancer, I wonder where all these cancers come from.

    I wish you all the best and pray for you recovery and hope you soon will meet NED.(((HUGS)))

    What/Who is NED
    I'm really new to this so you have to tell me, What/Who is NED??
    (((((Hugs Back)))))
    Thanks,\
    Kari
  • Cat64
    Cat64 Member Posts: 1,192
    #7
    pinkkari09 said:

    What/Who is NED
    I'm really new to this so you have to tell me, What/Who is NED??
    (((((Hugs Back)))))
    Thanks,\
    Kari

    NED
    No Evidence of Disease
    He's the one you dance with when you reach recovery.
    Cat
  • Cat64
    Cat64 Member Posts: 1,192
    #8
    pinkkari09 said:

    What/Who is NED
    I'm really new to this so you have to tell me, What/Who is NED??
    (((((Hugs Back)))))
    Thanks,\
    Kari

    Kari
    NED=No Evidence Of Disease
    He's the one you dance with when you reach recovery!
    Cat
  • Cat64
    Cat64 Member Posts: 1,192
    #9
    Cat64 said:

    NED
    No Evidence of Disease
    He's the one you dance with when you reach recovery.
    Cat

    Hmm
    That was strange! Don't know how that happened!
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #10
    Cat64 said:

    Oh yes!
    I'm one of them! Still struggling with putting them down today. STRESS along with pure habit is my excuse. It's not that we are stupid, we are horribly addicted! My Onc. tried to make me promise him I would quit-I could only say that I would try & one thing at a time! He did say I could use help if needed, gum, patches, etc..so now I am working on the mindset. Congrats on being smoke-free! One day at a time.
    Hugz,
    Cathy

    I hope that all of you can
    I hope that all of you can quit smoking. You already have breast cancer, you don't want lung cancer too. I know it is very hard. If you can't do it on your own, ask your doctor for some help. There are lots of drugs and patches out there that help some. Good luck to all of you. I pray that you all find the strength to overcome your addiction. It is hard.

    Kylez ♥
  • Cat64
    Cat64 Member Posts: 1,192
    #11
    Kylez said:

    I hope that all of you can
    I hope that all of you can quit smoking. You already have breast cancer, you don't want lung cancer too. I know it is very hard. If you can't do it on your own, ask your doctor for some help. There are lots of drugs and patches out there that help some. Good luck to all of you. I pray that you all find the strength to overcome your addiction. It is hard.

    Kylez ♥

    Kylez
    Thank You! I do want to give up this nasty habit!
    Hugz,
    Cathy
  • chickad52
    chickad52 Member Posts: 497
    #12
    GOOD LUCK
    to all of you. I quite smoking over 10 yrs. ago. I had tried several time before I did it for good. Cancer runs on my Dads side of the family. Everyone has died of cancer, so I believe it is in the genes also. 2 of my kids smoke and I wish they would quite!! Bless you all and Hugs to you, Diane
  • susie09
    susie09 Member Posts: 2,930
    #13
    chickad52 said:

    GOOD LUCK
    to all of you. I quite smoking over 10 yrs. ago. I had tried several time before I did it for good. Cancer runs on my Dads side of the family. Everyone has died of cancer, so I believe it is in the genes also. 2 of my kids smoke and I wish they would quite!! Bless you all and Hugs to you, Diane

    Wishing you luck too!
    I just want to add my good luck to all of you that still smoke too. Quitting is very difficult, but, you can all do it! Noone said you have to just stop right now. Maybe, just start cutting back on the cigarettes that you smoke. Or, start putting more time between when you smoke one. Like if you want one, put off lighting up for another 15 minutes or so. We are all rooting for you!

    ♠♣ Susie ♠♣
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159
    #14
    It has been said, and
    It has been said, and rightly so, that nicotine addiction is harder to break than heroin!
    My dad died of lung cancer, and I still smoked as well. I think there are a lot of reasons, aside from the physical part, that make it so hard to give up smoking. For starters, even though it is oftentimes looked at with disgust ( well, here in California, anyway! LOL) cigarettes are still legal, and can be purchased along with the milk and veggies in the supermarket! It isn't against the law to "bum" smokes from strangers, or have your cigarette lit by a stranger, either. Some bars and restaurants still allow smokers~so, being that it isn't exactly a clandestine activity, I think that makes it harder to stop.

    I did stop tho~ decades ago! And here's how I did it! I knew that if I said I wasn't going to smoke all month, if I stopped for 29 days and then gave in, in my mind I would have been a failure! So, I quit ONE SMOKE AT A TIME! It worked for me, as one cigarette wasn't too hard to give up. I didn't smoke the next one, and the next one, and the next one, either! I was always a success giving up one cigarette at a time and then adding one more to it! Not having that cigarette with coffee, or while socializing with friends who smoked, or any other times often associated with smoking made me feel powerful! And whooo -hooo...I was so proud of myself that I just never, ever smoked again! And I never looked back!

    And, I may be wrong, but I have never met anyone who has quit and wishes they hadn't....even if they enjoyed the taste and the whole social experiences surrounding smoking. And, I am sorry to say that I think the "health care professionals" who are huddled outside for a smoke in the blazing sun or freezing rain look sooooo ridiculous! I have seen people hanging outside the venue of the Relay For Life smoking...sheesh!!!! Sorta defeats the purpose, doesn't it?? LOL

    Good Luck on your non smoking decision! You rock!

    Hugs,
    Chen♥
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #15
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • pinkkari09
    pinkkari09 Member Posts: 877
    #16
    Tons of good stuff
    Great stuff said here!! I'm not smoking, just for today "one day at a time" I have chemo tomorrow, so that day is easy!! Can't light up in the chemo room :)you know there used to be a time when smoking was allowed in hospitals, I remember it, when my grandpa was dying, he was smoking in his hospital bed. Any your right, it's a proven fact that nicotine is more addictive than heroin. I have smoked for 25 years and by the grace of God I don't think there is any cancer in my lungs so I better jump at my second chance to take care of them. Thank you so much for all the feedback on this nasty little habit and have a great Tuesday.
    God Bless,
    Kari
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159
    #17
    pinkkari09 said:

    Tons of good stuff
    Great stuff said here!! I'm not smoking, just for today "one day at a time" I have chemo tomorrow, so that day is easy!! Can't light up in the chemo room :)you know there used to be a time when smoking was allowed in hospitals, I remember it, when my grandpa was dying, he was smoking in his hospital bed. Any your right, it's a proven fact that nicotine is more addictive than heroin. I have smoked for 25 years and by the grace of God I don't think there is any cancer in my lungs so I better jump at my second chance to take care of them. Thank you so much for all the feedback on this nasty little habit and have a great Tuesday.
    God Bless,
    Kari

    Good for you on your
    Good for you on your decision~ we are with you every step of the way!

    Hugs,
    Chen♥
  • karaokelorie
    karaokelorie Member Posts: 33
    #18
    smoking
    Iam still struggling with the trying to stop smoking. Have cut back but have not stopped, Hate it that cigs have so much control over your body and mind.I have tried the wellbutren no help. Last time I quit with zyban for over 2 years, Kaiser doesnt use Zyban so now I will try the patches. Does anyone know can you do patches and take wellbutren at the same time? I've said before, put me in a rubber room and let me bounce !!!
    Take Care
    Lorie
  • roseann4
    roseann4 Member Posts: 992 Member
    #19
    My habit was wine and I'm still struggling with it.
    I think what makes giving up those habits (2 glasses every night and estrogen receptive cancer) is because if we ever needed a crutch, we need it now. We are going through a stressful situation and can't have our soft place to land. Every day I would come home from work and unwind with wine. I have been advised to give it up completely since my diagnosis and am doing OK. I miss it every day. Instead, I drag my butt onto the eliptical machine and eat vegies. Yuk! Ah, for the good old days when I thought I would live forever!

    Roseann
  • mimivac
    mimivac Member Posts: 2,143
    #20
    roseann4 said:

    My habit was wine and I'm still struggling with it.
    I think what makes giving up those habits (2 glasses every night and estrogen receptive cancer) is because if we ever needed a crutch, we need it now. We are going through a stressful situation and can't have our soft place to land. Every day I would come home from work and unwind with wine. I have been advised to give it up completely since my diagnosis and am doing OK. I miss it every day. Instead, I drag my butt onto the eliptical machine and eat vegies. Yuk! Ah, for the good old days when I thought I would live forever!

    Roseann

    It's not easy, that's for sure
    I was never a smoker, but I've made a lot of lifestyle changes since my diagnosis. Most of them were a struggle and I still mess up all the time. I was also a 2 glass a day wine drinker and while I've given up the daily habit, I still indulge too much sometimes on the weekends. Every time I do, I used to think, "knowing what you know about recurrence rates and alcohol, why can't you get your act together? Not even cancer can make you quit?" Then I would get really frustrated and eat (or drink) more unheatlthy stuff. Then I realized something: being down on myself didn't work, it just made things worse. Now, I am still not perfect, but getting better every day. When I mess up now, I think, "your body is precious and the things you feed it should be the best things." Every mistake is an opportunity to get better, treat yourself better, and live better. Your body is not a trash heap or an ash tray. It's a remarkable machine that has developed and sustained you from childhood to adulthood. That's what I try to remember. And then I try to be my body's friend rather than its enemy. You deserve to be smoke-free. It's a great gift to yourself.

    There was a quit-smoking group here before. Is that still going? Good luck! I know you guys can kick this habit.

    Mimi
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    #21
    mimivac said:

    It's not easy, that's for sure
    I was never a smoker, but I've made a lot of lifestyle changes since my diagnosis. Most of them were a struggle and I still mess up all the time. I was also a 2 glass a day wine drinker and while I've given up the daily habit, I still indulge too much sometimes on the weekends. Every time I do, I used to think, "knowing what you know about recurrence rates and alcohol, why can't you get your act together? Not even cancer can make you quit?" Then I would get really frustrated and eat (or drink) more unheatlthy stuff. Then I realized something: being down on myself didn't work, it just made things worse. Now, I am still not perfect, but getting better every day. When I mess up now, I think, "your body is precious and the things you feed it should be the best things." Every mistake is an opportunity to get better, treat yourself better, and live better. Your body is not a trash heap or an ash tray. It's a remarkable machine that has developed and sustained you from childhood to adulthood. That's what I try to remember. And then I try to be my body's friend rather than its enemy. You deserve to be smoke-free. It's a great gift to yourself.

    There was a quit-smoking group here before. Is that still going? Good luck! I know you guys can kick this habit.

    Mimi

    Best of luck to you all!
    I loved what you wrote Mimi! Your body is not a trash heap or an ash tray! Perfect!

    I wish all of you the best of luck in quitting smoking!


    Lex♥

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