Someone Help me with This

cwilder

Can someone please help me understand. My sister was diaginosed Sept 2010 with lung cancer and 2/14/11 she had half of her lung removed and then chemo and radiation and in Sept of 2011 she was told her cancer is in remission. Now we were out of town for a funeral and i find out that she is smoking again!!!!!!!!!! I asked her why and she seems to think that one or two a day will not hurt. Can anyone out there tell me what is going on in her mind? Why would anyone do this?

AlanRinHBG

say it isn't so
I've seen it before. It makes no sense, don't know what to say. I even saw a woman smoking through a trach hole in her throat once. I'll never understand. My drs. worked so hard to get me through this, I would never let them down like that. One or two a day becomes a pack in no time, alcohol is a whole different discussion and more information is coming to light all the timeon it's effects .

Renaboom

there is no way to tell what
there is no way to tell what she is going thru...one or two a day will turn into more and God forbid... it may come back. If she needs to smoke...have her try the E Cigs; after my stage 4 NSCLC dx, (i'm a non-smoker) this past July - a lot of my friends quit using the E Cigs. Good luck to her.

z

Cwilder
I'm so sorry you're worried about your sister, as I would be too. As a 35 year pack a day smoker, it is so addicting and a hard habit to break. I stopped by using the nicorette gum on 5-4-09, before starting tx for anal cancer. Then in a follow up scan a primary lung cancer nodule was found and on 9-23-10 I had my lower right lobe removed via vats. I would like a cigerette as I type this, but I want to live more. I would still be chewing the nicorette had the PA at the hospital for the lung cancer, told me, but thats a drug too and you should'nt use it. So since I was able to detox from the nicotene in the hospital, I have'nt chewed it since. Its unfortunatley, her choice and you could tell her about me. I feel better than I have in years, even before the cancer. I wish you well. Lori

Kimmiann

It's hard
I quit smoking the day after I was diagnosed with lung cancer. I have not had a cigarette in almost 11 months. There are so many days that I want one. How crazy is that? I lost a lobe of my lung and I still think about having a smoke and wishing I could.

I can't tell you why she would smoke. I'm too scared to ever touch another one. However, I did replace it with decaf coffee. For some reason it seems to help.

PBJ Austin

Kimmiann said:

It's hard
I quit smoking the day after I was diagnosed with lung cancer. I have not had a cigarette in almost 11 months. There are so many days that I want one. How crazy is that? I lost a lobe of my lung and I still think about having a smoke and wishing I could.

I can't tell you why she would smoke. I'm too scared to ever touch another one. However, I did replace it with decaf coffee. For some reason it seems to help.

It's an addiction
I am a lifelong non-smoker but my sister is completely addicted. She had brain cancer but even if it had been lung cancer it wouldn't have mattered, she would have picked it up again anyway. I remember when kid sis was in chemo and radiaiton, then she was puffing away later in the day. It's a little mind-blowing that someone who has heard the words, "You have cancer," would ever want to smoke again, that's why I have to say smoking must be an addiction and not just a bad habit.

Kudos to all of you who have quit, I'm sure it was one of the hardest things you ever did.

scareddaughter33

hello
I don't know the answer to your question but have a similar question myself. My dad was diagnosed last year with stage 3 lung cancer and tried chemo and radiation and quit smoking, but my mom who is his primary care giver hasn't stopped smoking. Up until a few weeks ago she was even smoking in front of him. On Sunday my dad was rushed to the hospital having trouble breathing and admitted. He was transferred over 5 hours away to a hospital that was better equipped to treat him and as the ambulance was pulling away she was lighting a cigarette to help with her stress. We just found out today the lung cancer has spread to his brain. I can't understand how she continues to see what he goes through and still smokes it is the most inconsiderate thing anyone can do. It is so hard to have a parent fighting for their life but even worse when another parent is doing something that could put them in the same fate. I am so hurt and confused.

Dawn50

scareddaughter33 said:

hello
I don't know the answer to your question but have a similar question myself. My dad was diagnosed last year with stage 3 lung cancer and tried chemo and radiation and quit smoking, but my mom who is his primary care giver hasn't stopped smoking. Up until a few weeks ago she was even smoking in front of him. On Sunday my dad was rushed to the hospital having trouble breathing and admitted. He was transferred over 5 hours away to a hospital that was better equipped to treat him and as the ambulance was pulling away she was lighting a cigarette to help with her stress. We just found out today the lung cancer has spread to his brain. I can't understand how she continues to see what he goes through and still smokes it is the most inconsiderate thing anyone can do. It is so hard to have a parent fighting for their life but even worse when another parent is doing something that could put them in the same fate. I am so hurt and confused.

mom still smoking
1.) smoking is an addiction 2.) we all have the "it won't happen to me" mentality. I wish your Dad the best but one thought... love your parents for who they are you just never know how long you will have them.