Need support...

[brighteyes]

Me again...

I have had a tough month. My uncle just died after a long battle waiting for a liver transplant. Apparently he was top of the list, just couldn't make it any longer.

On another note, regarding the getting healthy trend, I have to quit smoking - DR'S ORDERS!!

I have been having many health issues the last two years. To make a long story short, I have just been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, recently developed asthma due to severe allergies, and the results of my lung function test showed beginning changes to my lungs due to emphysyma. Due to smoking of course. I also need to go for chest xray which doc thinks it will be normal. I hope so.

I did quit for about six years but have been smoking again for about 4 yrs now. And I have tried to quit so many times. It is much harder this time.

Smoking is my stress relief which I know that is really all in my head, but I am fine until DS and I argue or I get upset. Then I just want to smoke. And now that I am in school I smoke more because of the social aspect.

So bottom line I need to quit, need to get more rest, need to eat better. My homework is not done as I have not been able to focus all week. I have been worried about the results, now I have them and I am glad to know now before it got worse.

The fibro thing, I am having a hard time with this as this means there is no real reason for all my pain and other symptoms, which I have 99% of them. Am glad for a diagnosis but I am the kind of person that needs to know WHY. So this is difficult for me. It also means it will never go away. And I don't know if my pain etc will stay the same or get worse.

Another thing, I do not have Life Insurance, and now fear that I won't be able to get it. I know stupid me, but really before the last two years or so it was not an option that I could afford.

And just when I am starting to turn my life around, Had a good job, but not great, no benefits no future, just making enough to afford the necessities. So I decide to go to colllege for 3 years to hopefully get a better job, but don't know exactly if I will make more $$ or not. So why now? And I am young (39) but am now suddenly feeling old and questioning everything.

Anyways, I need to quit smoking, so the plan is tomorrow I am having a few coolers with my friend and having my last smokes. I very rarely drink but am feeling the need for a few right now. Then to wake up Saturday morning and not smoke. I have said this so many times before and it doesn't work so I know this will be hard but I will keep trying until it sticks.

Stephanie

 

[Debbie]

Steph, have you talked to your doctor? A very good friend of mine is doing something newly approved. She took some pill(s) for two weeks and continued to smoke. At the end of 2 weeks of being on medication, she stopped smoking. Cold turkey. Done. 30 years and several tries, and that's it. I don't know enough about it, obviously, but it might be something to query your doctor with.

 

[lisaviolet]

Me again...

and it doesn't work so I know this will be hard but I will keep trying until it sticks.

Stephanie

Honestly Stephanie I think you have the key right there in your own words. Many former smokers, including myself, didn't have it stick the first time.

I'm so sorry for the loss of your uncle.

Lisa

 

[brighteyes]

Steph, have you talked to your doctor? A very good friend of mine is doing something newly approved. She took some pill(s) for two weeks and continued to smoke. At the end of 2 weeks of being on medication, she stopped smoking. Cold turkey. Done. 30 years and several tries, and that's it. I don't know enough about it, obviously, but it might be something to query your doctor with.

Well yes, a few years ago I tried Zyban or Wellbutrin, but felt really dizzy or drunk on it. It is an antidepressant, and you smoke for 2 weeks on it, and boy does it taste awful but they say after two weeks you don't want to smoke. Maybe I will try that again.

She did give me a script for Champix, same sort of thing except it works specifically on the nicotine receptors in the brain. So you have no craving and get no enjoyment out of it. BUT there is apparently a low risk of suicide on t his med My doc said that is with alot of antidepressants and she has never had any one have that issue and to stop taking it. And said that if I've never been depressed that I won't have this issue. But it still worries me, that if I feel like that I won't know its the meds enough to stop taking t hem.

So maybe I will jsut try to Zyban again.

Could you find out if it was Champix or the Zyban (wellbutrin) that your friend took and if she had any side effects?

Stephanie

 

[lisaviolet]

Whoops. Sorry Stephanie, I just noticed that you already quit for years. Well then you know you have it in you. That's a real plus.

I too did cold turkey. They say it's not the way to go. But it was for me at the time.

 

[disneydreamgirl]

I've never been a smoker, so I can't give first hand advice however I really applaud your efforts. Have you heard about the Driven to Quit challenge? You'll need a buddy and need to sign up online and there are some great prizes available. The goal is to stay smoke free for one month and I understand that's a good length of time to make a goal for. I think reaching out for support here was a really great idea - you can do it! I'll keep checking in for you...

 

[riu girl]

Brighteyes:

Good luck!!

DH42 quit almost nine months ago.
His 7 step strategy:

1. Set a quit date several weeks away
2. tape a picture of his children to his washroom mirror and each time he looked at the pic, think of quiting not just for himself , but also for them
3. start counting smokes for about 2 weeks (without cutting cutting back at all) to get a baseline.
4. Each day after the two week period baseline period , try to cut down one a day. Somedays he was able to do this, some days not.
5. Book the quit date off of work as well as the next few days
6. At quit date, he simply quit (he was down to about 20 smokes per day at this point), gave me his car keys so he couldn't get to the store to buy smokes, and stayed in bed for a few days sleeping.
7. Chew Excel sugarless gun constantly for several weeks

That was it. He hasn't smoked since and he said after the first couple of weeks, he felt somewhat normal again.

Up until this point he had tried zyban, the patch, hypnosis and cold turkey.

I asked him the other day if he thinks he will make it this time (the longest he ever quit before for for about 5.5 months) and he said "yes, I am done with smoking" .

I think the difference this time for him is that less then a year earlier he watched my dad die from cancer (was a heavy smoker) and one of the last times DH saw dad alive, dad told him that this something that he has to do so he doesn't end up in the same place.

You say that for you smoking is a stress reliever. I am wondering if you perhaps might want to consider getting some sugarless gum for this weekend after you have the coolers with your friends and quit. I don't that without the gum, DH would have been successful.

Again, good luck

 

[brighteyes]

lisaviolet:
Yes I did quit for six years. Well about every six months or so I would have a few if I was out for the night. But then wouldn't smoke again for 6 or 7 months till I was out having a few drinks. I don't go out much, can you tell?
I quit cold turkey but I just quarrantined myself in the house and stayed out of convenience stores and stress level was much less as DS was just a lil one then. Thank you for your words on my uncle. I will miss him. Had not seen him in years, as he lived out of province, but at least he is not in pain anymore and I believe watching out for me.

disneydreamgirl: I have heard of that. I will look into that as well, maybe a prize will motivate me. You would think my health would motivate me. It is, but I am just dreading the first few days. I believe last time, once I hit the two week mark, I was pretty good.

ruigirl: this too, sounds like a good strategy. I will try first on saturday with the patch. if I don't succeed I might try this method as I want to quit asap as with all the bad news I've had and everytime I smoke I am thinking what the hell am I doing??? Now I know what a drug addict must feel like. I mean we all know smoking isn't good for you, but you just think that it won't happen to you and when it does, it's too late sometimes. In my case it's not, so I really have to quit. But I also wonder why I still keep lighting up? Like shouldn't threat of serious illness just make you stop. You would think it would be enough.

I really have to thank all you guys, the encouragement is so supportive I am actually teary eyed. I am worried and scared and I guess if I fail at first, I have to not give up! Right? That is the best, don't give up. In a few weeks I have a week off school so that might be my sleeping week as Im single mom and cant take time off school or being a mom but if I can sleep during the day to take away the worst part then tht might help.

I wish calgon could take me away to Disney, I hardly smoked there as I was having too much fun. I was down to maybe 6 or 7 a day.

Stephanie

 

[Debbie]

Could you find out if it was Champix or the Zyban (wellbutrin) that your friend took and if she had any side effects?

Stephanie, it is Champix. And a co-worker's daughter is interning at a local veteran's hospital. They have a fellow there who had smoked for 60 years and hasn't had a craving in the past 8 months.

My friend said that the only side effect was when she went to the 1 mg. pill in the morning, she had to have it on a full stomach, or it made her feel sick. That's all.

Hope that helps!

 

[brighteyes]

Well I just had a few coolers with my friend and smoked alot tonite. Don't even feel like I want to smoke anymore. Let's hope that feeling stays tomorrow when I have my am coffee.

I will try just not to smoke tomorrow, if I get a craving I will put on the patch. I haven't got the Champix filled yet but think this might be my best route. but I will try the patch first.

Wish me luck going to bed very soon so might have one more for old times sake.

Stephanie

 

[disneydreamgirl]

Just checking in to see how you are doing! I hope your day went well...

 

[brighteyes]

Not as good as I had hoped.

Well I started my day off well. I was up at 8 and I lasted until about noon and I only had 3 puffs from that one. And it was all downhill from there. I mean I did cut down, I have had about 6 in total today. Which is alot less then what I normally do, but still not good.

So obviously the cold turkey is not working for me. I slept a few hours in the afternoon so I wouldn't smoke but now I am up late.

On the bright side, I am getting my homework done.

I am not sure if I should try to just have 5 tomorrow and cut down that way?? I am not sure what to try next?

I am dissappointed that I didn't do it. But I will try again tomorrow. I feel horrible that I didn't do it.

Stephanie

 

[brighteyes]

I think I will go tomorrow and get the Champix filled. I was looking at my school calendar and am off the week of the 25-29th. So I will set my quit date for sometime that weekend before and if I need to I will sleep, etc if I have any problems. I really want to get this done and if I keep trying cold turkey I think I will just prolong it. The patch gives me a headache so I would need a less stronger one but am worried I will still have cravings.

I hear you are supposed to smoke the first week on it or something. I could still limit myself and cut down during that week. I don't know how it works yet but have a script for the first two weeks.

Stephanie

 

[disneydreamgirl]

I think you need a plan. I was talking to my sister last night who is a long-time smoker and she advised cutting back somewhat and then going cold turkey when you've cut back. She thought that having a gradual lowering of the nicotine in your system would be good.

You smoked less yesterday, so I would congratulate yourself for what you did do, not beat yourself up for what you didn't. Baby steps...

 

[Debbie]

I hear you are supposed to smoke the first week on it or something.

That's correct, Stephanie. My friend continued her regular routine for the two weeks. Last week was her first without smoking, and it really didn't affect her at all. She did get in a cleaning mood....but that's a good thing!

 

[brighteyes]

Well I think I will go today to get the Champix filled and start it Monday. Next Monday I am off school so I think that will be my quit day. Then I have a pretty easy week of school then off for one week. So that will be good in case I am suffering withdrawals.

I am still going to cut down my daily intake though I have only had one today and will wait until at least noon to have another. I think I will try to only have 4 today and see how that goes.




Thanks guys.

Stephanie

 

[bababear_50]

Hi Hon sorry I didn't see this until now

OK big smoker here so know all the kick yourself in the butt stuff--LISTEN I'm so proud of you for trying --hopefully someday I'll get there .

Now ONE STEP AT A TIME ----baby steps --just one that's almost none--keep trying --it will happen.

Thinking of you and HUGS

Mel

 

[bababear_50]

P.S --Brother --smoker over 30 years has quit recently using Champix (sp)

YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!!

Hugs Mel

 

[brighteyes]

Well another motivation for me to quit is my teeth. I broke my two front teeth when I was about 11 yrs old and had to have full crowns put on. They are sooo old and yucky looking, they have turned yellow over the years and the rest of my teeth are white.

I now have money to get them fixed I hope anyways. And nowdays they use porcelein so that they will not yellow and stain as much as whatever material the ones I have now are. So the plan is to get my other teeth bleached as white as white as they will go and then get my front teeth done porcelein white to match and cut the coffee down and not smoke to wreck those.

Of course, health is still number one priority but for that much money I better keep those babies white after years of wishing for pearly whites I might finally have them.

Once I quit smoking, the coffee habit should be easier to cut down too. Then that decreases the daily sugar intake which should help with the weight. Ha this just gets better all the time.


I am going to get the script filled today, and the licorice and sunflower seeds. I am actually excited. I know when I quit smoking before the biggest hurdle was thinking of myself as a non-smoker. The first two weeks was the worst after that I was pretty good.

Thanks guys.

Stephanie

 

[DearDaisyinDurham]

We're here for you Stephanie!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo