My mom has lung cancer and I need to quit smoking NOW!! Did you quit smoking?

I wanted to find out how many of you have quit smoking, and find out how, and to tell my own story.
My mom has lung cancer and is going into surgery to have half of her left lung removed on May 30th.
The thing is, the doctors cannot tell if it actually cancer or not, but they are pretty sure it is because she had a PET test and the cancer illuminated in the top of her left lung and the PET doctor said it is consistant with a maliginancy and the results say it's not in her blood yet, but that was back in February..
And she has had numerous CT scans done that show a mass.
They cannot do a needle pull to find out for sure if it's cancer because the blebs (lung blisters) are too close to the mass and busting those could cause a pnemothorax(sp) (lung collapse).
So she is going to have the surgery anyway because that part of her lung is bad anyway from TB back in the early 80's and pnemonia that won't go away.
This was found back in February and they are just now doing something about it.
All of this has me terrified because I smoke a pack a day and have since I was 14, I am 34 now. Also, lung cancer runs in my family on both sides and I'm sure if I don't quit now I may end up with it.
But I am so darn addicted to cigarettes that it is hell when I don't have one.
I can't afford the patches, even the store brands are almost 50 dollars for one weeks supply, and can't afford 200 dollars a month to quit smoking.
And I cannot stand the taste of the gum all day long.
I need to quit cold turkey, that is the only way for me.
Is there any easy way to quit?
Thanks for listening!
Sonya

P.S. I am going to practice using the search function, I'm not good at it yet . Sorry if there is already a thread about quitting.



[edit on 20-5-2006 by SonyaChristina]

I'm sorry to hear about your mom.
I wish you and her, the best of luck.

I started a thread about this at the end of last year.

Just click the "butt kickin" link in my signature.
You might find some help there.

I did it using the gum. You can buy other brands, besides Nicorette. they are a lot cheaper. A lot of store carry a house brand like that, and they work just as well.
Some actually don't taste too bad either..Plus they are a little bit softer.

Originally posted by spacedoubt
I'm sorry to hear about your mom.
I wish you and her, the best of luck.

I started a thread about this at the end of last year.

Just click the "butt kickin" link in my signature.
You might find some help there.

I did it using the gum. You can buy other brands, besides Nicorette. they are a lot cheaper. A lot of store carry a house brand like that, and they work just as well.
Some actually don't taste too bad either..Plus they are a little bit softer.

Thanks spacedoubt I will read your thread now It is great that you quit! I have to say I am not far behind you on that!!
Thanks again!

Sorry to hear about your mom, Sonya.

Originally posted by SonyaChristina
Is there any easy way to quit?

No.
Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things a person can do.
It was the hardest thing I ever did and it took me 5 years of quitting to finally quit for good.

I can't afford the patches, even the store brands are almost 50 dollars for one weeks supply, and can't afford 200 dollars a month to quit smoking.

Just curious, how much does it cost you to smoke every month?

The thing is with the patch or any other "quit smoking tool" is that they only work when combined with your will power.
In the end it is up to you to quit. You have to really want it and you can’t give up.


Good Luck!

Originally posted by Umbrax
Sorry to hear about your mom, Sonya.

Originally posted by SonyaChristina
Is there any easy way to quit?

No.
Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things a person can do.
It was the hardest thing I ever did and it took me 5 years of quitting to finally quit for good.

I can't afford the patches, even the store brands are almost 50 dollars for one weeks supply, and can't afford 200 dollars a month to quit smoking.

Just curious, how much does it cost you to smoke every month?

The thing is with the patch or any other "quit smoking tool" is that they only work when combined with your will power.
In the end it is up to you to quit. You have to really want it and you can’t give up.


Good Luck!

Thanks Umbrax
Well, I smoke the cheap cigarettes. I spend about $1.50 a day on one pack. The nicotene patches cost as much as the premium cigarettes.
I have to quit, I have no choice. I have 2 kids and they already lost their dad to cancer (not lung cancer) so I am their only parent and that is enough reason for me to quit rite there.
I have gone a day without smoking just to see if I could do it, but that didn't last
Thanks!

Originally posted by SonyaChristina
I have gone a day without smoking just to see if I could do it, but that didn't last

Thanks!

What happened? Did you have to go buy more cigarettes, or did you have some already?

Either way flush 'em. Never say I'll quit after this pack (or tin or whatever packaging they come in for you..

Do you own lighters? Get rid of them too.

Getting single cigarettes from friends? Tell them that you are quitting, even tell them your story if it helps. Tell them never to give you a smoke.

Originally posted by Umbrax


What happened? Did you have to go buy more cigarettes, or did you have some already?

I had some already. I told my mom that I was gona try quitting for one whole day, and I even went around others who were smoking and it about killed me, but I did it for a whole day. I kinda feel like I need to have a whole week where nothing happens so that I can concentrate ONLY on not smoking, lol that's not gona happen. It takes alot for me not to naturally grab for a cigarette. I need to do like you said and just throw them away for good and I am not far from doing just that!

[edit on 21-5-2006 by SonyaChristina]

[edit on 21-5-2006 by SonyaChristina]

well im trying to quit aswell, well i say trying i think i lasted a week before i had a ciggerette and trust me i was near killing someone my husband has got himself down to 4 ciggerettes a day from 20 a day which is quite good so iv decided to reduce what i am smoking rather than go cold turkey. i do have children but i never smoke around them i always go outside. so fingers crossed i can quit one daY

i'm sorry about your mum Sonya
and good luck kicking the habit!
i've heard that taking up a hobby that is really involving can help (?)

I smoked for 5 years and quit 8 months ago. I quit cold turkey feel great now... no more smokers cough and phlegm build up.

Prayers and best wishes for your Mom and for you.

My wife quit about 3 years ago.... basically "cold turkey".....

We were out drinking until about 3am, and got some Taco Bell, well around 5am, she was up throwing up, very sick. She blamed the Tacos...

Later that morning, she said, she thinks she has the flu, not the food and not a hangover ( she never got hangovers )... she lit a ciggy and then put it right back out... made her sick to her stomach...

Over the 2 days, she smoked maybe 1 -2 and then just said this is it, I'm quitting, she put them down and was done!

Thanks everyone
She had the surgery on May 30th and we found out it wasn't cancer!
That is great news!
It was an infection that would have eventualy went away on it's own.
I just wish we could have known before that it wasn't cancer so she wouldn't have had to go through the surgery. She is still in alot of pain, but is doing very well
I still have to quit smoking, and I am gona start working on that very soon. I know it's gona be hard, but it has to be done.
Thanks !!

[edit on 29-6-2006 by SonyaChristina]

Wow thats a relief about your mom...my dad has to have an esophageal resection because of cancer. They are going to remove a piece of the esophagus, then move his stomach up to make up the difference. It should happen in the next 3 weeks. But anyway, my story is that I was soooo addicted to cigarettes, it was all I could think about. I had to have them, when I woke up, when i got in my car, anywhere i went, before bed. I work at a hospital and after seeing all these terminal cancer patients, it kind of opened my eyes. I thought "why am I doing this? It cost me lots of money, has absolutely no benefit whatsoever, smells bad, and is running my life" I pretty much got disgusted with my self for being so controlled by a little worthless tube of tobacco. I grew sick of it...sick of the sore throats, sick of the congestion, sick of being controlled by an inanimate object. SO I made a deal with myself. I said that whenever the Red Wings (detroits nhl team cause I live in a suburb of detroit) were eliminated from the stanley cup playoffs, that I would SERIOUSLY try to quit. I got off work at 11pm, had 2 cigarettes left in my pack, got home and watched the wings win the stanley cup, smoked my last 2 cigarettes and had to be back at work at 6am. I knew I would be too tired and too behind schedule to go to the store and buy some on the way to work...and after work I was so tired I went home and went to bed. So my last cigarette was on 06-13-02 and I havent had one puff of a cigarette since. I used to smoke a pack a day for 8 years. I quit cold turkey. To be honest, its really a mind game. Once you stop smoking for 2-3 weeks you start a new routine of not smoking, it gets easier. But it will be a constant minute to minute battle every day for a while. It took me about 3 years to get to the point where I knew I would never smoke again and now its like I never did. YOU have to want it, and fight the cravings with everything you've got. You can do it if you really want to

Originally posted by SonyaChristina

I can't afford the patches, even the store brands are almost 50 dollars for one weeks supply, and can't afford 200 dollars a month to quit smoking.
And I cannot stand the taste of the gum all day long.
[edit on 20-5-2006 by SonyaChristina]

This is an idiots argument, if you are smoking a pack a day, then you can afford the $50 for the patch, you will not be on the patch for life, you will be on it for six to nine weeks. If you don't quit smoking you will smoke until you are dead, even people with their lungs removed keep smoking, people with a hole in their throat to breath continue to smoke.

Start drinking water now, cleaning out your body is a first step, and you will need to replace the oral fixation of smoking with another oral fixation ASAP.

There is also a pill you can get prescribed, and there is hypnosis.

On that note...

Today is a huge personal victory for me.

I’m in the 25% club - that is, I have been smoke free for 6 months today (only 25% of the people that quit stay off the smokes in six month's time). For the first four months, I was a true and honest sonofabitch. I threw things, yelled, flipped coffee tables over, and was a generally not nice person to be around. I cried, I had cravings hourly. It sucked. Then, all of a sudden, it just stopped.

I remember at first, I joined a smoking-cessation group online, but I discovered too quickly that these folks were just insane. So, I stopped going there pretty quickly. I felt no need to put a “face” to my smoking addiction - my addiction was me. These folks were calling it a “Nicodemon” and all other sorts of crazy #e - like it was a monster that wasn’t really a part of them. I knew that the only way to really win at this was to keep it close to home. I didn’t quit for the adulation of strangers online, I didn’t quit for my family, I didn’t quit for anyone but me.

I did it one day at a time.

Now, my quality of life is beyond belief. I can’t even imagine that I was a smoker anymore. Why anyone would start smoking at 20 years old is dumb anyway - there is simply no excuse to start and I was a total idiot to do have done it. But that person doesn’t exist anymore. The person typing now is a whole new me. Or, rather, me improved.

I kick ass.

But anyway - if you think that you can - you can. Get rid of all of the triggers in your life and take it one day at a time. One minute at a time. If you want, I'll give you some contact info for me (this goes for anyone here on ATS), and I'll be a sponsor for you.

It's your life, and no one can start the fight for it but you.

SonyaCristina- I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. First of all, i hope all turns out alright and i will keep her in my prayers.

I have to say, smoking is the hardest thing to quit. I hope you will read Spacedoubt's thread. I cant lie. I am still smoking. :shk:

The manufacturers made it that way in order to get us hooked. Now, i've never been "hooked" on anything else, but if its anything like this habit, i would never try it to begin with.

While you try very hard, chew the gum, use the patch, or whichever method, i would suggest you do it as far away from your mom as possible, then change your clothes before you go near her. I am not saying you cant do it, i'm just saying it may take you a little time.
Smoking has been proven over and over to kill. I just lost a good friend, Jimmy to his constant smoking

You should detinatedly stop. You could be predisposed since it is running in your family. IT IS possible to do, many people have stopped. I wish you all the luck in the world.
Do a Google search also- there are many organizations and group supports out there.

While i preach here, i have not stopped myself. But nothing wrong with being, FRIENDS; The Anti Drug. In this case, its do as i say and not as i do.
YOU CAN DO IT. Best of luck to you and mom.

Originally posted by SonyaChristina
Thanks everyone

She had the surgery on May 30th and we found out it wasn't cancer!
That is great news!


[edit on 29-6-2006 by SonyaChristina]

Yes it is!!!!!

God bless her.

I read all of your posts, and thanks so much for all the advice and encouragement everyone.

Legalizer, I understand your point. The only thing is, you only get 7 patches for around $50, that's 7 days supply, and I only spend around 13 or 14 dollars on cigarettes per week. (I smoke the cheap ones)
But that's still no excuse on my part, I should be willing to spend the money to quit, and I am getting closer .
I actually bought the patches a few days ago (I had a little money to spare), and they are working very well.
Although since they are kinda too expensive for me, I will probably move on to the gum next.
I will go and check out the other threads on quitting, and thanks again to you all for the help and advice!


[edit on 8-7-2006 by SonyaChristina]

[edit on 8-7-2006 by SonyaChristina]