I did a search and neither tag word came up with any posts whatsoever. I know I am probably in the minority of people in Australia who smoke and I won the one in eight women lottery to get breast cancer but how about anyone being a smoker like me? Yes I have tried many times to stop it but as yet I have not accomplished the happy addiction free life. I know much of my problem is psychological and psychiatrists aren't cheap to see.
I was a smoker but gave up when I fell pregnant...I also had other health issues and the Dr demanded i give up...i wasn't what you'd call a heavy smoker but it still wasn't easy! especially when everyone else around you smoked as well! My husband was a really heavy smoker and he tried and failed many times before success..I also have friends who don't WANT to give up and that plays a huge part...
The key thing with giving up is you really have to be in the right frame of mind...and at the moment your mind is occupied with other things! Don;t beat yourself up about it, you have manged to cut down, so you ARE making a differeence!
Get yourself through your remaining treatments and then get your mind ready for giving up...if you really WANT to give up you will succeed!
Good luck!
Hey Brenda
You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. Get yourself all better first and i am sure you will be in the right frame of mind to give up the smokes. At that point see your gp about it as there will be services you can access to help you. Your outlook on your health is likely to change once treatment is over and it may not be as hard to give up this time as you think.
If you have the strength and determination to get through the bc journey you can do anything!
Maryrose
I was hiding cigarettes way up the other end of the house so it was a journey to go and get one each time but when my feet started with nerve damage and I was supposed to stay off my feet that didn't work so well.
I started a spreadsheet and each time I had a cigarette I would write down the time and it would tally up how many each day. The next successive days I would try and have a few less and later on each time slot on the spreadsheet. I have gone from 50, yes I was a hella heavy smoker, down to 40, to 35, and now to 30 and I haven't quite mastered 25 a day yet as some days are crap. Best I have fluked is 14 when I was really sick after chemo.
I am amazed my mind even wants them at all but the driving thoughts are incessant and it just goes around and around in my head until I give in and smoke. I know its no good for me to smoke but it shuts my head up whinging about it and helps when I am just so scared of this cancer I cry.
Make sure as you are prepped your anaesthetist knows you are a smoker or have been recently and he will put a mask on to open your airways. Do not keep it a secret. 12 hours no cigs is good, 24 is better, 36 is really good and two weeks are excellent without cigs before surgery, read that somewhere.
I am a smoker trying really hard to give up and failing :( i keep trying and failing but have to try again this week as i have have to have surgery and that is not good my lungs are shot ugg but how about you aim for the cancer free yay! and then concentrate on giving up smoking.
Brenda - you have been strong throughout this BC journey.
How about you aim for the cancer free yay! and then concentrate on giving up smoking. I was a smoker and one day decided to stop. Kept a half packet of B&H in my bottom desk drawer at work as a standby but after a fortnight gave that pack to one of the fellas I worked with as I knew I had licked it! It will be 30 years this year!! yay for me!
You've shown strength and courage through this BC battle and giving up smoking will be a breeze when you put your mind to it.
What am I saying is don't put undue pressure on yourself!
You will do it as you're already talking about it and setting the course for giving up.
Good luck with it all and more importantly with the balance of your treatment.
Take care
Christine xx
