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Give and get support around quitting

Stage 3 COPD

 24/7 oxygen 2 liters.

Frequent exacerbations - I'm in the hospital now.

Yesterday I was on 5 liters and 84% sats.

Anything less than 90 is bad. 84 is really bad.

What can you do?

Quit smoking

Quit smoking

Quit smoking

Take your meds please

Exercise

Stay away from pollution, smoke of all kinds, wind,rain and snow

Be good to your lungs -they work 24/7 to keep you alive and healthy!

LLAP

61 Replies
elvan
Member

I remember when she was born too.  I cannot believe that she is four!  The party sounds like it was a blast. Hope you did not tire yourself out too much.

Ellen

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Velisa07103
Member

Dear Thomas, I hope that you are better today and at home since your post in January when you were in the hospital.  I’m almost in tears as I write this to you because I still smoke a pack a day with COPD.  I’ve tried patches with the Horrible nightmares and Chantix which worked that first weeks when your allowed to smoke, but oh boy, after that it felt like someone had a screwdriver before ring a hole in my stomach from the inside out.  

I KNOW that I have not tried to stop smoking nearly enough as I should have by now, after being diagnosed. Excuses is all I come up with for my cowardice.  This is the hardest drug habit ever and it’s even being genetically modified to be more addictive.  I’m scared to stop and scared to die.  I’m scared Thomas.  All the commercials on TV and even what you are going through, I’m scared and i want to live, like the rest of us on here.  

Who wouldve thought, or known that we’d be responsible for our own demise on the very thing that built this country!  I’m angry too.  All the stars of the Golden Age, not here because of smoking!  IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BABNED A LONG TIME AGO, GENERATIONS AGO!  Now I’m stuck, an outcast of today...one of those who aren’t wanted because of smoking!  I hate that i have to yet again, in my 55 years, go through withdrawal from something, and that it’s going to be harder than ANYTHING ELSE I ve had to get rid of!  I dont think I have another fight in me.  SCREAMING IN ANGERAT MYSELF, FIR GETTING INTO THIS MESS FROM THE BEGINNING!

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to the community!

I felt as you did - but was able to quit by learning all about it, planning, and preparing    I was actually EXCITED to quit after reading the book I will recommend by Allen Carr.  It has helped many to be successful.  Today is a  NEW day; you CAN quit smoking.  A lot of us who have been successful with the information and support from this site felt exactly as you describe.  Get busy reading, planning and preparing.  Nothing is going to quit FOR you - but I promise if you give it some effort (and commitment) you will be successful!

 

The important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This easy and entertaining read provided a world of good information about nicotine addiction, most of which I was not aware.  I credit it in large part with my success at quitting.   You can search for it online or at your local library.


 You should also read the posts here and perhaps go to the pages of folks who you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com, quitsmoking.com and livewell.com for the good information contained there. @https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex has lots of blogs written by members of this site with their experiences and guidance. Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.

 

After you have completed the recommended reading, it will be time to make an informed choice of the quit aid, if any, you will use. If you go that route, I personally recommend the aids that don't let the addict control the dose such as the available prescription drugs or the patch. If used properly, gum, lozenges and inhalers are fine, but they need to be used only as a last resort after you have tried to delay and distract.   I have seen folks become addicted to them if they substitute them for every cigarette they used to smoke - just trading one addiction for another.  You need to start out with a plan to reduce use of them over time - which the patch does by decreasing the dose contained in them..  For the gum, you can start by cutting each piece in half, then in quarters, then sub regular gum of the same flavor in between, adding more and more regular gum.  For the lozenge, you need to start subbing a mint in between to begin, increasing the number of them over time. I do not recommend the e-cigarette for four reasons: 1) the vapor has been compared to the polluted air in Bejing on a bad day, 2) they just provide another nicotine delivery system while continuing the hand to mouth smoking motion,  3) it maintains the addiction to nicotine, and 4) they are proving to be unsafe.

 

It will be informative if you do the tracking and separation exercises recommended here on the site. As you track each cigarette smoked, note its importance, and what you might do instead. Put each one off just a little to prove that you don't NEED a cigarette just because you think you do.
 

The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from when you smoked. Maybe switch to tea for a bit.  If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to smoke so the view is different. Buy your gas at a different station. Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.
 
You need to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game.  Keep a cold bottle of water with you from which to sip. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time.  You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits.    Get busy!  Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:
 https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...


The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?"  Then DO it.  You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.


Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!


 Nancy

Velisa07103
Member

Thank you so very much for your response to my post.  I am going to try to do my due diligence and find ways to learn how to reduce and then abstain.   I think it’ll be a lil easier, knowing that you guys are here to help.

Again, thank you, it means loads that you responded.  Have a great weekend.

vslim
Member

I just put the book on hold at my library.  Is there any way to bookmark your post?  I think it will be helpful to me to read again a few times. I looked at the actions, but it only gave me two options : send a badge or flag post.

YoungAtHeart
Member

I will send you a private message that you can always retrieve in the red bell top right!  Glad you found it helpful!

Nancy

Back in the hospital with appendicitis followed by appendectomy Wednesday. Now I have a blood infection from the procedure and classified septic. My blood pressure bus extremely low as are my oxygen levels. I was sent straight to ICU after surgery. Now I am in surgical unit. If it ain't one thing it's another!

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YoungAtHeart
Member

Oh, NOOOO, Thomas3.20.2010.  I am so sorry.  Get better and outta' there ASAP!

Velisa07103
Member

Praying that you get better real soon.  I’m not even a newbie yet and need all the help I can get from you Thomas!  Get well soon!

Oh NO!  Please Lord, give this wonderful man a break!  Prayers continuing … .  

  Hang in there (((Thomas))).