Newbie here too! Help!

[melissa24]

HI There all! Basically, I am a working mom of three going through a divorce, who found out last night that due to a CT scan, I may or may not have lung cancer (find out in 3 months after the 2nd CT) Talk about stress!!!!!! My doc said I need to quit NOW!!!!! Needless, to say I joined today because it is better late than never! I have been a smoker for only 6 years and thought, nah it would never happen to me! But I learned yesterday, you don't have to smoke for 20 yrs to get cancer!!!! 6 yrs is enough....anyone out there with similar experiences or ideas in dealing with the next 3 months of stress while trying to quit lemmie hear it cuz I am freaking out!!!!

[melissa24]

Danielle,

Thank you soo much! I really appericated your kind words. I really am anxious to quit but at the same time I don't want to jump the gun either and mess up-ya know? So I have started with the triggers keeping my smoking diary, but I am just soaking everything in that I can from this website. I do know that I have smoked less today (about 75% less) to be honest, I feel the urge, but when I do light up-you know that nice feeling with the first part of that smoke when its been a few hours? That has been replaced by guilt, shame and mostly fear for my kids.

Have you been able to quit? And if so did you use any meds? I tried Chantix and loved it but my insurance will not cover it anymore so I was thinking of trying the logenzes (sp).

Any ideas of what worked for you would be a great help for me. I tried cold turkey-NOT!!!! Disaster!, Chantix, the gum (I think the gum tastes sooo nasty with the pepper taste-I couldn't do it without wanting to gag and of course, the patch.

THanks for letting me get some of this off my chest.....I really appericate it!

Melissa

[sabrina-lee2]

I can't imagine what you are going through...I am sorry. I, like Danielle, would love to lend you a shoulder to cry on. I have been smoke free for 5 days now and I feel awesome!!! If there is anything I can do, please let me know. I can tell you are a very strong woman (mother of 3!!!).....You can and will overcome this....Danielle had some great advice about separating your cigarettes from everything you do...
I will send all my good energy your way....

[dont-look-back]

I was diagnosed with multiple meningiomas last month (5/8 to be exact) Those are "brain tumors" I was told that I need to quit now..... Then in a second MRI they found a lump on my Thyroid that may or may not be cancer. It's a sucky situation and it's ok for you to freak out. I have my days too. I am trying my hardest and some days it doesn't seem to be good enough. I will keep trying though. I've only had a handfull in the last week but that's still too many. Feel free to e-mail me anytime. I go in for an ultrasound on my thyroid the end of this month then a CT scan and chest xray as well. I smoked for 18 years. Before I knew it everything was snowballing on me. In 3 months I go back to the Neurosurgen for another MRI on my head to check for growth on those. Everything is going to be ok and that which doesn't kill us only makes us stronger. Yes, we should have never started but now is the time for us to change the habbits and move forward.

[courtney5]

Hi Melissa. I know exactly how you feel. I am a working mother of 2 boys and last year I was diagnosed with a disease called Histiocytosis, which is restricted to my lungs. Basically, my body is attacking itself and I have holes in my lungs. Every time I go in for a CT scan they can't really tell me for sure whether or not I have lung cancer. It's easier for me just to assume that I don't, unless or until they tell me otherwise. This way I don't stress for nothing and my everyday life is not affected by an unknown. My pulmonologist stressed how important it was for me to quit smoking and I just couldn't do it. I would make it a few hours, maybe a few days and then I'd go right back to smoking. So, tomorrow is my quit day and here's to hoping it works this time. I wish you the best of luck - with your health and your quitting!