Quitting Smoking ... or trying!

[Christyrose]

Hey Wolfie, I am so proud of you. I hope your feeling better soon. Ear infections can really drag you down. Terri, Thank you! Its been a rough road here and I hope the road will be short. Terri, your message is loud and clear. Cancer and smoking are the number one silent killers of women. Free medical for women is truely needed. Most of us do not have medical or cannot afford it, for what ever reason.

I do know that if you call your Board of Health in your city, they do have programs for women over the age of 40.

I do know for a fact that insurance companies will not cover Zyban, but will cover Wellbutrin SR. Same drug, difference in use of name and application.

I thought by now I would notice differences in taste and smells. Really thought food would start tasting better, but it has not. Maybe that is a good thing for me.

These are the items that helped me through.
1. The horrible thought of not being able to enjoy life. My illness.
2. Wellbutrin SR twice a day.
3. Two or three showers a day.
4. Orange juice taken with meds and one extra glass.
5. Brushing my teeth four to six times a day.
6. Change in my diet Less meat, more fruit and veggies.
7. Execising right now is important. You must keep those muscles in oxygen. They are not use it because of the smoking. To help stop with the leg cramps, I suggest walking, stretching, and pushing of the foot and toes againest an object as your laying down.

If you fail, don't worry. Its not a failure. Just keep trying till you finally quit. That is the best gift anyone can give to them selves. The awarness that they can do anything.

I aways thought, if I quit smoking, I would never ever stand on a soap box talking about it. I could never understand how others could be so pushy about it. I swore I would never act like them if I quit. If I could go back in time, and understand, I would have quit long time ago. Now I have to pay a price. If I just made one person aware of how smoking reacts to body and the damages it does to your vascular system I have suceeded.

[Christyrose]

Annie, you rock! Good luck, you can do it! Share with us, how your quiting.

[Terri]

You Go Girls

[Angel_Wolf]

(((((((ChristyRose pumpkinhead anniejoan Terri))))))))))))) I just got to say I knew why I am glad to be a woman......cause i am stronger lol
Have a great day!

[Christyrose]

I was just rereading this forum. I saw the date Sept 4th. That was the last day I posted. As I got up from my chair that night, I looked at my husband and said, enough, I no longer can handle the pain. I was admitted into ER that night. I had blood clots that where moving. A week later Sept 14th it was decided that I would have a bypass done. I did not have the "normal bypass" from heart to legs. My bypass starts from my left shoulder down my left side to both legs. During my surgery there where 2 teams working on me, Vascular and Cardiosurgeons with another team of surgeons on standby incase they would amputate my right leg. I did well. I was in ICU for 24 hours. I was released from the hospital on Sept 21st.

My right leg is ok but we are not out of the woods yet. I am still in a rejection mode and possible failure of bypass working on the right leg. Two more weeks will be the deciding factor on rejection. Failure of the bypass on the right leg could be never and that is what I praying for.

On Sept 16th, this is the first day in three full years that I actually walked more then 60 feet I walked close to 100 feet!!!! The day I came from the hospital I walked a full block! Now that was a super feat. This coming weekend, we are going to the mall. I have not been in a mall in three years. I am going to walk that mall if it takes me all day

I hope you have thought of quiting smoking. I am not trying to twist your arm here. I would never like to see anyone suffer as I have not only with the pain but the quality of life that comes with it. You are not the only one that suffers either. This changes the quality of life for your family as well.

I am not sure if I will post here again. I do not want to stand on a soapbox. Not many people know about this disease. Peripheral Vascular Disease, not much is printed on it. A simple Doppler study of both legs will show if you have it or not.
The type of disease that I have starts at birth on most and starts to show up around the age 15 to 20. That is when many people have deceided to smoke. For a woman, by the age of 40 the disease is progressive. By time the woman is her 50's the disease is near the end of all the damage it can do. My Doctor told me, at my age of 52, a Male of 65 would be this advance.

PVD Symptoms
Leg or hip pain during walking
The pain stops when you rest
Numbness, tingling or weakness in the legs
Burning or aching pain in feet or toes when resting
Sore on leg or foot that won?t heal
Cold legs or feet
Color change in skin of legs or feet
Loss of hair on legs

Well I am off the soapbox now. I hope you really do stop smoking. It does not matter how many times you have tried to stop, what matters is that one week you did stop.

This is really hard to end. I am so greatful that I am alive, and I want to share that joy with all. Life is so wonderful.
Christyrose/mztp10

[tupi]

As many of you know, my mother died on September 12. She smoked more than 55 years. She had a quadruple bypass when she was 54, and stopped smoking for about three weeks. Of course, she was incapable of getting out to get any cigarettes during that time. She picked up the cigarettes as soon as she could and started again. She always said, "When they tell me 'If you smoke that you'll die.' then I'll quit." Well, she did. When she had a heart attack on August 6 this year, she quit smoking because she was too sick. She died 5 weeks later.

I have been a social smoker off and on for years. However, I've not had a cigarette since August 6. I love my sons too much to continue displaying such an example of personal physical abuse. My next move is to lose weight and get healthier. My gramma is 91, and I hope to live as well as she has...I owe it to my children.

[Christyrose]

((((((((((((((Tupi))))))))))))))) I am so sorry about your mother.

[CAB220]

Tupi, I'm real sorry about your mom. My mom, as well smoked at least four packs a day for the last 30 years. She passed on June 3rd. I am trying to at least cut down from a half pack a day to just four or five a day. I can do it. I wont smoke till noon. I was smoking one on the hour, but now its every two hours. I wont smoke after 8pm. From noon to 8 with a cig every two hours is just 4 a day. I am replacing a glass of water every hour for the cig I dont smoke. Wish me luck LOL! Sometimes I cheat.. but that will change!

[Christyrose]

I am sorry about your mom to, Cab. I wish you luck on your quiting. Check out Terri's suggestions. They helped me along.

[CAB220]

Thanks Christy!!

[Angel_Wolf]

((((((((CAB)))))))) If I can do it, I know you can Much love to you Have a great day!

[Christyrose]

I was just wondering if anyone had finally quit smoking yet and how did you do? Are you still trying to quit? Remember, you do not fail at trying to quit, you just keep trying and one day you will.

It's been since August with my last cig, its been since Sept, 14th with my new artery. Recovery is coming along a little more slower then I thought. I just wish, that I knew how horrible life would be, just becaused I smoked. Not only have I lost my health, but I have lost a future that I dreamt of as well. My whole life is turned up side down because that cig was so good!

If ya need to talk, just leave a message here.

[tupi]

I do miss having a smoke now and then, Christyrose, but not enough to die for it. Someday I might smoke one again. I know I won't allow myself to ever become addicted to them again. How did I stop? Well, I changed my patterns of life. I'm working right now, and when it's break time, I don't go outside with the smokers. I also cleaned my car and sprayed it with Channel #5 so it smells good and not smoky. Before I returned to work, I walked whenever I wanted a smoke. Just around the house or down the block. This contract will end next week, and I'm going to keep up that walking. I do enjoy it. Do I miss cigarettes...sure, but not nearly as much as I miss my mother.

[Christyrose]

((( Tupi )))) I to want that cig, some days are worse then others. I am still addicted to smoking and I truly believe I will always have that urge to smoke. My greatest help is being next to a smoker, the smell is horrible. I have to move away. The last step is to brush my teeth to get that taste out.

After what I have been through the last couple of months, I will never smoke again. I really do understand the urges, and wants of having that last cig. How painful it is to let it go. I watch my Mother's brother pass on from lung cancer. I took care of him up to the moment he died. I never learned. Nor did my Uncle. He smoked right up to the day we admitted him in to the hospital.

I have learned so much from this, no matter how long you quit from smoking, some will be addicted to it the rest of their lives. One cig will set off the addiction. Others, for some reason do not have the need ever again to have a cig. Then you have some that just light up one cig or smoke a pack and stop smoking again, with no problems or urges. I wonder if it all depends on the brain or the personality of the person?

[anniejoan]

Big congratulations to all those of you who have quit!

Christyrose, I wish you a speedy recovery and to Tupi and Cab, I hope the sadness from your losses eases soon.I'm still working on quitting and am down to half of what I smoked. I track the # and times I smoke and it seems to help. Plus, I go outside to smoke. I know for sure that once I've quit, I won't be able to have even one cigarette because I know I'd go right back to it.

Cab, wooohoo! Your gameplan sounds like it's working for you! Keep up the good work!