I am so embarrassed to admit this but I still smoke.My quit day is tomorrow because they are removing 2 lobes of my lung.Did anyone else still smoke after being diagnosed ? Everyone who knows I have cancer just looks at me with disgust when they see me light up.Just curious to see if anyone else did this too?
My last cigarette was July 25, 1995 the morning just before they removed my lung. (about 2 hours before)!
Don't beat yourself up for this. It is what it is, and you'll do fine afterwards.
I know 100's of people that quit smoking 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, years before they were ever dx.d with lung cancer.
I've not had the desire to go back to them. It's been over 13 years and I'm still smoke free. (and cancer free). I use to smoke 2 and somedays 2+ packs a day.
Hang in there. Your going to do fine and be fine!
Best wishes,
LTLCS
Kandy:
Just make sure that you tell them you smoke because that will be a difference in the anesthia-even if you stop just before the surgery date. (I've never had lung surgery but I've had surgeries and they need to know).
Good luck with your surgery (and quitting smoking, but lik LTLCS said, don't beat yourself up - it is wht it is.
Take care, Susan
kandy - it's ok - you won't want to smoke after surgery - I'm praying real hard tonight and tomorrow for you - please have someone post and let us know that you are ok after the surgery tomorrow - you'll do just fine!!!!!
Hugs - Karen
We're all with you, Kandy! Remember, have them put the patch on you. This will be the best time to quit those things!
XO-Frank
I've read that cold turkey is what works best in the long run. While you're recovering from surgery you'll be unable to smoke so that will be a great time to get nicotine out of your system. My husband ran out of air one day and try as he would he couldn't get enough oxygen so he quit that very day. A year later he found out he had lung cancer. My mother quit cold turkey when they had to drill out her sinuses and it hurt like hell. My brother quit cold turkey when he found out he had colon cancer and he wanted to do everything he could to survive. So it can be done. After your surgery just never pick up another cigarette. You'll be so happy to have finally kicked the habit. It will be the only good thing about your ordeal. Good luck with your surgery and don't worry about what other people think because soon you'll be a smoke free cancer survivor and that will automatically make you cool.
I quit smoking about three weeks ago. Been replacing cigarettes with root beer barrels.
Now I will probaly die of diabetes with rotten teeth!!
seMPer fidelis
Dave
I have never needed more courage in my life than the 24 hours before my surgery. You are there! Big Prayers and warm thoughts go with you for this.
I had quit smoking 2 years before my diagnosis. Prior to that I chain smoked as often as I could. One of the things that I was so grateful for at the time of surgery is that I wouldn't have to deal with withdrawing from cigarettes at the same time as surgery.
I know if I had not quit I would have been right where you are with this. I used patches but I think you will need to review with your doctor and anesthesiologist before using them as nicotine is a very powerful drug.
I think you will have grace in this and not even think about smoking. The surgery certainly will keep your focus for a few months and the thought of smoking should be pretty much out of the question for you.
Take care and pull in all your supports for the big day and the recovery period.
We'll be here when you get back.
I have been reading your posts and I will be thinking of you tomorrow. I wish you the best of luck and a very speedy recovery. Be sure to tell the anesthesiologist that you are still smoking. You are not a bad person and I imagine after the surgery you will not want to smoke. My mom has cut down to 3 cigs a day. She is trying to get past that but is having a hard time. You can do it! Good Luck!! Keep us posted!
Kari
Good luck Kandy. I'll be thinking about you and praying that your surgery will go smooth and you will awaken and they will give you only good news.
sarah
Kandy,
I cut down for the month before surgery but actually smoked at least a couple of them a day until the night before surgery. I had no desire to smoke after that. You'll be fine! Get back on here when you can and let us know how you are doing.
Cathy
Kandy:
You have nothing to be embarrassed about. No one is absolutely perfect! Let your focus right now be to get the surgery behind you and you can think about what you can do to make your life more healthy after the surgery. The nurses will encourage you and I am sure some of them have smoked and possibly still do. You will have lot's of support from this site. We are all pulling for you. You are a brave girl to face this problem and you should be proud of yourself.
Hope one of the nurses will send us a post and let us know how well you are doing.
Lots of Hugs
BrendaMousey
I am still smoking too. I had quit in the hospital and after I got home. Then I started chemo. I was in so much joint and muscle pain the first time I wanted something comforting... so I started again...
Eddie SD
Good luck with your surgery tomorrow...just stay positive! As for the smoking, you will quit when you can, now might be the time. My Dad quit in March......after smoking for 60+ years. He used Chantix and it really helped. Good luck with everything, I will be looking for a post to see how you make out!
Hi Kandy,
Don't worry about the smoking. You know people who have never smoked get lung cancer. You don't even know if that is what caused yours so don't beat yourself up over this. Right now, with surgery ahead of you, the smoking is probably helping with the anxiety and tension. I'm not a smoker but had I been, I probably would have been chain smoking right up to the time I had to stop.
Best wishes and hope to hear from you after your surgery. Do you have someone who can post an update on you?
Bette
I had my upper right lobe removed on 7-7-08 and had stopped smoking about 1 1/2 years before I was dx, June of 08. I hope the desire leaves you somehow after the surgery. Best of luck tomorrow.
Like all have said, don't beat yourself up. My aunt, in her 80's at the time, smoke right up until the day of her lung surgery. After surgery and hospital release, she swore she would never touch one again. To this day she wishes she never picked up the habit.
But do let them know you are a smoker. It affects anaesthesia, and they will need to be on top of any indication of pneumonia forming.
Otherwise, my prayers are with you. Send me questions anytime you like, and I know I don't need to tell you it is time to give up the cigarettes. You'll be sorry if you don't.
Love, Debbie
P.S. I could tell from your Avatar photo that you are a smoker. Why? The effects of smoking appear in and around someone's face in too many ways to list.
Sorry. Thought this might be a notion you keep in your head if you start to fall off the wagon, so to speak.
Good luck with the surgery - you can do it - it's just a few short days out of your life. Consider it like having the flu for a couple of days - and then you will be on the road to great health! Sharon
Hey Kandy,
Just to echo what everyone else has said - don't beat yourself up over it. But it's definitely good to quit for a whole lot of reasons. Different quit "tricks" work for different people. There are lots of aids to help - patches, gums, prescription medications There are also telephone quitlines (http://www.naquitline.org/index.asp?dbsection=map&dbid=1) and online support: http://www.becomeanex.org/#learn_overview to help you.
Good luck!
Amy
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