I had a lumpectomy and Lymph Node removal 8 weeks ago. I had my first chemo (Epi),on the 14th November.
The reaon for the delay in chemo was that I developed a large abcess in my armpit and because of 2 weely visits to hosp to have the dam thing drained, I was scared and a bit depressed. I am still having problems with it now even though my consultant said that I could go ahead with chemo.
Now, excused over. I have to admit that although I have made a supream effort to reducing my smoking from 20+ a day to 5 a day now (sort of…). My BCN said that they do not recommend me trying to completely stop smoking now, but just to think of my health and smoke as little as possible. She says that I am too stressed out with treatments ect. and now would not be a good time to stop altogether.
HELP, I’m feeling guilty, but must admit that there are times in the day when a “naughty ciggy” helps me to get through.
Any other naughty folk out there or am I the only one?
Hi BlondeBird, thank goodness for your reply. I have been/am beating myself up at the moment. Feel really stupid everytime I put one to my lips - how sad is that.
Thanks for you post though, if you’ve managed to kick the dirty weed, then this gives me the encouraging knowledge that I too may yet be able to give it the elbow.
Thanks BlondeBird. How are you getting on anyway? We’ve met on the “anyone starting chemo on the 20th Nov”. Will look out for your posts!
I used to smoke a bit (pretend social smoker) dnt beat your self up about it, try to cut down but having a little may make you feel better within your self, stress relief etc. Im sure there will be others on the site who smoke m some will be desparate to stop and others will finpleasure in a few a day
Best of luck
I was a 30 a day gal more if stressed I had tried everything to stop I then had hypnotherapy and I have never touched a cigereatte or more importantly wanted a cig from the time I walked out of that session. It doesnt stop the guilt though my youngest son said to me do you think you would have got cancer if you hadnt smoked. I really dont know the answer to that one. But there is no point living with regrets of what we have done we cant change the past only the future.
Hi tawnyowl, if you are trully smoking only few a day thats ok, but for your benefit it would be wise trying some aids for you to give it up it may help. Beacuse , I smoked for 25 years and recent years been trying to give it up but I failed always. The day I gave up smoking it was the day I was diagnosed 29th of August this summer, I did not have one single cig since that moment. I used few days nicotine gums really helped and when you are on chemo you reall y don’t feel like it, when ever I pass by a smoker I feel ughh yak , how did I smoke all those years.
I am having trouble claiming my critical insurance as the year 2004 when I took out this policy I was not smoking and I thought I was very positive I would never go back to my habit but I did and answered the question no smoker. Now they are questioning my last 10 yrs smoking history, and seen from the files on my dx I asked for a nicotine gum and tablets for ttreatment. So I wanted to share this also just to point out, maybe cancer was not caused by my smoking habit but certanly I have lost a lot of money on buying them for years and maybe not receiving my claim 50000 today. If anyone had similar problem please share your experience with claims.
There are people who does not smoke and vegetarians and still get cancer , my cousin she was 23 died with cancer never smoked or drink alchol. But it is good to keep both on moderations like they say, wine ok but smoking I think should be gone forever from my life in my opinion. My skin looks amazing since I stopped like I had facelift and drinking all veg and fruit helped I think. I am very pleased with the outcome.
Well , I hope you all have a good night and sweet dreams , I going to sleep now not stress myself too much over the lost 50000 .
just wanted to add my experience to this thread. I have smoked for 25 years and tried half heartedly to give up once or twice. There is little evidence to related BC to smoking, its one of the few cancers that isn’t so don’t beat yourself up on that one too much. I gave up for 2 weeks prior to my surgery with the patches and for about 10 days post op and then went back to a few a day which I stuck to for a bit. I had my first chemo on the 28th Oct and my back wound from my LD recon on the 18th Sept (which wasn’t totally healed prior to chemo but given ok but surgeon and onc) opened up big time the day after. I am now having to have the darned thing dressed every two days to dissolve dead tissue so that it can begin to be packed etc to heal - a long process I am told. My surgeon told me about 2 weeks ago that even one ciggie would slow healing (as well as the chemo) and made me feel awful (added to the fact that I had been to the dental hospital a couple of days before and been majorly tutted at for smoking with gum disease). After disapproving looks from my still smoking husband and everyone else I became very upset and went back to the patches. On reflection I spoke to my BCN who in turn spoke to the surgeon who said that I couldn’t wear the patches as they were intravenous nicotine and worse than a ciggie which was intermittent nicotine! I was left with trying to cope with tutting dentists, chemo, back wound and chemo and no fags! I fell down a deep hole and felt like the whole world was against me.
The outcome so far is that I am trying hard to keep my ciggies to a minimum (5 a day on a good day) and have got Alan Carr’s book out of the library to read whilst on the sofa (had 2nd chemo yesterday) and have decided that I am can do no more without going bonkers.
Its not ideal and I wish I didn’t smoke but I am doing all I can. If Alan Carr doesn’t do it for me I have decided that once I finally get this back wound healed and out of chemo then I will try again in earnest with the patches or something else. I can’t handle anymore right now.
Oh, and to top it all of here am I 24 hours after my second chemo and my back and erupted on me again covering me in uck! I think the healing is going to take longer than the darned chemo and don’t think that even had I managed to chew the carpet rather than smoke a few fags over the last 3 weeks this wouldn’t have happened - the chemo is fighting hard against my healing more than the nicotine! (I have decided to investigate having my wound surgically cleaned of dead tissue and sewn up from the inside out rather than the months of dressings and packings and to be honest I am prepared to chew carpet, and my still smoking OH’s head off, if it will help!)
Best of luck, take it easy on yourself, you will give up when you are ready or have the right motivation to do so. For some its the dx, for others who knows. It doesn’t make you a bad person.
Hi Ostrich, so sorry to hear that you are still having problems with your back wound. I was within five minutes of having a second surgery a few weeks ago. They were going to open my lymph node removal scar to clean out my abcess,then leave it open for a period of three months. During which time I would have to go to hospital twice weekly to have the packing and dressings changed horror!!! Thank goodness the surgeon who was to do this came out to me and said that he did not agree with the surgery and thought that draining the abcess with LARGE needle insertion would be a better solution. Well I went on that road - made a quick exit from hospital I can tell you! Still have an abcess after about 8 attempts at draining the dam thing, but its rock hard, so no more needle assperation just problems with pain and arm movement.
I really do thank you for your reply and am going to check out the thread that you started. Perhaps something there will motivate me? Goodness sakes, that’s the worst of it, common sense tells me not to smoke (Im asthmatic too), but feel like I am giving up yet another bit of my life and cancer has already changed my life and temporarily taken away my ability to be as strong and possitive as I was before. Feel like I giving something up rather than ridding myself of it, if you know what I mean? Stupid or what!!!
I really do wish you well Ostrich, sorry for my rant above. I hope that your back wound settles down soon sweetie. Thanks again for your reply - off to read your thread now, and maybe take a stroll to the library to Alan Carr’s book out.
Read your thread, boy I feel a lot better now thanks! The thread made me lol - I needed that. Seem’s like you had already said what I felt, so I know you are out there with me.
Will try the Alan Carr book out though - who knows?
If a ciggie helps you to get through then so allow yourself one.