Nurses Helping Nurses Quit Smoking

natawee · Mar 5, 2005

I would love to quit. everyone says 'its a decision you need to make for yourself' and 'you need to do it when you are ready'. well will i ever be ready. i would love to be smoke free!!! where to start!! it doesnt help that my roomate smokes as well

Liddle Noodnik · Mar 5, 2005

I would love to quit. everyone says 'its a decision you need to make for yourself' and 'you need to do it when you are ready'. well will i ever be ready. i would love to be smoke free!!! where to start!! it doesnt help that my roomate smokes as well

If you do the "God" thing, that helped me. I just kept praying that I would be willing to be willing.

It's amazing that I'm still not smoking!

There is a site called quitnet.com that can help you get started.

I'm told it's best to choose the date ahead of time, or if you're like me, anticipating that it might "just happen", it would be good to have any medicines ie nicotrol etc on hand already!

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Mar 5, 2005

For those of you who don't want to do the prayer thing, here's a link to the American Lung Association's excellent "Smoking Cessation Online Support":

http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=22931

My quit stats:

17 years free of a 2 pack a day habit that lasted for >20 years.

Saved: Countless thousands of dollars

Life saved: The best part! :)

Strategies: Give up the things you associate with smoking. For instance, I would always associate a cup of coffee with a cigarette. Gave up the coffee and it did help to avoid the craving for the habitual cigarette.

Liddle Noodnik · Mar 6, 2005

For those of you who don't want to do the prayer thing, here's a link to the American Lung Association's excellent "Smoking Cessation Online Support":
http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=22931
My quit stats:
17 years free of a 2 pack a day habit that lasted for >20 years.
Saved: Countless thousands of dollars
Life saved: The best part! :)
Strategies: Give up the things you associate with smoking. For instance, I would always associate a cup of coffee with a cigarette. Gave up the coffee and it did help to avoid the craving for the habitual cigarette.

Angie, I put in some rough data and got:

Seventeen years, 11 hours, 42 minutes and 0 seconds. 248379 cigarettes not smoked, saving $37,256.93. Life saved: 2 years, 18 weeks, 1 day, 10 hours, 15 minutes.

Thank you also for the American Lung Assoc. info -

{{{{{{{{{{{{{Angie}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}]] Congratulations!

Nesher, BSN, RN · Mar 6, 2005

I quit on 6/25/92. The way I did it was to pick a date. I picked June 25th in Feb, and had plenty of time to anticipate the actual event. I aslo had plenty of time to grieve - you know last time in the car, last time after a meal etc. Switched to tea instead of coffee - that is part of a successful bid to quit I think changing habits, patterns.

Good luck - it can be done. You can be bigger than smoking - and once you are done- you can't imagine going back. Ick

Liddle Noodnik · Mar 6, 2005

I quit on 6/25/92. The way I did it was to pick a date. I picked June 25th in Feb, and had plenty of time to anticipate the actual event. I aslo had plenty of time to grieve - you know last time in the car, last time after a meal etc. Switched to tea instead of coffee - that is part of a successful bid to quit I think changing habits, patterns.
Good luck - it can be done. You can be bigger than smoking - and once you are done- you can't imagine going back. Ick

You would THINK!

however, I started again 5 years ago, after having gone 4 1/2 years without one!

It is never safe to have "just one"

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Mar 6, 2005

Seventeen years, 11 hours, 42 minutes and 0 seconds. 248379 cigarettes not smoked, saving $37,256.93. Life saved: 2 years, 18 weeks, 1 day, 10 hours, 15 minutes.

Hard to believe the cigarettes that lined the already-too-rich tobacco companies could've paid for a really nice brand new car, isn't it?

:) So guess what I'm driving with my $aving$??

allamericangirl · Mar 9, 2005

Angie

I smoke like a stove. I am pumping up my psyche to quit. I have smoked since I was in my early teens. Quit once about 6 years ago and made it about 6 months before I screwed up and started again.

The patch helped me to quit. Here is the problem. I went on the patch, but would cheat with a few drags once or twice a day in the beginning, then a few drags every few days, then no more drags needed. After my second month on the patch, I developed a severe case of cellulitus from my ankle to my inner thigh (started at the calf) in one leg and ended up in the hospital for three days on antibiotic IVs. The Dr thought it could have been due to the nicotine patch and circulation issues. ie., the blood going to the patch and taking away from my lower leg.

I don't think I can do it without the help of the patch, and am really scared to patch again because of the incident with the cellulitus. I have had cellulitus like this three different times in the last 6 or 7 years. The first incident was from 3 spider bites at calf and knee, with the severe infection being full blown with in 6 hours of the bite. The other two Xs there was no break in the skin before the infection began. Each time it is really severe within 12 hours and I am in the hospital.

Docs had no idea of actual cause except for the 3rd incident with the patch being the possible cause. I am open to any helpful thoughts, suggestions from anyone on this topic. Really!

For those of you who don't want to do the prayer thing, here's a link to the American Lung Association's excellent "Smoking Cessation Online Support":
http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=22931
My quit stats:
17 years free of a 2 pack a day habit that lasted for >20 years.
Saved: Countless thousands of dollars
Life saved: The best part! :)
Strategies: Give up the things you associate with smoking. For instance, I would always associate a cup of coffee with a cigarette. Gave up the coffee and it did help to avoid the craving for the habitual cigarette.

letina · Mar 9, 2005

You know when they say "Quit smoking and you'll live longer" ??

Well, you don't really live longer - it just feels like it!! :smokin:

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Mar 9, 2005

Docs had no idea of actual cause except for the 3rd incident with the patch being the possible cause. I am open to any helpful thoughts, suggestions from anyone on this topic. Really!

Hmmm....

All I know is that smoking itself decreases the peripheral circulation.

Good story about that in February's Reader's Digest, "Crash Course," by the way.

So I guess what I'm wondering is this: Is it possible that smoking itself could've been a factor in the other two times that you had cellulitis?

As far as the Doc's theory that the patch was stimulating circulation to the area of the patch, I think that sounds kinda backwards. Nicotine would reduce circulation to the area, it seems to me.

There are other options to the patch, though. There's gum, an inhaler, Zyban, hypnosis--even a nasal spray....

I'm not an expert on any of that stuff, but I would try darn near anything to quit, becuase the odds are that your health will be affected by smoking at some point and every day that you don't smoke is helpful to your body.

Best of luck, AAG! However you decide to try it, we'll be rooting for you!

hypnotic_nurse · Mar 9, 2005

I recommend hypnotherapy. I know it's worked for almost everyone I've hypnotized for smoking cessation. Plus it's non-invasive, no side effects, and doesn't have to be expensive (I charge $50, mostly because I don't have to maintain an office; prices here range from $50 to $300). Many providers will give you a second or third session at no charge if the first one leaves you with cravings.