Killing me softly.

[nsd_user663_13507]

Hi Folks,

Im Tia and today I was told by my GP that the results of my X ray are that I have pre-emphysema:mad:

I have had a chest infection since the second week in April and have had 3 lots of anti biotics, with limited success. I am breathless, tired and have a shocking and embarrasing hacking cough.

I am 53 and have been smoking for the past 40 years, approx 20 a day since then.

I am now terrified:eek:

The Dr said to wait till I come back from my holiday in Sept before I stop smoking to give me the best chance of staying stopped, I think I have smoked more today than ever, panic setting in :rolleyes:

So anyway, after an evening reading everything I can on the internet I find that its too late to even try to repair the damage done, the idea now is to stop it getting any worse, and stopping the fags.

So my plan is to start tonight with NiQuitin losenges (first one burning in my mouth at the moment). I had bought a big supply of these back at the start of the year but kept putting the fatefull day off.

I will try cutting down till after my holiday, then go on Champex which my Dr is reccomending.

In the meantime my biggest concern is telling my family, how do I say to my husband and kids that I have done irrepairable damage to my health? That I can do nothing about it and that I have probably shortened my life by many years? And how can I look at my little Grandchild knowing that by the time he is an adult I may well not be here?

My immediate plan is to soften the blow a bit (ok, lie) and tell them that it is bronchitis, and all the rest will be the truth. This is to save them the hurt and to be honest to save me from the backlash and anger, self preservation is setting in, the last thing I need just now is 'I told you so' or 'how could you'. So lies it has to be

Sorry for the long winded introduction, I look forward to your support, and to giving mine in the future.

Tia x

[nsd_user663_4625]

Hi Tia,

I am sorry to hear your news. I have mild, bordering on moderate COPD. Am 50 in just over a weeks time. Smoked for 33 yearsish! I know how you are feeling right now.

Ok, the damage done to our lungs cannot be reversed but we can stop it getting worse. I find when I do manage to quit :eek: that things do get better.

Whether you tell family & friend is entirely up to you, at the end of the day I am sure they will all be so chuffed to see you kick this awful weed & improve as much as you can. Any improvement is better than the alternative :rolleyes:

Gaynor x

[nsd_user663_11284]

Hi Tia, and welcome

Sorry to hear your news. I don't know how you must be feeling, but I can imagine.

A very good reason to quit and I wish you lots of luck x

[nsd_user663_10813]

Hello Tia,

you will find so much support here on this forum. you are doing the reading that is so necessary for us all to understand nicotine addiction. just keep reading and reading:)

I know we cant undo the damage we have done to our lungs and airways .

But I want to reasssure you that you will feel a big difference when you stop smoking. honestly.

I feel so much better -and I have been a smoker for 36 years .

you are not alone :)

get guidance from your doc and there are a lot of pals on here who have experience of champix and will answer any questions you have .

walk with us -and you can and will do it -and feel so much better.

looking forward to you posting again xx

[nsd_user663_13507]

Many thanks for your replies folks.

I have stopped loads of times in the past, sometimes for a couple of weeks, sometimes for a few months.

I have tried everything on the market, I have all the stuff, all the books, been to every quack in my part of the country, tried Zyban (OMG) Champex :eek:

But know I have to do it this time, I will read and read and will follow anything my Dr says, Its simple this time!!! No excuses from now on.

My usual downfall is the demon drink, on a night out I always think I can be one of these people who can just have one or two on a night out and not smoke next day, even though this has proved to be the start of the smoking again.

All my workmates smoke and there is a general shout about 10 times a day, fag time, now that I am going to miss, more I think than the actual fags

Cheers folks, I will be on here quite a lot I guess : )

BTW one of my biggest fears is putting on weight, another excuse in the past for starting again.

[nsd_user663_4625]

Hi Tia,

You know what your downfalls are ie drink. Most of us are the same :rolleyes: Try to either avoid it (did I say that) or drink soft drinks, or mix soft with alcohol. You can drink & not smoke, you just have to retrain yourself

I would still go for a break at wrok with your mates, stand down wind so you can't smell it LOL. We sometimes feel like life is going to come to a stnad still when we quit which is SO not the case. You had to learn to smoke, you now have to learn not to - simples

Extra weight? Well hun, a few (or more) extra pounds is far preferable to carrying on smoking. You can lose those as & when you are ready to. They won't kill you, smoking probably will.

Gaynor x

[nsd_user663_1658]

hi tia,

looking forward to you joining us on your quit..you will get lots of help & support....Must have been a shock for you with being told that, sorry mate...however your deciding to quit soon & should feel proud in the fact that you are doing something for your health & a list of other reasons too.

I will look out for you in day 1 good luck to yer

[nsd_user663_10279]

Welcome to the forum, and I'm sorry to hear your news...but this, if anything is the nudge you need now to give it up.

I had always known it was the right thing to do...but never quite made it to start giving up...until I visited my dentist. He told me I would lose some or all of my teeth within 10 years if I didn't pack up....and somehow this must of just hit home and I decided to quit and have been now for nearly 5 months.

I think it takes something actually happening to ourselves that force us to decide to quit...I would never have done it before and actually never really wanted to....just knew I should!

I can't believe I have got to this stage without too much effort, but I have and I will keep going.

We all know it is bad for us, yet we still do it...and it just takes one thing to actually hit home and we quit!!

Come here often as there is lots of love and support on here, believe me I know there is!!

Please be strong xx

Nicki

xx

[nsd_user663_2]

Hi Tia,

Thank you for coming to the forum and telling your story. At least you now know what you are dealing with and it has given you the reason to finally stop.

This forum is full of wonderful people to support you and we are here too.

One of our partner charities - the British Lung Foundation - also have an advice line for those who are diagnosed and could possibly help - check out their website lunguk.org/supporting-you

BTW - the putting on weight will happen but try starting a little exercise such as walking which will help.

Take care

NSD team

[nsd_user663_13507]

Thank you all for your replies.

I have only had 15 today (with no nic replacement) so thats a wee improvement.

I will be checking in regularly up to the big day

Pity my work had banned your website:mad: I had tried logging on today.

I will carry on reading till then, and thanks for the link, I will give them a try.

BTW my little lie :rolleyes: I said it was bronchitis, which for some reason does not sound so bad, even though I know it is a terrible thing in its self.

[nsd_user663_4847]

Check with your work Tia, about banning of the site, it's probably not against any AUP, it could be because of posting.

Good luck.

M

[Dannyboy55]

Hello Tia,

Like the other members who have replied, I am sorry about your rotten news. Beleive me I have experienced absolute fear when I was told last Dec, that there was something on my lung and I would have to wait 10 weeks and a further CT scan to see if this was going to be the big C. During this period I cried, wrote letters to my wife and three kids and two Grandchildren, then cried again, and during this 10 week wait I thought I was going mad, until I got the results of the second CT Scan which said that there was no problem, and at this point "March" I had not smoked a fag for 3 months and I decided that my days of smoking were finished simply due to the scare that I had. Over the years I have tried to stop with every aid available but I eventually stopped Cold Turkey. I look forward to reading your posts so that we can all support you through your quit attempt, so wecolme to our community.

Dannyboy

[nsd_user663_8876]

Hi Tia

Sorry i'm a bit late coming here to post i must have missed this thread. I think you are eing so brave, like you said the routine of smoking and the social side of it is a hard thing to just walk away from but i promise you it can be done. My advice to you would be to really focus on all the positive things in your life, smoking clearly isn't one of them so the quicker you Nip that in the bud the quicker you will be well again. Dwelling and missing smoking only mkes it harder, here's one of my motto's 'Change the channel' in other words, the second you think about smoking or worry about your health, mentally change the channel to a positive one. Imagine a tv controller in your hand and press the button - it works only this is a brain controller rather than a tv lol. Doing this sets up new pathways in your brain that becomes habit.

Obviously drinking water, keeping busy, gentle exercise and remembering to have sweet sugary things in the beginning really helps too. LOTS OF LUCK TO YOU.

[nsd_user663_14277]

Well it was a nice movie..

Cigarettes do act in the same manner!

[nsd_user663_13507]

Well all the plans are there, holiday in two weeks, two weeks later start the Champex.

I have told everyone that I am stopping then (even total strangers). Its like a motto now

I have two workmates who are going to staop at the same time as me which Im sure will be a huge support.

I do regret not telling my Dr that I wanted to stop there and then, I know why he said to wait till after my holiday, but this cough is driving me (and everyone around me) Mad!!!

Im worried about the air con on the flights too, 13 hours on a plane with me coughing will drive them all nuts:eek:

Many thanks for your replies, happy days ahead

[nsd_user663_13507]

Whhaaayyy, yeeesss : )

Hi, Im back.

I did just exactly what I said I would do.

Went on holiday for 2 weeks to Thailand, hardly coughed at all, the humidity obviously suited me

For the first time ever I didn't buy ANY duty free cigs.

When I got home I went onto the Champex right away.

Did the first week, smoking and on the champex, second week I took the horrible sickness bug that has been going around, but I got it really bad, 8 days and I was dry heaving, even the anti sickness tabs came back up.

So I made the decision to stop the champex, and sure enough the sickness stopped too.

But the good news is, so did the fags YIPPIE

I stopped cold turkey on the 11th of October, I am planning lying about this in the future, 10-10-10 is so much easier than the 11th.

I have not even had a puff since, I found a pack of cigs in the car and drove to my friends and gave them to her.

My cough is subsiding, and I am hoping for an infection free winter.

I am eating like a horse, carbs and sugar all day, but hey ho, Im good at dieting and I can do that next year.

Im sorry, I really should have written in when I was stopping, but time and life has been running ahead of me.

I have been reading tonight loads of other peoples stories, can I wish all of you good luck, keep on keeping OFF : )

[nsd_user663_9220]

Hi Tia,

Wow what a story hun to which has made me sad to read but happy that something good has come out of it in the fact that you have finally given up the smoke ((hugs))

I can see you are in the right frame of mind and that will help you too.

and also i see you had a peep at the budget calculator.... how scarey is that!!!!

WELL DONE TO YOU!!!!!!

Snowie xx