Smoking risks following Stg1A NSC 4 wks post surgery HELP!

Don’t disagree at all. I don’t like the stale smell at all. On clothes, on my car, anywhere.

After my lobectomy in Jan (RLL >8mm), it was staged 1A, no lymph involvement. Caught early thanks to my GP for doing an early scan considering my age, history of smoking. Doctor after surgery & after getting the staging was very encouraged. I'll have scans done every 3 months...then 6 mo...for 5 years. Smoking is stressing me out right now- feeling shame, guilt & stupidity. Reading how smoking postsurgical lobectomy increases your chances for the cancer to come back, slow healing or complicate healing, so today I am done! No more. I don't want to go through this again.

A bit of a background: I'm an identical twin. Almost 3 yrs ago, my twin was dx'd with ALL (an agressive form of leukemia). I've been her caretaker when needed, we're neighbors so we help each other out when needed. She's had her problems in the 2.75 years, mainly from meds she's on (targeted therapy). So, I've put alot of this into prospective now. This lung cancer should've made me realize that things change so fast, but actually I think I've been in a denial that I even had it. I always thought if I got lung cancer, it'd be the end of me, period, but aside from the surgery, finding out I was stage 1A, I figured I had it licked. SO, I guess I'm still in some sort of a denial. The dangers of another cancer hasn't hit me yet. I only know that I must quit.

My challenge is on! Today I'm slapping on a patch & I quit! Goal is to be cancer free & for my sister to stay cancer free soon to be 3 years!

Bupropion is an antidepressant medication that is now also used in smoking cessation. Bupropion has been FDA-approved since 1985. The drug is FDA-approved for adult depression, seasonal affective disorder, and smoking cessation.

For me, bupropion and a lung cancer scare did the trick. I tried just about everything before. It’s not easy and all addictions are different for different people.

I started taking bupropion about a year or more before I actually quit. It took the edge off of the cravings, but most of all it took the anxiety away when I would be in a none smoking situation or if I was out of cigarettes.

A lung cancer scare that turned out to be a very bad case of pneumonia. I was in bed with a fever for a week without a cigarette. That was January 15, 2019.
I still take bupropion twice a day. The craving will hit me once in a while still. I credit bupropion for helping me ignore them.

As I said everyone is different. This worked for me, maybe it can help you.

There are a lot of available tools - patch step down, online and telephone support, certain meds that help with addictive urges. Use them - the 800 numbers help with motivation and you get some Coupons for free patches.

Good luck

I can't tell you the risks from two cigarettes a day, but quit feeling guilty. I don't think guilt is much of a motivator. Guilt makes you want to reach for a cigarette.

Praise yourself for only smoking two cigarettes a day. Yes, it can lead to more smoking, but when I finally restricted myself to two cigarettes a day, it worked for me for a very long time for me. (I must confess I sometimes slipped and only had one cigarette a day.)

And don't look at others and wonder why they can quit and you can't. I've always disliked people who say if they can lose weight then anyone can or if they can quit smoking then anyone can. It just makes the overweight and nicotine addicted people feel worse.

kgbsawyr comment rings very true for me. I have looked at those studies and I feel I really fall into the group with far more receptors. Rather than feeling guilty for past smoking, I look at how hard I have struggled over the years and give myself credit for that.

I have been taking welbutrin and chantix (varenicline) for years. My doctor told me he will prescribe them forever if it will keep me from smoking. I finally stopped smoking only 19 months ago. I still crave cigarettes but because my previous record was 6 months before beginning again, I truly believe I have a handle on this.

This is not to say I don't want to jump in the car and go to a 7-11 where street people hang out, go in, buy a pack of cigarettes, pull one out of the pack and then give the pack to someone. This is not to say watching people on tv (and I stream a lot of foreign detective series where there is often LOTS of smoking) doesn't make me crave a cigarette, it still does. I see a cigarette butt on the ground and want to grab it (yuck). I smell cigarette smoke and my nose follows it.

I dream about smoking almost every night. They are the only dreams I remember.

Something will work for you. You already know what doesn't work for you. There are many good ideas here.

Oh, and patches didn't help. For me, it just continued the nicotine addiction.

I think you are going to do fine.

@minnie528, I hope you are doing well. Please reach out for help as needed. As many others have mentioned, there are many resources available, and there is no shame in getting help to quit. I'm not sure if you are a Mayo patient, but here's a link outlining Mayo's cessation programs. Other health systems will likely have something similar.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/stop-smoking/care-at-mayo-clinic/pcc-20385050

I'm doing well, thank you for your concern. I'm healing well & feeling much better. I'm still struggling with cravings, still smoking 1-2 a day which is ridiculous. I will check out the mayoclinic.org link you sent me. Ty!!

Hi, I’m so sorry to hear about your lung cancer. I had stage one B lung cancer and I never smoked. Please stop smoking. My cousin Donna has stage three lung cancer from And still smoking she went through bouts of chemo and radiation. I’m like you I won’t take the medication, but I am seeing a pain Doctor on April 18 he’s holistic I’m hoping he could help me please please stop smoking please don’t smoke