Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
518117 tn?1429276273

Still smoking with a lung diesease and recently having cancer

I have been smoking 40 years. My quit date is next Sunday, which is my 57th birthday. I am very apprehensive about my quit, but if I don't quit now, there will not be many more birthdays. I am putting this on here to help myself. Hopefully though it will inspire others to quit or help in their quit. Cigarettes are killers. I am living proof of that. I was diagnosed in 2007 with COPD...Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Emphysema, asthma and chronic bronchitis. That diagnosis right there should have been enough to want me to stop smoking. It though did not. Then, in July 2012 I was diagnosed with late stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer. It was estrogen receptor positive caused, but cigarettes played a role in this cancer I know. In my 30's I had early stage cancer of the uterus. Had a partial hysterectomy. Doctor way back then, said smoking was part of that cancer. I went through a number of surgeries for the breast cancer. There were 2 tumors that were aggresive and rather large in the right breast. They also found stray cancer cells heading towards my auxillary nodes under the right arm region. Had auxillary lymph nodes removed, but the nodes were clear of cancer. I though did lose the right breast, had chemo and radiation. With the biopsies, surgeries, chemo and radiation I was never so sick in my life. My cancer treatment team was awesome. They did know I smoked. I was very honest about that. They told me I needed to quit smoking. Never came down too hard on me really for smoking though. They should not have had to jump me hard for smoking though. Lung disease and having cancer twice in my life should have been my own inspiration to quit.

I though got scared straight just a few nights ago. I was having random pain in the upper right lung region. It became constant and there was swelling I could feel myself. My husband took me to the ER the other night. I never go to the ER unless absolutely necessary. I told them at the ER that I smoked, have COPD and a recent breast cancer patient. They started working on me. The doctor was checking for a blood clot. Scary. Number of tests. One was a CT scan where they injected dye into me. Thankfully, no blood clot was found. Diagnosis was inflammation of the chest wall. It was not pleurisy. What do I think caused this? Smoking and hard coughing. This though was not the end of it. It is what the doctor told me after all the tests and the final diagnosis that shocked me. I will never forget this and the doctor's final words to me before being dismissed from the ER. His exact words were..."Why in the sh*t are you still smoking with a lung disease and recently having cancer? I thought for certain I would be coming in with bad news that you had lung cancer. The breast cancer was bad, but your next cancer will be terrible and there will be another cancer if you do not stop smoking. One that no one will be able to cure you from. It will happen sooner rather than later."

There has been a lot of stress in my life. I lost my oldest child at age 31 three years ago. My world and life totally stopped. My son was very ill the last year of his life. I took care of him. I am still struggling with the loss of this child. Very much loved and extremely missed not only by me, but his 2 siblings. I was diagnosed with the breast cancer 16 months after his passing. Terrible things to happen. The loss of my son though will always be the worse thing to ever happen to me. Terrible things like these do happen each single day to people though. Not just me. Maybe I stopped caring about myself. But, I have been damaging myself long before this. My brother has COPD and still smokes. I lost my father at age 56, my current age, to bladder cancer. It was cigarette caused. I lost a grandfather to lung cancer. Brutal death. My mother never smoked, but passed in 2007 from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. She passed 4 months after rejection from a lung transplant. Cancer and lung disease run in my family heavily. How stupid am I at this point?

I finally have made a counseling appointment next week with a therapist to help me deal with the loss of my son. My anxiety is off the hook and has been for 3 years. We are going to address my cigarette addiction as well.

There are complications currently going on with me. I have a frozen shoulder from the mastectomy and removal of the auxillary nodes. Very painful and my arm range is very limited. This though does happen with these surgeries. There is bone pain in various places of my body. Hips, both leg shins, back, etc. Could be from the treatments. Could be a number of things. Even cancer. The ER doctor the other night did say he could not say I was cancer free, just no lung cancer like he was thinking. Yes, you can develop cancer without smoking. I though have enhanced my chances greatly by continuing to smoke. This is not a pity party. This is just facts and my reasons or excuses for not quitting smoking long before now. This is selfish of me regardless of what my circumstances are. People are dying everyday from cancer. I have been given hopefully another chance. I lost a son in the prime of his life. I should be honoring his life instead of trying to kill myself with smoking, I have a son and a daughter still living that I need to be thinking of, I have a grandson that is almost 12 and it would break his heart to lose his granny, etc. Many reasons to want to live and I do want to live.

I am sorry this is a rather long winded post. I just need to talk this out. Plus, I want others to hopefully learn from me. Thank you for listening to me. This is my wake-up call and QUIT!!! God bless. ♥
5 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
How is your quitting coming along?
Helpful - 0
351246 tn?1379682132
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Congratulations! Keep it up!
Helpful - 0
242912 tn?1660619837
Hi Linda!!!  Congratulations on 6 days smoke free!  Whoo Hoo!!!!!!!!  Like with all the other challenges you've come up against these last 6yrs, you sound as positive as ever.  I am so happy to see you here!

I am coming up on 1½ yrs quit next month.  If *I* can do it, so can you!! :)

HUGS xoxo
Helpful - 0
518117 tn?1429276273
My quit has finally happened!!! This is my 4th day without a cigarette!! I am using the e cig in my quit. The ER doctor did tell me that the e cig was alright for me to use. I am just using regular cigarette flavor currently. I only use the e cig, when the cravings get really bad though. I do not plan to always use the e cig. I do not want to trade one addiction for another. At least, I am not blowing smoke into my already damaged lungs and possibly causing another cancer to form. It is not easy by far even with the e cig. It is either live or die for me. I chose to live. I am taking this one day at a time, but I am very motivated and proud of this quit. Thank you and God bless.
Helpful - 0
351246 tn?1379682132
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi!
You have been through a lot in life and yes, it is a much needed and wise decision to quit smoking. Going to a counselor will help in your quitting process also. I am enumerating some general tips that help individuals to quit:
• The first step is to decide and stick to your decision.  
• Set and date and throw away all cigarettes (this you have already—so Happy Birthday and Happy Quit Day in advance).
• Inform your physician about your decision and seek help in terms of medications, alternatives to smoking etc.
• Join a group to stay motivated.
• Consult a therapist as counseling will help divert your attention from cravings and withdrawal symptoms (this you have—so inform your therapist about this—the mind body exercises help reduce the body’s response to nicotine withdrawal).
• Ask your doctor/therapist regarding 24 X 7 telephone support services that help keep you motivated in the effort. Enroll in this service.
• At all stages when you have cravings and withdrawal symptoms, remember they are temporary and will pass away even if you do not smoke.
• Tell your friends about your decision and seek their help and support.
• Take up exercise: walking, jogging, swimming etc to keep fit.
• Eat healthy.
• Be strong (this I am sure you already are!).

Good Luck! Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.

Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Smoking Cessation Community

Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Is treating glaucoma with marijuana all hype, or can hemp actually help?
If you think marijuana has no ill effects on your health, this article from Missouri Medicine may make you think again.
Julia Aharonov, DO, reveals the quickest way to beat drug withdrawal.
Tricks to help you quit for good.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.