Drs Visit Very Unerving

[Mrs. Glass]

I saw my PCP on Tuesday, and I havent posted the results because I am really scared. Back in April on a routine chest CT for chest pain they found a nodule in my left lung. They told me that I needed to have another chest CT in six months. I did and it was still there along with shotty lymph nodes. The shotty lymph nodes didnt concern me because at the time I was suffering from Bells Palsy which is caused by a viral infection. And really the nodule didnt concern me because it had not grown. Well I had a CT the last week of December and the nodule is still there, but now there is two. One at the top of my lung and one at the bottom. Now I have to see a Pulmonologist on the 16th. If it was just the one I still wouldnt think anything about it but I am really scared now. With all the rest of the stuff that is going on in my body the last thing that I need is another problem. I talked to my PCP and she said that it is my body and whatever I decide is up to me, but she would suggest that I go to see this doctor. What scares me the most is I did this to myself. I started smoking at 20 and smoked for 27 years. My doc put me on Wellbutrin to help me to kick the habit but my Cardiologist took me off of it and said that it wasnt good for the Autonomic System. So I am still trying to quit to this day. So if it is the big C I did this to myself! I grew up in a family where my parents were chain smokers so I guess I got the taste of it, and in 1978 I had a hysterectomy and after I had a lot of problems with my nerves and my doctor wanted to put me on Valium and I told him absolutly not! So he told me to start smoking, because if I didnt do something I was going to have a nervous breakdown. I had a nervous breakdown anyway, but by that time I was already hooked. I did some research and asked some of my docs and they said that back in the 70s that some doctors did actually use cigarettes to help to control nervous problems. Well it makes me mad, but I still dont blame them, I blame me. I was stupid and naive and put doctors up on pedestals. So if anyone out there knows how to kick this stupid habit without drugs please let me know. I can not take the over the counter stuff, have tried most and I am allergic to all that I tried. I have tried cold turkey and it makes my other problems much worse than before. Thanks for any input that you can give me. Vanessa

[Jacquie802]

Hi Vanessa, I have never smoked so I'm not sure what "works" to help smokers quit. Have you tried good old chewing gum instead of having a cigarette. Maybe some meditation. Also, I believe that there are some support groups out there, or you and a few friends (if you have any that smoke) could start one of your own. Do you just smoke during stressful times? If so, you could start a journal. Maybe not knowing what is exactly wrong right now will scare you enough that you won't want to have another cigarette. I hope the doctors take care of whatever it is that is going on inside your lung. I know you already have alot going on, it's not like you need anything else. Please keep us posted and we are here for you, so you don't have to deal with this alone.

[morgan617]

You can try gum, or sugarless hard candies. I have never smoked either, so it's hard to understand how hard it is.

When we were studying this in school, we were taught to tell people when they get the urge, for anything, to wait 5 minutes and the urge will pass. Not to act on it as soon as you get it. I find that very helpful when I want to eat something I know I shouldn't.

I am sure the stress of this makes you even more nervous and want to smoke even more, so I am sorry you are going through this. If the first one hasn't changed, then I guess I wouldn't be as nervous, because you would expect it to enlarge if it were something to worry about. I would however go see the pulmonologist. Good luck, morgan P.S. You can beat yourself up till the end of time, but it's not going to help, so please don't be so hard on yourself. Use this as an incentive to stop...

[michiganjan]

Dear Vanessa,

You can't do a darn thing about what you did in the past, so let that go. It does not help to chide yourself for past behavior.

You can control what you do now. Get as much help as you need to quit and feel proud of yourself for your efforts.

You can start feeling proud right now, this minute, because of the decision you made to quit.

I think Morgan has an excellent suggestion about waiting 5 minutes when you have the urge for a cigarette. Use that time to think about what is causing the urge and how you might do something else instead.

I have never smoked, but I do believe that quitting smoking is very hard. But Vanessa, you can do hard things. Hard things are just that--hard. Not impossible. And you can do them.

Go to the pulmonolgist. Let others help. Stay stong and you can do it.

[Ernie]

Hi,

Accupuncture works for some people.

[Laura]

Hi Vanessa,

I have friends that have quit and something that seemed to help in the first week was to drink plenty of acidic fruit juice - like cranberry. It supposedly helps the body to rid itself of the nicotine much faster and making the cravings less. If you decide to give this a try, make sure to get the pure juice - not the punch or whatever it is called. Laura

[michiganjan]

Goodness, Ernie! I forgot all about that. I have had a lot of accupuncture and one day, while I was waiting to see the accupuncturist, I was sitting next to a man who was there for his second session for stopping smoking. He told me he stopped cold after only one session and it was now six months later and he had not had any cigaerettes since but decided to come back in for an accupuncture session just to make sure he did not start again. He also told me he had decided to use accupuncture to help him quit because his friend had gone to this same accupuncturist and stopped smoking immediately also.

This was a Chinese Doctor accupuncturist, not an MD

[gwen]

Please don't beat yourself up because of what the dr. did. My father in law smoked from age 14 on. all his older bros did. when in army they gave them 2 cartons of premium cigs a week for comfort!! He tried many things over years and hypnotism helped some and then he just weaned himself off. Now they have the nico derm gum and patches too. Plus I would suggest you try the acupuncture. I stand by it for anumber of things.

My grandfather was told to quit or else by his dr in the 60''s. so he would eat a plug of real black licorice. he said something about the taste helped. As a kid anything he did was fabulous to me, so I ate black licorice all the time. Irony that now I eat it (and like it) for increase BP!! Don't have to worry about anybody else in the house eating it either. Ha! We coud all fill a novel with the weird things drs have said or done. I take wellbutrin for depression and for low blood pressure. hm.:-)

[stellakitty]

Vanessa,

Yeah, smoking is stupid, I used to smoke...

You say you can't do the over the counter stuff? Can you use the nicotine gum? I used the nico gum, it was a script back then, I chewed a whole bunch of gum. I did quit smoking. Another thing that helped is I started this over a two week vacay to Las Vegas (of all places) and California. A change of venue helps, as you are not doing your usual routine; as mine would be get up out of bed in the morning have a diet coke and a smoke. A friend of mine recently quit, she "holed" herself up in her lake cabin for a week and went cold turkey.

Let the past go and look forward to what you can do, QUIT.

Angie

[ben_uk]

Hi Vanessa

I think you are being too hard on yourself. We all make mistakes and I am sure that it must be very hard to quit what is clearly an addition.

People all around us eat unhealthy foods, don't do enough exercise and do other things they should not. What you have demonstrated is merely human nature.

I don't know much about different ways of quitting but I know some people who have used hypnosis, with varying results. Whatever you do, don't expect too much of yourself. Yes, it would be great to quit right away, but maybe a gradual approach is better and more sustainable? Just a thought.

I wish you all good wishes

Ben

[Dizzy Dame]

Hi,

I quit smoking when I first fell ill with all my autonomic troubles. I'd been smoking for eight years, which is not as long as you. My boyfriend, who'd been smoking for 11 years decided to quit with me.

Bottom line: quitting is miserable. There's no easy way to do it, and no matter what, you're going to be going out of your mind.

I used the patch the first few days, but developed an allergy to it and had to go cold turkey. The first two weeks were ****. I didn't sleep, I was sullen, fussy, and couldn't sit still. My autonomic system went insane as well, I had bursts of tachy, SOB, brady. After that the cravings became less violent. I can say that after the first two months, things got much easier. Now, after seven months, I'm disgusted by cigarette smoke ( I think my body recognizes it as poision).

Just hang in there. Know that it will be horrible, but that you can do it. I used a "one day at a time" mentality that really helped. Just tell yourself "I won't smoke today" or "I won't smoke this hour" or "I won't smoke this minute" don't think of it as forever, that's too hard.

Good luck, and I hope the nodes in your lungs aren't the big C, but if they are, you can fight it.

Hugs,

Lauren