Water

Water is critical for the human body to function properly. It makes up two-thirds of our body weight, and every cell and organ depends on it. Without water, a person would die within just a few days.

When we quit smoking, water eases several of the discomforts associated with nicotine withdrawal: Constipation Coughing Hunger/urge to eat Cravings to smokeWater also helps flush residual nicotine out of the body, and by keeping yourself well-hydrated, you'll feel better overall. That can only help as you make your way through the discomforts of nicotine withdrawal. Sources:

Water in Diet. 02 September 2005. Medline Plus.

Nurses Can Help Smokers Quit. January 1993. National Institutes of Health.

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Why Quit Smoking Young

Photo © Kerri R. When I was a smoker, I had every excuse in the book to continue to be one, but my favorite one to pull out of my hat was my youth. I would say, "My uncle Arthur smoked from the time he was 16 to the day he died at age 80. My aunt Del has been smoking since she was a teenager. Nothing is going to happen to me now, only during the BAD part of my life, the end part!"

So I continued to smoke. I LOVED to smoke. It was a huge part of my social life, my alone time, my escape. But being an active young person with a family, my limitations were becoming more and more painfully apparent. I couldn't chaperone field trips. I couldn't go to more than one store and bring my kids. I couldn't go to the movies. I couldn't race my kids down the street or even toss a Frisbee for any length of time. Not only that, my circle of friends didn't really smoke anymore, so I found myself either sneaking or just turning down evenings out for fear of being the "odd man out".

Then one day, my son heard me coming home from Happy Hour with my co-workers. I was greeted with,

"I knew you were home mom. I recognized your cough."

At 31, I had recognizable cough. A nagging and obvious cough is not a natural occurrence for a 31-year-old woman.

I did finally make the leap into freedom on January 8th, 2004. I started reading more and more into other people's stories, finding myself fixating on others who were my age. I found a library of them at whyquit.com. There is Noni, who died at 33, when her son was only months old. Her husband celebrated their child's first birthday without her. She was a victim of small cell lung cancer.

In her 30's????

Impossible.
It must have been a fluke, bad genes, just one of those things.
Unfortunately not.

Then there was the story about a 34 year old father who died of lung cancer, leaving his little boy without a father. A tough guy; a construction worker, who had smoked since he was 14, reduced to a mere shell of a man.

Yet another story is about a woman by the name of Barb Tarbox. Barb tells a tragic tale of smoking to fit in as a teenager, never thinking anything bad would happen, especially while she was young. Barb got lung cancer at 41 and was suddenly faced with having to cause enormous pain to her daughter, leaving her without a mother - watching her suffer while she died.

What drove me to write this was a chance meeting I had the other day with a 31 year old woman who shares the same name as me. Talk about spooky fate. Kery was just diagnosed with the early stages of emphysema. She HAS to quit if she is to have a chance at life. She is MY AGE! She has 3 children. Emphysema could suffocate her to death right in front of them. It's not cancer, it's another lung disease this time.

I have been one of the lucky ones. I don't know if I would have been one of the tragic stories above or if I would be blessed with a long life like my Uncle Arthur. What if I wasn't? Would I want to be the one to sit my young children down and explain to them that they were going to have to find their own way in the world because I was dying due to a poison I couldn't resist?

I quit smoking 18 months ago. I find the sheer freedom of it exhilarating. And because I quit young, I have the rest of my life to do WHATEVER I want, breathing with ease the whole time, without slavery, living my long life the way I CHOOSE, not chained to an addiction. I can run, I can swim, I can be as active or as inactive as I want. I gave myself ME back and I have my whole life to enjoy that feeling.

I still have to worry if I quit in time, but not nearly as much as I would worry if I waited another 10, 20, or 30 years to quit. The thing about this addiction is that it doesn't just lose its grip eventually. Quitting is a choice you HAVE to make. It will cling on even while you are dying of cancer. Bryan, as mentioned above, smoked up to 1 week before he died. He gave himself only one week of freedom.

We have the choice to make for ourselves. This is not a dress rehearsal, this is the only YOU you will ever get. Do you want to purposefully risk cutting it short or live a long life full of excitement, freedom and loved ones?

It CAN happen to you. You always think it's on the other side of the fence, but not this time. Cigarettes do not kill a specific group of people. No one is immune to the hazards of tobacco...not celebrities, the young or the old. Even non-smokers exposed to second hand smoke are at risk.

Love this life you've been given. Love yourself. Appreciate the fact that others love you and don't play Russian roulette with yourself.

~Kerri~

More from Kerri:
Kerri's Quit Story
5 Months and a Sock
Kerri's 6 Month Milestone
Kerri Reaches One Year Smoke Free
Kerri's 2 Year Smoke Free Milestone

Last Updated: 2-5-2006

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Zyban as a Quit Smoking Aid

Zyban® and Wellbutrin® are both brand names for the generic drug, bupropion hydrochloride. While bupropion is not for everyone, it does have the advantage of lessening the discomforts associated with nicotine withdrawal. This can make cessation much more manageable for those people who haven't been able to successfully quit smoking using other methods.

Originally marketed as an anti-depressant drug, bupropion is available by prescription only. Its effectiveness as a quit smoking aid was discovered when smokers using it to treat depression also lost interest in smoking. People not planning to quit smoking found themselves stopping with relative ease. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms usually associated with quitting smoking were minimal.

In 1997, the FDA approved Zyban to be used as a quit smoking aid, and since then, bupropion has become a popular method to help smokers kick the habit. Bupropion, when used in combination with other nicotine replacement therapies (NRT's), such as the nicotine patch or nicotine gum, increase the chances for long term success with smoking cessation. dry mouth dizziness insomnia change in appetite agitation headachesMore serious side effects, such as seizures, while rare, can occur.

Bupropion is not for everyone. Listed below are conditions under which taking this drug would not be recommended. You are taking Wellbutrin or Wellbutrin SR (both are bupropion HCl) You are taking any other medicine containing bupropion HCl You have or have had a seizure disorder You have or have had an eating disorder You are abruptly discontinuing use of alcohol or sedatives(including benzodiazepines) You are currently taking or have recently taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor(MAOI) You are allergic to bupropion HCl You are pregnant or nursing.Note: It is important to have a thorough discussion with your doctor about using bupropion as a quit smoking aid. He/she will know your medical history and be able to help you make an informed decision about what is right for you.

Brand names for bupropion are: Zyban®
Wellbutrin®
Wellbutrin® SR
Wellbutrin® XLSee Also: Zyban Patient Information

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Will I Miss Smoking Forever?

I quit smoking seven months ago. I do feel better, and I don't struggle all of the time now, but I still have days when I find myself missing my cigarettes. I sometimes wish I could have just one now and then. At times, the urge to smoke is so intense. I wonder if I'll ever be free of this habit? Will I miss smoking forever?Answer: Think for a moment of your life as a tightly woven piece of fabric. Each thread represents your life events and experiences. And running alongside all of the many "life" threads are threads of a finer gauge. They are so fine in fact, they're impossible to see with the naked eye. Those threads are your smoking habit, and they've become so thoroughly interwoven in the fabric of your life, you find you can't do anything without thinking about how smoking will fit into it.

The associations that we build up over time between the activities in our lives and smoking are closely knit. Once you quit smoking, your job becomes one of unraveling those smoking threads, or associations, one by one. How does that happen? And how long does it take?

Recovery from nicotine addiction is a process of gradual release over time.

Every smoke-free day you complete is teaching you how to live your life without cigarettes. Bit by bit, you're reprogramming your responses to the daily events that trigger the urge to smoke. The more practice you get, the less cravings will plague you. Over the course of your first smoke-free year, you'll encounter and have a chance to clear most of the events and situations in your daily life that you associate with smoking.

Some smoking triggers are seasonal in nature and can create strong urges to smoke months into your quit program. For instance, if you quit smoking during the winter and you're an avid gardener, you could find yourself craving a smoke break the first time you're out digging dirt the following Spring. Thoughts of smoking may hit you with an intensity you haven't felt in months. Don't worry. Once you make your way through the trigger smoke-free, you'll move on with ease.

The first year is all about firsts...experiencing the many daily events in your life smoke free for the first time. And it's all about practice. You built your smoking habit through years of practice. Now, build the nonsmoking you the same way. Practice is a necessary part of recovery from nicotine addiction, so try to relax and let time help you. The more of it you put between yourself and that last cigarette you smoked, the stronger you'll become.

There's another step in finding permanent freedom from nicotine addiction that is just as important as practice and time. It involves your attitude. I'm sure you've heard about people who still struggle years and years after quitting. They're the ones who say they "still miss smoking" 20 years down the road. That's a frightening thing to hear, but don't let it throw you. The reason they are in that position has to do with the fact that they never did the work to change what cigarettes meant to them.

Along with using patience and time to help you reprogram your associations with smoking, you must also alter the way you think about your cigarettes. The path to permanent freedom has to do with changing the relationship you have to smoking, and the way to make that mental shift is through education.

As the saying goes...

...and it's the truth when it comes to recovering from nicotine addiction. Educate yourself by reading everything you can find about how tobacco harms us from head to toe. It will open your eyes, but more importantly, it will help you start to change the meaning that cigarettes have for you. Once you do that, the mental chains of this addiction will begin to break down for good. You'll truly be free, and believe me, it's a great place to be.

I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever - I will never smoke again. How can I be so sure? I've changed what cigarettes mean to me. Tobacco is now synonymous with death and slavery in my mind. Smoking has lost its luster completely.

Be patient with yourself and allow for as much time as you need to heal from this addiction. There is no set formula for recovery; we're all unique in how we move through the process. Read about nicotine addiction and do the work to change the way you perceive cigarettes. They are instruments of death. They deserve nothing more than your disdain.

Don't look at quitting tobacco as a sacrifice. You're not giving up anything of value. Your quit program is a gift. Change your attitude and you'll find your freedom.

Cessation is doable, and your precious life is worth the work it takes to achieve.

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10 Tips to Quit Smoking

Leo, a member of the About.com Smoking Cessation forum, wrote these tips up to share with the readers from his excellent blog, Zenhabits. Geared toward helping people help themselves, Leo's site does a fine job of inspiring a person to try, and the quit tips below reflect his ability to motivate. Thanks for sharing, Leo.

I recently celebrated my 2-year anniversary of quitting smoking. Well, of finally quitting. Like most smokers, I had tried to quit smoking many times and failed. But this quit attempt stuck, and I'd like to share the top 10 things that made this quit successful when the others failed.

Looking back on the quits that failed, I know I was only half into it. I told myself I wanted to quit smoking, but I always felt in the back of my mind that I'd fail. I didn't write anything down. I didn't tell everybody (maybe my wife, but just her). This time, I wrote it down. I wrote down a quit plan. I blogged about it. I made a vow to my daughter. I told family and friends I was quitting. I went online and joined a smoking cessation support forum. I had rewards. Many of these will be in the following tips, but the point is that I fully committed, and there was no turning back. I didn't make it easy for myself to fail. You can't just up and say, "I'm gonna quit today." You have to prepare yourself: Plan it out. Have a system of rewards, a support system, a person to call if you're in trouble. Write down what you'll do when you get an urge to smoke. Print it out. Post it up on your wall, at home and at work. If you wait until you get the urge to figure out what you're going to do, you've already lost. You have to be ready when those urges come. When the urge comes, your mind will rationalize. "What's the harm?" And you'll forget why you're doing this. Know why you're doing this before that urge comes. Is it for your kids? For your wife? For you health? So you can run? Because the girl you like doesn't like smokers? Have a very good reason or reasons for quitting. List them out. Print them out. Put it on a wall, and remind yourself of those reasons every time the urge to smoke hits. The mind is a tricky thing. It will tell you that one cigarette won't hurt, and it's hard to argue with that logic, especially when you're in the middle of an urge. And those urges are super hard to argue with. Don't give in. Tell yourself, before the urges come, that you will not smoke a single puff, ever again. Because the truth is, one puff will hurt. One puff leads to a second, and a third, and soon you're not quitting, you're smoking. Don't fool yourself. A single puff will almost always lead to a recession. Do not take a single puff! One of the things that helped the most in this quit was an online forum for people quitting tobacco. You won't feel so alone when you're miserable. Misery loves company, after all. Go online, introduce yourself, get to know others who are going through the exact same thing, post about your crappy experience and read about others who are even worse than you. Best rule: Post before you smoke. If you set this rule and stick to it, you will make it through your smoking urge. Others will talk you through it, and they'll celebrate with you when you make it through your first day, day two, three, four, week one and beyond. It's great fun.

Page 2: Leo's Quit Tips 6 to 10

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101 Ways to Avoid Smoking

61. Make a puzzle.
62. Organize your boxes of pictures.
63. Alphabetize your CD rack.
64. Come here and read and post.
65. Go to miniclip.com and PLAY GAMES.
66. Do your nails. Hard to smoke with wet nails. I've tried.
67. Take a shower.
68. Take a candle-lit bath.
69. Clean out a messy drawer.
70. Take a day trip.
71. Try making home-made candles or soap.
72. Run in place.
73. Do some jumping jacks.
74. Start a reward fund - put away the amount you spend on smokes every day and use it to treat yourself once in awhile.
75. Write a poem.
76. Go antique shopping.
77. Go plant a flower for every negative thought.
78. Go to church/talk to God.
79. Let your husband cook supper for you.
80. Call your Grandmother!
81. Paint a room.
82. Eat a hot fudge sundae.
83. Go play mini-golf.
84. Clean the basement or garage.
85. Wax the car.
86. Make love with your significant other.
87. Scrub the floor.
88. Treat yourself to a massage.
89. Chop up some veggies for a stir-fry - keep your hands busy!
90. Clean out the litter box.
91. Check your car's tire pressure.
92. Call a radio show and request a song.
93. Go ride a few rollercoasters.
94. Take a walk in nature.
95. Watch the sun set.
96. Write a goodbye letter to cigarettes
97. Donate blood.
98. Color your hair.
99. Make a greeting card.
100. Write a list of things you are grateful for.

The final suggestion in our list comes in the form of a story...

101. Run around in the sand in your socks!

From KERRIR: One of the things I couldn't do before was take the kids to the beach. I couldn't go long enough without smoking and there's nowhere to hide either!

My 3 year old asked me today if we could go to the beach...someone at his daycare had mentioned it. It was a really cold day, so I said no, we couldn't. Well, he asked me if it was really far and it dawned on me how much I had actually been depriving this child. We live 2 miles away from 2 miles of beautiful beaches. So, I scooped him up in just his jammies and socks and down to the beach we went.

I told him we couldn't get out of the car because he wasn't dress, but then said, what the heck. We got out and cuddled and listened to the waves and he just looked at me and said, "The beach is great, Mom." I put him down in the sand and let him run around in his socks.

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Cancer Treatments Side Effects

Side effects from lung cancer treatments vary from person to person, and are often temporary. The doctors and nurses can explain possible side effects of a particular treatment plan, and ways to alleviate discomfort during and after treatment. Lung cancer surgery is a major operation. Air and fluid tend to collect in the chest after surgery, so it is important to do things such as coughing, turning over, and breathing deeply to help remove the excess air/fluid. Soreness in the chest and arm and shortness of breath are common side effects of lung surgery. It takes weeks or even months to regain strength and energy after this procedure.

Lung Cancer Surgery Recovery from A.D.A.M.

Chemotherapy side effects depend on the types of drugs used and how much was given. Chemotherapy affects normal cells as well as cancerous cells. Common side effects include: nausea and vomiting hair loss mouth sores fatigueMore on Chemotherapy Side Effects Like chemotherapy, radiation therapy also affects normal cells. Side effects depend on what part of the body is being treated, and how strong the dose is. Side effects may include: nausea and vomiting hair loss difficulty swallowing dry, sore throat fatigue skin changes at the site of the treatment loss of appetitePatients receiving radiation treatments to the brain may experience: headaches skin changes nausea and vomiting fatigue hair loss problems with thought and memory processesManaging the Effects of Radiation Therapy Photodynamic therapy makes the person's eyes and skin very sensitive to light for 6 weeks or more after treatment ends. It is recommended that these people not go outside if possible, and to avoid bright indoor light as well. If they must go out, protective clothing and sunglasses are a must. Other side effects of this treatment may include: coughing difficulty swallowing painful breathing, or shortness of breath.
If swelling, redness, or blistering appears on the skin, people should consult with their doctors as to how to treat it.

Information for this article obtained from NCI, which is a division of The National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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