Quitting Smoking Focus Group

[Atriana]

OK - So now we have our own forum. Stand up and be counted, all you smokers who want to be non-smokers. Ex-smokers, share your insights and success tips.
My info:
Been smoking since I was 16. Quit once for two years, but substituted running. (Remember the 80's, LOL, everyone was a runner) The minute I stopped running, I started smoking again.
Since then I have quit a total of nine gazillion times, give or take. Get past the hard part. At about 5 or 6 weeks I get on the scale and go ballistic. The weight gain on top of an already pudgy body would send me over the edge.
Well, I'm 15 pounds or so away from goal. Want to quit. Just broke up an 11+ year relationship with a smoker. So now, if I'm not smoking there will be no other smokers in the house. Thinking about Friday the 21st as the day.
Anyone care to join me?

[itsjoyful]

greetings atrina -
i quit smoking for good back in April, and in May i ran the bay to breakers race. that was my motivation. once i finished that i started gaining pretty fast. i do continue to run, but my smoking habit was substituted with sugar. when i figured out the problem, i joined this forum, went completely lc, and now i must say, i'm an artificial sweetener addict.

getting ready to kick this one too..... just not quite that ready yet.

i'm so happy that you have decided to quit. it will improve many qualities of your life.

i'll be around to support if i can. good luck!
regards,
brenda

[zellie]

Thank you, Atriana!

This is wonderful. I'm so pleased we are getting ideas and experiences together. :D It's very useful for me the encouragement. I'm still gearing myself up to quit.;) I might even make the Dec. 21 with you, or at least start cutting down on my smoking, since I was originally thinking of mid January.

I was a runner too! Stress, overwork, made me drop out. Smoking was the solution. I knew it was bad. I started a bad eat-starve diet, etc. I am getting out of a bad marriage, and have decided it's time to take care of ME!
I've never been able to quit successfully. I'm determined to do it this time, this is why I'm asking so many questions. I want to be prepared for the problems.

zellie

[AngelaR]

Hi itsjoyful and Atriana!

I'm a soon to be quitter. I'm a loser. That wouldn't sound good on my work resume, but on my life resume those are the best qualifications.

I've been LCing for 6 weeks, and will be giving up smokes by the end of the month. I've been smoking since I was 20, for 26 years. 1.5 packs a day now, even with not being able to smoke in the office.

For me smoking was more of a control thing than anything. I was married at the time to a control freak who demanded to manage everything in my life including how often I flushed the toilet. Smoking was the only thing I could take up that he had no control over, so I did it in secret until I walked away from that bad situation many years ago.

I've tried quitting so many times...acupuncture, hypnosis, zyban, patches, gum, cold turkey. I know that I will only be able to quit when I believe that I have regained control of my life.

Funny thing is, LCing makes me feel like I have gained control again. The biggest added benefit for me is that smoking with a bad case of keto-mouth makes cigarettes taste pretty bad.

It's nice to have a support group for this new adventure. ;)

[alto]

I'm a happy quitter. I posted my tale over in the other thread

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27586

and don't want to go through it all again here, but the one big difference for me (I'd tried to quit dozens of times) was that, somehow, I convinced myself that I was a nonsmoker. It made the biggest difference. "I'm quitting smoking" I"m giving up smoking" -- right there, you're setting up a difficult task. "I don't smoke." It makes such a difference.

Good luck to all fo you -- Angela, the "control freak" angle really makes sense to me. Lots of teenager start to rebel against their parents -- then, one day, the nicotine dependency sets in and it become something else. It does make sense that if you're feeling "in control" generally that will make it easier.

[AngelaR]

Thanks Alto. It took way too long for me to realize that. 6 weeks of LCing has proven to me that I can do something disciplined and with structure and that I have control over. I'm actually looking forward to being smoke free. :)

[Atriana]

OK everybody, we CAN do this. Now, how are we going to do it?
Patches
Gum
Zyban
Cold Turkey
Lobelia
Hypnosis
Actually, I've tried them all. Patches made the withdrawal symptoms more tolerable - but ultimately you are still addicted to nicotine while you are using them. Ditto on the gum, except with the gum your nicotine level rises and falls, so I had more cravings.
Zyban, the first time I tried it gave me hives. Plus, since it is actually the anti-depressant Wellbutrin marketed under a different name, the anti-depressant thing might be incompatable with weight loss.
Cold turkey - A slow build up to total hell on day 3 and then a slow release into just purgatory.
Lobelia - Used it in conjunction with the hypnosis. Don't know if it was just a placebo effect, but I was calmer.
Hypnosis - worked until I forgot to listen to the tape - by the next day I was smoking again.
So, what is everyone's plan?

[Karen]

I first quit - and that was the first time in 31 years as a smoker - on November 3, cold turkey. I lasted 6 hours and I was crawling through every pocket of every article of clothing to find a cigarette.

I was at the point where I detested smoking and would do what I had to do to quit (yes, even gain weight) so I went on the patch November 15. It worked! I have gone to half the dosage now of my own accord, take it off before going to bed and put one on later in the afternoon.

It still doesn't stop all the wacky stuff in my head that makes me want to smoke and I have found this week especially hard.

Of course I wish I could have been all butch about it and gone cold turkey, but I don't think it would have worked. Going one step at a time with "the patch" is just fine.

Alto's suggestion is good. View yourself as a non-smoker. In a crowd, identify with the non-smokers. Repeat it to yourself first thing when you wake up in the morning. I am a non-smoker! I think that saying you have "given up" smoking is unwise.

I read recently that there is "more to quitting smoking than quitting smoking." How true!

Karen

[AngelaR]

For me - it will be patches, tons of water, exercise, and a fridge full of ready to grab allowables to deal with cravings.

It will also mean new rules in the house. If hubby wants to continue smoking, he will have a comfy place in the storage room in the basement.

*dreaming longingly of a house and clothing that doesn't stink from stale cigarette smoke*

[EllieEats]

What a great idea!!
I quit smoking for 17 mo. and gained a ton of weight. I got totally stressed and thought I could have that "just one" and now for past 6 mo. I smoke as much as I ever did.

When I first came here, I thought-- why couldn't I have found a motivating forum like this to help me through nicotine cravings?
This is so great.

I do intend to quit again but want to get closer to my goal weight first and this time I will go heavy on the exercise to ward off those extra pounds.

I used The American Lung Assc.-- Seven Step Program --exellent!
At least read it! It shows you how to break all the your automatic smoking cigarettes times and get down to the "I really need this cigarette" before you even quit.... The book explains it all... and so much better than I can.

Give it a read!! And you'll be seeing me back. Best of luck to all of you!!

Ellie :wave:

[KRISTY]

Hi to all:
I also have been trying to quit smoking. About 6 months ago I decided the only way for me to do this after so many years of smoking was not to go cold turkey this time. I put my cigarettes in the kitchen in a drawer next to a window. When I was in the t.v. room and wanted a cigarette I had to get up out of that comfy chair and walk to the kitchen, open the window and have a smoke standing up. That worked for me, as I would have a couple of puffs and put it out. That works for the evenings. The cruncher for me was in May we found out that my DH has heart disease and I only smoke outside now. Why didnt I think of that before instead of the kitchen. I now only have 2 cigarettes a day. I no longer have the fear that I need to have a full pkg on hand. Hope this helps someone a little bit. KRISTY :)

[pegm]

I was a very heavy smoker and the first time I quit cold turkey with no help or support. It lasted for 11 years! I was at the point where I hated the smell of them and never craved them.

Then I hit a VERY stressful time in my life (extremely rebellious teenage daughter), and one night when I was feeling especially stressed, I took one of my friend's cigarettes and lit it. I expected it to taste bad and make me cough, etc. like the first time I'd ever smoked. WRONG!! It tasted SO GOOD!!! I was hooked again (but I didn't admit it, even to myself). I smoked ones that I 'borrowed' from friends and relatives for a few months, then began buying them again. I tried everything to quit the second time: hypnosis, Zyban (gave me hives), patches, gum, inhaler, etc. I could not believe that I could not seem to find the will power that had worked so well the first time.

Then my daughter told me about a laser clinic that her boyfriend's mother had gone to in Canada. She was a 30 year very heavy smoker who had also tried everything to quit. The clinic worked for her. So I tried it, and it also worked for me (they claim a 96% success rate)!

Some of the advise they gave me was very helpful. They told me to drink lots of water and take anti-oxidant vitamins to help flush the nicotine out of my body. They also told me to carry a water bottle with me everywhere and every time I had a craving, to take a sip of water, so that after a few times I would associate the cigarette craving with thirst instead. This also substitutes a healthy habit for one that is bad for you. (The water has been great for low carb!)

I began low carb a month after I quit smoking, so I have not gained any weight, but I am losing very slowly. At least I am losing, though, and not gaining!

I know other people have success with patches or gum, but I think that I am the type of person who needed to just quit smoking and get the nicotine out of my body ASAP. Using patches or gum only prolonged the agony, and as long as I was getting some nicotine I was still hooked and was more likely to reach for a cigarette if I got a strong craving.

I do feel so much better! I can walk up a flight of stairs without getting out of breath. I don't feel wheezy at night when I lay down. I haven't been getting sinus infections. And I have this wonderful feeling of freedom -- I don't have to 'go outside for a cigarette' when I'm shopping, working, visiting at a hospital, etc. I have so much more time, now that I'm not tied to that pack of cigarettes!

So, please learn from my mistake. Once you are addicted to cigarettes, no matter how long it's been since you quit, it's never safe to have even 'one drag'. You will always be an addict, and must never, ever take a single puff!

I wish success to all who are in the process of quitting -- what a wonderful Christmas gift to give yourself!

[zellie]

Yesterday I started increasing my water intake and cutting down on cigarettes.

Proud of myself. :) I'm almost 2-pack a day, yesterday I smoked 15. I hope to be down to 7 by Friday.

zellie

[Atriana]

Thanks everyone for your insights and Zellie, way to go! Cutting down never worked for me. I would make myself crazy doing that. I can go from a lot to none easier than cutting down. Friday seems to be closer and closer- the thought of it is scarier and scarier. This too is usual for me. The anticipation of quitting can be almost as bad as the first 3 days of a quit. But Friday, Winter Solstice will be the day. The day from which daylight starts to again increase. A day of hope.

[zellie]

Atriana, don't be scared, I'll be around to hold your hand. I just posted something to another thread, the gist: "I'm doing something because I want to do it, not because somebody is forcing me". If I want to do it, I better get on with it, and stop talking about it.
I know it's bad for me, desire to succeed must conquer fear. If I fail this time, I will not beat myself up. I will pick myself up and try again immediately.

It was my doing that made me overweight, I ate the wrong things. My actions made me a smoker. I have to do something about it. I have to take control and be accountable for my actions.
It's nobody else's fault but my own. I admit to my mistakes and now I have to move beyond. Ascribing blame/fault does not solve problems.
I keep on telling myself "I am in control, and I will not lose control".

Hang in there Atriana!
zellie

[Susanjoyce]

Well I would love to quit but can't right now. I would love to keep in touch and get all the helpful hints for the future.
We just found out two weeks ago that my Father is dying of lung cancer. I tryed to quit last weekend but failed. My Mom and Dad is staying with me right now because they live two and a half hours from the city and he has to go for radition every day and chemo once a week. They say he has a year at the longest. He is so sick and I have to smoke outside because of the oxegen. You think seeing you're Dad dying right in front of you're face in you're own house would be enough motivation for anyone. I'm just so stressed right now I can't do it. I have cut down alot because it's 13 degrees outside so I don't go out to often.
When I try to quit I just get so stressed I feel like I'm going to exploed. I dont know how to get past that stressed out feelling. Might have to try the patch, i started to take Wellbutrin about a week ago they say it takes a week to ten days to get into youre system. Does Wellbutrin make you gain weight?
Wish me luck and will power.

[zellie]

Hugs Susan. I'm so sorry to here about your dad. I've never done the Wellbutrin, I can't answer. Stick around with us and post. Stress is something hard to handle at most times, let alone be stressed out and trying to quit. Look under the other posts, lisa's posts i think you don't gain weight.

take care
zellie

[rhonda_kay]

Hi guys. I haven't been around here much except the occasional lurk...but this thread caught my attention.

I started Lc-ing in July, lost 25 pounds in 6 weeks, then quit smoking on 9/1/01. Of course, 11 days later all hell broke loose, 2 weeks later I lost my job and am still unemployed, but I am STILL NOT SMOKING!!!!

At Thanksgiving I got off the low-carb track and put some of the weight back on and now I'm back on track trying to take it off again.

I did substitute a lot of low-carb candy for smokes for a while and to be honest, it stalled the weight loss and also made me crave sweets again.

I'm proud that I didn't take up smoking again and it's been an adjustment, but now I am smoke and candy free. January 1st will be 4 months without a cig.

Oh, and the About.com Smoking Cessation forum helped me alot. I also used the patch for 2 months.

You guys can do it, too!!!

[pegm]

I am so sorry about your father. I do know what you mean about the stress -- I always felt so stressed when trying to quit, and added stress like your father being so ill would have sent me reaching for the cigarettes also. I did try Wellbutrin, and it helped me tremendously -- I even made it through an emergency trip to the hospital with my mother while taking it. I made it three months on the Wellbutrin! But then I broke out in hives from it and had to quit taking it, and I started smoking again. So, hang in there, and maybe the Wellbutrin will help you quit in spite of the stress.

[Linnea]

Atriana,

I was reading one of your other posts where you said you were sitting there looking at your smoke burning away in the ashtray. One thing that helped long before I even decided to quit was to not smoke inside. I was very firm on this. Not out the window, not in the garage...not inside at all! Not only is a real tick off to go out in the rain and cold...but you start to realize just how bad you smell. If you smoke inside everything smells like smoke so you get desensitized to it.

I once handed in a resume for a friend of mine at work. The co-worker whom I gave it to asked me if my friend smoked. The resume smelled like smoke! There's some perspective for ya.

Trust me, give it a try!

Linnea

[ruby]

Susan,
You'll be in my prayers tonight. My dad died of lung cancer 13 years ago. And I still kept on smoking. I started when I was 13 and am now 45. It's a very tough addiction. I'm on Zyban now, twice daily, and still smoking. Someone told me that at the base of all addictions was a spiritual issue. I'm meditating on that for now and trying to figure out what to do about it from the inside. I wish you much courage and keep the faith.
Ruby

[Carol LeFa]

Hi Atriana,

Its good to read about everyone elses hopes and goals to loose weight and give up smoking, I know its early days for me I only gave up smoking 4 days ago and up untill now I acn honestly say that I havent had any real cravings for a cig, I have tried sooo many times before to become a non smoker, I have also gone through all the tried and tested ways to give up ie: patches gum
ect ect I even spent over £200 on an Alan Carr quit smoking day,
that was a year ago, but alas the evil old Nic got his way, I have also put alot of weight on after stopping smoking I think that this and a feeling of being over confident about not smoking has been my downfall, In all the times Ive tried to stop I never seem to get cravings not bad ones anyway and then when I dont expect it one great big one will just rear up and bang thats it, this time Im in control, Iam using patches, I got them on prescription from my doctor, I have been back on my lo carb diet for 48 hours I have just won a bet in work that I wouldnt last till end of week. the only thing that Im taking this time are vitamins. I hope that we all reach our goals come everyone if I can you can.

[Carol LeFa]

Hi Susan,
so sorry to hear about your Dad, my dad died when he was 56 yrs
old he had been a smoker since his teenage years, he was told he had leukimia ( not sure if I spelt that right). The sad thing was that although he smoked he had enjoyed a very healthy life, he'd tried giving up a few times, I could never get it into my head how he could have got this awful deadly thing, untill recently, I was at the doctors after a car accident and while waiting I spotted a leaflet on smoking so I started reading it the usual list of things that may happen to you, one of the not so usual things hit me smack in the face Smoking can Cause Leukimia, it seems I had my answere. It has really made me think that I dont want to take these chances I wanted to stop before somthing terrible happend to me,I belive that Im healthy right now and I dont want to do anything that could change that. You will with time overcome your stress and sadness, dont be to hard on yourself Susan somtimes its best to keep on doing what your doing for now anyway, and the right time to give up will come along when your ready.

[agonycat]

I too quit smoking.

I smoked for 15 years, and was supporting over a pack a day habit. I tried to quit smoking. Tried the patch and it made me ill. Tried the gum and it burned my throat.

In May of 2000, I was waking myself up in the middle of the night coughing my lungs out and wheezing. I almost couldn't breath.
I had x-rays taken because of pneumonia and the doctor showed the sever scarring of my lungs and what smoking was doing.

This was going to be my final attempt at kicking the habit. I went to the American Lung web site and read up on suggestions and articles. They gave me the courage I needed.

In June of 2000, I had to go to Portland, for business. So I armed myself with the 7m patches and 2m gum, packed my bags minus the cigs and I was off! My hubby went with me for support. We went sight seeing a lot. Every morning he would rip the patch off my back and replace it with a shiney new one.

The first month was a bit edgy. I was popping gum like a heroin addict.

I can honestly say, I do not for one minute regret having given those things up. It has been almost 2 years now, and I have not gone back. I can be around smokers and it doesn't bother me too much other than I had no idea how badly those things stink. ;)

My lungs have mended. I no longer gasp for breath when walking up stairs.

I wish all of you success in breaking the habit, it isn't easy, but it is sooooo worth it!

If anyone is interested the link to the American Lung web site is: http://www.lungusa.org/

[Susanjoyce]

Thanks for all the support and good information. I had no idea that smoking could cause leukimia. I have slowed down quite a bit and have not totaly given up the thought of trying to quit. I'm just not ready yet. My hardest part is I feel soooooo stressed out like I'm going to burst. I know that sooner or later that feeling will go away but I just can't make it to that later time without giving in. My Dad is doing better he is done with his radiation for now and they quit doing the Chemo because it was making him to sick. Mom and Dad went back home yesterday. Love them to death but it sure is nice to have my house back.

[KASSY]

I wanted so badly to be a "loser" when I found this low carb website. Now not only to I want to be a "loser" but I also want to be a "quitter".
I have been smoking since I was 15. I am now 36- and I can't stop myself. I smoke about 12-15 per day. I have tried everything. I have geared myself up to start trying to quit again as of this Monday, January 14th. I am going to buy the patch.
I have heard a few good things about the patch- and a few friends who said it never worked for them.
My other worries are the stories about smokers who try to quit- go on binges. WHat the heck am I suppose to do now???


Looking for advice.

Kassy

[justme]

I quite on May 7th 2001...
I previously had quit for a year and started again due to health problems with my husband and difficulties in our marriage... Hugly stressful time....
But this time i started my own moto;

i was afraid of gaining weight , which i did...but i kept saying or yelling out loud''''

ICAN LOSE WEIGHT!!!! YOU CAN'T ALWAYS LOSE CANCER !!!!!!

If i just didn't light the first one i knew I'd be o.k.
drank water and changed my habits... you know that after dinner smoke ....got up instead and did the dishes right away.. stuff like that.... i even quit coffee because coffee was not the same without the smoke.... come on guys NEVER QUIT QUITING :roll:

[Carol LeFa]

HI Kassey,

My Heart goes out to you, I know only to well how hard it is to quit smoking, especially when you are prone to putting on weight after you quit, this has been the one thing that after so many atempts to give up has made me run so fast to the shop to buy a packet of cigs and then I've sat in my car and made myself almost sick smoking them, you then say that you'll only smoke that packet but no you are back buying more as soon as your down to the last two, and to make things worse you dont even go straight on a diet to loose the eccess weight because putting the weight on is'nt at this time and was'nt in the first place really that important, it was just an excuse to start smoking again. Fear is the biggest thing about becoming a non smoker, let me tell you there is nothing to fear and once you really realise this you can then start on the road to being a happy no smoker, going on the patches I belive is the best thing I have also tried every other way to give up and have found these the best Iam using NiQuitin CQ 21mg 24 hour I have'nt had one craving to smoke, and Iam having no problem with the diet, I have just been reading Atkins book and was suprised to read that LO carb diet can help with nicotine addiction I belive this to be true in my case anyway, you know Kassy I dont feel that Iam special in anyway I feel that if you get yourself in the right frame of mind that you can achive any thing you want, and that is what you must do, it isnt the nicotine that is unhealthy it is all the tar and the many poisons that are in 1 cig its all of this that we taste when we puff away on a cig, I'll bet you dont use sweetners and WHY because you've been told they cause cancer, well so does smoking, so why do it, have you read any of Allen Carr's books The Only Way To STOP SMOKING, if you havent got one of these go and buy one and sit down with your ashtray and your cigs and read it over and over if you need to, it really will help to give you the willpower you need and show you how to overcome the fear of giving up.
And Kassy I will be here as well to give you any help that I can you can do this belive me it really is so easy when you know how.

Keep in touch please and let me know how your doing, but tomorrow buy the book, its the easyway.

Take care
Carol

[Susanjoyce]

You know what is my biggest down fall? I really don't want to quit but I know I need to. I enjoy smoking to much still. But I will check out the book. Thanks!!! Love all the helpfull advice :daze:

[KASSY]

I want to say thank you for the words of encouragement. I am going to go buy the book this evening. It is not that I don't know what smoking does to my body, it is that I chose not to look at the facts all of these years. In some sort of a sick way, if I don't acknowledge the facts, they aren't real.
I just watched my father in law die from lung cancer and this put a reality check in my mind. I want to do this.
I am getting the book and the patches today, and am going to put all my efforts into this.
Thanks for your kind words.

Kassy

[Susanjoyce]

Kassy
I know that this is a hadr subject but I have a question for you. How long did your father in law live after he found out that he had lung cancer? How bad was the cancer when they found it? Did he go through chemo and radaition?
The reason why I ask is we just found out that my Dad has lung cancer a couple of weeks before Christmas. It is real bad it is, it is taking up almost his whole right lung and it is to high into his broncial tubes to opperate. He spent a week in the hospital and a month at my house while he was going through the radation. He only had 2 chemo treatments, they had to stop the cheom because it eas to hard on him. Making him to sick and his hair was falling out after only 2 treatment. They said the radiation had shrunk his tummor enough to allow him to breath out of his right lung a little bit. They wont tell us how long he has to live.
I know you can't tell me this either but I never knew anyone that had cancer and I was just wondering how long Your father in law lived I thought if I could find enough people to talk about it I might be able to get some sort of an idea.
There are alot of things that my Mom needs to think about and do before he dies, and I just need to know how hard to push her to get theese things done. They have no health insurance other than medicare and no life insurance. My Father can no longer work with his cancer. And when he dies she will losse even more of ther income from his pention. She is going to be in bad shape financially. Her health isn't very good either and she is so over weight it is going to be hard for her to find a job that she can do. She can't stand all day so she has to find a job where she can sit most of the time. She really dosent have any job experience because my Dad never wanted her to work.
Now let's be honest who is going to hier a 66 year old lady that weights about 300 pounds at five feet tall and no job experience. That's mean to say but it is the cold hard truth. Unemployment is way up here and they have lots to choose from. She is going to be in real bad shape when he is gone.
Well I'm sorry for rambeling on for so long. Guess I just really needed to talk to someone, hope you understand.
Susan

[Carol LeFa]

Susan, its hard to tell how long aperson will go on living after being found to have Cancer, as there are so many different types
but if it is of any help to you my auntie has just died of lung cancer we go to her funeral on wed this week she was told 7 months ago, now she was 80 years old, my ex mother-in-law was told she had lung cancer, she refused any therepy and she lasted 1 month, my uncle was taken into hospital aged 43 and they did'nt even have time to tell him that he had lung cancer he died before the test results came back to confim it, so you see its very hard to tell, if its possible then you should go and see his doctor he should be able to give you a fairly accurate answere to your questions, maybe your mum already has been told but wont face it or is afraid to tell you what is really going on but dont be hard on her, maybe you and her could go and visit your dads doctor, then you will be in a better position to sort things out.

I hope everything works out OK for all of you, keep in touch I always belive that no matter how bleak things look if you think straight and dont bury your head then everything will turn out OK in the end.

Take Care

Carol

[brobertson]

My husband and I quit smoking 1 month ago for our neices and newphews. And we both feel 100% better. Now it is time to shed the extra pounds that creeped on about the time I started smoking. You can do it! :)

[KASSY]

Susan,

I am sorry for the pain that you are going through. This is a painful disease for everybody who is involved. You really can't tell how long a person has. My father in law suffered from Hotchinson lymphoma first for 5 years, and developed the lung cancer a year ago. He was a strong, brave man. He ended his treatments about 4 months ago because his body couldn't take anymore.
Ask your doctor what he thinks timewise. He will probably give you a range. We knew as of 6 months ago that he only had 3-6 months to live.
You should get his affairs in order now. Just in case he goes earlier than you expected. I know this is difficult to say, but you should also discuss with him about whether or not he wants to sign DNR (do not resesitate). It should be his choice while he is still in sound mind.
Also, you said that your mom will have a hard time working. Does she have any friends that own any businesses that may be able to offer her a job? Or possibly if there are any elderly people in your community looking for a companion. Many elderly people pay someone to stay with them through the day. This is a job that she would not have to be on her feet, and she would also be getting some companionship.
Best of luck to you, and hang in there. You need to be strong for yourself and your mother. Put your faith in God.
Keep in touch.
Kassy