Smoking during treatment

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-15-2007
Smoking during treatment
1
Sun, 04-15-2007 - 5:46pm

My mother-in-law was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in Dec. At that time she had "quit" her smoking habit of 30+ years. She stopped because she wasn't feeling well, but she made it sound like she had quit for good. 2 weeks ago my husband and I were in her house, and I asked if he thought she might have started again because the house smelled (especially the garbage can). He said no, that I was smelling the remnants still left in the house. We then spent a week or so in a hotel with adjoining rooms with her. For most of the time, the doors were open and often times we smelled cigarette smoke. This made my husband think twice about things and we searched her room (I felt so awful!) and found cigarettes. We spoke to my sister-in-law who said "Well, she probably thinks she already has cancer... so what's the harm?" I have 2 feelings on this comment: 1 - The smoking caused the cancer in the first place, and the chemo was really working to fight the cancer, and now I feel like she's feeding it. 2- She's lying to us. We have all bent over backwards (not that I want credit for it) to help her and now she's sabotaging herself and keeping it from us.

Anyway, thank you for listening to my long tirade (I have told my husband that I would try not to obsess over it anymore, but I can't. So, I just do it less around him. Anyway my questions would be. How would you deal with this situation? And does anyone know how smoking can influence chemo therapy?

Thanks!
Erica

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Wed, 04-18-2007 - 12:30am

Hi


Well I have mixed emotions on this.

Hope everyone has a great Summer!

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