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Posted: 8/15/2001 10:09:45 PM EDT
[#1]
Bus- Friend of mine, HEAVY smoker for years, quit last year and says in the one year he can breathe a bunch better and can actually taste food again. It will be hard but you can do it and your life will show huge improvements. Sorry this doesn't offer much help, but it shows that it will get better if you quit.
Sorry about the emphesima, good luck and get well. [:)] Funny, we were just talking about it today. |
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Posted: 8/15/2001 10:13:48 PM EDT
[#2]
Sorry to hear that. I quit twice (both lasted over a year) and started up again. I suggest you STAY AWAY from alcohol. Thats what got me started again both times. It just feels so good to wash down that beer with a damn cancer stick. I'll quit again (hopefully soon) and I'll definately stay away from other smokers and alcoholic beverages. Good luck!
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Posted: 8/15/2001 10:13:50 PM EDT
[#3]
Good luck with your health. I certainly hope it doesn't get worse.
While I believe that everyone should have the right to smoke if they want, I do wish more people would choose not to. Lung cancer, mouth cancer, emphysema and bronchitis are certainly not worth such a habit. My mother died from lung cancer after smoking for 35 years. Loosing a loved one because of smoking is just one more reason not to smoke. USPC40 ------------------------------------------------- [b][blue]NRA Life Member[/blue][/b] - [url]www.nra.org[/url] [b][blue]GOA Life Member[/blue][/b] - [url]www.gunowners.org[/url] [b][blue]SAF Member[/blue][/b] - [url]www.saf.org[/url] [b][blue]SAS Supporter[/blue][/b] - [url]www.sas-aim.org[/url] [img]www.ar15.com/members/albums/USPC40/alabamaflag.gif[/img] |
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Posted: 8/15/2001 10:20:14 PM EDT
[#4]
I smoked 2 1/2 packs a day for over 20 years, I could feel myself going down in a hurry. One morning without warning I just thought , that is enough and I quit cold turkey,(with the help on nicorette gum). The stupidest thing I have ever done in my life(and believe me I have done some pretty stupid things) was to start smoking, the smartest thing was to quit. The money that I save on smokes and doctor bills, I now spend on another more enjoyable habit, GUNS!!! Hope all you guys can quit, but don't even try unless you are totally sure you want to, because if you don't really want to, you don't stand a chance.
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Posted: 8/15/2001 10:58:01 PM EDT
[#5]
Quoted: So, for all my years of smoking and being exposed to vehicular exhaust fumes, I finally get the hint...QUIT. LIKE SOON. This news has got me a bit squidgy. If you are willing to pass the baton, I would like to continue the smoking legacy by taking up the habit! Since I have nothing else in my life I need something to keep me occupied. |
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Posted: 8/15/2001 11:11:11 PM EDT
[#6]
My mother died of choosing to smoke. She laid bedridden with your disease for 18 months sucking on oxygen.
Of course she had say 6 semi functional years after the diagnosis before the 18months in bed. Your choice. |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 12:05:02 AM EDT
[#7]
Bronchitis is just an infection of the lungs. You can get it even if you don't smoke, although smoking makes you more prone to infections of this type.
Emphysema is actual damage to the lungs, you can get this even if you don't smoke, but again, smoking makes you more prone to it and can advance it or make it much worse. When your elderly sooner or later you will face lung ailments, but smoking definitely will make a bad situation much worse. In short all us smokers should quit. I should know I'm the idiot with asthma who smokes, man, I could get that AR10 within a year if I gave up smoking(maybe a nice scope for it to). It's tough to quit, smoking is the only thing that appeases those voices in my head...[:D] Good luck dude in quitting, I hope you make it. The good news is that the lungs are the only major organ with some regenerative properties. As long is there is no signs of cancer and the emphysema isn't very advanced, in about 2 years(probably less) your lungs will have cleaned the majority of the crap out of there(will be nice and pink again). |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 12:24:12 AM EDT
[#8]
And not only the smoking of sigarettes is hazardous....,mind you.
[img]http://www.allposters.com/images/2/Posters/PR3113.jpg[/img] Cheers, RG.nl |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 12:43:46 AM EDT
[#9]
I had several blood clots in both lungs and decided it might be a good time to quit.
I smoked over 3 packs a day. I began smoking in 1967 and had my last cigarette April 11, 1998. I never wanted to quit, and believed everything I enjoyed would somehow be diminished without cigarettes. I did it and so can you. It takes awhile, but you will reach a point were you don't even think about smoking. And believe me, there are some real advantages. I've been able to buy 3 guns, [b]just this year,[/b] with money that would have gone for cigarettes had I still been smoking. |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 1:07:30 AM EDT
[#10]
I quit smoking 10 years ago. It is the single hardest thing I have ever done. That shit is more addictive than cocaine. I didn't use nicorette or anything like that, I used tootsie pops. I used to buy them by the case.
I had to give up alcohol for over a year to keep from starting up again. |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 4:20:03 AM EDT
[#11]
Thanks to all for the responses so far.
I can really use the encouragement. If there is more, it's not just for me that I posted this topic. About 12 years ago, I decided that it might be wise to stop drinking alcohol, as it would interfere with a career before it even started. I gave that up and have been driving for a living ever since. Good move. ( ...what really kills me is that Chivas Regal in the bottle on the shelves of the liquor stores is as aged as my years of sobriety... 12 [rolleyes] ) I don't like the word "disease", but, what else do you call something that makes you "less than healthy"? Up until a few days ago, the associated ailments were just "oh, I gotta quit smoking"... Now, after getting a dreaded name attached to them, suddenly it's "you are not immortal, my son..." Sorry for those that have lost loved ones to anything related to disease, I know how that is, too. My grandfather and brother both succumbed to illnesses. Rather not join them just yet. I may not succeed immediately in quitting smoking. I will eventually conquer it. I don't like to lose. The most encouraging thing I've read here yet is the regenerative nature of the lung. That it is not an advanced level of emphysema and the possibility of a decent recovery is there is "bitchin'"! As I said at the top, this wasn't posted lightly or only for my benefit. I hope a few of us can gain some insight and strength from the responses. Thanks, folks. |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 4:50:41 AM EDT
[#12]
I'd only been a smoker for 9 years not too long compared to some of you but 9 years ago I was 15 so this is what I knew in my "adult" life. I tried numerous times to quit with no success. the patches f#cked me up big time I couldn't do it cold turkey. July 4th this year is when I had my last cig, and I know I'll make it this time because I REALLY quit this time, none of the "oh i'll just have one to see what it's like, it won't hurt" What got me was a friend and I had been talking about how out of shape and soft we had gotten since hs wrestling, well I live 15 floors up and decided I'd run the stairs instead of the elevator, I made it to maybe the 5th floor and started huffing and puffing like crazy, cause my lungs couldnt handle it, the rest of me was soft and out of shape yeah but the lungs were the bottleneck.
It's still hard after almost a month and a half but I don't have alcohol or the other mind-altering substances that got me started on cigs in the first place making me want any. And the nic-gum and levi garret helped a lot too, And I went off of both those chewables 2 weeks ago. And now that I have my lungs back I'm starting to work on the other parts of my body that kept me from running the stairs, I can make it to 12 now, hey it's not great and not what I would have used to have been able to do but it's progress. Every single person I know and work with still smokes,drinks,smokes so If I can make it through that, any of you stronger willed people definitely better be able to do it. And Good Luck Busmaster! |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 4:56:27 AM EDT
[#13]
[size=4]Look at the positive side of things:
2 cartons a week * $20 per carton * 52 weeks per year = [b]$2080[/b] available for AR15 buying![/size=4] |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 5:08:21 AM EDT
[#14]
Guess I'm lucky I never smoked. I tried a few puffs when I was young but cough cough... I never even got into alcohol. I can't stand 2nd hand smoke because it smells bad and gets in my eyes.
Stick with it. Be FREE. It is more health and saves you lots of $$$. |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 5:38:56 AM EDT
[#15]
It CAN be DONE!
I smoked for 10 years when I was young and dumb. only 1 failed attempt to quit for 2 weeks in those 10 years,,, Started when I was 13! I quit cold turkey Aug 1988. And havent looked back! I did it by telling myself "I dont want this a part of my life anymore" and instilling a shitty attitude towards smoke and smokers! and working with a guy who wouldnt let me smoke in his truck! lmao! Peer support helped alot! |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 5:47:38 AM EDT
[#16]
I was a pack-a-day smoker for 17 years. Tried to quit a few times. Stopped smoking in the house when my wife was pregnant. I finally quit for good when I got pneumonia. Hell, if you can't breathe, you can't smoke. Never had any cravings, ever. About 2 months into it, I bummed a cigarette from my brother. He says, "Man, you don't want to do this.". I took a few puffs, put it out and said, "I just had to see what I was missing...absolutely nothing!" Took up the occasional cigar about 5 years ago, but nothing steady.
If you smoke, quit. If you've quit, congratulations. If you don't smoke, don't start. |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 6:24:18 AM EDT
[#17]
Quoted: Sorry to hear that. I quit twice (both lasted over a year) and started up again. I suggest you STAY AWAY from alcohol. Thats what got me started again both times. It just feels so good to wash down that beer with a damn cancer stick. I'll quit again (hopefully soon) and I'll definately stay away from other smokers and alcoholic beverages. Good luck! |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 6:31:33 AM EDT
[#18]
I'm sorry to hear about your health, please quit smoking and please take care of yourself.
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Posted: 8/16/2001 7:14:37 AM EDT
[#19]
My soon-to-be mother in law smokes about 2 packs a day. Her husband probably smoke at least 1. They're both poorer than shit and can't figure out why. She is constantly hacking up shit and blaming it on allergies. She drinks about 5 pots of coffee a day to counteract all the nicotine, but she can't figure out why she's so irritable all the time. I'm afraid the constant breathing of second-hand smoke is goona hurt my fiance down the line. Maybe after we get married they'll actualy listen to me. I mean, they're nice people, but they just can't admit to their problems.
brouhaha |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 7:14:38 AM EDT
[#20]
Quoted: [size=4]Look at the positive side of things: 2 cartons a week * $20 per carton * 52 weeks per year = [b]$2080[/b] available for AR15 buying![/size=4] What are you smoking? $20 is a tad bit low. Try on sale maybe $30. Just got back from Mexico and a pack is $1.40 which is about right since Fed/State both have a $1 tax. I don't smoke just thinking of ways to indulge in black market cig sales. As a kid, worked in a Pharmacy and saw lots of Emphysema cases, the ones with portable air tanks. Doesn't look like fun, but it gets worse. How about the ones with throat cancer requiring the voice box. Walk around with a hole in your throat, with a piece of gauze flap taped to cover it. Lift the gauze and place the voice box to the hole to speak. And they always seem to swallow a lot before speaking, maybe build up a saliva base in the throat. Ahhhh, time to relax [smoke] |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 7:55:03 AM EDT
[#21]
I quit for over a year using Zyban. I was on the Zyban for three months and it worked like a champ. But then I met my fiancee and she is a smoker. We've made a deal to quit smoking before the wedding.
I suggest using Zyban if you need help quiting. The patch and gum didn't work on me. Good luck!! |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 12:19:28 PM EDT
[#22]
I had a 20 year pack & a half a day habit. Almost 4 years ago I ended up with pneumonia in August. I was stubborn and didn't take care of it right away. When I finally went in to Emergency (barely able to breathe), they immediately told me wasn't going home right away. I spent 3 days laying in a bed with an IV in my arm and oxygen in my nose. The respitory therapist came in with a bunch of stop smoking materials but I told her I didn't need them, I was done smoking. I quit cold turkey. No Zyban. No gum. Just me having nicotine fits for a while. It got easier. I was off the damn things for better than 3 years. Then I blew it. I started bumming one from the co-workers every once in a while (they smelled so damn good). I figured it wasnt a problem. Pretty soon I was buying my own. Now 7 or 8 months later I am back up to a pack a day.
After I quit, people would always ask "Do you feel any better". I would always say no. Honestly, I really didn't feel any differently. But now that I have started up again I have noticed some real negative things. My sinuses have gone to hell. I have my souvenier smokers hack again. I am constantly bringing up lung snot when I start hacking. Shortness of breath has returned. Smoking sucks. Smoking REALLY sucks. I am off work this weekend and have set that as my quit date. I wont have a 3 day hospital stay to break the addiction but Im going to try it on my own. When you quit.....DO NOT think you can just have one here or there. If you put them down, LEAVE THEM DOWN. I wish you luck. I sure hope I am successful. |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 12:35:47 PM EDT
[#23]
Hmmph, been smokin' for 38 years, there aint nothin' wrong with my remaining lung. Get a second opinion. [xx(]
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Posted: 8/16/2001 12:44:01 PM EDT
[#24]
I used to smoke 20 packs a day! but since I lost one of my lungs? I cut my smokin in half!
Seriously. Dont even think about "just smoking a couple every now and then!" Smoking Sucks Bad! you will be back upto smokin a pack a day in no time again WHAT LUMPY SAID! |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 12:45:15 PM EDT
[#25]
BTW Good luck Lump!
Kick that Bitch down the road! |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 1:00:04 PM EDT
[#26]
Doctors will tell you that smoking will cut ten years off of your life! But what they don't tell you is that it's the worse ten years of your life - Dennis O'Leary My father suffered a fatal heart attack at 54, after smoking one and a half packs of unfiltered Pall Mall cigarettes per day for the preceding 44 years. My mother died of cancer at age 62. Although the type of cancer she died from started out as ovarian cancer, she was a smoker from age 20 to 40, and I can't help but think that her smoking was somewhat causative of her death from cancer. So you can imagine what I think of smoking! Grrr Eric The(Smokeless,TobaccoThatIs)Hun[>]:)] |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 5:13:54 PM EDT
[#27]
Forget it. Smoke till you dead. It'll save you the embarrasment of surrendering your guns down the road.
[):)] [b]N[/b](sick of life)[b]S[/b](needs a drink)[b]F[/b] |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 5:43:18 PM EDT
[#28]
hey bus,
KNow what you mean. I smoked 30 years. Got similar news. Yeah, lungs do regenerate. Course, like you I spend time in 3rd world places (great air down there) which doesn't help. For me the patches work (and work, and work). I can quit anytime I want. Staying quit is the hardest. I've done it 5 times now. Try the patch. It does overcome that monkey screaming in your head when you stop. But be careful. It seems that you can kick the habit, and then 7 weeks, and again at 7 months it tries to worm its way back in. For myself, I am now smokefree for about one month. I hope this time is the last time. It sure would be nice to be able to jog a mile without puking. Good luck. James |
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Posted: 8/16/2001 8:48:44 PM EDT
[#29]
I never was a regular smoker (of tobacco anyway). I have chronic bronchitis, but still sneak a smoke every once in awhile. I pay for it the next day though. If I am around my buddies that smoke, sometimes I will light up or I will still have a cigar and a beer with my old friends. When I was a little kid I used to smoke those tiny packs of cigarettes that come in sea rations. It is amazing that I never got hooked.
Both my parents smoked. My dad quit 10 years ago, and my mom quit about 5 years ago. I know how tough it can be. I never thought my mother would quit ever. Best of luck to you. |
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