Smoking...

[Happy One]

*Lights a cigarette while reading this*

smoking stinks
lol

[dkon26]

smoking stinks
lol

Then you shouldn't smoke.

[eJM]

This isn't the first smoking discussion I have participated in here and I hope it won't be the last. Unfortunately, the foolishness, ignorance and denial surrounding smoking is just as prevalent now as it was the first time I got into a discussion like this. It continues to amaze me that there really are people out there who feel no compunction about voicing their profound justifications regarding tobacco use when the evidence that smoking is unhealthy at any level is so in your face.

Smoking kills. Smoking kills people who don't even smoke. It has been proven over and over and if you don't believe it or know it yet, you should wake the hell up and start learning some of the important things about life.

It could be argued that I am so "anti-smoking" because I am an ex-smoker. It's true that I am, but I have quit so many times and started back up again that you could very well consider me a smoker, even though I don't currently smoke. And I am the first to agree that smoking is a choice you make - I do not advocate making tobacco illegal. But because new smokers are generally ignorant of the consequences and often times have little regard for others and older smokers are so steeped in the addiction, laws must be enacted to help save the rest of us from all that foolishness.

The only reason I get into these discussions is to offer some balance. Plenty of you already talk about the stench, your fears that your wife might leave you to take care of the kids, how smoking relaxes you or even makes you feel more social. Some of you are fierce protectors of your right to smoke. Then there are guys like me.

Smoking killed me. Well, okay, I ain't dead yet, but picture this: I have to sit down to shower now and washing my hair has me so tired out that I am rarely able to complete a thorough bath anymore. I have to wear an oxygen hose in my nose all the time now. I can't during the shower because when water is cascading over your face, it's not very easy to breathe through your nose.

Most guys have a routine in the morning - along with the shower, there's shaving, brushing the teeth, etc. Not to mention the toweling off and dressing that goes with getting ready in the morning. I can't do all that. At least not all at once. I'm serious. We're talking basic morning maintenance and I get out of breath - like gasping for air out of breath - before I even finish my shower.

I don't do stairs anymore. Can't go more than a few steps. I can walk the 30' out to my mail box - as long as I wear my oxygen and rest when I get there before coming back. There's no such thing as running to the bathroom during commercial breaks. That is impossible now. I remember how easy it used to be to blow my nose. I remember colds and flu were mere annoyances. Now they are life threatening. I can't even do a slow dance and I don't remember when the last time I had sex was because the fear of what might happen - or not happen - is too great.

No, I don't have cancer. My pulmonary specialist says that would be better because sometimes there's a cure or remission for cancer patients. I have late stage Emphysema. My lung function is less than 25%. I can't get lung reduction surgery because the disease is spread throughout my lung tissue instead of concentrating in the upper or lower parts. I don't qualify for lung transplant because my only health care is VA and they don't do transplants on patients over 60 (I'll be there before they finish the screening process) and they still consider me a smoker, even though my last cigarette was about 9 years ago. Even so, only about 50% of those who get transplants live another 5 years. I've been told I have "2, maybe 3 years" left - and that was several months ago.

Don't feel sorry for me. That's not what I want. What I want is for just one of you to wake the hell up and see what is possible if you keep smoking. I want you to realize that the simplest things in your life, the stuff you take so much for granted now that you don't even realize they could include something as easy as wiping your own ass can become what feels like climbing a mountain or swimming a lap. You could be watching so much slip from your fingers in a relatively short period of time it will make your head spin.

I was diagnosed after a heart attack a couple years ago. At that time I had a wonderful business and career, many dreams and the means to live them. I woke up with a lung function of 46%. I was so far in denial I didn't even know I had lung disease for many years. In the last 2 years, that has dropped to 23% and along with it, my money, my career and my dreams. I spent a life-time building all that and had the attitude that I could control my life and my addiction to tobacco. I could quit anytime I wanted - and I did. Now I am dependent on a plastic hose, a tank of oxygen, 4 different inhalers and a handful of pills - and the frickin med routine 4 times a day tires me out.

If that's what you want to gamble, go ahead. But don't you dare pretend that your stupid excuses or justifications for smoking are based on anything other than your foolish belief that you can beat this. That would make you as ignorant and egotistical as I was. Look where it got me.

[TomJames]

Great post eJM.

[...]
if im outside and your near me and do not like it, go away!
[...]

Surely you can go somewhere that is away from people / a smoking shelter. I personally hate it when I'm in a nice area, enjoying the river etc in a shopping center and someone lights up forcing me to move away. Afterall I'll probably be paying for their NHS treatment once their smoking catches up with them

[Tigurius]

i hate how certain brands of cigarettes make my breath smell even worse than it does... like marlboro reds are my fav but when I smoke them people tell me my breath smells like cow dung... worse even.

[WurkAnimal]

Then why start the thread if you didn't want to provoke people to discuss this - if you knew it would turn into a heated debate?

I'm interested to see what peoples feedback are, this is why I created this thread. I am not moaning that it's going to a heated debate, I love stuff like this

[Dean C]

Nice post eJM. Whilst you stated that you don't want sympathy I think that most people will feel sympathetic towards you and emotion is a great way of swaying an arguement. At the end of the day, it was your choice to smoke and it's everyone elses too

[dkon26]

This isn't the first smoking discussion I have participated in here and I hope it won't be the last.

You and I had a long winded discussion about this before so you know my position.

[barlow28]

I used to smoke... quit in November though. Lost my dad to lung cancer when I was 16, smoking is totally not worth it.

I started on Marlb reds, switched to newports after a while, and when Marlb smooths came out, I switched to those til I quit... Smooths are the best. Every once in a while I'd get Salems.

But smoking in general is pretty stupid.

[mlucek]

Feel free to smoke around me, just don't exhale

[WurkAnimal]

Feel free to smoke around me, just don't exhale

What does exhale mean lol.

[Creepshow]

What does exhale mean lol.

To breathe out.

You really didn't know?

[WurkAnimal]

To breathe out.

You really didn't know?

Nope, thanks for telling me

lol

[Creepshow]

You're welcome.

[dkon26]

Great post eJM.

Surely you can go somewhere that is away from people / a smoking shelter. I personally hate it when I'm in a nice area, enjoying the river etc in a shopping center and someone lights up forcing me to move away. Afterall I'll probably be paying for their NHS treatment once their smoking catches up with them

I just noticed your reply and no.. I will not smoke if I am near a lot of people but if you come walking near me and do not like it, thats your problem. You are free to keep walking!