Problems with tobacco

[Roy Gardiner]

just because it didn't work for you, does not mean it can't work for others. I have found that cutting down, in conjunction with NRT, lessens the urge. It works for me.

My mistake, I am guilty of loose speech. I have never (until maybe now ) known anyone who went the cut-down route who didn't eventually end up smoking as much as before. I'm pleased to be wrong, though.

you know you have to give up even though you don't want to, otherwise you'll die

Not necessarily. It increases your risk, perhaps, but not a certainty.

Again, my apologies; it was a figure of speech. It was only when I realised that, to be free of it, I had to trump my wish and lust to smoke with something stronger that I managed to stop.

 

[scaredinCA]

I have some experience about smoking. I was a four pack a day smoker and what I did to quit took awhile. First I cut down to cigarettes that were lower in tar and nicotine, and smoked them for a year. Then one day I just quit after smoking for 30 yrs. First thing I noticed was the taste of food!! Everything tastes so good. And wa la, I gained so much weight. Guess I use food in place of cigarettes.

My adopted daughter was a smoker and I tried to get her to quit especially before her upcoming 10 hr back surgery. She did cut down alot, but didn't totally quit. She had surgery, they made some sort of mistake in surgery, she came out looking like a different person due to swelling of her face and body. Suddenly she couldn't breath on her own, was ventilated for months, we were told she would die, etc. She stayed in coma on vent machine for months and months. Long story short, she survived in nursing home for 2 1/2 yrs, but is home now. They damaged her vocal cords when putting in the tube so she now sounds whispery. She has ARDS now which is serious (google it). Even though her hospital made many serious mistakes during surgery and afterwards, her lungs weren't in the best shape going into it. After years of smoking a persons lungs are in nasty condition.. I don't think people realize going into surgery that we need our bodies to be in good working condition. Doctors can be good, but they aren't miracle workers. We need to do our part and take care of ourselves better.

I haven't smoked in 26 yrs, but I noticed everytime I get sick with a cold, etc, it turns into bronchitis (spelling?) and I believe its from years of damage caused by smoking.

 

[50yrold]

I'll weigh in here, too. I've been an on/off smoker for decades. Fortunately, more "off" than on, and I knew I needed to quit at least a month before surgery, so I did; cold turkey. The issue, as I learned it, was not just the vasoconstriction, which I thought was related to nicotine, but also because nicotine retards bone growth/repair.

I have remained quit, except for 3 cigs one night, and a cigar on two separate occasions, including this last Friday night. And I felt it the next day on each occasion.

I also experience seasonal depression, and often go on Wellbutrin (Bupropion) for the winter. I'm at that precipice right now, and may well start it again this week. I wish I could say I'd exercise each day, and that would probably produce the dopamines I need to avoid depression. Anyway, I bring this up because Chantix, which is rx'd for quitting smoking, and is basically Bupropion, may be a good thing to discuss with your mother's doctor. It will make it easier to avoid smoking; this I say by experience.

Good luck with your mom. I should also say that in post-op recovery, I awoke to a nurse saying loudly in my ear, "how much do you smoke?". She had had trouble getting my blood O2 levels much over 90, which she says only happens with smokers. That one rattled me, as I hadn't smoked in over a month. I may be too late to undo decades of lung pollution, but at least I can stop and not further hasten my demise. Now, if I could just get everyone to always be real nice to me all the time, I'd never get that trigger to smoke again, right?