O/T: Still Smoke?

On Jun 16, 12:48=A0pm, Larry Blanchard <[email protected]> wrote:

>
> For those of you who do, if you can't quit, at least cut down. =A0Way
> down. =A0If I can go from a carton a week to one cigar a month, so can
> you. =A0All it takes is motivation.
>

That is pretty much the way I quit. I didn't really plan it out but I
just stared cutting back. In early days I was at about 2 packs a day
and did that until the last couple of years. Then I decided it was
too much and started pulling back. Then I reached a point were I was
just smoking about 1/2 pack a day. Then days when I didn't smoke at
all or maybe one or two. No firm decision point that I was going to
quit until I rolled down the window one afternoon and pitched a nearly
full pack of smokes out onto the street (Yeah - littering but the best
crime you can commit). After that I will admit to falling off a time
or two by mooching but I have been "clean" for the past 15 years of
so.

Could I really enjoy a cigarette right now? Oh hell yes! But I
won't. But knowing I have quit after years of smoking, and knowing I
would still enjoy a good drag, should be a lesson to those thinking of
starting and believing they can stop at any time.

RonB

On Jun 16, 12:11=A0am, "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Just received the following from my daughter about her uncle,
> (My Ex BIL).
>
> Born in 1945, a heavy smoker all his life, looks like the big "C"
> finally got him.
>
> If you still smoke, might want to think about it.
>
> It's never TOO LATE to quit.


Hade I not quite when I did, the results of my chemo might have been
very different.
I quit smoking 10 years ago and I was never a heavy smoker 1/2 pack a
day max, most of the time 5-6 cigarettes per day.

Lung cancer can bite you in the ass from many angles, just ask me. I
beat it back this time.

On Sun, 17 Jun 2012 02:33:32 -0700, "CW" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Really lousy advice. For every one or two who smoke, drink and reach a
>ripe old age, a dozen who did the same thing die off early with after
>experiencing really difficult health problems.
>========================================
>Who forced them to do it.

Feel like playing it stupid do you?

Of course no one forced them to do it. The fact is that society as a
whole pays the bulk of the cost when people become sick. There's a
definite benefit to be had by enabling programs and advertising to try
and convince people to quit smoking, drinking, exercise more and eat
properly.

On Jun 17, 12:39=A0pm, Swingman <[email protected]> wrote:
> On 6/17/2012 12:22 PM, RonB wrote:
>
> >> That, as I said, is my concern. =A0Luckily I am married to a very heal=
th-
> >> conscious wife who is fighting an unmediated (and so far successful)
> >> fight against genetic high cholesterol. =A0We eat right and try to wal=
k
> >> 3.5 to 6 miles a day with some cycling. =A0As long as we keep going wi=
th
> >> this maybe I can push the effects off for some time.
>
> >> RonB
>
> > Sorry - should have said "un-medicated"
>
> She doesn't like Statins either, eh?
>
> --www.eWoodShop.com
> Last update: 4/15/2010
> KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

She started with Lipitor years ago and did OK for about a year. Then
the joint and muscle pain started. It progressed until she could
barely get off of the floor in her mid to late 50's (she is not
heavy). After talking to her doctor he pulled her off of the Statin
and recommended a dosage of fish oil, some red-rice yeast, some slow
release niacin and very restricted red meat. He also pushed exercise
which is easy for her. After about 6 months her cholesterol level was
still in the lower to mid-200's but her HDL was above 100 and LDL was
in the 60's. Triglyceride numbers were good too. Frankly this blew
the doctor away and he told her to keep it up. He told her the reason
her overall number was still high was the higher than normal HDL was
elevating it and that was not bad.

A few years later we moved and changed doctors but her new doctor was
supportive of her approach. However, wifey decided to switch out her
fish oil and other supplements a little and her numbers went up: and
her HDL/LDL blend got worse. Her new doc scolder he a little, put
her on Crestor until she got her supplements back in order and guess
what - Crestor is gone now and her numbers are back in a healthy
range.

We tell our kids not to use their bodies as an experimental chemistry
set and she admits she was playing a bit herself but now she is doing
well. She has walked about 450 miles since early February and I am at
about 2/3 that.

RonB

On 6/16/2012 10:56 PM, Roy wrote:
> On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 07:36:59 -0700 (PDT), RonB <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Jun 15, 11:11 pm, "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> Started smoking during the early 1960's when I was about 14. I quit
>> about 15-20 years ago but still wonder how much damage I did to
>> myself.
>>
>> RonB
>
> Ron, I quit about 14 years ago after 25 years. I had a heart attack about 4
> years ago. My cardiologist told me I would not have survived it if I had not
> quit smoking when I did. One doctor told me many years ago that the lungs begin
> healing as soon as you quit.
>

Maybe, but I have my doubts. Quit smoking almost 15 years ago after a
2-pack+ / day habit for 35 years. I do have emphysema, lungs of an
85-year (will be 69 this week), and it's not getting better, if
anything, worse. No second-hand smoke to blame it on either.

Matt

On 6/17/2012 11:08 AM, RonB wrote:
> On Jun 17, 12:39 pm, Swingman <[email protected]> wrote:
>> On 6/17/2012 12:22 PM, RonB wrote:
>>
>>>> That, as I said, is my concern. Luckily I am married to a very health-
>>>> conscious wife who is fighting an unmediated (and so far successful)
>>>> fight against genetic high cholesterol. We eat right and try to walk
>>>> 3.5 to 6 miles a day with some cycling. As long as we keep going with
>>>> this maybe I can push the effects off for some time.
>>
>>>> RonB
>>
>>> Sorry - should have said "un-medicated"
>>
>> She doesn't like Statins either, eh?
>>
>> --www.eWoodShop.com
>> Last update: 4/15/2010
>> KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)http://gplus.to/eWoodShop
>
> She started with Lipitor years ago and did OK for about a year. Then
> the joint and muscle pain started. It progressed until she could
> barely get off of the floor in her mid to late 50's (she is not
> heavy). After talking to her doctor he pulled her off of the Statin
> and recommended a dosage of fish oil, some red-rice yeast, some slow
> release niacin and very restricted red meat. He also pushed exercise
> which is easy for her. After about 6 months her cholesterol level was
> still in the lower to mid-200's but her HDL was above 100 and LDL was
> in the 60's. Triglyceride numbers were good too. Frankly this blew
> the doctor away and he told her to keep it up. He told her the reason
> her overall number was still high was the higher than normal HDL was
> elevating it and that was not bad.
>
> A few years later we moved and changed doctors but her new doctor was
> supportive of her approach. However, wifey decided to switch out her
> fish oil and other supplements a little and her numbers went up: and
> her HDL/LDL blend got worse. Her new doc scolder he a little, put
> her on Crestor until she got her supplements back in order and guess
> what - Crestor is gone now and her numbers are back in a healthy
> range.
>
> We tell our kids not to use their bodies as an experimental chemistry
> set and she admits she was playing a bit herself but now she is doing
> well. She has walked about 450 miles since early February and I am at
> about 2/3 that.
>
> RonB
>
Good for both of you! I too cannot tolerate the statins either (had the
same problem with Lipitor). My totals were always in the low 200s but
the HDL in the 60s, which is higher than "normal" - weight is a problem,
but since I retired my total has dropped under 200, and my doctor isn't
complaining.

Do time somewhat regularly on the treadmill (summers are way too hot to
get out and walk), but am somewhat limited by the emphysema. Things
should improve if I can drop the excess weight, but that's easier said
than done.

Matt

I previously wrote:
.
> Just received the following from my daughter about her uncle,
> (My Ex BIL).
>
> Born in 1945, a heavy smoker all his life, looks like the big "C"
> finally got him.
>
> If you still smoke, might want to think about it.
>
> It's never TOO LATE to quit.
>
> Nothing to enjoy about this one.
>
> Lew
> --------------------------------------
>
>> Hope you enjoy the weekend and Happy Father's day.
>
>> I have some bad news that I thought you might want to know about.
>
>> Uncle D was just diagnosed with Stage IV small cell lung cancer.
>
>> It's already spread to his liver, adrenal gland, lymph nodes and
>> brain.
>
>> Hard to believe!
>
>> He wasn't even feeling really sick.
>
>> Just thought he had a sinus infection.
>
>> They gave him 6 weeks without treatment and a year or more with
> treatment.
>
>> He's starting brain radiation next week.
>
>> Apparently chemo doesn't work on the brain. Who knew?
>
>> After 3 weeks of radiation, he'll have a week off and then start
>> chemo.
>
>> The good news is small cell cancer responds very well to treatment.
>
>> The bad news is that small cell cancer usually returns.
>
>> We'll have to wait and see and pray.
>
>> So, who knows about Uncle D.
>
>> Maybe the treatments will work and it won't come back.
>
>> Anyway, hope you're feeling ok.
---------------------------------------
He died on 07/28/12, just 43 days after being diagnosed.

Doctor's estimate was eerie for it's accuracy.

He has donated to body to Case-Western medical school in Cleveland.

Something I also plan to do to a med school here in SoCal.


Lew

On Jun 16, 9:36=A0am, RonB <[email protected]> wrote:
\
This time I didn't do it. According to headings I am credited with
changing the title line to "O/T: Still Smoke?"

Didn't do it but this seems to happen now and then.

RonB

On Jun 15, 11:11=A0pm, "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote:

Started smoking during the early 1960's when I was about 14. I quit
about 15-20 years ago but still wonder how much damage I did to
myself.

RonB

On Jun 17, 12:05=A0pm, Matt <[email protected]> wrote:
> On 6/16/2012 10:56 PM, Roy wrote:
>
> > On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 07:36:59 -0700 (PDT), RonB <[email protected]> wr=
ote:
>
> >> On Jun 15, 11:11 pm, "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >> Started smoking during the early 1960's when I was about 14. =A0I quit
> >> about 15-20 years ago but still wonder how much damage I did to
> >> myself.
>
> >> RonB
>
> > Ron, I quit about 14 years ago after 25 years. =A0I had a heart attack =
about 4
> > years ago. =A0My cardiologist told me I would not have survived it if I=
had not
> > quit smoking when I did. =A0One doctor told me many years ago that the =
lungs begin
> > healing as soon as you quit.
>
> Maybe, but I have my doubts. =A0Quit smoking almost 15 years ago after a
> 2-pack+ / day habit for 35 years. =A0I do have emphysema, lungs of an
> 85-year (will be 69 this week), and it's not getting better, if
> anything, worse. =A0No second-hand smoke to blame it on either.
>
> Matt

That, as I said, is my concern. Luckily I am married to a very health-
conscious wife who is fighting an unmediated (and so far successful)
fight against genetic high cholesterol. We eat right and try to walk
3.5 to 6 miles a day with some cycling. As long as we keep going with
this maybe I can push the effects off for some time.

RonB

On Jun 17, 5:47=A0am, Dave <[email protected]> wrote:

>
> Of course no one forced them to do it.

True but peer pressure played a fair role with me starting. During
the early 60's we were still pretty ignorant on the effects of
smoking. TV hero's had cigarettes hanging from their lips and the
Marlboro Man hadn't died of the effects yet. When I started openly
smoking my folks didn't like it but both smoked. Many if not most of
my friends smoked. I'll never forget one small-town Halloween evening
when the nightwatchman rounded up a dozen or more of us for general
mischief. We were all sitting on the curb, most were smoking and
staring at the ground when we hear a voice from behind "Well....that
looks like most of my football team!". It was the coach and MY GOD
did we run wind sprints the next afternoon!

Thankfully, youth of today don't have that kind of peer pressure: but
I still seem quite a few smokers among the teen-early 20's crowd. And
this includes some who really don't seem to make sense - smart young
college types as well as others. The other thing that doesn't make
sense is hospitals and nursing homes. When you hang around these
facilities you see large numbers of nurses, other employees and a few
doctors who absolutely know better --but they are smoking.

But then, did you ever see a health dietician who weighted less than
200 pounds? :O).

RonB

On Sun, 17 Jun 2012 06:06:35 -0700 (PDT), RonB <[email protected]>
wrote:



>
>True but peer pressure played a fair role with me starting. During
>the early 60's we were still pretty ignorant on the effects of
>smoking. TV hero's had cigarettes hanging from their lips and the
>Marlboro Man hadn't died of the effects yet. When I started openly
>smoking my folks didn't like it but both smoked. Many if not most of
>my friends smoked.

Sounds like the way many of us started back then. Fortunately, I quit
in the mid 70s.




>
>But then, did you ever see a health dietician who weighted less than
>200 pounds? :O).
>

I have, but most are plain dumb about food. My wife has CHF and they
had her take this class and I attended.

Dietician said not to drink milkshakes as they are bad for you. I
asked if milk is OK, she said yes. I asked if small servings of ice
cream was OK and she said yes.

Dietician said to avoid sausage as it is bad for you.

I asked if ground pork is OK, and she said yes.

I asked if my home made sausage is OK. She said it is still sausage
and not good for you.

She could not wait for the class to be over and be rid of me.

Deemed chid abuse, here, now. Not sure what the penalty is but it's child
abuse in our legal system.

---------
"Zz Yzx" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

On Fri, 15 Jun 2012 21:11:27 -0700, "Lew Hodgett"
I remember vividly my folks chain smoking. My Mom packed 2 packs of
Chesterfields in Dad's lunch pail every day. When we got in the car,
the routine went: key in ignition, push the cig lighter in, pull a
smoke out of chest pocket, light cig, put car in reverse, and go".
EVERY time. And Dad would sit on the can and spit tobacco bits on the
opposite wall. The worst came after we got a car with air
conditioning and Dad wouldn't let us roll the windows down. I
breathed their second hand smoke from the day I was born until left
for college at 18. I have reason to believe I'm paying for it now.

Dad was diagnosed with lung cancer the day afer Thanksgiving 1990, and
died in January 1991. His dying mantra: "They haven't proven
anything". Mom died from smoking-related cancer in 1994.

Funny thing, my 2 sisters and I have NEVER smoked ONE cigarrette
(aside from second-hand smoke).

"Dave" wrote in message news:[email protected]...

On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 08:07:55 -0400, "G.W. Ross" <[email protected]>
>childhood friends gone. Not sure I want to toddle around in a nursing
>home waiting to die when I reach the max life span. I'd rather be
>wasting away in Margaritaville.

Really lousy advice. For every one or two who smoke, drink and reach a
ripe old age, a dozen who did the same thing die off early with after
experiencing really difficult health problems.
==================================================================
Who forced them to do it.

On 6/16/2012 9:36 AM, RonB wrote:
> On Jun 15, 11:11 pm, "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Started smoking during the early 1960's when I was about 14. I quit
> about 15-20 years ago but still wonder how much damage I did to
> myself.

Quit a three pack a day habit of thirty years on November 16, 1991 at 2AM.

I still think smoking was one of the great pleasures of life ... not
since have I taken those relaxing "smoke breaks" that broke a hard day's
work into manageable chunks.

But we do know that, after that many years, the danger still lies within.

That said, the doctors made my paternal grandfather quit at the age of
93 (unfiltered, roll-your-own, Prince Albert pipe tobacco, smoked like a
cigarette since the age of nine).

We would be so lucky ...

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

Lew Hodgett wrote:
> Just received the following from my daughter about her uncle,
> (My Ex BIL).
>
> Born in 1945, a heavy smoker all his life, looks like the big "C"
> finally got him.
>
> If you still smoke, might want to think about it.
>
> It's never TOO LATE to quit.
>
> Nothing to enjoy about this one.
>
> Lew
> --------------------------------------

8>< snip

No, I don't smoke. 67 is pretty good mileage for a '45 model and we
all have to go some way. After 70 it is all downhill--many of your
childhood friends gone. Not sure I want to toddle around in a nursing
home waiting to die when I reach the max life span. I'd rather be
wasting away in Margaritaville.


--
G.W. Ross

How do you get holy water?... Boil the
hell out of it!

"G.W. Ross" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> After 70 it is all downhill

Pfffft. Tell that to my father, an avid bicyclist.

Dad's going to be 81 in September. He bicycled 70 miles on his 70th birthday, and decided
last summer he was going to try for "80 on 80".

He actually managed 83 miles -- with four friends in their 30s accompanying him in 20-mile
relays. They were more worn out at the end of the day than he was.

> --many of your
> childhood friends gone. Not sure I want to toddle around in a nursing
> home waiting to die when I reach the max life span. I'd rather be
> wasting away in Margaritaville.

That's what my wife's parents are doing -- just wasting away and waiting to die. But they're
doing it in the back bedroom of our house, not in Margaritaville, because their health is
ruined. They did not take care of themselves when they were able to (poor diet, and no
exercise whatsoever), and as a result, they now are no longer able to. They could easily
*afford* Margaritaville, but they are too infirm to make the trip or to enjoy either the trip or the
destination.

Observing the differences between my parents and my wife's parents has certainly
rearranged my thinking about investing for retirement: if you don't invest in your *health*
while you still have the ability to do so, your financial investments don't mean a damn thing.

"Dave" wrote in message news:[email protected]...

On Sun, 17 Jun 2012 02:33:32 -0700, "CW" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Really lousy advice. For every one or two who smoke, drink and reach a
>ripe old age, a dozen who did the same thing die off early with after
>experiencing really difficult health problems.
>========================================
>Who forced them to do it.

Feel like playing it stupid do you?

Of course no one forced them to do it. The fact is that society as a
whole pays the bulk of the cost when people become sick. There's a
definite benefit to be had by enabling programs and advertising to try
and convince people to quit smoking, drinking, exercise more and eat
properly.
=========== ======================================================
So, you agree that no one forced them. Your socialist argument is crap. I
don't live in Canada.

I was a pack and a half puffer from the age of 15. At 61, I was
diagnosed with a blocked carotid and quit at 2:45 p.m. EST on 1/4/06. I
still miss 'em, but I know if I have one I'll be back to a pack a day
within a week.

Here's the good news: The docs say lungs repair themselves over time.
Mine should be nice and pink by now, but there's only one way to find
out ... and I'm not ready for that.

I'm 66 and outside of some arthritis and diabetes I enjoy very good
health. Hoping to retire next spring if the economy doesn't collapse
and spend more quality time making sawdust.


On 6/15/2012 11:11 PM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
> Just received the following from my daughter about her uncle,
> (My Ex BIL).
>
> Born in 1945, a heavy smoker all his life, looks like the big "C"
> finally got him.
>
> If you still smoke, might want to think about it.
>
> It's never TOO LATE to quit.
>
> Nothing to enjoy about this one.
>
> Lew
> --------------------------------------
>
>> Hope you enjoy the weekend and Happy Father's day.
>
>> I have some bad news that I thought you might want to know about.
>
>> Uncle D was just diagnosed with Stage IV small cell lung cancer.
>
>> It's already spread to his liver, adrenal gland, lymph nodes and
>> brain.
>
>> Hard to believe!
>
>> He wasn't even feeling really sick.
>
>> Just thought he had a sinus infection.
>
>> They gave him 6 weeks without treatment and a year or more with
> treatment.
>
>> He's starting brain radiation next week.
>
>> Apparently chemo doesn't work on the brain. Who knew?
>
>> After 3 weeks of radiation, he'll have a week off and then start
>> chemo.
>
>> The good news is small cell cancer responds very well to treatment.
>
>> The bad news is that small cell cancer usually returns.
>
>> We'll have to wait and see and pray.
>
>> So, who knows about Uncle D.
>
>> Maybe the treatments will work and it won't come back.
>
>> Anyway, hope you're feeling ok.
>
>
>

On Fri, 15 Jun 2012 21:11:27 -0700, "Lew Hodgett"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Just received the following from my daughter about her uncle,
>(My Ex BIL).
>
>Born in 1945, a heavy smoker all his life, looks like the big "C"
>finally got him.

I remember vividly my folks chain smoking. My Mom packed 2 packs of
Chesterfields in Dad's lunch pail every day. When we got in the car,
the routine went: key in ignition, push the cig lighter in, pull a
smoke out of chest pocket, light cig, put car in reverse, and go".
EVERY time. And Dad would sit on the can and spit tobacco bits on the
opposite wall. The worst came after we got a car with air
conditioning and Dad wouldn't let us roll the windows down. I
breathed their second hand smoke from the day I was born until left
for college at 18. I have reason to believe I'm paying for it now.

Dad was diagnosed with lung cancer the day afer Thanksgiving 1990, and
died in January 1991. His dying mantra: "They haven't proven
anything". Mom died from smoking-related cancer in 1994.

Funny thing, my 2 sisters and I have NEVER smoked ONE cigarrette
(aside from second-hand smoke).

On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 08:07:55 -0400, "G.W. Ross" <[email protected]>
>childhood friends gone. Not sure I want to toddle around in a nursing
>home waiting to die when I reach the max life span. I'd rather be
>wasting away in Margaritaville.

Really lousy advice. For every one or two who smoke, drink and reach a
ripe old age, a dozen who did the same thing die off early with after
experiencing really difficult health problems.

OK Doug!

oooops... Dave.
-------

"Dave" wrote in message news:[email protected]...
So, THAT explains why you're a blithering idiot. Obviously, you got
hit in the head too often.

---

On Sun, 17 Jun 2012 23:15:27 -0400, "m II" <[email protected]> wrote:
>I quit in the late 70s and knew it was bad in the 50s when I started.
>That why our parents beat us stupid when we got caught.

On Jun 16, 9:32=A0am, Swingman <[email protected]> wrote:
> On 6/16/2012 9:06 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
> > On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 08:19:55 -0500, "HeyBub" <[email protected]>
> > wrote:
>
> >> (Of course Sigmund Freud said
> >> "Sometimes a cigar is only a cigar.")
>
> > Are you sure? =A0I though Bill Clinton said that.
>
> Actually, I think it was Monica ...
>
> --www.eWoodShop.com
> Last update: 4/15/2010
> KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

Actually, Monica said ".....a cigar is only a CIGARRROHHHHHHWOOOOW!"

On Jun 17, 12:19=A0pm, RonB <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Jun 17, 12:05=A0pm, Matt <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > On 6/16/2012 10:56 PM, Roy wrote:
>
> > > On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 07:36:59 -0700 (PDT), RonB <[email protected]> =
wrote:
>
> > >> On Jun 15, 11:11 pm, "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > >> Started smoking during the early 1960's when I was about 14. =A0I qu=
it
> > >> about 15-20 years ago but still wonder how much damage I did to
> > >> myself.
>
> > >> RonB
>
> > > Ron, I quit about 14 years ago after 25 years. =A0I had a heart attac=
k about 4
> > > years ago. =A0My cardiologist told me I would not have survived it if=
I had not
> > > quit smoking when I did. =A0One doctor told me many years ago that th=
e lungs begin
> > > healing as soon as you quit.
>
> > Maybe, but I have my doubts. =A0Quit smoking almost 15 years ago after =
a
> > 2-pack+ / day habit for 35 years. =A0I do have emphysema, lungs of an
> > 85-year (will be 69 this week), and it's not getting better, if
> > anything, worse. =A0No second-hand smoke to blame it on either.
>
> > Matt
>
> That, as I said, is my concern. =A0Luckily I am married to a very health-
> conscious wife who is fighting an unmediated (and so far successful)
> fight against genetic high cholesterol. =A0We eat right and try to walk
> 3.5 to 6 miles a day with some cycling. =A0As long as we keep going with
> this maybe I can push the effects off for some time.
>
> RonB

Sorry - should have said "un-medicated"

On Sun, 17 Jun 2012 23:15:27 -0400, "m II" <[email protected]> wrote:
>I quit in the late 70s and knew it was bad in the 50s when I started.
>That why our parents beat us stupid when we got caught.

So, THAT explains why you're a blithering idiot. Obviously, you got
hit in the head too often.

On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 07:36:59 -0700 (PDT), RonB <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Jun 15, 11:11 pm, "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>Started smoking during the early 1960's when I was about 14. I quit
>about 15-20 years ago but still wonder how much damage I did to
>myself.
>
>RonB

Ron, I quit about 14 years ago after 25 years. I had a heart attack about 4
years ago. My cardiologist told me I would not have survived it if I had not
quit smoking when I did. One doctor told me many years ago that the lungs begin
healing as soon as you quit.

Whether you fully recover depends on a lot of things such as how young you
started, how heavy you smoke and how long you had the habit. So maybe we're
carrying some damage around with us now, but it is a lot less than if we still
smoked, and I believe it gets a little bit better each day.

Congrats, and best wishes for 30 more healthy years.

Roy

Lew Hodgett wrote:
> Just received the following from my daughter about her uncle,
> (My Ex BIL).
>
> Born in 1945, a heavy smoker all his life, looks like the big "C"
> finally got him.
>
> If you still smoke, might want to think about it.
>
> It's never TOO LATE to quit.
>
> Nothing to enjoy about this one.
>

Likewise, it's never too late to start! As Mark Twain said: "A woman is only
a woman, but a cigar? That's a smoke!" (Of course Sigmund Freud said
"Sometimes a cigar is only a cigar.")

Now I've had many a do-gooder, like the above, revile me with unsolicited
advice. Sometimes they skip the advice and move immediately to Phase II.

(Granny lady whacks me with her umbrella): "You godless communist! You can't
smoke here!"

Rejoinder (pick one):

"It's all right, madam, I'm French."
"If I quit, what will we use to cover the smell?"
"I-Am-A-Grenade and this here cigarette is my pin. You have to ask yourself,
'Do I feel lucky?'. Well, punk, DO you feel lucky?"
(The Nixon response) "I believe it is out."
"Put out my cigarette? I've been trying for almost an hour! Now, now, don't
tell me. I've go to figure this out for myself!"

I have a few more in my repertoire, that I use depending on the occasion.

On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 08:19:55 -0500, "HeyBub" <[email protected]>
wrote:



> (Of course Sigmund Freud said
>"Sometimes a cigar is only a cigar.")

Are you sure? I though Bill Clinton said that.

On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 08:19:55 -0500, HeyBub wrote:

> Likewise, it's never too late to start! As Mark Twain said: "A woman is
> only a woman, but a cigar? That's a smoke!" (Of course Sigmund Freud
> said "Sometimes a cigar is only a cigar.")

Having grown up in Kentucky, of course I smoked. Starting at the age of
14 on a dare with an evil black stogie (Marse Wheeling?). Didn't get
sick, but switched to cigarettes as they were cheaper - 12 or 14 cents a
pack for the cheap brands in 1951. I smoked unfiltered ones for about 20
years and then switched to filtered.

When I was 60 I had a small heart attack and was convinced to quit. But
I got my cardiologist to agree that one cigar a month was OK. I did that
for 10 years. When I turned 70 I decided I could go to one a week. If I
make it to 80 maybe I'll up that - 5 more years to go.

One interesting note. I lived in L.A. for 10 years. When I moved to
Boise and went in for a physical, my doctor informed me that I was 40, my
body was 30, and my lungs were 80.

Six years later I moved to Virginia. At my next physical my doctor said
he hated me - I'd been smoking for 30+ years and my lungs showed no sign
of damage.

Ten years of smog followed by six years of mountain air.

Now don't get me wrong. There's no way smoking is good for you. If you
don't smoke now, don't start. Unless you're in your 70s - you'll die of
something else before the smoking can kill you :-).

For those of you who do, if you can't quit, at least cut down. Way
down. If I can go from a carton a week to one cigar a month, so can
you. All it takes is motivation.

--
Intelligence is an experiment that failed - G. B. Shaw

"Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Just received the following from my daughter about her uncle,
> (My Ex BIL).
>
> Born in 1945, a heavy smoker all his life, looks like the big "C"
> finally got him.
>
> If you still smoke, might want to think about it.
>
> It's never TOO LATE to quit.
>
> Nothing to enjoy about this one.
>
> Lew

My Grandpa was killed when he stepped in front of a beer truck. My Grandma
said that beer would get him killed one day.

Steve

"the early 60's we were still pretty ignorant on the effects of
smoking"

I hear this baloney all the time! People knew of the health problems of
smoking at the turn of last century. Just like you posted even your
parents knew better from the forties.

I quit in the late 70s and knew it was bad in the 50s when I started.
That why our parents beat us stupid when we got caught.


---------------
"RonB" wrote in message
news:81b25303-b5a5-41b3-99c3-c6ba86c69bb5@y41g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...

True but peer pressure played a fair role with me starting. During
the early 60's we were still pretty ignorant on the effects of
smoking. TV hero's had cigarettes hanging from their lips and the
Marlboro Man hadn't died of the effects yet. When I started openly
smoking my folks didn't like it but both smoked.

<snippage>

RonB

On 6/16/2012 9:06 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 08:19:55 -0500, "HeyBub" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>> (Of course Sigmund Freud said
>> "Sometimes a cigar is only a cigar.")
>
> Are you sure? I though Bill Clinton said that.

Actually, I think it was Monica ...


--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 10:20:14 -0500, Swingman <[email protected]> wrote:

>On 6/16/2012 9:36 AM, RonB wrote:
>> On Jun 15, 11:11 pm, "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> Started smoking during the early 1960's when I was about 14. I quit
>> about 15-20 years ago but still wonder how much damage I did to
>> myself.
>
>Quit a three pack a day habit of thirty years on November 16, 1991 at 2AM.

I quit a daily 2+ pack (of 100's) habit in Feb of 1988 and haven't had
a single regret about it since. I've never longed for a cig since,
either. I hate 'em, they stink, and people who smoke them reek.


>I still think smoking was one of the great pleasures of life ... not

That's seriously too bad, Swingy.

>since have I taken those relaxing "smoke breaks" that broke a hard day's
>work into manageable chunks.

You know that you -should- have, right? Just walk out to where you
would have (or find a place with cleaner air) and take a few deep
breaths, only this time, it would be clear, fresh air. I did that
whenever life got hard, and it worked much better than suckin' on a
fag would have.


>But we do know that, after that many years, the danger still lies within.
>
>That said, the doctors made my paternal grandfather quit at the age of
>93 (unfiltered, roll-your-own, Prince Albert pipe tobacco, smoked like a
>cigarette since the age of nine).
>
>We would be so lucky ...

The extremely vast majority of the danger ends when you quit smoking.
Some things still sneak up on you, but once you quit, you're pretty
much over all the dangers. I always gear up for work in any area
filled with particulates of any kind, including mowing the lawn and
cutting/sanding wood. I love my lungs and want to protect 'em. Ears,
eyes, knees, lungs, hands. I try to protect mine.

--
Stain and poly are their own punishment.

"HeyBub" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

Lew Hodgett wrote:
> Just received the following from my daughter about her uncle,
> (My Ex BIL).
>
> Born in 1945, a heavy smoker all his life, looks like the big "C"
> finally got him.
>
> If you still smoke, might want to think about it.
>
> It's never TOO LATE to quit.
>
> Nothing to enjoy about this one.
>

Likewise, it's never too late to start! As Mark Twain said: "A woman is only
a woman, but a cigar? That's a smoke!" (Of course Sigmund Freud said
"Sometimes a cigar is only a cigar.")

Now I've had many a do-gooder, like the above, revile me with unsolicited
advice. Sometimes they skip the advice and move immediately to Phase II.

(Granny lady whacks me with her umbrella): "You godless communist! You can't
smoke here!"

Rejoinder (pick one):

"It's all right, madam, I'm French."
"If I quit, what will we use to cover the smell?"
"I-Am-A-Grenade and this here cigarette is my pin. You have to ask yourself,
'Do I feel lucky?'. Well, punk, DO you feel lucky?"
(The Nixon response) "I believe it is out."
"Put out my cigarette? I've been trying for almost an hour! Now, now, don't
tell me. I've go to figure this out for myself!"

I have a few more in my repertoire, that I use depending on the occasion.
=========================================================================
My wife has a shirt that says "Thank you for holding your breath while I
smoke".

On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 10:20:14 -0500, Swingman <[email protected]> wrote:
>But we do know that, after that many years, the danger still lies within.

Yes, but as most people who have quit smoking know, the noticeable
benefits far outweigh the danger that remains.

I quite smoking 33 years ago when I was 25. One day, I just got really
tired of the bad taste in my mouth, the sore throat and the nicotine
smell on my fingers.

Three months after I quit, I tried a cigarette and it tasted terrible.
I've never had the urge to smoke again. People have told me that I
wasn't really addicted then, but those ten years of smoking might
suggest otherwise. In any event, it was one of the smartest things
I've ever done.

On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 09:32:55 -0500, Swingman <[email protected]> wrote:

>On 6/16/2012 9:06 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>> On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 08:19:55 -0500, "HeyBub" <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>> (Of course Sigmund Freud said
>>> "Sometimes a cigar is only a cigar.")
>>
>> Are you sure? I though Bill Clinton said that.
>
>Actually, I think it was Monica ...

Didn't she say "A sucker is born every minute."?

--
Stain and poly are their own punishment.

On Sun, 17 Jun 2012 11:37:47 -0700, "CW" <[email protected]> wrote:

>>"Dave" wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>>Of course no one forced them to do it. The fact is that society as a
>>whole pays the bulk of the cost when people become sick. There's a
>>definite benefit to be had by enabling programs and advertising to try
>>and convince people to quit smoking, drinking, exercise more and eat
>>properly.
>=========== =================================
>So, you agree that no one forced them. Your socialist argument is crap. I
>don't live in Canada.

So anti smoking ads and the government promotion of exercise are
socialist arguments eh? Are you fucking serious???

Hope you heal fast and get your butt out of the wheelchair real soon.
In the meantime, during your next medical appointment, I'd suggest you
tell your doctor that you've also suffered a serious Acquired Brain
Injury.

On 6/17/2012 12:22 PM, RonB wrote:

>> That, as I said, is my concern. Luckily I am married to a very health-
>> conscious wife who is fighting an unmediated (and so far successful)
>> fight against genetic high cholesterol. We eat right and try to walk
>> 3.5 to 6 miles a day with some cycling. As long as we keep going with
>> this maybe I can push the effects off for some time.
>>
>> RonB
>
> Sorry - should have said "un-medicated"

She doesn't like Statins either, eh?

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop