"It seems like nowadays everybody's dropping like flies, all my friends"
- Thread starter DTL
- Start date
My friends>>>>Quit smoking. Do it now. Do not fk around. Lung cancer is not forgiving. I was a 2-3 pk a day smoker. Stopped for one full day and then one more and so on. Smoke free since 1989. I did it....you can do it. My brother died from LC at 55. Left his 13 year old son fatherless. As the saying goes....Stop smoking for the ones that love you.
Anyway take physicals annually or as scheduled. Early detection is everything.
Anyway take physicals annually or as scheduled. Early detection is everything.
i hope my siezures are from the concussion i had 7 months ago in a car accident.
Thanks for the heads up with that but if this is the case it is probably too late.
Thanks again......
Thanks for the heads up with that but if this is the case it is probably too late.
Thanks again......
This February will be 6 years that I quit smoking ciggies, but I spent MANY, MANY years in smoke-filled pool rooms, inhaling second-hand smoke while I was smoking, sad to say.
Keith promises me that on January 1st, he will quit smoking. I remind him of it every day that we have to go out and buy cigarettes at $8 to $10 a pack. He smokes outside on the porch, but you can still smell it when he walks back in the house.
Keith reads AzBilliards forum when he wakes up, before he makes his daily bets. You hear that, Keith? January 1st is right around the corner. :grin-square:
That said, when I was smoking, I couldn't stand people telling me that I should quit for my own good, et cetera. It pissed me off. I enjoyed smoking a lot, but now that I have quit, I only wish I had quit many years ago. I'm over it. They say nicotine addiction is worse than a heroin addiction when it comes to quitting. I can't believe I did it. I quit for 3-1/2 years when I was in my 30s, and I ended up going back. Well, not now. Everybody I know is dropping like flies due to cigarette-related deaths, IMO.
Maryland One-Pocket player Michael "Geese" Gerace died at the age of 54 from cancer. He smoked Lucky Strikes without the filter, a couple packs a day.
Here's a little food for thought for anyone who is contemplating quitting.
Within:
20 minutes - Your blood pressure, pulse rate and the temperature of your hands and feet have returned to normal.
8 hours - Remaining nicotine in your bloodstream has fallen to 6.25% of normal peak daily levels, a 93.75% reduction.
12 hours - Your blood oxygen level has increased to normal. Carbon monoxide levels have dropped to normal.
24 hours - Anxieties have peaked in intensity and within two weeks should return to near pre-cessation levels.
48 hours - Damaged nerve endings have started to regrow and your sense of smell and taste are beginning to return to normal. Cessation anger and irritability will have peaked.
72 hours - Your entire body will test 100% nicotine-free and over 90% of all nicotine metabolites (the chemicals it breaks down into) will now have passed from your body via your urine. Symptoms of chemical withdrawal have peaked in intensity, including restlessness. The number of cue induced crave episodes experienced during any quitting day have peaked for the "average" ex-user. Lung bronchial tubes leading to air sacs (alveoli) are beginning to relax in recovering smokers. Breathing is becoming easier and your lung's functional abilities are starting to increase.
5-8 days - The "average" ex-smoker will encounter an "average" of three cue induced crave episodes per day. Although we may not be "average" and although serious cessation time distortion can make minutes feel like hours, it is unlikely that any single episode will last longer than 3 minutes. Keep a clock handy and time them.
10 days - The "average" ex-user is down to encountering less than two crave episodes per day, each less than 3 minutes.
10 days to 2 weeks - Recovery has likely progressed to the point where your addiction is no longer doing the talking. Blood circulation in your gums and teeth are now similar to that of a non-user.
2 to 4 weeks - Cessation related anger, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, impatience, insomnia, restlessness and depression have ended. If still experiencing any of these symptoms get seen and evaluated by your physician.
21 days - Brain acetylcholine receptor counts that were up-regulated in response to nicotine's presence have now down-regulated and receptor binding has returned to levels seen in the brains of non-smokers.
8 weeks - Insulin resistance in smokers has normalized despite average weight gain of 2.7 kg (1997 study).
1 to 9 months - Any smoking related sinus congestion, fatigue or shortness of breath has decreased. Cilia have regrown in your lungs, thereby increasing their ability to handle mucus, keep your lungs clean and reduce infections. Your body's overall energy has increased.
1 year - Your excess risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke has dropped to less than half that of a smoker.
5 years - Your risk of a subarachnoid haemorrhage has declined to 59% of your risk while still smoking (2012 study).
5 to 15 years - Your risk of stroke has declined to that of a non-smoker.
10 years - Your risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer is between 30% and 50% of that for a continuing smoker. Risk of death from lung cancer has declined by almost half if you were an average smoker (one pack per day). Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus and pancreas have declined. Risk of developing diabetes for both men and women is now similar to that of a never-smoker.
13 years - The average smoker who is able to live to age 75 has 5.8 fewer teeth than a non-smoker. But by year 13 after quitting, your risk of smoking induced tooth loss has declined to that of a never-smoker.
15 years - Your risk of coronary heart disease is now that of a person who has never smoked. Your risk of pancreatic cancer has declined to that of a never-smoker.
20 years - Excess risk of death from all smoking related causes, including lung disease and cancer, has now reduced to that of a never-smoker.
Keith promises me that on January 1st, he will quit smoking. I remind him of it every day that we have to go out and buy cigarettes at $8 to $10 a pack. He smokes outside on the porch, but you can still smell it when he walks back in the house.
Keith reads AzBilliards forum when he wakes up, before he makes his daily bets. You hear that, Keith? January 1st is right around the corner. :grin-square:
That said, when I was smoking, I couldn't stand people telling me that I should quit for my own good, et cetera. It pissed me off. I enjoyed smoking a lot, but now that I have quit, I only wish I had quit many years ago. I'm over it. They say nicotine addiction is worse than a heroin addiction when it comes to quitting. I can't believe I did it. I quit for 3-1/2 years when I was in my 30s, and I ended up going back. Well, not now. Everybody I know is dropping like flies due to cigarette-related deaths, IMO.
Maryland One-Pocket player Michael "Geese" Gerace died at the age of 54 from cancer. He smoked Lucky Strikes without the filter, a couple packs a day.
Here's a little food for thought for anyone who is contemplating quitting.
Within:
20 minutes - Your blood pressure, pulse rate and the temperature of your hands and feet have returned to normal.
8 hours - Remaining nicotine in your bloodstream has fallen to 6.25% of normal peak daily levels, a 93.75% reduction.
12 hours - Your blood oxygen level has increased to normal. Carbon monoxide levels have dropped to normal.
24 hours - Anxieties have peaked in intensity and within two weeks should return to near pre-cessation levels.
48 hours - Damaged nerve endings have started to regrow and your sense of smell and taste are beginning to return to normal. Cessation anger and irritability will have peaked.
72 hours - Your entire body will test 100% nicotine-free and over 90% of all nicotine metabolites (the chemicals it breaks down into) will now have passed from your body via your urine. Symptoms of chemical withdrawal have peaked in intensity, including restlessness. The number of cue induced crave episodes experienced during any quitting day have peaked for the "average" ex-user. Lung bronchial tubes leading to air sacs (alveoli) are beginning to relax in recovering smokers. Breathing is becoming easier and your lung's functional abilities are starting to increase.
5-8 days - The "average" ex-smoker will encounter an "average" of three cue induced crave episodes per day. Although we may not be "average" and although serious cessation time distortion can make minutes feel like hours, it is unlikely that any single episode will last longer than 3 minutes. Keep a clock handy and time them.
10 days - The "average" ex-user is down to encountering less than two crave episodes per day, each less than 3 minutes.
10 days to 2 weeks - Recovery has likely progressed to the point where your addiction is no longer doing the talking. Blood circulation in your gums and teeth are now similar to that of a non-user.
2 to 4 weeks - Cessation related anger, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, impatience, insomnia, restlessness and depression have ended. If still experiencing any of these symptoms get seen and evaluated by your physician.
21 days - Brain acetylcholine receptor counts that were up-regulated in response to nicotine's presence have now down-regulated and receptor binding has returned to levels seen in the brains of non-smokers.
8 weeks - Insulin resistance in smokers has normalized despite average weight gain of 2.7 kg (1997 study).
1 to 9 months - Any smoking related sinus congestion, fatigue or shortness of breath has decreased. Cilia have regrown in your lungs, thereby increasing their ability to handle mucus, keep your lungs clean and reduce infections. Your body's overall energy has increased.
1 year - Your excess risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke has dropped to less than half that of a smoker.
5 years - Your risk of a subarachnoid haemorrhage has declined to 59% of your risk while still smoking (2012 study).
5 to 15 years - Your risk of stroke has declined to that of a non-smoker.
10 years - Your risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer is between 30% and 50% of that for a continuing smoker. Risk of death from lung cancer has declined by almost half if you were an average smoker (one pack per day). Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus and pancreas have declined. Risk of developing diabetes for both men and women is now similar to that of a never-smoker.
13 years - The average smoker who is able to live to age 75 has 5.8 fewer teeth than a non-smoker. But by year 13 after quitting, your risk of smoking induced tooth loss has declined to that of a never-smoker.
15 years - Your risk of coronary heart disease is now that of a person who has never smoked. Your risk of pancreatic cancer has declined to that of a never-smoker.
20 years - Excess risk of death from all smoking related causes, including lung disease and cancer, has now reduced to that of a never-smoker.
I hope Keith has a Plan B ready as quitting "cold turkey" on January 1 isn't going to be as easy as he thinks it will be.
The following information on the symptoms of lung cancer may be useful to some of you:
Lung cancer typically doesn't cause signs and symptoms in its earliest stages. Signs and symptoms of lung cancer typically occur only when the disease is advanced.
Signs and symptoms of lung cancer may include:
A new cough that doesn't go away
Changes in a chronic cough or "smoker's cough"
Coughing up blood, even a small amount
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Wheezing
Hoarseness
Losing weight without trying
Bone pain
Headache
When to see a doctor:
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any signs or symptoms that worry you.
If you smoke and have been unable to quit, make an appointment with your doctor. Your doctor can recommend strategies for quitting smoking, such as counseling, medications and nicotine replacement products.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lung-cancer/DS00038
Signs and symptoms of lung cancer may include:
A new cough that doesn't go away
Changes in a chronic cough or "smoker's cough"
Coughing up blood, even a small amount
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Wheezing
Hoarseness
Losing weight without trying
Bone pain
Headache
When to see a doctor:
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any signs or symptoms that worry you.
If you smoke and have been unable to quit, make an appointment with your doctor. Your doctor can recommend strategies for quitting smoking, such as counseling, medications and nicotine replacement products.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lung-cancer/DS00038
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Oh, he will be quitting. No question in my mind. It gets a little cold in the wintertime around these parts if you have to walk 3 or 4 miles to the store in FREEZING COLD to purchase cigarettes. :grin-square:
He has another health-related issue that he needs to begin working on, and he can't do it until he quits smoking.
I agree that it ain't easy, but it has to happen. I am not going to stand by and watch Keith smoke himself to death. Now is the time for all good men to quit smoking -- at least in my home. :wink:
Pathetic Shark
Banned
Quitting smoking is easy - I did it loads of times.
Seriously, though, it's not that difficult. Giving up beer was much tougher. Giving up smoking just makes you incredibly miserable for six months - get Keith prepared for feeling like shit for the first half the year and he'll be fine around summer time.
JC
Coos Cues
My dad passed away this last Sept. He quit smoking when he was 28 years old and when he was 50 he got squamous cell cancer of the back of his mouth which doctors say was smoking related. He had major surgery and radiation and was never the same but when he was 68 it came back. The second surgery left his tongue paralyzed and he spent the last three years of his life feeding through a tube inserted into his stomach through his skin. He died from a combination of pneumonia and a lack of will to go on like that. He had pneumonia already 5 times this year. Not being able to swallow leaves all that stuff up in your head with no where to go except your lungs. His slow death these last years was horrible to watch and nurse as we spent the last year taking care of him. Had he never smoked, he would have very likely had a very different and delayed end.
JC
My best friend was a pool player, drinker and a smoker. He recently passed away from esophagus cancer, he was only 43 years old...
I agree that cancer is caused by cigarettes, no question. There is one school of thought, however, that we are all born with cancer cells, and some of us are more prone to getting cancer than others.
I bring this up because I just recently finished working on a study about this topic. Interestingly, I could not help but think of my 84-year-old girlfriend who smoked her entire life -- Newports -- and didn't quit until 2 years ago.
What is a shame is that anybody even starts smoking. When I was a kid, it was so easy to get cigarettes. They cost 25 cents a pack for regulars and 27 cents a pack for extra longs. I can remember smoking to be like my peers. Today, there are campaigns out targeting young people to prevent them from ever starting this nasty habit.
My father never smoked a cigarette in his life, and he passed away at age 76 from cancer of his duodenum (stomach) at the old Walter Reed Hospital, and they had all the best technology for that era.
I recently sent in a DNA test for Keith and me at 23andme.com. It is supposed to reveal health data. I don't know if it covers cancer, meaning I am prone to it because of my DNA.
I bring this up because I just recently finished working on a study about this topic. Interestingly, I could not help but think of my 84-year-old girlfriend who smoked her entire life -- Newports -- and didn't quit until 2 years ago.
What is a shame is that anybody even starts smoking. When I was a kid, it was so easy to get cigarettes. They cost 25 cents a pack for regulars and 27 cents a pack for extra longs. I can remember smoking to be like my peers. Today, there are campaigns out targeting young people to prevent them from ever starting this nasty habit.
My father never smoked a cigarette in his life, and he passed away at age 76 from cancer of his duodenum (stomach) at the old Walter Reed Hospital, and they had all the best technology for that era.
I recently sent in a DNA test for Keith and me at 23andme.com. It is supposed to reveal health data. I don't know if it covers cancer, meaning I am prone to it because of my DNA.
This 60 min show has a different twist on Cancer Culprits. Who knows..
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/is-sugar-toxic/
Hope it helps, Jenny. And remember, Geese Gerace did heroin as well as nicotine.
I did not think Geese did heroin. I know he did suffer from substance abuse problems, but when I knew him, it was more pot than anything else. Cocaine was prevalent during that era too, and I'm pretty sure Geese indulged -- well, I know he did. Thank goodness, hard drugs was never something that was attractive to me, which may be why I'm still here.
However, I will admit that I inhaled at one time or another.
Not today, though. 
I have lost so many friends from substance abuse over the years. Most of them that succumbed to substance abuse actually overdosed. A few friends, however, contracted blood-related diseases from needle drugs. One of my best friends growing up had to get a liver transplant. She's still here, thank goodness, but her health is poor.
The UK outlawed it a decade or so ago and it's astonishing you still have it.
We outlawed the monarchy about 250 years ago , surprised y'all still have it in its abbreviated form . I'll be glad when they practically eliminate concussion syndrome by forcing professional American football to change it rules to flag football , for the good of all employees . I'm sure they will be quarantining HIV carriers like known TB carriers soon.
Sadly just because one quits smoking does not mean you will recover completely. My Mom quit when she was about 55 then at 80 she was diagnosed with COPD. The doctors said it was from smoking. For the last two years of her life she felt like she was suffocating and insisted that she needed oxygen. They did all the tests and her oxygen levels were fine, the issue was she was unable to expel the CO2 from her lungs. Apparently when you have COPD you either cannot get enough oxygen in or the CO2 out both are very uncomfortable. Quitting smoking any sort of substance is a good thing but if the damage is done the consequences can be life changing.. Ironically my family made substantial money from our great uncle's tobacco business during the depression, enough so he owned lots of real estate and would drive around town in a Stutz Bearcat!