Some background:
Lots of smokers in my family...two of my close cousins recently gone from cancer/heart issues (both long-time smokers), another one (long-time smoker) lost his larynx (throat cancer) and now breathes through a stoma in throat - luckily, he was able to learn to speak by swallowing air but his voice is very different now!)
Both my parents were long-time smokers and eventually each lost a lung to smoking.
Dad made it to 61 after his surgery but his quality of life after losing the lung was not too good for his last 7 years due to complications from the surgery. Had to retire early. 33 years ago, this month, was the anniversary of his death.
My Mom was diagnosed a year or so after my Dad died and psychologically she had a very hard time dealing with the loss of Dad, loss of her lung and quitting smoking. She also retired early. Over the ensuing years since the removal of her lung, she was diagnosed early stage COPD, had 2 strokes (no lasting damage from either one) and a double heart bypass (CABGx2) after a heart attack. She was able to recover and is still here with us, although she now suffers from Parkinson's disease (last 10 years or so) and macular degeneration (she is vision-impaired now) (smoking related?) which is taking its toll on her.
We (her 5 children) were fortunate to be able to keep her at home with home health aides for 9 hours per day/7 days a week. She had a fall a few weeks ago and started hallucinating so had to make a trip to ER. She is currently in a nursing home/rehab and we now have to consider that she may have to become a permanent resident there. Due to Covid-19, we can only visit her once a week by appt, have to have bring proof of a neg Covid-19 test with us. She will be 87 next week. All very stressful, as you can imagine.....
Yes, while all of the above was going on with my parents and cousins I still kept puffing away...but my day was coming!
What has smoking cost me?
Smoking has done a number on my health along with others in my family . In early 2017, 70% stenosis in my left carotid artery which caused an ischemic stroke which occurred while at work (fully recovered now). Received a stent in neck. After much testing to see what other damage I might have done to myself with 40+ years of smoking - CT Scans revealed first stage of emphysema (told to stop smoking immediately and no further damage, cardiac intervention revealed blockages to cardiac arteries told needed a bypass which would happen immediately-I wasn't allowed to leave hospital!). In early 2018, underwent a CABGx3 - which means having a triple bypass to avoid having a massive heart attack. Surgeon initially thought I might need a CABGx4!! I got lucky "only needed a CABGx3" ! I was able to return to work after a 3 month cardiac rehabilitation program. I retired in early 2019....
On a lighter note: Had my exercise/nuclear stress test last week along with an echocardiogram this week and my cardiologist is very pleased with my progress...won't have to return to his office for 6 months for normal followup.
My thoughts:
It's important not to put your head in the sand if you have been a long-time smoker...bad things could be going on in your body and you have little or no symptoms. Get an annual checkup and stress test. Ask for a referral to a pulmonologist and get a baseline low-dose lung ct scan! I am so glad I did those things....
It took me 3 tries to finally quit smoking, spread out over a 25 year span. 1st time was cold-turkey...lasted one month, 2nd time was hypnosis...lasted 6 months and the 3rd time was through sheer terror at finding out what smoking had done to me and now my chest was going to be cut open (along with NRT and finding an online no smoking support group that is no longer around (QSMB) and eventually here at QTrain...been quit over 3 1/2 years now! Never thought I would be able to do it yet here I am...enjoying my freedom from that nasty addiction. Hardest thing I have ever done but sooo worth it!!
Here's to carrying on and being smoke-free!
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