I had to share this with you all

[Soozie]

I've just had an afternoon out with one of my closest girlfriends ...

 

She's a specialist nurse in oncology.  She has known me for 26 years and in that time she has watched my constant quits and relapses, she has never judged me or lectured me. Today I was telling her about this quit, and the forum and all the support I've been getting, I explained to her how determined I am to stay quit this time.

 

She must have seen something different in me becaue for the first time she started to tell me what it's like to watch people die of lung cancer, how it is for their loved one's to watch them. She told me of a patient that died from copd and emphysema. She told me of a 36 year old woman and how she reacted when she found out she had lung cancer, she'd never smoked but was always around her very heavy smoking parents, she told me how guilty her parents felt. She deals with this every day, and every day she get's newly diagnosed patients.

 

My friend pleaded with me to never smoke again, she said she couldn't bare the thought of seeing me go through that, she couldn't bare to see my family watch me go through that. 

 

Perhaps this wouldn't be everyone's idea of a great afternoon, but it was, because she really got through to me. I haven't passed this on to you all to upset you, I'm hoping it will make you all even more determined to make this your very last quit. 

 

I was going to ask her why she'd never told me all of this before, but I know the answer, it was because I wasn't ready to listen. My friend is a very wise woman !

 

Sue x

[action]

Your friend is wise. But so are you.

 

That was a really excellent post, and for me personally, it makes me more determined. So thank you for sharing it.

[Doreensfree]

Hi sue,

How wise your friend is.....so true......until we are ready ,we just put the shutters up.....

My best friend is the same......I just listen to her giving me all the usual excuses of why she doesn't need to quit....so sad.....

I keep hoping and praying ,she will join me one day.....

I had my shutters well and truly closed for 5 decades......

Hugs

[Pippa]

Aw Soosie - you are right you wouldn't have listened- but now you are that much smarter and thanks for sharing

[Still winning]

Soozie your post really touched my heart.  I'm pleased your friend felt you were really ready to listen and as the daughter to that COPD mother, you do not want your kids to go through what I face. I quit because it finally sunk in I couldn't do that to my own girls. Keep that strength and focus, that alone is enough to guide me through craves, I ask for help but never sos cause I can just look up and see a real sos in action :(  Powerful post and thank you for sharing. xx

[Tink]

even when you see your closest love ones waste away and die, this addiction is so bad and made us in such denial but when that wake up call comes and you think you should quit - thats when to act immediately

[babs609]

addictions suck!  

 

Soozie....I am glad you had this chat with your friend as it has clearly reinforced your quit...and mine!  Thanks for posting!

[Frezflops]

it is great and your friend is a wise one........I also see effect of smoking of my patients in the OR whether they are losing a limb due to decreased circulation or the way they wake up and we have worry more about their airway.......heres a little story about me, I had a tonsillectomy in 2009 (I was a smoker then) woke up from anesthesia still in the OR room and had 5 laryngospasms. it was scary as all hell couldnt breathe at all they used PEEP (positive-end-expiratory-pressure) they finally had to do an epi updraft I scared all the people in the OR (my coworkers) one nurse stated she hates circulating tonsillectomies now because of me (not really but sort of) guess what I still went back to smoking after that surgery, you would think that after that I would be able to quit but no I wasnt too bright just kept on going until my husbands heart stent placement prompted my and his quit.  Addiction is a stupid thing and makes you make stupid decisions. SMH. 

[El Bandito]

Thanks Soozie.

 

I needed that. Great post.

[Evelyn]

I don't have a memory of my mother dying. it was so horrofying I blocked it, she died of lung cancer

[Runfree]

Bumping up from the back shelves.