Smoking affects more than your lungs

[Colleen]

This can't be a complete list, I am sure.  There's a good chance you weren't aware of at least one of the diseases.  I would have never connected blindness to smoking.  

 

[El Bandito]

Blimey.

[Doreensfree]

You can add feet to ths list....I was at risk of losing mine.....

[Colleen]

You can add feet to ths list....I was at risk of losing mine.....

I remember Doreen, was it your circulation causing your problem?  

[Doreensfree]

It was the blood was not flowing properly....

My ankles had thick black bruises.....they were sore ...

After a few weeks of quiting ,I felt the difference......I still have some deep bruises,but getting better all the time.....

[JackiMac]

I am 6 years down the line from Cervical Cancer, I now get tested every year, my results came through last week "All Clear", my friends mum has problems with her feet and has been told if she doesn't stop smoking she will lose her legs, can't believe I still smoked for that 6 years afterwards!!  The Nicotine Addict can tightly hold you in its grip, so relieve I am now finally free, 

[Lynn]

Good post Colleen.  So many things are related to smoking.

Just to add more: sleep disorders, cataracts, sense of smell and taste buds to name a few.  And if you have inherited medical conditions like diabetes and smoke it causes many more significant complications.

 

It was the blood was not flowing properly....
My ankles had thick black bruises.....they were sore ...
After a few weeks of quiting ,I felt the difference......I still have some deep bruises,but getting better all the time.....

 

I am so happy that your feet are improving Doreen.

[Jenny]

Love this post Colleen!  It's is important for us to remember where we came from.   I had several of those conditions and they have either improved significantly or are gone all together.

[Frezflops]

macular degeneration is linked to smokers smoking causes more that just lung cancer. I am glad you posted this because when people think smoking they think breathing/lung they dont realize the other ways it harms your body. 

[beacon]

Oy vey.

[Rain Forest]

Colleen, awesome post!  It never hurts to be reminded what smoking can cause... you never know who is reading this that will finally choose to become a non-smoker because something clicked in their head.

 

I have very minor COPD (no drugs, no inhalers), I'm lucky that I quit smoking when I did... I wasn't even diagnosed with it until 2 years after I'd quit, even though I figured I had it because of the shortness of breath if I did a lot of stuff.

 

Jackie, it's wonderful that you are now 6 years free, I'm really happy to read this! :)

[Still winning]

Almost 2 years clear of cervical cancer here too, thankfully I was checked every 6 months after loads of weird cells over the years, sliced and diced in the end. Weird though, no one ever linked it to smoking, then I checked (after I quit) and they are linked, strange no doc ever told me they were? Don't think it would have made a difference (!!) but still....

[Soberjulie]

I love this post, and images often make a bigger impact on me. Ive saved that pic on my phone :)

[Colleen]

My grandfather died of pancreatic cancer 15 years ago, he was a heavy smoker.  Before then, I had associated smoking with lung cancer or smoker's cough.  Around the same time my mom, was found to have an aortic aneurysm, a heavy smoker herself.  My grandmother was diagnosed with COPD a few years ago, even though she hadn't smoked for many years.  I was diagnosed with COPD at 37, it is no longer an elderly person's disease.  I am willing to bet that there are a lot more diseases and conditions out there caused by smoking.  

[El Bandito]

Almost 2 years clear of cervical cancer here too, thankfully I was checked every 6 months after loads of weird cells over the years, sliced and diced in the end. Weird though, no one ever linked it to smoking, then I checked (after I quit) and they are linked, strange no doc ever told me they were? Don't think it would have made a difference (!!) but still....

Blimey luv. You don't do things by halves do you?

 

What a warrior!

[Doreensfree]

Bump ..

[PixelSketch]

It's unreal how it just affects everything. My Mom passed away from cervical cancer just over 8 years ago. She was young - in her 50's. She smoked right up until the end. It was just heartbreaking. Yet, it didn't stop any of the rest of the family, myself included, from smoking. It's just so awful to think about all the damage and destruction cigarettes do, in so many ways.

[jillar]

I'm bumping this because tomorrow we find out if my mom's feet can be saved. She's smoked all 55 years of my life. I'm not sure when she started because she gets mad if you ask her anything about her smoking.

In June my sister noticed my mom's toes were scabby and pus filled. My sis took her to a walk in clinic who directed her to the hospital. After x rays and a night in the hospital it was determined she had an infection in them and sent home with antibiotics.

They didn't work. Now after an MRI it's been determined that her circulation is so bad in her legs that if this last ditch procedure they're going to try doesn't work gangrene will set in and she will lose her legs within a couple of months.

She will not even think about quitting smoking but for those of you who are still on the fence, now is a great day to quit.....

[Reciprocity]

Geez Jillar - that's terrible! I am praying that there is some way you mom's feet/legs can be saved. I can't even imagine your frustration over the fact that your mother still won't quit. 

 

Stark reminder that the devastating effects of years of smoking can have on one's body. Pleeeeeze QUIT!

Even worse is the reminder of just how powerful a hold nicotine addiction has over us. Put your addiction to sleep people - QUIT!

[Sazerac]

Wow, @jillar what gruesome news and a reality check.

There is nothing good about tobacco and nicotine addiction.

Nothing.

 

I hope your Mom listens to somebody and stops.

I am so relieved that you built a sturdy quit, Jillar.

 

This is frightening and so damn sad.

[Sazerac]

I post this in hope it will help somebody lurking here with vascular problems

and also to make sure we all understand the vicious implications of nicotine addiction.

 

 

here is the text

 

“I’m mad that I can’t smoke anymore! It is so unfair.”

This statement was angrily expressed by a clinic participant while introducing himself to the group at the third session of his smoking clinic.

He had been totally off smoking for two full days, and was absolutely disgusted about it.

I asked him why he was giving up cigarettes if he was so miserable about the prospect of quitting.

 

His reply was quite incredible. In front of more than 20 people he said,

“I have peripheral vascular disease. I have had gangrene on one foot three times and already have lost a couple of toes.

I am going to lose that leg in the near future. To tell you the truth, I hope they take it off soon. It hurts so much all of the time.

I hope they just take it off and give me an artificial limb that won’t hurt anymore.

My other leg is also affected, as well as both of my arms.

Do you know why I have to quit?

My family begged and pleaded for me to stop when I was first diagnosed, but they finally gave up.

They now say, ‘Keep on smoking, Dad, but be forewarned–once you lose your arms, we are not going to buy or light your cigarettes for you.

You can lie and cheat now, but you won’t have a chance of sneaking then.’

 

I couldn’t believe they were telling me that. I immediately enrolled in the clinic.

It is so unfair, but what choice do I have? I hate that I have to quit.”

 

“Do you realize what you are saying?”, I replied. You are mad that you can’t smoke.

But what is it that really is making you mad? The fact that you are going to lose a leg from smoking?

 

No, you have accepted that quite well. In fact, you are looking forward to getting rid of the one quickly because it hurts so much.

You are not even upset about losing the other leg, even though it would mean you would probably never walk again.

Are you mad that you will lose your arms? No, that is okay with you, too.

Sure, with no legs or arms you would be totally dependent on others, a complete cripple.

But that still is not the basis of your anger.  What are you mad about?

 

You are mad at how unfair your children are because they are not going to let you smoke once you lose limbs.”

Without hesitation he replied, “Yeah, how could they do that to me?”

 

Some of the clinic participants looked on in disbelief at the exchange that just occurred.

Some of them thought he was crazy.

Others exhibited a sense of shame, for, even though their own conditions may not have been so graphic,

they recognized his attitude in their own thinking and they were not very proud of that realization.

 

Two days later, the participant with peripheral vascular disease

who had been so traumatized by the thought of quitting smoking was expressing great relief in being free from cigarettes.

 

Once he beat the initial grip of addiction, he recognized just how irrational he was and the true destructive nature of his cigarettes.

He was already feeling some physical improvements in circulation,

and, in fact, had starting forming a thin layer of skin underneath a scab that he thought would never improve.

 

He was still exhibiting anxiety about not smoking, but now from a totally different perspective.

 

He feared smoking and prayed that he would never again get caught in the grip of nicotine dependence.

A dependence that he now recognized once controlled his thoughts and behavior

to the point of his being willing to give up his limbs, independence, physical abilities, and even his dignity.

 

He was completely justified in maintaining these fears.

If given the opportunity, cigarettes would once again regain such control.

But now, all he needed to do to insure that cigarettes would never again exert such a grip was to NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 26, 2019 by Sazerac

[Doreensfree]

11 hours ago, jillar said:

I'm bumping this because tomorrow we find out if my mom's feet can be saved. She's smoked all 55 years of my life. I'm not sure when she started because she gets mad if you ask her anything about her smoking.

In June my sister noticed my mom's toes were scabby and pus filled. My sis took her to a walk in clinic who directed her to the hospital. After x rays and a night in the hospital it was determined she had an infection in them and sent home with antibiotics.

They didn't work. Now after an MRI it's been determined that her circulation is so bad in her legs that if this last ditch procedure they're going to try doesn't work gangrene will set in and she will lose her legs within a couple of months.

She will not even think about quitting smoking but for those of you who are still on the fence, now is a great day to quit.....

Reading this brought home my own horror....

I was so near to losing my both feet ..so now first hand ...what your Mum is dealing with ...

My ankles were black ...and bruised and so sore ...

I did take my doctor's advice to try and quit ...I found this place and these wonderful people who I swear got me through it all...

My feet were saved ..but I still have some battle scars left ...to remind me ...never take another puff..

I'm sending positive thoughts to your mum ...and the strength to quit ...