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I Feel Great! Why Quit Smoking?

OldBones-Larry
7 6 132

I Feel Great! Why Quit Smoking?
I asked myself that question many times over the years.
I am never deathly ill or having major breathing issues. Smoking can't be hurting me like it is a lot of other people.
Sound familiar?
That was always how I thought. Then I came down with what I thought was just a bad flu. Tests showed I had Gall Bladder sludge. Nothing major I thought. A small Laprascopic surgery to remove my Gall Bladder and things would be fine.
WRONG!!!
My pre-surgery EKG looked like something painted by Picasso. Further testing by the Caediologist showed some major problems. Two total cardiac artery blockages and one 80% blockage in another. Major Left Heart muscle death and damage.
I underwent triple vessel bypass a little over 3 1/2 years ago. I survived the surgery thanks to the mercy of Creator Above and the skill of my surgeon.
I quit smoking at the same time.

As of today, I have not used nicotine for 3 years, 8 months, 25 days, 13 hours, 8 minutes and 26 seconds (1363 days).

I've not smoked 54542 death sticks. I've saved 189 days, 9 hours and 9 minutes of my life.

After 42 years, I gave them up because I found out the no matter how great I felt, smoking had done major damage to my body. Nic had whispered lies to me all those years that smoking wasn't hurting me at all.
I now live with very low blood pressure, Systolic Heart Failure, and COPD. There are others here with the same problems or others just as bad.
I hope my story will give someone the incentive they need to throw those death sticks away.
Life without those Sickoretttes is really great!
If you are here and just starting your quit, hang on to it with all you have. The journey is not easy, but, it is so worth it. Ask for help from the others here. We want you to succeed and become smoke-free.
Take the journey one day at a time. You can make it through to the other side.
The journey of 1000 miles begins with just one small step. Take that step today.
One step, and then another, will get you to where you want to be.
Larry the Caravan Master

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About the Author
I am a male that underwent coronary artery bypass X3 (triple) on 10/22/13 at the age of 55. I was living on about 20-30% of one coronary artery and my left heart output was only 20% to 25%. I spent a week in the hospital after surgery and went home. Then had to go back a day later for another week because I had pneumonia. Finally a few days because of a slight arythmia. All told it has been about 2 1/2 weeks. I am past the cravings by now and only have the urges to contend with. I really don't suggest that anyone quits smoking using this technique though. I'll have to carry the scars from that day for the rest of my life. The large one down the center of my chest, and the ones from several "silent" infarctions. I came that close to the next world. Never again will I subject my body to that (at one point in my life I was smoking 5 packs of cigarillos a day). I now have to say N.O.P.E. (Not One Puff Ever) every day of my life. TheOldGoat-Joan, I miss you terribly my friend. Elder Lists Guilia's: (/blogs/Giulia-blog/2017/06/18/elders-list-ao-december-7-2016 ) or Smorgy's (Chronological Elder List)