Stairways & COPD

[anaussiemom]

Lord long story short hubby and I bought a house 2 yrs ago;  Nothing but large stair ways.  What were we thinking lol.

I let the dog out steps.  I do laundry steps.  Have to go potty steps. I think they are keeping us alive.   
I believe that God puts things in our path for a reason.   Having some close calls with death... and COPD, has awaken my quest be be a forever quit. 

What helped you say ENOUGH!  ??

[YoungAtHeart]

A vascular surgeon informed me that I had blockages to both of my legs.  He said they could be fixed  - no problem - but that if I continued to smoke I would probably need the surgery again, and would not be healthy enough for him to do it.  What was left unsaid was that might have resulted in the loss of one (or both) of my legs due to poor circulation.

That was IT - got on Chantix and quit within a month.  My first and final attempt.  There was no other option - at least for ME!

Nancy

[anaussiemom]

Im assuming here.  You had to change other things as well after surgery, right?  I have read a lot of blogs, tons of information don't have a lot of recall who wrote what at the moment.

Also when I have stopped smoking in the past, I wanted  to eat healthy, it seem to go hand in hand. 

Thank you ~ Kim

[Thomas3.20.2010]

Exercise, healthy eating, stress management, just tidying up our lives - it goes together with Addiction Recovery like peanut butter and jelly! Re-cover requires embracing our New Live styles and I would say, the New ME! You don't have to plan it that way necessarily - one thing leads to another but make your #1 priority Not One Puff Ever and the rest will fall into place!

[Thomas3.20.2010]

When I heard the word Emphysema - that was enough! But true addict that I am, I finished the 10 Sickerettes I had over a 6 Day period so that my Quit Date is the first day of Spring ......2010!

[elvan]

I was well aware of the fact that my breathing was getting worse and worse and as a retired RN, I had absolutely no excuses except the ones I told myself.  I could not quit, I was in too much pain, I was under too much stress, I could not THINK if I did not smoke, it was the one thing that I did JUST for me.  I could go on and on.  Long story short, I nearly died four years ago after contracting what was probably the flu that went into pneumonia and caused an exacerbation of my COPD that was so bad, I KNEW that if I allowed the doc to admit me...as he really WANTED to do.  I would be in ICU and they would most definitely put me on a ventilator to give me a "rest." I promised the doc that if I did not start to improve in a few days, I would go into the hospital.  I took two antibiotics a day, used a nebulizer every four hours, had three inhalers that I was prescribed and used as directed.  I drank GALLONS of orange juice, I took high doses of prednisone, I did postural drainage on myself, I hung myself off the side of the bed with my head on the floor and stayed in that position for a few minutes four times a day.  I also used a vaporizer.  I was so sick and so weak that I could not cough effectively, I could not answer my terrified looking son and husband when they asked if they could get me anything.  I knew my smoking career was over. I quit and have not smoked for just short of four years now.  I finally admitted that all of my excuses were just that, excuses...smoking did nothing FOR me but it was aggressively doing things TO me and none of them were good.  Smoking is suicide...a slow and insidious form of suicide that we force(d) our loved ones to watch us commit.  NOPE, not me, I am done.

Ellen

[anaussiemom]

I so agree, I see myself on the same path.   Parallel, lives for sure. 

[Giulia]

"What helped you say ENOUGH!  ??"  What are you waiting for Kim?  Having COPD isn't enough?  You've got a lot of humor and have added it here.  And it's wonderful.  And you're real good at asking great questions and making great observations.  But at some point you just have to bite the bullet of quitting.  You know?  Your really do.  MOO.  I just feel like you're procrastinating the inevitable.  From what I think I've read - this isn't your first rodeo.  You're a sharp cookie.  You just haven't convinced yourself enough to take the final quit plunge.  (I've been wrong before, so just slap me upside the head if I'm wrong again.)  

You have all the answers you need.  The only one you really need to pay attention to is the one that says "I know better."  

[anaussiemom]

I have COPD and much more lurking on my shoulder.  Im asking Q's  and love humor it all helps.    Also seek to know from smokers the Q's I ask.    Helps me not feel alone.  

It's a horrible struggle.  Im doing it as fast as I can.  We are all individuals.   So, many of us have different processes.    Thank you


~Kim

[Giulia]

I'm slapping myself upside the head.  You're quite right.  We all have our processes to work through and I forgot that your quit date is set for the end of this month.  For some reason I thought it had already come and gone.  Forgive me.  You just keep doing what you're doing and hopefully your ENOUGH will be there on the 31st!