I have smoked 40+ a day for over 20 years, Im 42 now.
I had been feeling pretty tired and generally unwell for weeks, a cough was present all day..... I looked grey constantly ... I would sweat heavily and become quite tired when doing any excercise .....I knew things werent good, but thought ... I'll be fine.....
Over the previous months I have been really worried about exerting myself for fear of a heart attack .... I was out with my daughter (16) she wanted us to go on a pretty scary looking ride at the shows... I was scared that the addrenalin rush would give me a heart attack so I missed out on that opportunity.
The images on the back of cig packets were driving me nuts.... the constant image that it was going to be me.....I would ask the shop keeper for a different packet if I didnt like the image on that one.
Then !!! After a wee emergency trip to the hospital with heart palpatations, I was put in a heart ward overnight for observation. (Thank fully I got a clean bill of health.)
Out of the 6 people in the ward ...ALL 6 WERE SMOKERS, including myself.
After a long chat with the doctor in the ward , I decided that was it.... 1st March 2009
I had a chat with the smoking cessation nurse and decide patches were for me.... (How do you light them ?? lol)