Does smoking really kill you?

[nsd_user663_26699]

One of the things that stopped me from quitting smoking was the scepticism about how dangerous it really could be.

Some of you might be thinking that I'm a lunatic and that it's obvious that smoking is bad for you. I ask why you don't stop if you know it's bad for you? But, I digress. I've never seen a study that shows x% of people who smoke die from smoking. Have you?

Smoking only has side-effects like getting lung cancer for those people who are susceptible to such complications. It's all down to genetics, or random chance... Nobody really knows.

I'm not one of those people who dies from smoking. I knew I was different. I always felt it in my bones. I'm the ONE person in the world who thought they would be able to "enjoy" smoking until they are 100 years old. And then I was stopped in my tracks.

The doctors told me that my blood clots "may or not be" related to smoking. I wanted them to tell me that they knew for sure that my smoking had caused the problem. They're doctors for goodness sakes! Why couldn't the fact that I had almost died be related to the fact that I smoked, and that I thought it was bad for me? Why wouldn't they grant me that privilege? Why didn't they insist that I had deliberately toyed with my own life?

You want to know something? Doctors are there to help cure you of your health problems, not to teach you how to live your life. They see people like you and me every day... People who have played with their health, thinking that there is always a way to survive... Until things are so messed up that there's no way to reverse the damage.

The fact is, the effects of smoking are a statistic. Some win, some lose. The question is whether or not you want to play your life in that way?

Alex.

[nsd_user663_46317]

I've missed you soooooo much

Ye it certainly makes you think? We all know of people who have smoked for donkeys years and have lived a long life, seemingly with very few problems....

But........ It might be you!!!!!

Guess we've all been playing Russian roulette living on the edge

I remember one thing my Mum said to me a few years ago " Mags please give up smoking because if you end up in hospital and they know that you smoke, they treat you like shit"

When I started smoking it was a cool thing to do because no one knew the effects back then

[nsd_user663_26699]

I've missed you soooooo much

Aww, thanks Magwilz. I missed you all too. I've been working too hard recently, and now I'm about to go off on holiday. But, I will be back again in a few weeks to make sure nobody smoked!

Alex.

[nsd_user663_35913]

That really made me sit up and think Alex - thanks!

It was one of my thoughts when I started to seriously think about giving up - whilst there was a chance I would be alright, there was an even great chance that I could end up with emphysema wishing I had given up...

You just don't know what is round the corner...and how smoking or not smoking can affect your life.

I'm starting a drug trial in a couple of weeks which could really help me with a bone marrow disease I have - there is no way I would have been put on it if I still smoked! Didn't know about the trial when I gave up - makes me so relieved I gave up when I did.

You're absolutly right - no-one can tell us how to live our lives. It's our choice whether we play that particular game!

[nsd_user663_40738]

1st ...you have to WANT to quit!

2nd... everyone has there own reason

3rd...health studies don't matter, look at the real facts...how many friends or relatives have you known who has serious illnesses that smoked?

4th..how many people on here have paid for the "joy" of smoking? Dave comes to mind.

I have emphysema....I got it from smoking. My mother died from lung cancer...she smoked. Would either of us had those problems without smoking..NO, we would not of. I know this deep in my heart.

If you want to quit and you are ready then nothing in the world will make you start back up.

This is my 2nd quit. My 1st was for less than 2 months. I am now in my 9th month and I went into it this time knowing that I would have problems because I am allergic to the patch. So, after about 15 days, I took the patch off and never looked back.

I WANT THIS QUIT!!!! I never want to smoke again. I am only 57 years old and I am staring death in the face because of my smoking. I have grandchildren that I want to watch grow up....if I smoke again I could lose that chance.

We all come on here to receive help or to offer advice or maybe both. I like to be able to try and help and at the same time maybe hearing my story will help some one else with the quit.I also gain strength from hearing others stories.

I am also an 11 year Breast cancer survivor..

When I have a hard time and want that cig I bring out my tough gun "NOPE" Not one puff ever. In the past 9 months I have repeated that over 1 million times at least.

So, please, continue to do this quit. If you cheat and start again...choke it up and start again. Just like riding a bike. You have to pick yourself up and try again...YOU WILL SUCCEED!..ppat

[nsd_user663_22353]

If i'd continued smoking i might have lived to 100. If i'd never smoked a day in my life i might have contracted lung cancer. Who knows?

All i know is that i'd had a lot of people i cared about being affected by cancer, & at the time it made me think how i'd feel to be told i had it & to know that it was something i'd willingly contributed to. How would i actually feel to be sat down & told that after i'd ignored all of the warnings.

I plan on never finding out.