Short vacation --In the Hospital

Been getting harder and harder to breathe and coughing till I thought I wasn't gonna catch my breath the past week or so till I just couldn't go anymore Monday morning @ work. Drove myself to the V.A. hospital in Chillocothe, Ohio & was admitted with left lung full and right one close to being full. Both had infection as well as my sinuses. They shot me full of antibiotics and breathing treatments. Had my last cigarette Monday morning (yep, even if you can't breathe, you just gotta have one). I haven't even wanted one since. They put me on the Nicotene patch & losenges. Feeling so much better now. I still have to finish the steroids for the next 5 days but slept the night thru last night for the first time in about 3 months. I'm sure alot of you guys know what quitting will be like, so if you think of it once in awhile, say a little prayer that I'll have the will power to kick the habit after 55 years of smoking. Thanks, Keith

I know a few that quit and those that did successfully just made up their minds and went cold turkey. You can do it and we all hope you do. Good luck

I went "cold turkey" 40-some years ago. I'd have been gone a long time now if I hadn't quit.

All the men that I worked with that were heavy smokers only lived about 3 years after retiring.
One of them was in charge of the test drivers for years and had his picture taken smoking Camels cigarets while sitting in one of the Army's tank's. It was shown in Mechanic's Illustrated. Hal

I had a double pneumonia some years back. Never felt so weak in my life. You'll have to watch things from now on a bit more carefully as once you get it, it seems to like to revisit. You'll recognize the onset easily now.

Good on you for quitting and stick with it! That's one habit i never took up, thankfully. Iknow it's tough, but it'll be worth it.

Keith M.,

Get well soon. Not fun stuff, had pneumonia last year. Wishing you all success in quitting.

Most of the people I've seen quit successfully went cold turkey. My wife used those electronic cigarettes. They were hard to get used to but after about a month she liked them, then after about a year just weaned herself off those too.

Years ago, I had a boss that was a heavy smoker. He swore up and down that smoking was healthy and that scientific tests would eventually say that smoking was the best thing you could do for healthy lungs. This guy gave me a sermon one day that his lungs were healthier than they've ever been. (This guy must have hung around with Ronnie Reagan when Reagan was advertising for Chesterfield cigarettes, I don't know) A few years later, they started to take out his lungs and he lost the battle after about a year. Since he was one of the worst bosses that a guy could have, I wanted to give him a few cartons of cigarettes to help him get well, but even I'm not that bad of a person.
Good luck with your recovery and hopefully you won't have to pay for your habit any longer.

Well I am glad they got your lungs working again. As for the quit smoking, that is a hard thing to do. My wife has quit several times but usually starts again in a few months. She has tried all the different ways but the long and short of it is she really does not want to quit. It is hurting her overall health that is bad anyway. She just does not want to truly quit.

Like some of the others have stated, the only people that I know that are successful at quiting go cold turkey and quit.

Glad to hear you"re back.
Quit myself almost 4 years ago. May not be out of the woods in the long run but feel so much better now. Keep up with the patch/lozenge/drugs whatever it takes to get off it.

Seems to be a lot of that resparatory thing going around. Both boys have had it,the older one had it bad for three weeks or more,missed some work. The wife had it for a few days,managed to sleep it off.

That reminds me of my brother, except he was a pretty nice guy, ha. He would say, "Anybody can quit smoking. It takes a man to fight cancer". We lost him in 1980. 44 years old. Victim of lung cancer. He was the first of the siblings to die. I later lost two more brothers to cigarettes. One at age 50, and the other made it to age 70. And also an aunt from lung cancer. Anyhow Keith - I wish you the best with your recovery and quitting those darn cigarettes. A prayer has been said in your behalf.

Paul

Good luck with your health and quitting smoking. I quit 21 years ago. The way I quit was with this in mind, I said to myself I am not going to smoke today. I could not stand the thought of never smoking again, so I did it one day at a time. I wish I had never smoked, but sure am glad I quit. Best wishes.

I quit 7 years ago after 40 years of smoking. Got pneumonia several times and seen the handwriting on the wall. you'll quit one way or another may as well be on your terms. After I thought of it that way it was a lot easier to make that decision. Reaching in the pocket after 5 years is actually funny but it shows the strength of the habits we form.
Once you make up your mind its actually not bad- Take a day at a time and when you get the urge try thinking of something else as it will go away.

Turned 58 yesterday. Quit somoking 30 years ago almost to the day.
Even though I knew better, I still smoked aafter I got out of Dental School. I was so bad that I kept an ash tray out in the hall and would take a drag when I went from one room to the other in my office.
How did I quit?
I had a bad case of bronchitis (got it at least once a year when I smoked). Went across the street to my medical doctor buddy for some medicine.When I was seated in the waiting room, noticed a poor guy sitting on the other side of the room. Pale, thin and breathing oxygen from a tank he carried with him.
Got back to see the doc. He told me that if I didnt quit smoking, I would be like the guy in the waiting room (who was 45 years old) in just a few years.
Took my pack of Winstons out of my pocket, threw them in the trash can. Doc fished them out and gave them to me, saying that I would just buy another pack after I felt better. Told him that was BS and threw the cigs away again.
Never smoked another one since.
People ask how I quit, I tell them that the Lord took them away (thats the only explanation I have)
Went from 2 packs/day for 12 or so years to cold turkey and never smoked one since (although I'll admit there are some times I still want one)
Good luck ..please quit.

(quoted from post at 05:40:50 12/12/12) I know a few that quit and those that did successfully just made up their minds and went cold turkey. You can do it and we all hope you do. Good luck

Click to expand...

That's the only way you'll stay quit. Mind made up and cold turkey. July 1985 and quit counting the days years ago. Used to have one on the aniversary of the day I quit just to remind me how nasty they were.

y grandfather had a stroke when he was 40 years old,he smoked his whole life over a pack a day.he was in the hospital for 3 day and he said im done,and hasent smoked since,i hope you can we need these older people!! they know alot about tractors.

My Wife smoked cigs for most of her adult life. She now has all the problems associated with long term smoking! The oxygen tank she carries when we go shopping, the weak legs, short temper, denial, and all that stuff. Oh, and the large oxy. tank sitting in the dining room, for filling the little tank for short times away from the house.
I never smoked them. Didn't like the smell or taste. Did smoke a cigar once in a while. didn't inhale the smoke. My lungs are fine-no problems with breathing, weakness when walking, nothing.

Well, Keith, you've had a reality check. You are fortunate to get another chance. Habits and will power can be demons or allies. If this really was a 'short vacation', then you will know what to do to get another one. Maybe a little tough love for yourself will get you through. My thoughts are with you on this endeavor.

July 30, 1987, 3:00p.m.--never smoked again. I quit cold turkey, was miserable for a couple of months, just p-o'ed after that for about a year. Finally got over it, best move I ever made, except for marrying my wife. If I can do it, you can. I'm praying for you!