Wow, for me this is really shaping up to be something else all by itself. You see, I started smoking full time at the age of 15 because it was "cool" Well, I am now 64, and the only way to make it even another couple of months was to quit smoking. I stopped Christmas night at 7:30 when I had one of the most painful attacks you could imagine happen to me.. Well, no sleep at all that night , and only a couple of hours the next night at best. You see, what happens is that you cannot get enough air and go into panic breathing mode. Finally after an hour or so, that may settle down a little bit and now you can get on with the hurting part. It's like having a non stop heart attack, lasting for a couple of hours or so. Now , add a peptic ulcer to the mess and guess what it has been like for me ? All I can say is, you better be tough or you ain't gonna make it. Last night, I got my oxygen tank and etc. Talk about feeling better almost imediatly. Wow.
Wait until my kids see the new me ! LOL Well, at least they won't be yammerin' at me to quit smoking anymore, because should I light up a cig. I would most likely be dead. All you smokers out there, this WILL happen to you. Not to mention the costs of the habit. It will bankrupt you first, and then it will kill you. Now, some I'm told get a little warning sign here and there, but some like me hide them from my wife who is an R.N. She has long suspected but only watched until she was pretty sure. So, I have finally quit. I have tried several times over the last few years, you know, taper down, not smoke in the house and all that stuff, but honestly , the only way to quit is to just throw them to your worst enemy and smile when you tell him/her to enjoy. No charge ! To sum it all up, yes , I now have the big E. and it stays with me forever. Emphysema ! I hope at least one of you will take heed and stop while you still can. Nadja