My life as a smoker
I was 17 when I started smoking. I think just because I was in a rural area and very bored at 17. I smoked for 30 years about 1-1/2 packs a day. It was expensive and smelly and I didn't really like it. It was just a very bad habit.
Why and how I quit smoking
6 months and two weeks ago today my sister-in-law got a small respiratory infection.
6 months and one week ago today she gave it to my wife.
6 months and 1 day ago today I caught it from my wife.
6 months ago today I could not breathe in.
I still remember looking at the stars on that clear night thinking it was the last time I was going to see them. I am only 50. Right before I passed out my lungs opened back up and I got a few breaths. I made it to my wife who called an ambulance. After forever, the ambulance made it to my house. They tried to make me sit or lay down so the ambulance could take me to the hospital. I fought with them because I was afraid to lay or even sit down since I thought I would stop breathing again.
The medics gave me some vapor to inhale which made things better. The doctors told me I had COPD and if I didn't quit smoking I would be back once a month. The hospital bill was $23,000 and the meds I had to purchase were another $1000. The following days I could not walk any further than about 10 - 50 feet before my oxygen level was too low and was forced to go back on the oxygen.
I have not smoked since then and now I can walk several miles and my O2 level stays in the middle 90's.
Don't smoke!
Advice
- Never give up trying. If you try and fail - try again!
- If you don't stop smoking you WILL hurt yourself badly.
- It is the greatest thing to be clean and not yellow and smelly.
