EuroCarFan

You don't think getting cancer at 80 would be being old and decrepit John? It's one thing if you just get cancer and die but it's another if you're bed ridden and suffering with your family and friends suffering with you. Hope that'll never be the case and I'm glad you're in good health.

My dad smoked for over 50 years and finally had a stroke about ten years ago when he was around 75. He's okay now but not 100% and I guess the only good thing from that stroke was that he forgot he ever smoked.

e60.teamegypt.4

God bless, man. my grandpa died a few years ago from a stroke (his third) after going through just as many packs of marlboros as cases of budweiser a day for years.

but for anyone quitting just pick up one of these, it might help ...

AKAlius

I smoked for over 10 years. I smoked a pack every 2 days. Very bad habit. I too quit using e-cigs. It's now been 3 months sinceI had even a drag on a cig. The e-cig I use is the joye ego. Congrats on a great start! Soon you will taste foods that did not taste the same way when you smoked. Also, your sense of smell will get better too.

530inOK

You can do it! I have been smoke free for almost two years. Good luck

pinguhk

alot of my friends in HK have start to quit too because HK government has put the tax up so now for 1 pack it is $7usd

judthryn

It is never a myth or a reality that smokers will die soon and non smokers will live a long life...
So it is better to have a healthy life by not smoking and making your lung spoiled..

drug rehab

porsche911targa

I'm assuming your mom is past her 60's? At this point my friend, just let her be. Why quit now? This is one of the few things she really enjoys in life.

I saw my uncle die from lung cancer (age 64)and he wanted to have a cigarette right up until the day he died (six months after diagnosis) but his kids wouldn't let him. If he'd been my dad, I would have brought him cigarettes right at the hospital. The poor man died wishing for a cigarette. At stage 4, who gives a shit if you quit or keep smoking? The damage is already done and it is what it is.

Then there are people who have never smoked (Christopher Reeve's wife and Andy Kaufman come to mind) and die of lung cancer anyway.

Wow, John, your mom does 1500 crunches a day? No wonder your dad is still around despite his smoking...

I know exactly how you feel about growing old and decrepit. I see no value in living into my 80's and 90's if I can't enjoy a nice car ride or a bike ride. People should try volunteering in a nursing home and then tell me just how long they want to live. My wish: to live as long as I can comfortably walk 3 miles a day without wobbling or pausing every 5 minutes.

Again, although the vast majority of lung cancer patients were smokers, there are a great number of non-smokers who have died of the same disease. I don't have hard scientific data to back me up, but I bet more smokers die of natural cause than smoking related diseases. I'm sorry, but when people say that someone over 75 died of heart failure or other things "related" to smoking, I can't help but chuckle. At that age, "old age" probably played a bigger part than we're led to believe. Genes also play a significant role.

I also have a feeling that a poor diet and lack of exercise lead to more premature deaths than smoking alone does.

BTW, I'm a reformed smoker (quit in '95) and used to be able to run 5 miles a day and go on 30+ miles bike rides, every other day, while feeding a 1~2 pack-a-day habit. Now, will be doing a 100-mile bike ride to raise funds for the American Cancer Society, in June. Contradicting? Yes. Realistic? Also a big YES.

craigm1841

53. She started smoking at 13. She isnt dead yet. She may not have cancer now, but might in 10 years. if she stops now, she might be able to prevent that. Something nobody else has brought up because it is kind of morbid, her continuing to smoke is selfish. If she has to battle cancer for years because of her inability to quit, it is not fair to her family, myself included to watch her suffer for years.

There are way more reasons to quite than to continue smoking.

EuroCarFan

Great point here that most people overlook which is the effects on your loved ones.

BTW, I've gone 4 weeks now without a cigarette. Cold turkey! And every time I go out, I'm surrounded by smokers but have no craving at all.

porsche911targa

I feel your pain, Craig. Truth is, smoking is a very addictive and nasty habit. I once drove in a blizzard to go buy a pack of cigarettes. Smokers will find a million excuses not to quit, sort of like "it can't happen to me" syndrome, same as the guys that parachute out of planes or drivers who take unnecessary risks on the road thinking that they're invincible. The only way they'll quit is if they really want to.

I tried all the tricks. I taped my kids' pictures on the pack, I tried the patch, I tried the gum, I tried tapering off, I tried cold-turkey, I tried hypnosis; nothing worked. Lucky for me, I became allergic to one or more of the chemicals in cigarettes. I literally started becoming sick to my stomach and later my chest, whenever I lit a cigarette. Had all the tests in the world done. My heart was perfect, my lungs were perfect, my gastro-intestinal tests were brilliant. The only hypothesis was that I became allergic to something in cigarettes (I even tried different brands). That was the time that I also developed seasonal allergies and so my body chemistry was changing, something that sometimes happens with age (my mid-30's).

Anyway, I hope your mom finds the strength to quit. She knows the risks and nagging her will only make her resentful, sort of like telling a fat woman (or man) that they need to lose weight or else. Support and understanding is what she needs. Good luck to you and your mom. Maybe you can take solace in knowing that not all smokers develop lung cancer.

Truth be told, had I not developed that allergy, I might still be smoking.
Nowadays, I indulge in a good cigar here and there. I do not inhale and am always watching for any sores in my mouth and throat. Some people enjoy an occasional glass of wine; I enjoy an occasional, high-quality cigar. I'm definitely not addicted because I can go for weeks and months without a cigar and not even think about it.