by Ray Paulsen

Created on: May 21, 2007

Laying on a stretcher in emergency having eye contact within 6 inches, the doctor softly whispers to me, keep smoking and within a year you will be comming back, except next time it will be " through the back door"

after 40 years trying to quit, someone finally said something that registered , hey I was fully aware of all the dangers involving smoking, but that is something that happens to other people, not me.

A pack a day for 40 years "well almost" I did miss two days back in 1971 due to a hospital stay with ruptured appendix , but on the third day when the snack wagon rolled down the hallway with all the goodies I purchased a pack of cigarettes and while recovering from my ruptured appendix smoked my brains out filling the hospital with second hand smoke, such were the rights of the smoker not long ago.

Today I am smoke free for 6 months and must admit my body feels 10 years younger, I am not writing to lecture about cigarette smoking, just adding my 2 cents worth in the hope it will benefit someone trying to kick the habit.

How I Tried To Quit

In the 60's I quit every New Years eve and never lasted till January 2nd before I was back puffing , but ahhhh help was on the way, carry this little timer that allows you to smoke a cig cutting down the number your smoking by spacing them out, I think it was called smoke - enders and still around today. from there I tried nicotine gum
...well you can chew that stuff till you get lock jaw, it still does not replace the aroma into your lungs that the real cig provides. acupuncture and hypnotism only tries to fool your brain, Trust me, I have tried it all and figure at a cost of several thousand dollars, with the Patch being the most expensive costing me several hundred of dollars...

Be-Little - Me

If there is one thing I hated about smoking and still do, is a visit to the hospital - dentist or doctors office, whats the first stupid question they ask and then shake their head, Yep, and if they don't like you they will be quick to add how much alcoholic you consume to really rump their point across.

Summary

No amount of products or money can stop an addiction, only your brain can "so how did I stop"
Chest pains along with numbness in left arm and short of breath made me walk into emergency, and after four hours of blood test and being monitored, thats when the doctor whispered that soft line about the back door.
Do I miss a cigarette today ?, Yes very much and have no re gets about having been a smoker, I am just one lucky person that got to make a choice adding another few years to my life.

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