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Avatar universal

Am I in denial?

I am 37 years old and I was told by a hospital 1 year ago my xray showed begining of localized emphysema.I smoked for 20 yearsfrom1 to 2 packes a day.I quit smoking for 4 months then started again do to poor stress coping skills.When I was diagnosed did not feel any affects from the disease.Now it is allergy season and my chest is killing me.I made an appointment to see a lung doctor but did not keep it.Can not seem to find the strength to stop smoking again.So my question is what is wrong with me. How can the knowlegde of knowing this leads to a painful death not kick me into stopping my ways?
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Avatar universal
Hi
I was diagnosed with COPD by a doctor, which other pulmonologists ruled out after spirometry, but I have bad breathing problems...
I used to smoke almost 2 packs a day for the last 13 years, that is in Pulmonology dudes jargon 26 pack years...I loved cigarettes...After I was diagnosed, since I am a very curious and depression-prone person I did do a lot of reading and research into the effects of cigarettes...just try to do that....look into online demonstrations of what cigarette does to your alveolis...how tar may lead to permanent scarring, not to mention the effects on your blood vessels and heart...
I think the education about non-smoking(everybody thinks it is over the top) is still not enough...Just ask around, still a majority of young people do not know the first thing about COPD, everybody thinks you just get short of breath and unfit due to smoking, and you might get lung cancer, nobody knows about COPD, emphysema...
If I knew how bad COPD is when I was young, if it was demonstrated to me I would never have smoked....this is something that has to be taught seriously at schools since they will never be able to ban cigarettes like they ban Marijuana....conservatives spent trillions on drug wars, but they loooove their tobacco industry, which legally destroys lives of many lovely people...I wish I had some cool dudes walking into schools, and with the new technology like 3-d animations and such demonstrate what cigs does to your body...what we hear is not enough, I thought it was nerdy to say this but not enough...
I stopped after the diagnosis.I thought I wouldnt be able to cope, my wife smokes, and she still smokes to my dismay, her grandmother is sick with COPD and on oxygen, and she still will not even read what I read about the effects of smoking..her grandmother just had to give up after being hospitalized for the umpteenth time...
I though I wouldnt be able to, I bought some Nicorette inhaler cartridges, then I decided not to use them as I wanted to clear my body of Nicotine once and for all...listen, yes tr and all the chemicals are the ones that makes you sick, but effects on your heart andblood vessels are still there with Nicotine due to its effects on body...
I am lucky enough to be young, and I started lightly jogging, nicotine acts like drugs, (cigarettes) and makes you release whatever it is to make you content, happy... in a way...the only alternative to it, as a substitute is drugs(which we all are smart enough to not to go into after this stage) and exercise...there is a certain thing about exercise(like running) that gives you a certain high! ok, not everyone can run...but you are young enough to walk or do something else...from what I research, more exercise, the better your muscles and cells use oxygen and the less oxygen you need which is great if you have COPD cause your oxygen levels are a problem...there is only 2 things you can initiate yourself for the better of you if you have COPD...Stop smoking even if it is the most difficult thing in your life!! and go out and walk and walk...
doctors will do the rest...but before you give up, they are helpless...
I wish they spend less money on drug wars and false Saddams and political games and spend more on the research of COPD (which is underfunded ridiculously).....
Helpful - 0
940391 tn?1255755376
look this up-i smoked for 23 yrs and tried this new electronic cig and have not smoked a cig since....I had a ct that showed lung lesions and went thru same feelings. I wouldnt hasve been able to quit otherwise bc i enjoy it and well....stress...

www.e-cigexpress.com

what it does is vaporises a nicotine "juice" - u can pick ur strength or no nic at all even but allows u to still have something to "puff" on and blow out the harmless vapors instead of smoke....Im 7 days smoke free today!!!!

Good luck I hope u are able to cope AND quit.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
please keep trying to give up, in the end you will do it, i just told myself i would put has much effort in to not smoking as i put into smoking.. it is easy if you tell youself it is.i have copd, i was very worried, and still am to a certain degree....my doctor told me that at least it isnt lung cancer..which in a round about is good news..everything i read about copd which is what you have to, says giving up smoking is the only thing that really helps,

just tell yourself its easy to stop smoking  do it a thousand time a day if need be, and if that does not work look up what lung cancer does to you that scared me big time.. if you get that  you wont even have the time to worry about giving up smoking, you can live a long life just start looking after yourself from  now...good look.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Stopping smoking can be the hardest thing to overcome. But if you do have the begings of emphesema you need to stop. You might try Chantix.  I wish I had when I was told at that age. I'm 52 now and am in very bad shape needing a lung transplant soon to survive.
I also have Alpha-1. It is something at your young age you should be tested for.
Helpful - 0
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