I quit smoking a pipe about 5 years ago, after about 30 years. Recently, the dentist removed some suspicious tissue with a lazer from the roof of my mouth.

I had a 2nd, much more extensive proceedure today, which involved using a lazer to remove tissue from an area about the size of a silver dollar, for safety sake.


Hurts like hell, today, and probably for the next week or so-will really appreciate those pain killers. But it's my fault for being so careless. A long-time music partner of mine never smoked, but had 1/2 his tongue removed in a 25 hour operation, has a 25% chance of 5 year survival and is living off a feeding tube, all because of smoke from years of playing smoke filled bars (I was right there with him most of those years). He'll never be able to sing or even talk again. Being a singer was all that mattered to him, and he was the most successful pro in this area. He told me last week that he had just decided that he still wanted to live, but for a long time, he didn't want to.


Please, for your own sake and the sake of those you love, DON'T SMOKE!


Russ

[This message has been edited by captain Russ (edited 01-06-2009).]

Its not that simple or easy to do Russ its a serious double dosed addiction Physically & Mentally.....I did it 25 years ago cold turkey after smoking 18 years before that....you can talk till your blue in the face to people it wont help .....only the person that WANTS to stop smoking can make the decision to mentally & physically stop otherwise its a losing battle...no matter what......just do a google search and you see millions of stories on quitting......
its a drug addiction only you can cure....


With that said at least you took the initiative to get help & I wish you all the best in getting healthy.....without good health nothing means anything in this world .....
http://www.presmark.com/htmlfile/pictures.htm


NUF SAID!

good luck

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 01-06-2009).]

Better out than in, Russ!

I wanted my wife to quit for years, but she wasn't ready to. Finally, she decided it was time and with the help of a drug called chantix, kicked it 100% in about 6 weeks. She's never relapsed, its been over a year and a half, so hopefully, she's safe...

I too have heard it was addictive, but I don't think that applies to everyone. I smoked for several years when I was younger and when I decided to stop smoking, I just quit...period. I didn't feel sick, I didn't lose my mind, get depressed, kick the dog, etc...

I think I'm one of the lucky ones...

Good health to all!

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Bill in Dayton

Well, with that story of your friend's condition, I guess the post topic should have been "Don't let ANYONE smoke (at least in public)"!

But try to get THAT legislation passed, and you'll hear the howls of protest... Perhaps every protester needs to write your friend a letter, explaining how their need for nicotine was more important than HIS life?

Down here in Florida, things have been smoke free for a few years. I can't tell you what a horror it is to go into a bar that still allows smoking (as long as they don't serve ANY food, it's OK, but food is a major source of profit, so there are very few) now, after getting used to clean air where I play...

Any time someone asks me "Do you mind if I smoke?", I go "Do you mind if I fart?"... It only seems fair

Diki...You had on the floor laughing at this one lol



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createsongstyles.com

I am so glad that Penna has finally going smoke free....I will not eat sleep or any other thing in a business that condones smoking..It is a filthy habit that has killed to many already...It only takes a little brains to figure out...

Sometimes we need to insult people to wake them up...

My story is similar to Donnys. With the help of a 6-week hospital-based program, I quit cold-turkey after the third week but continued to the end of the program just to see those who hadn't yet quit, squirm. That was about 20+ yrs. ago and I have not touched a single cigarette since. I still can't believe that I subjected my wife and children to that, though. I feel bad about that to this day. A good friend of mine died (horribly) of lung cancer and never smoked a day in his life. His wife, who's still alive and going strong, smoked/smokes two packs a day. Never underestimate the power of second-hand smoke. Although she is a very nice lady, I still can't shake the feeling that she killed my friend, Mac. I'll get flack but I really feel smoking should be banned everywhere (well, except medically-indicated weed). In fact, I knew a jazz musician buddy (well, as much as a jazz musician can BE anybody's buddy) who quit smoking weed for fear he would get re-hooked on cigarettes. Go figure.

So, snuff that butt before your butt gets snuffed.

chas

BTW: I think we need to be firm with our families while they are growing up..

My Mother smoked into the last year she passed ..

My Father smoked until he quit..Didn't smoke the last 35 years of his life...They both set an example for me...Smoking is for dummies...

I never smoked..my wife never smoked..my 4 kids never smoked...their spouses never smoked...and my 6 grandchildren don't smoke...I give this household an A plus..

Forgot to mention my brother never smoked either..

[This message has been edited by Fran Carango (edited 01-06-2009).]

Good for you Chas....NJ is smoke free also....I remember playing night clubs when I Couldn't even see the audience thru the spotlights & smoke My wife still smokes but stays away from me doing it outside.

Funny how many Clubs are "smoke free"...& people preach health .......meanwhile they drink their arses off all night long
so in the end what's worse?

It's funny how all the restaurants and nightclubs swore blue bloody murder that they would all go out of business if a smoking ban was enacted...

And yet, here they still are, still making money