My father served in the Army during WWll. During that time, a lot of things were army issue, such as uniforms, hats, shoes, etc. So were unfiltered Camel cigarettes. If you are a boomer, you may remember them. Because they were standard issue for every soldier, my dad smoked them for 50+ years.
In those days, they smoked in the house and in cars, usually with the windows rolled up. No one had any idea of the horrors of cigarette smoke, much less second hand smoke.
I was a child in the 50’s and 60’s and I was used to the smell of stale cigarette smoke on my dad and in the house and car. So it was no wonder that I first experimented with cigarette before I could drive.
And I smoked for 10+ years, before meeting my husband. He insisted I quit before he would marry me. Thank you dear! That was a blessing. At that time, the treatment of choice was aversion therapy to quit smoking. They put you in a small closet with a window and a pack of cigarettes. They had you chain smoke as fast as you could, while they applied a mild electric shock to your wrist. It worked.
Well,it worked for about 10 years.
Then, I was at a wedding party with a fantastic band playing and someone handed me their cigarette to hold while they took to the dance floor.
One puff. That’s all it took.
I bought my first pack in 10+ years. I started with just a couple smokes a day which grew to 2.5 packs a day less than a year later. And I smoked again for the next 17 years.
It wasn’t until I was getting ready to have some cosmetic breast surgery that my plastic surgeon said I’d have to quite smoking for a least 2 weeks prior and after surgery.
You see, he was doing a breast reduction. He said he was removing my nipples and sewing them back on. If I didn’t quit smoking he said my nipples would have trouble finding a new blood supply. My nipples could die, turn black and fall off!
WOW!
So I decided to if I was going to have to quite smoking for 2-4 weeks, I might as well quit for good.
A friend told me about a Chinese doctor who did Accupuncture to quit. It was 5 treatments for 10 days. And I’d be cured. Piece of cake!
I signed up! I thought I’d be able to taper off slowly over 10 days. But, when I arrived, the Accupunturist said in his Chinese accent, “No more smoking today! No More!”
I was stunned. I could not just quit cold turkey! I immediately called my daughter who was at home and said, please throw away all my ashtrays, cigarettes and lighters. I didn’t want to see anything that would remind me of smoking when I got home!
It worked. At least for the first 24 hours.
The next morning I was frantic. I was begging and crying for a cigarette. And my genius daughter said, “Mom, if you want one that bad, go the store and buy a pack and smoke one”!
That was the permission I needed.
Little did I realize the small needles the doctor left in my right ear, on purpose were going to have an effect if I smoked again. I went to the store, bought the pack, and sat outside to smoke my one cigarette. It made me sick. I thought I was going to throw up. And it smelled so so so so bad!
Well, I smoked that one cigarette and that was it. And that was 15 years ago. Smoke free. I’d never want to go back in a million years.
It is sooooo wonderful on the other side! I don’t have a tobacco flakes in my purse. I don’t have to worry about burning a hole in my pants or my shirt. I no longer stink. And I can enjoy a dinner with friends and family without having to get up and leave the table to go outside and smoke!
The downside is, the effects of smoking 27 years has caused permanent damage. I now have a lung disease called Interstial Lung Disease. It is permanent and there is no cure.
It means I am on oxygen when I sleep. It means when I hike, especially at elevation I can only go a few miles before my lungs feel like they have collapsed and I cannot go any further. All my friends can go for miles and miles. I am the one who has to turn back.
You see the body never forgets and now I am paying the price. I may be free of the addiction, but I’ll never rid my body of this disease. It puts me at risk for so many things. I was in the hospital a few months ago for pnuemonia and I was on oxygen round the clock for 2 weeks before I got better.
So was it worth it? Smoking? Nope. I wish I had never tried it.
One is too many, and a thousand is not enough……
Bringinthesheaves 