In my quest to quit smoking, for good this time, I decided that it would be a good idea to share my motivation. I realize, it's difficult to quit "cold turkey", particularly for women. Maybe, you can relate and succeed in the same effort. All we have to do, is strive for better health and eliminate Stinky Winky. Here we go!
Having smoked for more than 25 years, I understand the stress and frustration factors that effect us when we're trying to quit. I have quit, probably 8 times. I've tried Nicotine replacement therapies and became very ill. I've tried mood altering drugs (like Wellbutrin/Bupropion HCl), drove me nuts. I've even tried those lozenges (Commit), they had me thinking I was gonna die. The burning pain in my stomach was horrible. Then there was Chantix. I loved Chantix. The only problem was, I ended up sharing my prescription and gave up on continuing to try. When I say shared, I would find entire packs missing. It was pretty frustrating, so I grabbed a cigarette.........SIGH.
My final destination, which should have been my first and strongest solution, is Jesus. Yep, I said it! Prayer helps, prayer works. You have to want it. You have to believe. You have to commit and mean it! I guess we can say that for any addictive process, but I decided to liken myself to someone addicted to narcotics. I gave myself no slack. After all, nicotine has frequently been compared to narcotics, when addiction is addressed.
Sometimes we feel we still need a crutch. Well, there's no stronger, more solid, or more stable crutch than the Lord. No, it was not instantaneous. It will take prayer, meditation, faith, and belief. You have to believe and simply know He will pull you through it. Also, for once in your life, you have to take a look at all your previous challenges you've overcome, and BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. No, you cannot do it by yourself, but you can do anything through prayer, faith, and belief in Christ Jesus.
I'll give you some words of encouragement to get started:
Lung Disease
Cancers (yes, plural)
High Blood Pressure
Reduced Stamina/Endurance
Dehydration
Fatigue
Stomach Problems
Increased Allergy Issues
Increased Risk of Stroke
Increased Risk of Heart Disease/Heart Attack
Stinky Winky
Let's break it down. I'm gonna blend medical terms with layman terms, in effort to increase understanding of what we hear at clinic visits, as well as make an impact.
Pulmonary Disease
- COPD
- Chronic Bronchitis
- Emphysema
- Chronic or Late Onset Asthma
- Cancers
- Lung Cancer
- Upper Airway Cancer
- Oral
- Lingual (tongue)
- Buccal (inside the mouth)
- Pharynx (We call this our throat)
- Nasopharynx (the space in your throat behind your nasal anatomy)
- Oropharynx (the part of the throat with which we are more familiar)
- Hypopharynx (the lower part of the throat, leading to the esophagus)
- Larynx (commonly known as our "voicebox", houses our vocal cords)
- Trachea (this is below the larynx, and leads to your bronchial airways, which leads to your lungs)
- Esophagus (our tubular pathway to our tummies)
The next time you hear someone speak of Laryngitis, realize is simply means inflammation (swelling) of your voicebox.
Sometimes you'll hear different suffixes for these airway terms. When we add "itis" it means inflammation. When we add "al" it means pertaining to. Here are a few examples.
Esophageal, Tracheal, Laryngeal, Esophagitis, Tracheitis, Laryngitis.
Any of these pathways can be affected alone or in combination by cancerous mutations. You will also hear the word, carcinogen or carcinogenic. This means able to create, promote, develop cancers. The beginning, as in "Genesis", of a cancerous mutation.
O.k., let's get back to our list.
Vascular Disease
- High Blood Pressure
- Stroke
- TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack or Mini Stroke, caused by reduced blood flow to the brain)
- CVA (Cerebral Vascular Accident or Cerebrovascular Accident, caused by a blockage or rupture in the vasculature in certain areas of the brain.)
- Aneurysm (this hemorrhagic vascular injury can rupture and lead to a massive stroke)
- Vascular Resistance (long term effect of unregulated Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
- Heart Disease
- Heart Attack
I didn't explain the rest, because it's pretty self explanatory.
Digestive System Problems
- Peptic (stomach) Ulcers
- Stomach Cancer
- Gastritis
- Intestinal dysfunction
- Colon Cancer
First I'm gonna tell you, mixing nicotine with alcohol and/or caffeine sets you up for a double whammy. Caffeine and alcohol are very effective dehydrating agents. Just either of them alone can lead to vascular disease through addiction. Combining either or both with nicotine is an absolute pathway to increase all associated risks.
Here's one way to get a glimpse of how are soft tissues, or mucosal tissues are affected. We can look at our skin and realize, dry patches can itch (become irritated), so we scratch and sometimes create sores. These sores, if introduces to certain microorganisms (bacterias, viruses, etc.), will become infected. Now let's take a look inside. Mild irritations, when left untreated, can become ulcerous. Introduce infectious agents, and all sorts of mutations can occur.
I'm gonna list some common symptoms of illnesses we can develop over time, that we tend to ignore. Please see your doctor as soon as possible if you experience any of these. Don't teach your body to accept this:
- Fatigue
- Shortness of Breath
- Dehydration (dry mouth or other areas of soft tissue, dark urine, little to no urine, diarrhea, increased irritability, increased thirst, dizziness, dry skin, etc.)
- Persistent headaches, also a sign of dehydration
- Persistent coughing
- "Rattling" in your chest
- Wheezing
- Chest pain
- Passing out
- Random Nausea
These are just a few of the symptoms we tend to ignore. The American Heart Association has and continues to publish guides and information to teach us to recognize signs of symptoms of Stroke and Heart Attack. I implore you to go to their site to learn more, www.heart.org.
I also named Stinky Winky. I cannot stand the smell of smoke on my skin, hair, clothes, and fingers. I find myself scrubbing up frequently. So, the solution is to QUIT. In addition, when we're casually and comfortably smoking, we fumigate our homes, furniture, and electronics. The only way to reduce the workload of excessive cleaning, is to eliminate the culprit.
Earlier, I listed stress, frustration, and anxiety as triggers, these are also withdrawal symptoms. Again, I have to defer to prayer. This is how I get my calm, my peace, my relief. We can do this together. At this moment, I think it's o.k. to say, "I'm a QUITTER".
LET'S GO!
