Way to go. Just keep with it.

I quit a 35 year habit back in 1997. Alas, it was too late and was diagnosed with esophageal cancer 3 years later. The oncologist told me that, from the size of the tumor, it had been growing for 6-8 years. And he also told me that if I was still smoking, he would only have treated the disease palliatively rather than going for a cure.

Things worked out well and I'm still here 11.5 years after the diagnosis. As Fla Walt said, it took 10 years before the urge to smoke finally went away. Giving 'em up was one of the toughest things I've ever done.

I quit a 35 year habit back in 1997. Alas, it was too late and was diagnosed with esophageal cancer 3 years later. The oncologist told me that, from the size of the tumor, it had been growing for 6-8 years. And he also told me that if I was still smoking, he would only have treated the disease palliatively rather than going for a cure.

Things worked out well and I'm still here 11.5 years after the diagnosis. As Fla Walt said, it took 10 years before the urge to smoke finally went away. Giving 'em up was one of the toughest things I've ever done.

As a Respiratory Therapist for nearly 50 years, I have witnessed so many men and women dying from the effects of 1st hand smoke and to a lesser degree those exposed to 2nd hand smoke. It is tragic to watch people suffer to catch their breath. Shortness of breath is like pain.

Just tonight at work, 4 patient's required non-invasive ventilation (BiPAP) to assist their breathing. Fortunately the interventions worked; if BiPAP had been ineffective, it would have meant a transfer to one of our ICU's (we have 4 adult ICU's). Intubation and mechanical ventilation would then follow. The hospital length of stay would be an additional 1-4 weeks. Maybe be a tracheostomy tube inserted in the neck if we have difficulty weaning the ventilator.Potential complications galore. Let alone $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

One of the posters mentioned that 429,500 would have died anyways. Yup. We all die. However, smoking has scientifically been proven to shorten the life span. Yet some smokers say "not me". No one can predict which one escape the shortened life span. However, I can tell you it is pretty much dose-related. The more packs, the more years your life will be shortened unless you are the 3 out of 100 who will not have it shortened appreciably.

In the beginning, I mentioned patients who are dying. It is without any doubt of the patient/smoker and their care givers, that the dying process is akin to "death by a thousand cuts". It is literally painful.IV after IV. Broken skin due to steroid dependency. It is agonizingly slow (the key word being agonizing).

Fortunately, today there are excellent inhaled medicatons that have demonstrated to retard the number of hospital admissions. However, still the best approach is to never smoke, If you do...stop. Despite being a life-long non-smoker, I truly empathize with the smoker. I am not interested in taking their rights away as long as it doesn't interfere with the health of the rest of us. You want to smoke outside, where you may be alone, so be it.

To all of you who have shown the fortitude to stick-it-out and try, try again to become an ex-smoker: CONGRATULATIONS.
Pat yourself on the back. No matter what your motivation was...it was YOU who SUCCEEDED. Great job!

To all the other smokers, as I encouraged my wife ten years ago, keep trying (she did) and you will succeed (she did).

Thank you everyone for re-reading this and posting the topic.

Ray