Sunday, November 8, 2009

I made an important decision

After 14 years & this past week, I made an important decision to "kick the habit" and quit smoking for good. I started smoking when I was 21 & quit once back in 2004 for 30 days. But stress do to work & other personal problems caused me to start back up again. I came to this decision after my best friend's mom was recently hopitalized with breathing problems, which turned out to be COPD, as well as, a viral pnuemonia. She's in her late 50's & has been a smoker since her teens - I believe. I went to visit my friend last Saturday & we went over to the hospital to check up on her mom. She had been in there for about a week & she was on a ventilator. They tried taking her off of it for a couple of hours, but had to put her back on because she was struggling really hard to breath. They told my friend that they would probably do a tracheotomy on Monday or Tuesday. My friend was very stressed out & concerned over her mom. She's usually a very strong person, but cried several times, praying that God wouldn't take her away & that she would give her a lung if it came down to it. My friend is a smoker as well & the week before her mom went into the hospital, she was sick with the flu for 5 days. She used to smoke between 1 - 2 packs a day, but during that time, she didn't smoke, or even have a desire to smoke. Then, once she started feeling better, she practically quit cold turkey. Unfortunately, after her mom was hospitalized, she started smoking again, but it was only 4-5 a day, mostly when she was really stressed. I hadn't talked to my friend all week and then she finally called me yesterday before she left work to tell me her mom was doing a lot better. The doctor's did a trach on Monday & she started off on a big tube, now she's on a smaller one. She's able to speak a soft whisper now, which made my friend happy that she could finally understand her when she talked. Plus, her eyes started looking better. Before, they were really bloodshot & now, they are almost completely white again. She said their plans are to do a barium throat test to see if she can swallow & if so, they'll be able to take her off the trach and put her on oxygen. Then, once she gets her strength back, she'll be able to come home in a couple weeks. I was soo happy to hear the great news. She also told me since last Saturday, she's only had maybe 1 or 2 cigarettes a day & would be finished with her pack in the next day or so. Once she's completely done, she won't buy any more. She's already cleaned up her house & taken out all the ashtrays. She also goes outside when she wants a cigarette. She won't be able to smoke in the house once her mom comes home, so she's eliminating all traces. So, basically in a nutshell, this is the main reason. I figure that if my best friend can do it, so can I. Plus, seeing her mom last Saturday in the hospital really put things in perspective for me. I know that it won't be easy, but Philipians 4:13 reminds me that, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." So, my plan is to take it one day at a time, and reminding myself that in my weakness, the Lord is strong. I've also bought a box of Commit Lozenges for back-up, especially for in the mornings and those other times when I want a cigarette out of bordem or after eating. Wish me luck & keep me in your prayers. I plan to update my blog on my progress on a daily or weekly basis, as time allows, to keep me accountable.

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