The Quit Smoking Report Ezine

The Quit Smoking Report 07/07/99

Published on the first and third Tuesday of each month

Brought to you by QuitSmoking.com
http://www.quitsmoking.com

In this issue:

<> Letter from the Editor
<> Featured Product: Patches and Gum
<> Guest Article: Tobacco Kills
<> A Word From Our Sponsor
<> Smokers' Stories

You can read previous issues of The Quit Smoking Report on our
web site. Just visit: http://www.quitsmoking.com/ezine/

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Hello again everyone!

Yes, this issue is a day late, due to the holiday and a harddrive
crash.

In the U.S. we just celebrated Independence Day on July 4th.
That's the day the colonies declared their independence from
British rule, in 1776.

While independence was declared that day, it certainly didn't
mean that freedom was immediately available. Far from it. The
colonists fought the British for several years, with countless
soldiers dying on both sides. The colonies didn't officially
gain independence until 1783.

What's this got to do with you? It's time for you to declare
your independence from smoking and cigarettes and to begin the
battle for true freedom. Your freedom from smoking may take you
many tries and many days or weeks (or longer), but you must take
the first brave step.

+++

Remember, you can read previous issues of The Quit Smoking
Report on our web site. Just visit:
http://www.quitsmoking.com/ezine/

Fred Kelley
fredk@quitsmoking.com
QuitSmoking.com

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FEATURED PRODUCT: Patches & Gum
http://www.quitsmoking.com/patches.htm

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Visit http://www.quitsmoking.com/patches.htm
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GUEST ARTICLE: Tobacco Kills

[Ed. Note: I received an email from a subscriber to this ezine.
She wanted to share her story with me and I felt it was
compelling enough to share it with you here.

With her permission, here is "My Own Personal Story" by M.E.S.

You can visit her web site at:
http://www.angelfire.com/mo/mes/index.html
email her at mailto:Iammes1@aol.com ]

My Own Personal Story

~I am writing this story about my life as a smoker in hopes it
will not only entertain who ever should read it, but maybe
prevent someone from using tobacco or entice someone to quit
using tobacco.

~I tried my first cigarette at the age of 11, the preachers son
gave it to me back behind the church, where a lot of us kids
went after church services on Sunday morning. I was a timid
girl, bashful, and just wanted to be included in the group. I
did not actually start smoking then, full time that is, I would
sneak here and there with the other kids, but by the time I was
12, I was hooked! Now that I've analyzed this I realize tobacco
turned me into a sneak, a liar, and a thief, right off the bat…

~First off I'd sneak to catch a "drag" here and there, then I
graduated to stealing cigarettes from anyone who happen to leave
a pack laying around, then when asked about it I lied and said
"no, I haven't been smoking" and "no, I didn't take any
cigarettes". I started stealing money to support my habit, and
on and on it went.

~I moved in with my Dad, step mom, and step sister while I was
12, my step sister who was 10, took me out to the back yard
where a old trailer was sitting, she crawled under it and came
out with her cigarette stash, " stolen pack of Daddy's
cigarettes". That's when I really started to smoke, stealing
from my Dad was easy, he never seemed to miss them, until one
day when he caught me red handed! I just knew I was going to get
the beating of my life, my Dad had a bad temper when pushed to
his wits end. He ordered me into the house, where he sat me down
at the dining room table, he made me roll 20 cigarettes from the
old roll your own "strong, stinking tobacco" with the papers,
remember those? Does anyone still use that stuff? Any way when I
finished rolling them, he made me sit there and smoke every one
of them, no supper, no nothing! Well even a surprise to me
today, I did it, it took me a few hours, but I did it. When I
finished the last one he said, "well, you proved you can handle
it, so you have my permission to smoke, but if I ever catch your
sister smoking, I'll give you the beating that you thought you
were going to get today". I got up from the table, feeling
rather sick, went into the bedroom and told my sister "if Daddy
ever catches you smoking I'll beat you to death!"

~So, now I have my Dads permission to smoke, I smoked all the
time, and every where (except Grandma's house) forget the
beating she would have Killed me! It ended up over the years,
cigarettes caused a lot of turmoil in my life, it put me in the
hospital 3 times that I can remember, I had severe bronchitis
and breathing problems. I had to be put on breathing machines
and breathing medications several times, as soon as I would get
to where I could breath freely again I would light up again.
Now, is that insane or what?

~This went on for 39 years at which time I was smoking 2+ packs
per day, and still lying about it, "No Doctor, I only smoke less
than a pack a day".

~Then in 1996, I developed a sore throat that would not go away,
I tried everything over the counter, cold medicines, lozenges,
throat spray's, nothing worked. So I went to the doctor who put
me on one antibiotic after the other and nothing made a
difference. This went on for a couple of months, finally he sent
me to an e.n.t (ear, nose, And throat specialist) who ran a
scope down my nose and throat, he seen something and suggested I
go to the Hospital and have a biopsy done.

~I had the biopsy done on Thursday after it was over the doctor
didn't stay to talk to me, he left a prescription for a rather
strong pain medication and told the nurse to instruct me to be
in his office the next afternoon at 5:pm. Well I knew he did not
take appointments that late in the day, I also knew you do not
get prescriptions like that unless something is really wrong, so
I pretty well knew the news was going to be bad.

~I went home and waited for 5:pm Friday to get there, I didn't
talk to anyone, I just waited, and it seemed like a long time,
so the time finally got there for me to go, then I wanted to run
in the opposite direction, I dreaded that trip to his office so
bad, but I went and he said right out, "you have cancer, and
it's the worse kind, it spreads rapidly, I suggest we operate as
soon as possible, there's good news and bad news, the good is I
think I can get it all, the bad is, you will never talk again."
I told him I'd get back with him on what I wanted to do and I
left his office in a trance. I drove home in a trance, almost
wrecked a couple of times, my only thought was, no, no, no, I'm
not having surgery.

~I got home and called my children and told them what the doctor
had said, I also told them I decided not to have the surgery,
they naturally had a fit and said yes, you are, I informed them
it was my life and my decision. My oldest Son and his wife drove
over from 500 miles away to talk me into having the surgery, my
daughter-in-law started crying and said "Mom, I can't believe
you don't want to see your future Grandchildren". Well, I think
that's what did it, because after I thought about it, I knew I
was not ready to leave this world without seeing my grand
babies, so I decided to go back and talk to the doctor, the kids
went with me and on Dec.24, 1996 I had a complete laryngectomy.

~Nice Christmas present wasn't it? When I woke up in intensive
care, the first thing I recall is seeing my youngest son holding
my hand with his head resting on the bed rail, crying so hard he
was sobbing, I naturally opened my mouth to console him and
"nothing" came out, I felt so helpless, bless his heart I wanted
so bad to assure him every thing was going to be OK and couldn't
say a word. That must have been a horrible sight seeing your
mother lying there with her throat cut nearly ear to ear! All
because of Tobacco Addiction!

~After I got out of the Hospital, I had home nurses and a speech
therapist come to my home to help me, I didn't know any thing at
all about the laryngectomy, I had just had or any thing about
being a Laryngectomee, this was all new stuff to me, the first
thing was learn how to care for myself, the feeding tube, hooked
up through my nose, clean the trachea site (hole in my neck).

~We set up a tapping signal on the telephone so I could answer
questions and call for help if I needed to, one tap was "no" two
taps "yes" etc. My daughter and granddaughter called me from a
couple of states away, they would ask questions and talk and I
would tap, when we got ready to hang up I started crying, I
tapped 1-2-3 and my daughter said "I love you too, Mom" I'll
never forget how devastated I felt that I couldn't even tell my
kids I love them! All because of Tobacco addiction! Here comes
the speech therapist trying to teach me how to talk with an
Electro-larynx, a thing that hangs around your neck, runs on
batteries, vibrates against your neck, and sounds terrible! I
was shown how to use it and told to practice speaking with it in
front of a mirror. I left it lay in the box, on the counter, for
a month, determined I was not going to use that silly sounding
thing! Still suffering in silence. All because of Tobacco
addiction! Then came 33 radiation treatments, as if the cut
throat, feeding tubes, all the medications, and silly sounding
speaking devices weren't enough. Getting through all of the
radiation treatments was a real test of strength for me, more
than once I sat in my car after a treatment and cried before I
could put the key in the ignition and start the car, (I prayed a
lot too). But my children, constantly reassured me that I could
make it, and how, I don't know, but I did.

~By now I'm sitting in front of the mirror at least trying to
speak with the Electro-larynx, sitting in front of the mirror
with that silly sounding thing, reminded me of when I was a
teenager, sitting in front of the mirror trying different poses,
looking "cool" smoking a cigarette, you know we all did that,
what is so bad is we really did think we were "cool". Well I
learned one thing in a hurry, having to talk with an Electro-
larynx is not "cool", no matter which way you hold it or use it
"it's not cool".

~I practiced and practiced until I could at least be understood
for the most part, but you know what? I still hate having to use
that silly sounding thing to talk with, I'd much rather have my
old voice back, but it's gone forever. All because of Tobacco
addiction!

~I have adjusted for the most part, to my new way of life, I'm
only on my 2nd year, and have three to go before I can rest that
they did get all the cancer out, every single day I think about
it, it never leaves your mind, but I am so lucky, because I'm
alive, a lot of people, (around 50 per hour) are dying because
of Tobacco addiction.

~I am sure "My Own Personal Story" is pretty close if not
exactly like many others before and after me, that's why it is
extremely important that we (you and me) educate as many
children as we can about the dangers and terrible consequences
of tobacco.

~If you are a child and you are reading "My Own Personal Story"
Please, Please stop and really think about what you are doing to
harm yourself, before you use a tobacco product, because I
really do care about you.

Copyright1999, MES
All Rights Reserved

~I always wanted to be the one to give thanks where thanks were
do after a performance or as part of a book, in this case a
document. This is my chance.

~I want to send my deepest gratitude and thanks to each and
every one of my children, with out them I would not be here now
to share this story with you, with out them my life would not be
worth living, They inspire me and for that I am sincerely
grateful.

~My loving thanks to my dear husband, who has shown such great
patience while I've spent hours on the computer writing document
after document for my Tobacco Prevention Program, I love you
sweetheart.

~A special thanks to Mr. Robert Mehrman who helped me a great
deal with information for my program, Robert you are the best.

~Thank you every one for taking the time to read my own personal
story.
Copyright1999, MES
All Rights Reserved

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SMOKERS' STORIES

If you can help these folks with your suggestions please send
them email.

Sophie Gordon <sophiegordon@hotmail.com> writes:

Hello there.

I am 24 and am on my fourth day without a cigarette. I tried
giving up around two months ago but made the mistake of having
one when I was out having a drink, which escalated to having a
few when ever I went out, which escalated to buying them on the
weekend to smoking after work...to being addicted again and
feeling terrible about it.

Nevertheless I learnt from those mistakes and am now aware of
how powerful and fast acting nicotine is. I am having very bad
cravings today but your mailing list really helps. I have found
the only way to tackle this is to look at it as a very serious
problem of the mind more than anything. It frightens me when
people say you always want a cigarette for the rest of your
life. Is this true? Cause I am someone who has been so in love
with the whole romantic lie of smoking... I feel like I am
grieving the loss of an old friend and old ideal all at the same
time. I am going to Paris this weekend (I'm from Australia but
live in London)for the first time and I know that will be a huge
test because having a cafe' au lait on the street without a
ciggie will seem mighty incongruous. Perhaps I should buy some
perfume instead. I know for the short time I gave up smoking
last time (3 weeks) I felt so much healthier. That is another
thing that keeps me going. Luckily my flatmates/friends are
giving up as well so I have the support there this time. I
smoked for around 7/8 years but I never want to smoke again.
Please keep me on you mailing list.

+++

D Coops <coops_d69@hotmail.com> writes:
Subject: I CAN QUIT

After deciding to finally quit after being on about a packet a
day, i have read through your letters and decided it is time to
improve my health. After being a sporting success a couple of
years ago, i have seen this go down the drain with short breaths
and no stamina. Thank you for opening my eyes to this sad
addiction.

+++

Toemanger@aol.com writes:
Subject: I'm doin' it!

This August will be three years since I quit. People asked me
"Why" and "what made me" do it. I have no real answer. One day
my son coughed up something brown (I know, its gross), and my
first thought was "Oh my God, is that from secondary smoke?" I
spoke to his doctor and was informed it was not - but it must
have tripped something inside of me, because one week later I
finished my smokes (couldn't bring myself to throw any away) and
never picked one up again. I cheated, its true. When I would go
out with friends and the craving was driving me mad, I would
breath deeply of secondary smoke (heck, I'd stand right in the
cloud!) but after about two months, I didn't need that anymore.
I sucked on watermelon hard candies, and wintergreen mints, and
I gained 10 pounds, but my skin is pinker, my breathing freer,
my sense of smell more defined. It is truly amazing. I drank
alot of orange juice the first few months too. I craved it; at
times desperately. I believe it helped flush that nicotine right
out of me. I also kept a set of keys on a ring in my hand and
flipped the keys around my finger (annoying but helpful)
whenever my hands got "twitchy for a smoke."

I was on Paxil at the time (for depression) but by the third
week I was suicidal. I called my psych who told me to increase
it from 10 mg. to 20 mg. immediately. My psych said "quitting
smoking cold turkey for someone with my disorder is alot like
withdrawal from heroine." No wonder I was so bad! Anyway, 3
years later, I may get the craving every couple months but it
passes within minutes. I'm still trying to lose the weight, I
don't eat hard candies unless I want one, the smell of secondary
smoke now makes me sick at times BUT I feel great. Sheepishly
though, I have to admit, if they found out tomorrow cigarettes
caused no harm, I'd have a five in my mouth at once and a butane
torch in my hand! I smoked between 1-1/2 to 2 packs a day for 14
years. It wasn't easy, but it can be done. GOOD LUCK TO ALL WHO
MAKE THE EFFORT!

====================

Where's your story? I'd sure like to share it with the other
subscribers to this email list. Submit Your Smoker's Story

I hope to hear from you!

Next Issue: 07/20/99

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Until next time, DECLARE YOUR INDEPENDENCE FROM SMOKING,

Fred Kelley

QuitSmoking.com
Phone: 770-346-9222
Fax: 770-475-5007
Web: http://www.quitsmoking.com
Email: mailto:fredk@quitsmoking.com

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© Copyright 1999 Fred H. Kelley
This email may be freely distributed and forwarded
as long as the entire email remains intact.

drugstore.com is the trademark of drugstore.com, inc.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor or professional therapist.
The information included in this email is my opinion and the
opinions of the people sending in their comments.
Fred Kelley and QuitSmoking.com make no warranties,
either expressed or implied, about the truth or accuracy of the
contents of The Quit Smoking Report.

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