I smoked my last cigarette on February 26, 2014, after 40 plus years of 1 pack/year use. About eight years ago, the first signs of COPD began to raise their ugly heads. I was working in a stairwell (Wiring a three way system, when I noticed that I was short of breath after climbing the stairs a few times. I put it off, but another episode a week later during a wire pull caused me to contact my doctor.
Although just an M.D. and not a specialist, my Doctor knew by the blood/gas exchange and listening to my lungs that something was wrong.He prescribed Advair, and told me to quit smoking. That was EIGHT years ago. Of course I said, I'll quit. I didn't give it a second thought. In the years that followed, I can remember many times not being able to do my job, and how many times admitted into the hospital to be treated for pneumonia.
The reason that I am writing this is to keep a sort of public diary of how I am doing staying off the ciggs.
For the record I did slip up several times, and the latest being earlier yesterday, when I bought and smoked a whole pack.
So consider today, April 2nd, 2014 as my new quit date. Have one nicotine patch left, and one of those "E ciggs", I cannot at this point do it cold turkey.
Cheers.
