Update on my sister. Thanks for all the prayers. She did great had to put two stents in the right arm. Will wait to see how she does if they will do the left arm. The doctor told us that she HAS to QUIT smoking or it will come back!!!!! With her legs they are not going to do anything, but if she stills smokes they make have to take them off?????? They are going to send her to kidney specialties to help with that. Thanks again. DeVon

Quitting the smokes is the toughest thing I've done, but have been smoke free for 19 months after 51 years of smoking. Doesn't make any difference how many people tell you what you should do - you have to decide on your own you are going to do it - and then just do it. Not easy, but hopefully adding a few years to my life with my kids and grandkids will be worth it. Get a dear friend to field your "I think I'm going out of my mind" calls and they will be able to talk you through the tough times. Don't worry about the weight gain, it's bound to happen because the metabolism changes. When it hit the 25# mark I signed up for a water aerobics class and feel better than ever!!! I almost never reach for a smoke these days, but it took a long time.

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by airyfairy 29 Feb 2012

I gave up 30 years ago and sometimes I still wish I could have a cigarette.

I am pleased she is doing better. I agree with eyeztodiefor10, it is really hard to stop smoking and sometimes when you feel under pressure it can make it even harder. I hope she succeeds with quitting, I do know for me that the horror stories and scare tactics do not work. I just keep on telling myself I want to and keep on trying. When others try to help me with advise it just makes me mad. So if you want to help her to quit, make sure you help her in a way that is helpful to her. I hope that makes sense.
Alice

It's hard to quit smoking. I've tried several times, once it lasted 8 years but now my lungs are bad and I still haven't managed to stop yet. I haven't given up trying and it won't be long before I try once again. I'm afraid of the cravings, mood swings, and weight gain. I'm fat already. I hope you'll pray for your sister to find the courage and willpower to do this. I pray for her sake she does. God bless her.
Meri

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by fannyfurkin 28 Feb 2012

I am in exactly the same boat as you. Just thinking about quitting sends me into a melt down. But I will keep trying. I think about it all the time now, this way I get less anxious about the thought of it so when I try again it won't be so bad, I hope.

Answered prayer that she did so well. Thank the Lord. Pray the next procedure goes just as well. I do hope she stops smoking. My Dad is on oxygen 24/7. He does not have a productive life. Sits all day long. Can barely get to table and bathroom. Needs an inhaler when he does. All because of smoking. He would still be up and about if it wasn't for smoking all those years. He has stopped but the damage is done for him. I hope she realizes that she should just lay them down and forget them. She will be sooo glad she did.

Hope that your sister quit smoking, my dh left 9 months ago, he had a minor surgery but a blood clot took him to the other side, he was a very heavy smoker, the auptopsy revelead he had cancer everywhere due to smoking, we did no know it.Please tell her to stop, I have to go and do a physical check up because I am a second hand smoker, I have not have the motivation to set an appointment.

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by devon 28 Feb 2012

thanks you need to take care of yourself too.

I watched my Mom die a slow and painful death from smoking. She was on oxygen (in home) for several yrs and had many long stays in the hospital before the end. He her lugs finally just quit. I could do nothing to stop her. I had power of attorney over everything and I even took her her check-book and left her with very little cash. I found cigarettes stashed all over her house after she passed away.
I was paying all of her bills and was actually paying for her cigarettes and did not know it. She would order her prescriptions from the drug store and thay would deliver to her. When I got the bill, I would write them a check and put it in the mail. I found out after the fact that she was also ordering cigarettes by the carton from them. She was ordering enough to last until she had to order more scripts. I tried it for a very short time but after Mom got sick, I decided it was not worth it. I gained weight when I stopped and that was the reason I started in the first place. I decided that being heavy was not as bad as what Mom had to go through for so many yrs. Mom passed out on the escalator in Sears in Macon, Ga. once and got horrible bruises and a few sm open wounds. That was a good 10 yrs before it finally got her. It is unbelievable how bad off she was for so many yrs! She was still laying in the hospital bed and could not even speak but would hold her right hand up like she was holding a cigarette to let me know she wanted one. It is a nasty habit as well as being deadly!

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by devon 28 Feb 2012

Thanks I hope she will wake up.

So sorry for these problems but will keep her in my prayers.
Hugs,
Jacqueline

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by devon 28 Feb 2012

thanks so much

Oh DeVon - I really hope your sister has been frightened enough to give up smoking. I had a DVT in my leg when I was in my thirties. I was smoking about 60 cigarettes a day. I was told if I did not give up that I would not get to see my daughters grown up. I made a decision that I had to give up there and then. That was 30 years ago. Please do everything in your power to make her see what she is doing to herself. She is so very lucky to have a loving, caring sister. Hugs Sarah.

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by devon 28 Feb 2012

thanks I tried to talk to her. we will have to wait and see.

by airyfairy 29 Feb 2012

Unfortunately, only she can make the decision to stop.

Another prayer answered - I do hope she stops smoking.

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by devon 28 Feb 2012

thanks me too

DaVone, so glad she got that taken care of, now stop smoking is a must! I quit 13 days before my 40th birthday and if I can do it ANYONE can!! I went the cold turkey method but there are some good pills out there that can help. Stay on her, she will get mad at you and throw things and have fits but she can do it!!
Hugs and good luck, Deb

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by devon 28 Feb 2012

Thanks I hope she does.

Thanks for the update. Went back to the other one for an update earlier. She needs to behave and stop the smoking. I saw some pretty ugly machines hooked up to patients that were dying from years of smoking. Not a great way to spend their last days. Now a prayer that she will quite for good but it is difficult if she is surrounded by those that do smoke so unfortunately might have to choose new non-smoking friends.

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by devon 28 Feb 2012

thanks we will see :-(