Smoking Cigarettes - Tuesday, July 27, 2010

This is not going to be a dissertation on how bad and unhealthy cigarette smoking is for you because in reality, regardless of what the medical establishment thinks of the habit/addiction, I still think the jury is out on that one. Seriously. Yes, overall it is very dangerous to your health because of the carbon monoxide and other harmful carcinogens and toxins (I believe the last count on that angle was like 175 to 177 known toxins per cigarette) that are ingested into your body when you inhale - there is no disputing this fact. However, be that as it may, to say that cigarette smoking is one of the worst plagues to ever make its mark on mankind since the living world encountered its first dawn as many anti-smoking legions voraciously claim it is, well, I don't agree with that warped concept. I'm not telling anyone to reach for that next one and light it up with an air of anticipated frenzy, but let's take a look at this subject a bit closer, shall we?

Does cigarette smoking cause lung cancer, heart disease, empheyzema, asthma and all those other medical mysteries that we have yet to find a cure for? Yes, I believe it can and I believe it does; BUT, not in the way that the medical world and anti-tobacco experts have lead us to believe. Here's what I think is at the central core of the entire argument on the medical pitfalls of getting one's daily dosage of nicotine -  I don't think it's necessarily that smoking automatically causes the aformentioned maladies, I think its what is inside of the various tobacco products that sets off the markers and genes inside our bodies that makes us prone or more susceptible to contracting/developing those diseases. In other words, yeah, cigarette smoking does cause those diseases, but in an indirect route, not the direct route that all these alleged experts claim it does. I'll give you a couple of examples of what I mean.

Several years ago when I was working in one of more affluent suburban areas of Boston, the Sudbury-Wayland area, I ran across a local newspaper story about a woman who at that time lived in the Wellesley, MA area - her situation really caught my attention, due to the fact that I myself am a cancer survivor. Here's her scenario - the woman had been an extremely active athlete all her life, always watched her weight and ate the right foods, even took vitamins and had no known medical problems, plus she NEVER ONCE smoked a cigarette in her entire life, nor was she ever around second-hand cigarette smoke throughout her lifetime. You guessed it - she was diagnosed with not just lung cancer, but severe lung cancer in BOTH of her lungs at the same exact time! When her oncologist asked her "Have you ever smoked in your life?" she responded "No, not ever, not even once, why do you ask?" and he responded "Because judging from your x-rays and CT scans, I would judge that you smoke at least 3 to 4 packs of cigarettes per day." Hello, HELLO!!!  What happened to that woman is most likely just one example of thousands or more true life stories out there where a person who is a non-smoker, or someone who has never smoked a day in their life, is diagnosed with a form of cancer attribbuted mainly to cigarette smoking. Like I said, whatever it was that set off her genetic markers that automatically prediposed her for severe lung cancer was the culprit, definitely not smoking cigarettes, because not even one little stogie made it to her lips. Due to the natural inertia of my career at the time, I never did follow up on that article so I dont know what ever became of her but I truly hope she did beat it somehow, though at the time of that article things did look bleak for her. Smoking or non-smoking, I pray she knocked that cancer right on its ass.

Estelle Winwood, formerly of England and one of America's oldest living actresses at the time of her death in 1984 at the age of 101, is my other example. Several years before she died she was interviewed by a reporter who at that time worked on the staff of the Los Angeles Times. When she asked Miss Winwood what she attributed her long, full lifespan towards, she humorously responded "I don't have the foggiest notion" so the reporter said "Really, why do you say that?" and she said "Because Dearie, I smoke 3 to 4 packs of cigarettes per day, I eat nothing but sweets and junkfood for all three daily meals and I stay up tilll all hours of the night. Can you figure it out?" Yep, you read correctly - smoking 3 to 4 packs a day and living to the ripe old age of 101. Kinda puts it all into perspective, doesn't it? I realize that providing you, the reader, with just 2 examples out of the billions of smoking and non-smoking people who've lived on this planet doesnt necessarily mean that my theory is 100% correct but you gotta admit, I do have a good point here.

Cigarette smoking did not cause my Testicular cancer. I'm sure that having all those extra toxins in my body at the time didn't help matters but trust me, every medical test known to mankind was run on me and they could not find what caused it, but that's no surprise because to this day there is not one single oncologist or hematologist out there who has that answer for anyone diagnosed with this form of cancer, not just me. Granted, I for one am extremely thankful that as of last year they officially rated Testicular cancer as one of the most curable forms of cancer on the entire planet; but, there still are people who die from it because the diagnosis either came too late or it metastasizes at too fast a rate for some who are diagnosed with it. I count my blessings every day that I am still breathing and living as a cancer survivor and even though I have studied all the information out there and have medically calculated that IF it does return it won't hit me till I am at least 58 or 59, I pray it never ever returns. Any cancer can do sucha number on the human body as I'm certain all my fellow cancer survivors will attest to; and, I definitely don't wanna travel down that road again, that's for sure.

I started smoking when I was in 8th grade, no, not regular smoking as in a half pack or more a day; but, just "trying it" as most of my peers and myself did back in the late 1970's. From then until the time I was 15 I probaly smoked a grand total of 3 to 4 packs of cigarettes; but, when I turned 15, that is when I started smoking full-time so to say, usually under a pack a day but sometimes a pack and a half if I was really really stressed out about something or simply having a lousy day. Clutch or not, yes, there were reasons to smoke back then but at that time it was caused by my behavior versus being totally addicted to the nicotine itself. The stimulus that cemented my then-permanent relationship with my former lover, Mr, Nic O. Tine? Anger. You guessed it, back then I used my smoking as part of my own personal anger-management control system. The funny thing is, is that it worked, it really did. Anytime I got pissed off about something or even at another individual, I would just take a walk outside and after 3 to 5 in a row, whew, everything was okay, there was total calm and I would be more than ready for the next time. Incidentaly, this was also the same time period when I did become a drug addict for nicotine. Regardless of the circumstances, I simply fell into my own man-made trap of smoking whenever I was happy, sad, frustrated, angry, in heavy thought, you name it, there was never a bad time to not light up. I could experience any kind of peak and valley on the roller coaster ride of life, just as long as my ole' buddy Nic' was along for the ride.

A couple sidenotes about the habits of cigarette smoking - after all, we are on the subject so might I as well leave no stone unturned. Over the years people have really messed up the definition of the term "chain-smoking." The correct definition is a smoker who lights up more than 2 cigarettes in a row, one after the other, every time they smoke. I was not a chain-smoker. The only time I ever lit up one after the other is when I would get very angry about something; then and only then would I have a record 3 to 5 right in a row. Otherwise, I would just have one whenever I felt like it.

The best times to smoke? Right after a meal, whether it be breakfast/brunch, lunch(eon) or dinner/supper, that was always the best time - something about that first 30 minutes after ceasing eating that just made it almost magical, sometimes to the point where one would almost say "Ya know Nic, I really love you, just wanted to let you know."

Indoors or outdoors? Here's the funny thing, at least with me - I despised smoking indoors! No shit. Smelling raunchy can never be helped when you are a smoker, even though I have heard that certain "smoker's candles" and air fresheners do work, but I use to say to myself "I may smell bad when I am doing it and right afterwards but I will be goddamned if every single piece of clothing I wear and the walls and furniture in my home smell like fucken nasty cigarette smoke!" Yeah, and in cars? Sometimes Jack and I would but most times no and when we did we always had the windows rolled down but still, that stench would reek for months! I know a lot of folks out there say that when one is a smoker it doesnt matter how well you take care of your clothes or your home, once a smoker smell, always a smoker smell but I do disagree with that. In every apartment and/or home that I have ever lived in, never once did any friend or even when family members would make a rare apperance to visit, say "Oh your place smells." In my particular case I always heard "You can't be a smoker, I don't smell it anywhere."

Oh and by the way, just a little cleaning tip for those of you who do smoke. If you are a smoker who smokes indoors and you have wood-paneling anywhere in your home, wash it down with that Murphy's Oil Soap product and the end results will blow your friggin mind. How good does it work? You could be a full-time smoker and you will not smell that smell in your paneling for at least till a good week afterwards. It's true, give it a try. But, even more importantly, if you are a smoker who is planning to quit and you want that smell as much out of your home as possible? Wash the paneling, the walls, everything down with that Murphy's Oil Soap stuff and again, you will be pleasently surprised. Oh and don't use the lazyperson's version of it, the stuff in a spray-pump - use the bottled stuff, diluted in a pail of warm water and then wash/wipe down whatever you want to clean, let dry and presto. Incidentally, if you wanna clean your plastic indoor and outdoor garbage containers as well as recycling bins to get rid of the occassional bad smells eminating from them? Works perfect on that project too. Okay, enough of this, dont wanna do two posts at once....I heard someone in the back of the room mumble "Suzy-Spice-Home-maker" too...

Does the brand you smoke affect how or when you go about quitting? In my personal experiences, a most emphatic HELL YES! is required to answer that question because it's true, it's very true. It doesn't matter if the cigarette one smokes is regular, light, even ultra-light, they are all bad for you; but, get addicted to one of the few national ultra-light brands out there and watch what happens. For years I heard many a tobacco dealer tell me "If you get addicted to this or that one, you probaly wont ever be able to switch brands cause you will get very sick from it." I thought to myself "Hey, the perfect way to quit!" Not so, cause both your body and your psychological conditioning will make you crave that particular ultra-light brand all the more. I tried switching brands from the one I smoked for years - yep, Carlton 100's (non-menthol) - and every time I tried, I kid you not, those tobacco dealers were right! I would get headaches and I would get extremely nautious, almost to the point where I would toss my cookies. See, it's just not the addiction to the nicotine or the psychological habit of cigarettes that keep one hooked, in the case of ultra-light brands like Carlton's and Now's (which I dont know if they even make anymore, coulda sworn they took them off the market awhile back) no matter how much you desired to save money by trying other brands, once hooked you were hooked. 

Quitting smoking they say is just as hard to do, if not harder, as quitting heroin or alcohol and I believe it - after all, look how available all 3 vices are in our modern world. Nowadays there are gums, patches, even actual medications that your doctor can prescribe for you that can not only help you quit, but keep you quit - for good. Every person is different and every person's before-and-after quitting smoking story varies, there is no right or wrong on this one folks - just because your experience differs from any others out there doesnt make it any less valid or any less real. My suggestion? Talk to you doctor or medical team first and try to make the decisions together what is best for you. Oh and on a very special note - God and Universe forbid that you ever ever have to deal with the reality of a cancer diagnosis, no matter what kind it is, I implore of you to immediately ask your doctor/oncologist right away what is the best thing to do. Why? The majority of the general public isn't aware of this but depending on the person's individual health issue(s) at the time off diagnosis, your specialist may very well tell you "Yes, quit, but let's plan when." Yep, that one shocked the hell out of me too folks but it's true. When I was diagnosed, more than half of my oncology team came right out and told me "If you quit instantly, just like that, it could actually cause a counter-shock to her heart." I responded "Yeah, but what about the issue of quitting smoking alters your heart health dramatically after 24 hours?" to which they told me "It does, but combine something like that with the intense treatment your body will be going through and the results would not be good."

So yes, I was a smoker up until the time I was diagnosed, during the entire duration of my treatment and afterwards till about 2003. Looking back in hindsight I probaly shoulda quit during my treatment for I was lucky if I had 2 to 3 per day during those months but I wasn't worried about it too much at the time, my mind was on other goals quite naturally. Oh I'm sure there's gonna be a lotta folks that are shocked by that but you'd be surprised how many other cancer fighters continue to smoke right through it all and are still smoking to this day; but, I'm not one of them. The method I used to quit? The old-fashioned way - Cold Turkey. I'm not gonna lecture anyone which method to use but that one worked for me. Of course, reminding myself every single time I came up against a daily obstacle that I could handle it without smoking, as well as reminding myself how much money I could save from quitting - were positive, psychological buffers for me. Funny, when I first smoked back in the late 70's a pack of cigarettes cost about $1 - last time I was at Walgreen's I looked behind the cashier who was waiting on me and noticed that some brands today are at $9.59 per pack! That alone should be a good enough reason for anyone to quit but again, the choice is yours.

Every one of us who are former smokers have our own aftermath stories to tell or share when it comes to quitting and staying quit, and again there are no right or wrong post-experiences, whatever you are feeling, whether it be 2 or 20 years since you have quit, your experiences are valid. I cannot tell you how many people I have spoken to about this subject who have said "Well I never think about it, I never miss it, not one bit." That may be true but it's not true for all of us and if any former smoker tells you otherwise you need to tell them to go to hell in a handbasket. Just like with alcohol, nicotine is an extremely powerful drug and there is not one single friggin day that goes by that I don't miss it. In fact, in some cases, mine included, sometimes it's a daily battle to resist going back to it. You can tell I miss it even more when I mention it or make jokes about smoking in my blog entires as well as open newsfeed on Facebook.

As for being around people who smoke? Honestly, it doesnt bother me, just as long as they respect the fact that I do not allow it inside my home or inside any enclosed space I am in, such as a car or truck. I grew up in a family of smokers and unlike most former smokers, I can be around 20 people chainsmoking all at once and it won't entice me in the least. My secret? You already know it - the ultra-light addiction I went through. The only cigarette I would ever enjoy smoking is the only one I ever could smoke - those nasty, air-like tasting Carlton 100's because I know and my subconscious knows that even to this day if I were to ever return to smoking and smoke anything else other than that one brand I would get physically ill. And that right there is also the secret to staying quit - mind control, you are the one who controls the urges, not the cigarettes. For me personally, retraining my thought patterns to equate smoking with vomiting has worked perfect for me. The thought of it may be gross, but trust me, it is effective.

One more thing - there's a giant unwritten law in the Hiv/AIDS communities implying that no Hiv'er should be smoking due to their compromised immune systems brought on by the various infections that can hit us and that any Hiv'er who does is a pariah. A pariah? Who the hell made that fucked up rule? It doesnt matter what disease you have, if you wanna smoke, you go right ahead and smoke, just like with anyone, it is your personal choice and your personal right. Do I want you to? No, I don't, I want you to quit and stay quit but I will be damned if I am gonna march up to you or write you an email telling you that you are a bad, evil, worthless human being just because you smoke. That's just nothing butta bunch of poppycock and tomfoolery. It's extremely important for all of us, both Hiv'er and non-Hiv'er alike, to curttail any habits that are dentrimental to our overall physical and mental health; but, to replace that habit with the habit of being irrational, obnoxious and judgemental towards your fellow humankind? Sorry, but that type of behavior is just sheer lunacy in my book as well as a contradiction of every logical thought process that exists on this planet. I think that we, the human race, needs to stop beating each other up for simply being human, ya know? And, if you are gonna continue smoking? Frankly, I'd rather see you do that then the other 101 much worse habits out there today.

They say that quitting smoking automatically prolongs your life expectancy, and with the exception of the scenario of quitting one day and then 2 days later walking out in traffic and getting hit and killed by a runaway bus, there's probaly a good amount of truth to that. But whatever you do, if you are gonna quit, please, do it for yourself, no matter what method you use, because in order to stay quit you have to do it strictly for yourself. Right now I am a non-smoker and I intend to stay one for the rest of my life because I feel its the best thing for me; but, that doesn't mean that what I do is the best thing for you, only you can decide that. Thank you for reading.

Posted via email from Luctor Et Emergo