Comments on: Kicking the Habit

By: PCKnotte

PCKnotte — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 03:18:54 +0000

Good for you! I’ll be available for words of encouragement should they be needed.

By: VirusHead

VirusHead — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:27:40 +0000

Thanks for all the support. It makes a big difference to me. {{{hugs}}}

By: Todd Hellskitchen

Todd Hellskitchen — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:08:55 +0000

I'm ROOTING for you, Vi! Todd Hellskitchen´s last blog post - Spring Break: Out of the Gate

By: JR Gardner

JR Gardner — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:26:16 +0000

Making the plunge myself. It’s considered very professionally unbecoming for paramedics. And, I thought this document from my Medic textbook would give you a calendar of “non-smoking treats” to look forward to, share it freely:

Body Changes When You Stop Smoking

Within 20 Minutes of Your Last Cigarette
Pulse and blood pressure drop to normal.
Body temperature of hands and feet increases to normal.

Within 8 Hours of Your Last Cigarette
Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal.
Oxygen level in blood increases to normal.

Within 24 Hours of Your Last Cigarette
Chance of heart attack decreases.
Within 48 Hours of Your Last Cigarette
Nerve endings begin to regenerate.
Ability to smell and taste is enhanced.

Within 72 Hours of Your Last Cigarette
Bronchial tubes relax, making breathing easier.
Lung capacity increases.

Within 2 Weeks to 3 Months after Your Last Cigarette
Circulation improves.
Walking becomes easier.
Lung function increases up to 30%.

Within 1 to 9 Months after Your Last Cigarette
Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease.
Cilia regrow in lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection.

Within 5 Years of Your Last Cigarette
Lung cancer death rate for the average smoker (one pack per day) decreases.

Within 10 Years of Your Last Cigarette
Lung cancer death rate drops to 12 deaths per 100,000—almost the rate of nonsmokers.
Precancerous cells are replaced.
Risk for other cancers—such as those of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas—decreases (20 chemicals in tobacco smoke cause cancer).

(Sanders, Mick J.. Mosby’s Paramedic Textbook, 3rd Edition. C.V. Mosby, 072006. 2.3.2.4.1).

By: JollyRoger

JollyRoger — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 07:31:29 +0000

The price is too high, and the consequences are too great; I am still grieving deeply for the mom I lost, and the grandma my children are going to only remember fuzzily, if at all. Nothing, in my estimation, is worth what mom went through the last year she was alive. And I'm tired of going to funerals for people who ought to be alive. JollyRoger´s last blog post - It Isn’t About Religion; It’s About Bigotry