Peter_is_in

Wilderness camping. Miles away from the nearest road . . . Like this place, camping and fishing with my son . . . a wonderful place to reflect.

Hi catlover . . . hope your day gets better! Ignore the whiny voice ? . It does get quieter over time, and then finally, gone forever!

Quitting Smoking is Easy . . . Easier than hearing your doctor say, `I am sorry . . .` Easier than fighting cancer. Easier than laying in the hospital having radiation treatment. Easier than breathing through tubes up your nose. Easier than having a Tracheostomy. Easier than losing your vision (AMD-Age-related Macular Degeneration). Easier than COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). Easier than laying in the hospital wishing you could feel the sun. Easier than looking out the window knowing you can`t go there anymore. Easier than listening to your loved ones crying outside your hospital room. Easier than researching for hospice care. Easier than preparing for your funeral because the cancer has gone so far. Easier than picking out your favorite songs for your funeral. Easier than trying to say the right words because they will be your last. Easier than your child seeing you die from cancer. Easier than imagining your child without a Mom. Easier than imagining your child without a Dad. Easier than realizing your child may need a new Mom in the future. Easier than realizing your child may need a new Dad in the future. Easier than not seeing your child`s face because of blindness. Easier than telling your child you are dying because you smoked. Easier than losing a friend . . . or a friend losing you. Easier than imagining your spouse being alone. Easier than asking your friends to look after your spouse. Easier than training your job replacement and knowing why. Easier than changing your retirement plans or canceling them. Easier than going through your photo album with tears. Easier than realizing your pet may out live you. Easier than friends talking about you in past tense. Easier than realizing smoking was more important to you than your life. Easier than thinking, `So this is it . . .?` Easier than dying . . . Quit smoking now . . . start living life smoke free . . . addiction free . . . Peter

Hi Linda, So sorry to hear about your Dad. And I totally understand the struggles during such a time. Not long ago, I have experienced a life changing event in a hospital environment. Two loved ones (a young couple), being good samaritans, pulled over to help someone in need. But instead, they were both struck by a vehicle. During their time in the hospital, I often had to step outside to get fresh air, to clear my mind, to grieve (one loved one passed away) . . . And at those times I saw patients, and staff, standing in the freezing cold, having a smoke. I could not wrap my head around the fact that watching them, sucking on a cancer stick, they were endangering their own lives . . . while at the same time our loved ones struggled to survive. And I will never forget the irony of seeing the staff taking a smoke break, since after they were done, they were the same people who desperately worked at saving our loved ones. A horrible journey for us, and a lesson of how precious life is and yet, how fragile. You did well not giving in Linda . . . stay strong, for yourself, and for your Dad.

For me personally and what I have seen, I reflect on the word "Struggle" . . . To watch a loved one die from cancer while all you can see is the whites of their eyes. The pain and frustration only shows in the wrinkles of their face, because they cannot talk . .. that's a struggle. That cannot be undone To hear about a roadside bomb hitting a convoy of peace keepers in Afghanistan . . . and your child may be in that convoy . . . communications are automatically cut for several days . .. that's a struggle. You have no control To give up on planning yearly fishing trips with your best buddy, because cancer just stole him away from you. . . that's a struggle. That cannot be forgotten To hear the last words of your sister in moans and groans because the pain before dying of cancer is so much. . . that's a struggle. That cannot be erased To see a family member taken off life support. . . that's a struggle. That cannot be erased To learn about others who have no food to eat tomorrow, and likely will die . . . that's a struggle. That cannot be ignored To have a strong crave to smoke a cigarette . . . that's not a struggle . . . That's an inconvenience. That can be undone That can be controlled That can be forgotten That can be erased That can be ignored You can do it! Peter

Hi everyone, Quite some time ago I signed up with QSMB. Searched for it this evening and could not find it, and instead, found this site. Looks like QSMB no longer exists and this is the place to be. I also belong to Quitnet. Became a member there the first day I quit smoking, May 15, 2003. Being a part of that support group helped me through my quit. Along the way it helped me to help others. And that is where I am right now, helping if I can, and when time permits. Looking forward to reading through the forums here. Peter