Something from the past.

[OldBones-Larry]

This is a re-write as the other one disappeared while being posted. more compact and without some of the frilly stuff to soften things a little.

Many years ago I was asked to help with an autopsy.

When the body was opened, the lungs were black and looked like overcooked liver. There were some tumors present.

The heart was triple it's normal size and the arteries were all hard and twisted.

Turns out this person had passed from a major heart attack. They suffered from COPD with all the accompanying damage of tissue loss.

Cancer was also present in those tumors.

I smoked at the time. You would think this might have caused me to stop.

The doctor and I went out and had a smoke when we were finished.

I was in my early 20's and didn't think this could happen to me.

I learned better when I had bypass surgery. I also have COPD.

Forgive me, but all these tests must be getting to me. I haven't thought about this in years.

Keep those nasty things away from your face. Avoid this being you on that table.

One step, and then another, will get you to where you want to be.

Larry the Caravan Master

[MarilynH]

Thank you Larry, I know that I don't want to end up on that table, I love my 388 precious smoke free days and counting and I definetly want to remain an EX SMOKER for the rest of my days on this earth. 

Marilyn 

[YoungAtHeart]

The addiction was stronger than our common sense, is all.

We ALL knew the damage we were doing (well, I actually thought if I kept to a healthy diet and exercised EVERY day I could negate the bad effects of smoking - arterial blockages proved THAT theory to be the bunk that it was!)  I was only guilty of being delusional!

Glad I woke up - wish I had done so sooner........but it is what it is.  All we can control now is the quits we have going  - at all costs!

Nancy

[Terri103]

I'd like so see some pictures of smokers lungs AFTER they have been quit for awhile.  I am sure that they don't go directly back to pink and healthy, but does the blackness fade?  I guess if it hasn't been done, I should make arrangements to donate my body, with specific instructions to take and post pictures of my lungs and study them too.  I would give them all the facts.  I am 57 now, I want at least 30 more years----well, quality of life years!  So hopefully some pics will come along sooner than mine will.  

[elvan]

We all thought we were immune, I so wish I had never felt that immortality that goes along with youth.  

[TerrieQuit]

Better Late than Never! Can't take back the past and there is no since to wallow in it! Better just get on with living what life we got left! and protect our quits with everything we got!

Thanks Larry

Terrie  31  DOF  =  1  Month  OF

[Giulia]

I don't think I ever saw this before.  Glad I have now.  I wish the woman who posted before me, Terrie,  was still on this site.  She was a great supporter here.  Had a really strong quit for over a year.  And then she relapsed.  And then she left.  And then she deactivated her account.  And I often think about her and wonder where and how she is.  And I often hope that she will be back some day.  There are others who have had amazingly long quits here who relapsed and left, never to return.  

If you relapse, please return.  Better yet, don't leave.  The "smoking after relapse" years go by really fast.  And before you know it's been 3, 5, 8 years of more smoking, more damage to your beautiful body.  Heed Larry's advice.  Don't let this be you on the table.

[YoungAtHeart]

I saw the post by Terrie, too - and she is often in my thoughts.  She had some challenges, and I wonder how she is doing.