[Rhodes22-list] Smoking cessation reply to Bob and Slim, et al.

[Robert Skinner]

Ed, in your own endearing way, you have left on a 
one-man parade of verbosity without putting your 
pants on.  For your edification, I have interspersed 
my observations and corrections in your stream of 
unconsciousness.

/Robert

Tootle wrote:
> Bob,  You say that you are sorry about
> informing others of the veracity of posts
> by checking Snopes?

Yes, Ed, I regret that some of our more enlightened 
members may feel some hurt as they find that 
long-standing beliefs are at odds with the facts, 
and have to accommodate a new view.  I do not expect 
that you have that problem.

> I have not checked Snopes on the following because not
> all will agree with it up front.  You said, "At this
> point, the docs cannot determine whether we ever smoked
> based on our physical exams.  It's now as if we never
> smoked."

Note that I used the phrase "at this point".  I was 
referring to a point in time, specifically THIS point 
in our personal lives.

> Then you better change doctors because competent
> physicians usually can detect smokers who have
> smoked as little as three years fifty years ago.

I'll stick with my doc, thank you.

> While the body is able to repair much damage caused by smoking to internal
> organs, some, especially to the lungs is permanent.  Many patients have told
> me that they do not smoke and I record that information on patient
> histories, only to have a Radiologist ask me to ask the patient for more
> details.  Nine times out of ten, they smoked years ago.  The other one in
> ten turns out to have been exposed to air borne junk, like mine work or
> cotton mill work.
> The good part of quitting is that some recovery does take place,
> less damage continues to occur and the risk of lung cancer drops.

I hear what you say.  It may be true that if you 
dig deep enough, you might find some evidence.  
Sort of like WMD in Iraq.  However, in our case, 
the doc measures current lung function and lung 
capacity, and we are up to norms.

> The eventual development of emphysema does not go away.  When damage occurs
> to air sac (aveoli) walls it is permanent...

That is debatable.  I find it difficult to believe 
that in as critical an organ as the lungs there is 
no repair mechanism - especially in my observations 
of my own health.

Further, there is some reason to suspect that 
emphysema has a genetic component.  If so, I'm 
pretty well off - my father smoked incessantly 
until a person driving over the speed limit 
killed him at 87.

Finally, you should be ashamed of yourself for 
uttering even a syllable of discouragement in the 
presence of someone undertaking the most difficult 
task of breaking an addiction.
-- 
Robert Skinner               "Squirrel Haven"
9 Gateway Commons, Gorham, Maine   04038-1331
Home/Messages 207-839-8777, Cell 207-653-1752

"Good health is the slowest way to die..."
Sorry - I don't have an attribution, and I have
probably mangled the quotation - but it works.