Sad news from the lake..

[C.Ann]

A neighbor lady from up here just popped in for a minute to tell me that she and her DH wouldn't be coming back for awhile.. They have to see a surgeon on Thursday..

Her DH has been diagnosed with lung cancer - 22 years AFTER he quit smoking.. So much for the lungs returning to the condition of those of a non-smoker..

Seems so unfair.. The tumor is VERY large and I'm afraid it doesn't look good..

 

[snoopy]

That is sad.

I hope that doesn't deter you from your efforts to quit smoking. For every story like this one, there are a bunch more of people who were able to turn their poor health around after quitting smoking. Not to mention change the quality of their life and overcome a nasty addiction.

My prayers go out to your friend and her husband.

 

[HauntedMansionGeek]

I'm sorry to hear about your lake neighbor. I'll keep him in my prayers.

My dad's cancer was related to smoking and he hadn't smoked since I was a little girl.....I'm thinking it had been 35+ years for him.

 

[canwegosoon]

Sorry to hear the sad news.

 

[CEDmom]

How sad . I have to agree with Snoopy though. My own father was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1970. Sadly, it did take his life. Both he and my mom smoked. Well my mom quit the minute my Dad was diagnosed. She'll be celebrating her 75th birthday soon and is in great health. She goes to the gym several times a week and still does volunteer teaching. Of course that's when she not traveling. They've made great strides in cancer treatment in the last 30+ years. I hope you're friend has many years ahead of him.

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by snoopy
That is sad.

I hope that doesn't deter you from your efforts to quit smoking.

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Nope - it won't deter me at all because I was already aware of the fact that quitting smoking does nothing to reduce your chances of lung cancer if you have smoked at ANY time in the past..

It just seems SO unfair.. I'm hoping he's one of the "lucky" ones that can have part or all of the lung removed and still have a fairly long survival rate..

 

[snoopy]

Nope - it won't deter me at all because I was already aware of the fact that quitting smoking does nothing to reduce your chances of lung cancer if you have smoked at ANY time in the past..

But thats not true! Here is a link to dispute that, I'm sure there are many more out there on the Web:

http://www.meritcare.com/hwdb/showTopic.asp?pd_hwid=aa151481

 

[CEDmom]

I also meant to tell you that even though my dad smoked his lung cancer wasn't actually a result of that. It started in scar tissue he had from TB contracted in the Navy. He was also a Chemical Engineer when there weren't as many regulations as there are now. Of course I'm sure smoking didn't help the situation but it also wasn't the primary cause. It's quite possible this friend has some underlying cause as well. Quiting smoking is definitely a good thing and you're lungs will regenerate.

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by snoopy
But thats not true! Here is a link to dispute that, I'm sure there are many more out there on the Web:

http://www.meritcare.com/hwdb/showTopic.asp?pd_hwid=aa151481

--------------------

Sorry, but I would have to dispute that information based on numerous people I have known (and I'm not talking a "handful")who have quit smoking for a minimum of 15 years and as much as 30 years who still ended up being diagnosed with lung cancer and ultimately died from it.. However, I will agree that it can minimize or keep other lung diseases from progressing further..

If you will notice the section on risks of lung cancer says "reduces" 30 to 50% - not "eliminates"..

 

[snoopy]

Hmmmm, sorry, I tend to believe the statistics.

In any case, I do hope your friend survives. My father died of lung cancer (and was not a smoker, former or otherwise) so I know how tough it is to beat.

 

[DMRick]

I was already aware of the fact that quitting smoking does nothing to reduce your chances of lung cancer if you have smoked at ANY time in the past..

Opps, someone gave you incorrect information.

That said, sometimes people get lung cancer that never smoked. Smoking is not the only cause of lung cancer. Lost my mom to lung cancer..unfortunately hers WAS from smoking. However a friend died from lung cancer and has never smoked or lived with a smoker. He did work near asbestos, however.

Lungs DO start to heal once you quit smoking, although some damage can't be repaired.

You'll benefit by stopping..and I'm sure by the time summer is over, you'll be happy to announce you're a past smoker!

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by snoopy


Hmmmm, sorry, I tend to believe the statistics.

In any case, I do hope your friend survives. My father died of lung cancer (and was not a smoker, former or otherwise) so I know how tough it is to beat.

------------------------

LOL - you and I must have been posting at the same time..

Go back and read the link you provided.. It says "reduces" the chances of lung cancer 30 to 50%.. It does not say "eliminates".. Thus if you have EVER smoked, there is still a 50 to 70% chance that you will one day develop lung cancer..

 

[siouxi31]

You just never know. Two of my non-smoking aunts died from lung disease. My mother is 74, her brother is 82, both smoked all of their lives and have no lung cancer/emphysema. A broadcast journalist from the Chicago area recently died of lung cancer...he quit smoking in the late 70's.
I quit smoking 7 weeks ago and sometimes think that maybe I'll come unglued from quitting and will get lung cancer. It's like that transmission fluid change you never go for and once the car hits 80,000 miles you decide to do it only to find out that the car fell apart because the transmission fluid change took out all the gunk that was holding it together.
Ya never know....

 

[snoopy]

Well, yes, there are no guarantees, I agree with that. There are few guarantees in life, period. Still, I don't see how anyone can dispute that quitting smoking is going to better your chances of living longer:

Within 8 hours

carbon monoxide level drops in your body
oxygen level in your blood increases to normal

Within 48 hours

your chances of having a heart attack start to go down
sense of smell and taste begin to improve

Within 72 hours

bronchial tubes relax making breathing easier
lung capacity increases

Within 2 weeks to 3 months

circulation improves
lung functioning increases up to 30%

Within 6 months

coughing, sinus congestion, tiredness and shortness of breath improve

Within 1 year

risk of smoking-related heart attack is cut in half

Within 10 years

risk of dying from lung cancer is cut in half

Within 15 years

risk of dying from a heart attack is equal to a person who never smoked.

 

[DMRick]

If you will notice the section on risks of lung cancer says "reduces" 30 to 50% - not "eliminates"..

Unfortunately, no, there is no guarantee it will positivly mean you will never get cancer from already overtaxed lungs. I've lost both parents to cancer, and am an ex smoker. I was lucky enough working in the health dept of the state to get statistics up the gazoo (those helped me quit..I wanted to see my children have children and be an active part of their lives)and those statistics say that the person who quits smoking, after each year lowers their chance of lung cancer from smoking and after a certain amount of years, has a much less chance of getting lung cancer than someone still smoking (I want to say 7 years, but it may be 10).
I'll tell you, there is a lot I could never do 25 years ago..I could never have skied, rode a bike all the bike paths, gone swimming for an extended period of time, stacked a cord of wood, or walked a few miles up a mountain without tiring. I do all of those things now...with lungs that are much improved. I have asthma, so the change was a big one for me.

 

[siouxi31]

I forgot to add to my post above how proud I am of myself for quitting. Even though there are no guarantees in life, I feel better, don't stink, and am saving money. I'm less of a slave than I was before.

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by DMRick
Opps, someone gave you incorrect information.

That said, sometimes people get lung cancer that never smoked. Smoking is not the only cause of lung cancer. Lost my mom to lung cancer..unfortunately hers WAS from smoking. However a friend died from lung cancer and has never smoked or lived with a smoker. He did work near asbestos, however.

---------------------------
Yup some people do end up with lung cancer who have never smoked - I've known a few of them as well..

Read the link - the information is not "incorrect".. Quitting smoking "reduces" the chances of lung cancer - it does not "eliminate" it completely.. This is the same info my doctor gave me when we were discussing my attempts to quit smoking (he also gave me the whole laundry list of things that WOULD be reverseable) however, the odds of getting lung cancer wasn't one of them.. He's a fairly young guy - right up to snuff on all the latest - so I'm inclined to believe he knows what he's talking about..

Won't deter my efforts at all, but I'm not banking on it preventing lung cancer somewhere down the road..

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by snoopy
Well, yes, there are no guarantees, I agree with that. There are few guarantees in life, period. Still, I don't see how anyone can dispute that quitting smoking is going to better your chances of living longer:

------------------------------
I'm not disputing that at all.. Just disputing the notion that quitting smoking equals no chance of having lung cancer in the future.. I only pointed out the percentages that you posted yourself - 30% to 50% - not even close to 100%..

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by siouxi31
I forgot to add to my post above how proud I am of myself for quitting. Even though there are no guarantees in life, I feel better, don't stink, and am saving money. I'm less of a slave than I was before.

---------------------

And you SHOULD be proud!!!!!!! Hopefully I will be joining you soon and we can "commiserate" together - LOL!

 

[Lorix2]

I'm sorry to hear about you're friend.

My friend is 40 and has terminal lung cancer. A smoker too.

I stopped smoking 6 years ago and I still fear this more than anything else.