I haven't been here much lately...

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Herb G

Herb G

Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2015
Messages
1,461
Location
Southern Maryland
Because I've been sick as a dog for 2 weeks. It came on suddenly on Sept. 4th, in the afternoon. I had a very sore throat.
I could barely talk, and I had a high (101.4*F) fever.
I was fine Sunday AM, by 4 PM, I was extremely sick.

I keep certain meds here in case something like this happens, which it usually does. It always happens on a weekend when I can't get in to see my Dr. right away. So, thinking I had strep throat, (which I did) I started taking antibiotics. By Wednesday, I had to call my Mom to drive me to the Dr. because I was getting electrical shocks in my brain that triggered uncontrolled coughing, to the point of almost passing out.

My Dr. suspects I have low potassium levels that trigger the electrical shocks in my brain, causing me to cough like a madman.
I have to go back next week for blood tests to confirm this.
My Dr. sent me for a chest x-ray, but I was so sick, I had to wait 5 days to go get it.

Anyway, I spent most of last weekend, and the first 3 days of this week in bed. I went back to my Dr. because I wasn't getting any better.
He changed my meds & I feel 100% better than a week ago.
My illness was related to SARS. A really bad URI, in other words.
After $50 at the Dr.'s office, and $200 or so at the local pharmacy, I am getting over this, but I am still very weak.
Over the last 2 weeks, I have come to the decision that I like to breathe more than I like to smoke. So, I am quitting smoking after 40 years.

About time huh? The major decision to quit smoking came after 3 different nights of almost calling 911 because I simply couldn't catch my breath. This illness has put the fear of dying in me to the point that I will break the nicotine addiction if it's the last thing I do.
I am already on my way to quitting. I have already stopped buying cigarettes, I have cut back from 2 packs a day to 3 a day in less than 2 weeks. If I can cut back that much, I can quit.

I know it's kinda long, but thanks for reading.
 
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I quit smoking about 20 years ago when I would take shower in the morning and the moist air would make me hack uncontrollably. It may seem difficult, but it is doable, after the 3rd day, you have go it licked. Good luck and glad you are feeling better.
 
WOW, that must have been horrible. I started smoking at age 5, smoked for 30 years, changed to a pipe, got tired of smelling that yukkie odor from the bowl of the pipe which I carried in my pocket and one day I said why am I doing this for and bingo, I quit. Glad to hear you are doing better, you will start feeling better each day after you quit. Congrats on making the move.
 
I've never smoked, tried as a teen, but fortunately didn't ever get the hang of it... but my dad started smoking at the age of 14 and a week after his 74th birthday, came down with a bronchial infection that put him in the hospital.... his doctor told him to quit, so he did then and there... he laid them down and that was (as far as I know) the last time he smoked..... my aunt in California also smoked most of her life and one day decided to stop... she laid her cigarettes on the end table next to the sofa where she sat to watch TV.... they lay there for 3 months before she finally chucked them in the trash.... I've watched my step-son try to quit for 20 years and he still smokes, so I know how hard it must be to stop, but have every confident that if you have the will power, you can and will stop.... we're all pulling for you.
 
Herb; Stay strong!!! Quit no matter what it takes.

From my website: "People ask me if I smoke. My father died of lung cancer. One of my last memories is carrying him from the bedroom to the bathroom. He could not walk that far. It was easy though, as he only weighted about 80 lbs. I DO NOT SMOKE! Smoking is an expensive addiction so you can die horribly in agony!"

Sorry for the rant, it's one of my buttons.
 
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Glad to hear you're better. The decision to quit smoking is one of the best you'll ever make imho. I quit almost 6 years ago using Chantix. I'd smoked for 45 years and didn't think I could stop. Tried everything else available without success. Chantix made quitting seem so easy I can't believe I didn't have a harder time. It feels wonderful to be a non-smoker. Best of luck with your endeavor.
 
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Hope you spring back quickly.

Ditto PapaTim - many of my ex-smoking friends have also succeeded well with Chantix.

Vitamins also help in the process.

- Bob
 
Glad to hear you are feeling better. Hope to hear you continue to improve. Congratulations on making the decision to quit smoking...it may be hard now. But you will always look back & be so thankful that you made this decision.
 
Herb G said:
Because I've been sick as a dog for 2 weeks. It came on suddenly on Sept. 4th, in the afternoon. I had a very sore throat.
I could barely talk, and I had a high (101.4*F) fever.
I was fine Sunday AM, by 4 PM, I was extremely sick.

I keep certain meds here in case something like this happens, which it usually does. It always happens on a weekend when I can't get in to see my Dr. right away. So, thinking I had strep throat, (which I did) I started taking antibiotics. By Wednesday, I had to call my Mom to drive me to the Dr. because I was getting electrical shocks in my brain that triggered uncontrolled coughing, to the point of almost passing out.

My Dr. suspects I have low potassium levels that trigger the electrical shocks in my brain, causing me to cough like a madman.
I have to go back next week for blood tests to confirm this.
My Dr. sent me for a chest x-ray, but I was so sick, I had to wait 5 days to go get it.

Anyway, I spent most of last weekend, and the first 3 days of this week in bed. I went back to my Dr. because I wasn't getting any better.
He changed my meds & I feel 100% better than a week ago.
My illness was related to SARS. A really bad URI, in other words.
After $50 at the Dr.'s office, and $200 or so at the local pharmacy, I am getting over this, but I am still very weak.
Over the last 2 weeks, I have come to the decision that I like to breathe more than I like to smoke. So, I am quitting smoking after 40 years.

About time huh? The major decision to quit smoking came after 3 different nights of almost calling 911 because I simply couldn't catch my breath. This illness has put the fear of dying in me to the point that I will break the nicotine addiction if it's the last thing I do.
I am already on my way to quitting. I have already stopped buying cigarettes, I have cut back from 2 packs a day to 3 a day in less than 2 weeks. If I can cut back that much, I can quit.

I know it's kinda long, but thanks for reading.
Click to expand...

Sounds like what happened to me on my solo trip to CT in the motorhome. Started with a sore throat...totally lost my voice! Then the uncontrolled coughing. I didn't dare try to drive because when one of the coughing fits hit, I would cough till I gagged. Then it got into my sinuses and made all my teeth hurt...and finally in both eyes. I was laid up at my son's house in CT for two weeks before I could control the coughing enough to drive home. The first antibiotic the Dr gave me didn't help, but the second one knocked down the sinus infection. Antibiotic eye drops finally cleared up the conjunctivitis so I could see to drive. I took five days to drive back across the country. But it took me almost a month after I got home before I really began to feel like myself again.

On the bright side, I came home with a trunk load of branches from my son's cedar tree. His eastern red cedar has wood that is a lovely bright lavender color! They love it down at the center. In the two months I've been home, they have turned half of what I brought home already, mostly for peppermills.

He lost a bunch of branches in an ice storm several years ago and I've been bringing it back with me every time I visit.
 
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