COPD & Emphysema Support Group
COPD is a progressive disease characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. Emphysema is characterized by loss of elasticity of the lung tissue, destruction of structures supporting the alveoli and of capillaries feeding the alveoli. Both have symptoms that include shortness of breath, among other respiratory troubles. If you are a COPD or Emphysema sufferer, join...
Just wanted to share this, it was a bit of a jaw dropper for me considering I only smoked for 20 years and maybe 10 of those years as a dedicated smoker. Though I don't yet have copd I did start having some lung issues last year and I kick myself daily for my smoking habit.
So..... I was just fiddling about on the internet last night like I often do. Going from point of interest to point of interest, surfing they call it, and just passing some time before bed. One of the things I came across was the worlds oldest (verifiable) person who ever lived, a woman named Jeanne Calment who lived to 122 years and 164 days. The odd thing is that she was a smoker for over 100 of those years. Lol....... She started smoking at 19 and smoked right up to the end, though the last few years of her life she limited herself to 2 cigarettes a day.... Well, that's an oddity isn't it?? Ummmmm Nope. The web page it took me to, at Wikipedea which lists the verified 10 oldest men and 10 oldest women and has bio's on them led me to a bit of research and it turns out most of them were smokers. Now don't get me wrong here, I'm not throwing my hat in the ring in approval of smoking because I'm surely not but it floored me to find this out. Odder still was that more than one claimed the secret to longevity was staying away from alcohol not ciggies. Other strangenesses that don't fit in with the ideas we have of what is and isn't healthy were the 120+ year old Japanese man who ate a bowl of pork fat every day. Others with the penchant for sweets and fatty foods which they did not deny themselves. A woman in Brazil who may actually be the very oldest woman ever at 129 years old, Maria do Carmo Jeronimo born in 1871 died 1990 was actually born a slave. Yet since slaves were not given birth certificates her claim is rejected by the Guiness book. The record of her birth and her baptism 6 days later is recorded in separate records at the church for her birth town. In 1990 scars from the whip were still visable on her back. She was freed at the age of 17 when Brazil, the last country to do so finally repealed slavery. The family she worked as a maid for, for several generations state that she was a chain smoker and was rarely seen without a cigarette dangling from her mouth.
Just as a point of interest, Jeanne Calment met Vincent Van Gogh as a young girl. He used to patronise her fathers store to buy paints. She described him as dirty, poorly dressed and strange are the words I believe she used.
Anyways, what does this say to me? And maybe should to you to? If you are feeling guilty about bringing this disease of COPD on to yourself, maybe you just ought to let that go. If most of the oldest recorded humans had 100 year smoking habits it's more likely that this thing is genetically predisposed. You might just have got it from living in a smoggy ole polluted city even if you hadn't ever smoked.
So..... I was just fiddling about on the internet last night like I often do. Going from point of interest to point of interest, surfing they call it, and just passing some time before bed. One of the things I came across was the worlds oldest (verifiable) person who ever lived, a woman named Jeanne Calment who lived to 122 years and 164 days. The odd thing is that she was a smoker for over 100 of those years. Lol....... She started smoking at 19 and smoked right up to the end, though the last few years of her life she limited herself to 2 cigarettes a day.... Well, that's an oddity isn't it?? Ummmmm Nope. The web page it took me to, at Wikipedea which lists the verified 10 oldest men and 10 oldest women and has bio's on them led me to a bit of research and it turns out most of them were smokers. Now don't get me wrong here, I'm not throwing my hat in the ring in approval of smoking because I'm surely not but it floored me to find this out. Odder still was that more than one claimed the secret to longevity was staying away from alcohol not ciggies. Other strangenesses that don't fit in with the ideas we have of what is and isn't healthy were the 120+ year old Japanese man who ate a bowl of pork fat every day. Others with the penchant for sweets and fatty foods which they did not deny themselves. A woman in Brazil who may actually be the very oldest woman ever at 129 years old, Maria do Carmo Jeronimo born in 1871 died 1990 was actually born a slave. Yet since slaves were not given birth certificates her claim is rejected by the Guiness book. The record of her birth and her baptism 6 days later is recorded in separate records at the church for her birth town. In 1990 scars from the whip were still visable on her back. She was freed at the age of 17 when Brazil, the last country to do so finally repealed slavery. The family she worked as a maid for, for several generations state that she was a chain smoker and was rarely seen without a cigarette dangling from her mouth.
Just as a point of interest, Jeanne Calment met Vincent Van Gogh as a young girl. He used to patronise her fathers store to buy paints. She described him as dirty, poorly dressed and strange are the words I believe she used.
Anyways, what does this say to me? And maybe should to you to? If you are feeling guilty about bringing this disease of COPD on to yourself, maybe you just ought to let that go. If most of the oldest recorded humans had 100 year smoking habits it's more likely that this thing is genetically predisposed. You might just have got it from living in a smoggy ole polluted city even if you hadn't ever smoked.
I was a smoker, for 42 years. When I was young & a model I lived on coffee & cigarettes to keep my weight down. I quit smoking before I was diagnosed with COPD but I guess I just didn't smarten up soon enough.
Boy was I an IDIOT!
There's nothing good about smoking! Period.
but I also feel smokers take a lot more blame personally
instead of factoring in other causes like our genes, and
where we lived....
I never thought but I came from an industrial area later
named one of the top 10 worst in the US.
Not excusing but food for thought.
Birdcat
As to the articles quoted, I feel sure back in the old days there were less chemicals in there smokes. No matter how long anyone lived, I still bet there lungs where "black" and how do you know whether they had problems or not, no x-ray machines back then.
Smoking certainly cause my problem and not just COPD.
Smoking is the primary cause of emphysema. People who smoke run an extremely higher risk of a quicker death than those who stop, or who have never smoked. Smokers are also far more likely to develop other more insidious comorbidities. Smoking got them there, continuing to smoke will takes them out sooner.
All apocryphal stories aside for the moment just common sense should rule. How can consistently inhaling ash and tar be a good idea?
For every smoking super centenarian there are a zillion that didnt make it past 55. Within the Law of Large Numbers there are no events that are zero. Since I once limped away from a chute failure (estimated 45 fall) with nothing more than a twisted ankle and a bad case of the shakes does that mean occasionally jumping off a three-story building is probably OK? I have a sneaky suspicion that a repeat by me or by anyone else is highly likely to produce a very different result. Smile.
I wasn't trying to start debate on whether smoking is actually good or bad for you.
And I hear very few people ever justifying their smoking but rather
blaming themselves for all the ills of it.
It is funny though to read all the reactions.
Birdcat
Too many factors involved that even the researchers can only define smoking as one of them (maybe). Maybe because not everyone that smokes gets respiratory problems.
Is there anyone old enough, as I am, to remember doctors telling you that if you quit smoking that your lungs would return to normal in time. Guess they thought the tar would just absorb into the system. Well,, that sounded good at the time but had I stopped then I probably would be thinking why did I step off that curb and lose both legs.
NO, all extremities are in place. Just an example to say that none of us will leave this world in perfect health.
In the mean time, Lord , please do not let anyone utter the phrase " If you hadn't smoked, you wouldn't be in that shape"., ..
Because I just know that I will throw my smoking warm box of Krispy Kreme donuts at them and dare them to out run me in my motorized cart.
Life is a hoot so I just do the best that I can and no longer care what caused the condition that my condition is in.
Oh, just had my 77th birthday the 12th and I received some new brain cells mfg by Lego. Just need to figure out how to put them together.
Think I've replaced cigarette cravings with chocolate. Perhaps not a good idea: )