First off, I didn't realize we were complaining here. This is a Support Network. If the shoe fits wear it, so this applies to all who attempt to harass, scare, bully, shame and blame others to kick the habit. Stop it! Stating your opinion and sharing information is cool, but sometimes people's timing and delivery is terrible. Well intentioned or not, Encouraging people to quit is one thing. How people quit (cold turkey, patches, e-cigarette) or when people quit (today, tomorrow or never) are personal decisions. Please don't write back telling me I'm wrong or to explain what you've never done or said. If the diagnosis of COPD doesn't cause a person to quit, cigarettes must really be addictive or perhaps people have a death wish. Either way, it's nobody's business. Now that's a no brainer.

Nothing against you Gary, but well said Jackie!

BTW Gary, I quit almost three years before my DX. jim

If you're truly an ex-smoker, Gary, you should know that all the scare tactics in the world don't make a smoker quit. The only thing that'll get them to the quitting process is their own decision to finally do the deed, for their own sake, not for yours or anyone else's.

I thought the tone of your thread sounded not only hostile but also better-than-thou.

Gary, look on the Smoking and Recovery Board there is an article there that may/or may not interest you called: E-Cig a Boon, a Menace or Both?

Seems to me that the only difference between talking about my symptoms while still smoking instead of quit is that I will be not talking as long. Others wouldn't have to listen to my complaints as long.
But then it is quite easy to ignore people on the site who still smoke (push the IGNORE button below their avatar). Then one doesn't have to see their posts.

Problem fixed...

Dennis.

Hmmmm! I gave a response to a similar discussion a month or so ago. I think my tone raised eyebrows beyond which I had expected - I had already spent a couple of days grumbling to myself so I was more energized when I finally responded than perhaps was warranted.

The comments that precede this one have said what needs to be said. Thanks.

As Gary said, I also am surprised that there seems to be more people with advanced COPD that are still smoking.

I don't try to scare anyone about smoking I figure if they take a good look at me they will figure this out on their own.

My Dad always said that smoking made it easier to breathe and he did this up until his death at age 60 of emphysema. He was other wise a pretty healthy person but had lungs that could no longer support life.

I did not find anything non supportive about what he said. Everyone tries to give reason and support in different ways and unless they are rude, their statement is as valid as anyone else.

Wishing all a beautiful Sunday and more to come.

Anna

Well said Jackie...

Gary: I know you are coming from a place, that you ARE Trying to help us. I can see that, even thought it did come out in a different kind of way.

This is everyone's own journey, but like some said...This is a support group, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

SO with that...I am going to embark on MY journey to stop. I have a game plan in mind. Am I going to share that plan right now, Nope...keeping it to myself, cause it's my problem.

If I need support? I will ask you wonderful people, that have made SUCH a difference in my life for help or support, and I know I will receive it.

SO, Gary..im not upset over your post, but just look at it as a helping tool, a reminder, and that it's your opinion...and that's all.

hugs,

Betsy

gary, i understand what you are TRYING to say, but addiction is addiction. and it's hard to quit.
period.
and did you know that all those life style changes you've done; your disease is still going to progress?
my first year with this disease i hooked up a purse for my O2 & off i went to "live" my bucket list. amazing what 3 years later makes me feel like.
i see you playing in the arizona sand on your avatar ....
my sister died of this disease and she had never smoked a day in her life, and we weren't around 2nd hand smoke as children due to my families religion....but she lived in the Mojave desert all her life.
OH YEAH! so did i!!!!
and as of last year, i have also seemed to have acquired Pulmonary Fibrosis to go with my Emphysema. (they have linked Pulmonary Fibrosis to Silica dust---i lived in the desert & i worked in a sand/gravel company)
i was able to quit smoking, and i kept exercising, but i must admit my eating habits aren't the best probably.
but doing that i keep progressing in this disease----hmmmm, maybe i have the "food" type emphysema ;)
i'm not trying to get down on you, gary, but it's kind of like someone who gave up drinking not understanding why the alcoholic can't "just stop."
as for e-cigs or mental health drugs or nicotene filled peices of tape....however someone can quit this evil addiction; i say go for it!!!

I hear you Gary and take on board all have said but the bottom line is the more people tell me I am a fool for smoking the more it gets the hairs on the back of my neck up............I know I should stop and boy do I keep trying sooooooo hard but to date I have failed but I will keep trying.
I know all are only telling it like it is so thank you for caring x

Gary,
I understand what you are trying to do and say. But years ago, most of us had a doctor tell us to quit smoking, and we ignored him also!!! I think as long as we feel ok, not having all that trouble like those other folks, we don.t realize the danger is just one puff away. That is the way I was anyway. Dr. Hamm kept warning me, and I would go on with it, smoking even more maybe, because I was breathing fine, not coughing all that much, and not really that SOB, and like others, I got away with it, until one day it bit me in the butt and landed me in the hospital, unable to breathe, with pneumonia.. It is a personal choice for all of us, to quit or not, even in the face of danger.
It is hard for some people to quit, those with addictive personalities, have a very hard time, some can just put them down and go on. Not everyone is the same.
I just pray everyone can make it someday, and if they ask for advice, I will tell them what worked for me, it may or may not work for them. But even now I would smoke if I thought I could get away with it, but I have seen the xrays of what is left of my lungs, so I don't want to get back into that.
My sister had an addictive personality, was a chain smoker, lit one off the other, and she smoked up untill she died of a brain tumor about 5 years ago. My OLDER sister..
I tried and failed several times, but after that last scary time, I was determined and finally quit.The cravings and withdrawals were hell, but I got thru them, and even now, over two years later, I will want one. Not an intense craving, more a thought... People are different,, and if we all had obeyed the doctor the first time, we would be better off now.....
Brenda

I am sorry if I offended all the closet smokers on this board.

Wow, it is amazing that a post that condemns smoking is met with hostile remarks, and post's that advocate it are met with sympathy.

Yes it is hard to quit smoking, but it is the hard that makes it great (quote from Tom Hanks in A league of There own).

I don't feel better than thou, but I am very proud of my accomplishments. And changing my lifestyle for my own good is one of those accomplishments. However hard that might be, it really has added to the quality of my life.

No one on this board has the right to tell me not to respond or write back.

I change my picture to the days when I was racing off-road to remind me of what I learned during those days. And that is NEVER give up, and do everything you can to get to the finish, no matter how hopeless it looks. That philosophy has got me thru many hard times, and it will get me though this one.

I have tried to only to add inspirational stories to this board, But when it comes to smoking the only inspiration I can think of Is how much better things get after you quit.

My only hope is that this last post will get thru to at least one or two members on this board, and add the additional motivation to quit smoking. And that will be worth all the negative comments that I got from this.

Don't worry guys and gals I will be deleting my status at the end of the week, and you won't have to hear any more of my BS.

One last note, it takes a matter of days to lose the nicotine addiction, after that it is all habit. So you can't even begin to compare it to alcoholism. I am very familiar with that, and I dealt with that years ago. Or should I say still dealing with it.

Gary

Gary, I am just speaking for my self, but your post is not any worse than others I have read on here, one proclains "SMOKE AND DIE' and sruff like that. Yes you have the right to comment and express how you feel, I think people get uptight when it gets personal, and for some reason, smoking is a very personal thing. Folks can get downright testy when confronted with someone trying to get them to stop. I have done that myself. I enjoy your posts for the most part, so I hope you will not let anyone run you off. Heck if I got upset and ran off every time someone disagreed with me or stepped on my toes, I would never be on here!! I was told one time to mind my own danm business, no one asked for my help, and she did not beleive in luck:. This was from a newbie that wanted to quit smoking and all I said was that would be the best thing you could do right now, good luck with it. She was rude as heck and nasty !!! So after the shock wore off, I commented that an attitude like that would not get her far on this board, if you do not want help do not ask for it. It worked out fine, she apologized, and all was forgotten. The morale of this story is some folks do not want to be told by someone else that they need to quit, and unless they ask for advice and help, it is best not to say that. I am careful now just to say it is their decision, and say what worked for me.
We all get angry, stresses, and like any family, we disagree, and squabble. But I personally hope you stick around, because I don.t want to lose another friend, like we lost Curtb7,just because of what someone said. You have every right to be proud of what you have done, I am very proud I finally quit smoking and I am proud I am working out a little, very little, but I am trying. And who knows, someone may just quit over the very words you said. I just wanted to say that....have a blessed week
Brenda

I am brand new to ya'll, however I have been reading the forum for several months. I even read to WAY back when over the course of the past few days.

I was reluctant to join for various reasons, but, here I am now. I have been a very active member of online communities since the mid 90's, not so much in the past couple years. I have watched them implode, with sadness.

You seem such a great bunch :)

Gary, you gave me the kick in the pants to join, to encourage you not to leave. The old saying "can we just agree to disagree?" comes to mind.

It takes all kind of plants to make a great garden, such is so with online communities as well.

With that I will end my first post with a hi everybody :)

Brenda, It its guilt that makes people react with anger on this subject. They know in their heat of hearts that it is the best thing for them to quit. For several years I had the same reaction. Now I am older and much smarter and I feel the benefits of being smoke free. I only wish I could convey my feelings to other members so they could go smoke free long enough to feel the benefits. then it would be easy for them to be smoke free forever.

This is the single and most important thing that can improve the quality and length of our lives, and I believe it is an important topic.

We can't walk on eggshells when discussing this topic. it is simple. smoking got us to this board, we quit or we get worse.

As all ex smokers know it takes a lot of good excuses to quit smoking, but only one to lite up again.

Last week when I heard two other members speak about smoking, I almost got one of my sons smokes and lit up. My thought at the time was if it is o.k. for them it must be o.k. for me. Fortunately for me logic took over and it never happened. Is that support?

As you all know if you ever expect to get a lung transplant you must be smoke free for a couple of years. And you can't fake that. That was another one of my incentives, in case I ever decide to actually go through with it. It has already been suggested, but I would rather leave this world with all the body parts that I came in with. I believe that is the lords way.

In the meantime quit smoking, eat healthy, and get as much exercise as you can stand, and our father in heaven will take care of the rest.

Anyone that wishes to keep in contact with me can send me a message, and I will be glad to give you my email address.

Thanks for your support, and the support of a few others.

Gary