Second-hand Misery: The Effects Of Smoking On Those You Love
When I started this project I received a lot of support from people who were sympathetic
to the difficulties that smoking and smoking cessation presented. Sadly, what I soon discovered were the numerous ways in which this addiction extends itself beyond the smoker himself. The following article, received by one such person, demonstrates this point quite nicely:
Not too long ago I was visiting my physician, and while waiting my turn in one of the private examining rooms, I inadvertently heard the doctor talking to what sounded like a well-adjusted middle-aged man about his smoking habit. I knew at the time that I should not have been eavesdropping, but as a person who has been personally affected by the all-too-real effects of the nasty little habit, the topic was just too close to my heart to ignore.
As I listened, the doctor began laying out all the ghastly health risks linked to smokingcancer, emphysema, COPD, etcand in his own professional manner, he urged the man to quit smoking for the sake of his health. When he finally finished speaking, the patient responded with an all too familiar, yet no less baffling response:
Well Doc, the man said, Id rather die happy than quit smoking.
Immediately my thoughts turned to my father, a man of 68 years, who after 40 years of smoking is undergoing the fight of his life with esophageal cancer. I thought of the radiation and chemotherapy treatments, the hair loss and vomiting and the inability to eat solid food. I thought of the robust man I once knew, decimated by this horrible disease, and wondered what part of all this made him happy.
As his son, I knew I wasnt happy to have to watch him go through this, but at this point I had very little choice. I spoke with the doctors, took hints on how to make him most comfortable and then just waited helplessly as his world and mine collapsed.
The smoking, the doctor said, is 100% the cause of this cancer. We can treat it now and hope for the best, but should he continue his smoking, the tumor will almost certainly come back. He is going to have to quit
There is much publicity about the dangers of second hand smokedangers that are very realbut what is less talked about is the emotional toll it takes on the smokers family and friends. I have lost count of how many times I urged Dad to quit smoking, berating and reminding him of every potential risk I could come up with. In the end, though, my pleas, as well as the pleas of many other loved ones, were ignored, and together we watched the man we had to come to count on as the epitome of strength whittle to nothing before our eyes.
If you smoke, I urge you to think about the entire spectrum of potential consequences that not quitting will present. Your health and well-being are not the only factors in play when making this decision. Think about the stress and misery your family will encounter if you become ill as a result of this horrible addiction. Please dont wait any longer to quit smoking. Put aside the excuses and the rationalizations and do everything in your power to save your loved ones from the effects of smoking. Even if you think you would rather die happy, remember that your family and friends will be left to grieve, wondering all the time, Why wouldnt he just quit?
by: Robert Henderson
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