How I quit smoking the hard way (a cautionary tale)

[Sergeant Bob]

I was dog tired and my eyelids were starting to droop. I swear I hadn't slept for over an hour straight in at least a month and I was fighting a real bad cold. My neck and shoulders had been aching for months and I'd been taking ALOT of aspirin. I'd delivered my load of molten aluminum to my customer in Sturtevant, Wi at 3 AM and made it back down to the Indiana line on I-90 at 4:30 AM or so. I pulled through the toll booth and parked my truck on the shoulder to take a little nap before continuing. Then two and a half hours and I'd be home, take some Alka Seltzer Plus and get some sleep. I set my sleep timer for a half hour and layed my pillow against the door and dozed off.

I don't even remember the timer going off, but was awakened by my phone ringing. It was my dispatcher, Lisa, and it was about 6:30 AM. She was wondering where I was, as I was due back in Coldwater in about 30 minutes and they needed to use my truck for another load. I told her my location and that I was taking off right away.

About an hour later the phone rang again. It was Lisa, and I was still sitting at the toll booth. I told her I was hitting the road right away but fell asleep again. I think I woke up about 8:30, put the truck in gear and headed for home.

Shortly after I was rolling the phone rang yet again. When I went to answer it, I dropped it on the floor and couldn't find it while driving. I'd wait until I found a safe place to pull over to find the phone and call Lisa back.

I was almost to I-80 when I heard on the CB that there was a big accident blocking the Eastbound lanes of the toll road, so I diverted to I-94 to go around the problem.

Everything was starting to get hazy and I was starting to become confused. I was started to get worried. I'd never felt like this before and I knew something was seriously wrong with me. I pulled into the first truckstop and parked it. I found my phone and decided to call Lisa. I knew I should call 911 but in my confusion wasn't sure I'd be able to direct an ambulance to me. My mind felt like it was turning on and off. I knew if I could tell Lisa where I was that she'd take care of me. She called the MI State Police who in turn patched her through to the IN State Police, then the Porter County Sheriff's office. She explained the situation to them and told them where I was. She kept me on the line and kept me talking while I waited. I think she saved my life.

I was still on the phone with her when two Porter County Sheriff cars and an ambulance arrived. One of the paramedics asked me if I could get out of the truck on my own and walk to the back of the ambulance (about 10 feet), then sit down on the back floor and they'd take care of everything from there. I sat down on the back step of the ambulance and that is the last thing I remember.

All this happened on Mar 10. I had double pneumonia and an inflamed liver, which was causing my body to shut down. The doctors said when I arrived at E.R. I  talked to them for about ten minutes then went into acute respiratory failure ( if Lisa hadn't kept me talking and awake I think it might have happened while I was waiting for the ambulance). I woke up on Mar 16, when I could finally breath on my own after being taken off the respirator. The first thing I remember after that was when they pulled the catheter out (now that's a waker upper!).

30 years of smoking, bronchitus many times (and probably pneumonia a few of those times), never went to the doctor for it. Just take some cold medicine and it'll be over in a few days. Always felt fine when I got over it (didn't think I was scarring the crap out of my lungs). I always joked about how I'd only go to the doctor if I was dieing. Turns out it was not a joke.

The doctors told me I had two choices. Stop smoking, or die.

The Nicoderm patch works really well.

Don't let this be you. I hope others will learn from my stupid mistakes.

[Harbinger]

Congratulations on winning your fight.  You're lucky to be alive.
I trust you gave flowers to Lisa and swore to be indebted to her forever?

[Sergeant Bob]

Thanks Harbinger. 1800flowers.com before I even left the hospital! I'd give up a kidney for her if she needed it.

[Ron]

Glad to hear you have a chance to quit.  Been 3 years for me,  I figure I am fine as long as I don' t smoke that first one.

Hope you feel well,  good luck!

[The Rabbi]

Sgt Bob,
People have known about the dangers of smoking for about 50 years.  What were you thinking?  I am happy that you  have quit but sad that it took something like this to make you do it.  You are too valuable to those around you who love you to throw away life and health.
I quit in January 1991.  I'd go back to it tomorrow.

[Warbow]

Wow.

Glad you made it!

[Kingcreek]

Congratulations Sgt Bob. but what was the inflamed liver about? OTC drugs? Viral infection? Alcohol?
sounds like you might have other issues besides the smoke. be careful.
I haven't taken anything, not even an aspirin, in almost 5 years. cleaned up my life and fixed my diet and found out I don't need any man-made chemicals.
Modern medicine can save your life in a crisis or a trauma but only good diet and lifestyle can make you healthy.

[Guest]

Having regular untreated bronchial infections can get you a real messed up liver pretty quick. Your body is a delicate balance and when things start getting out of whack, you end up with a domino effect. With a lot of diseases liver failure is often the ultimate cause of death.

Good on you for quitting Bob, i hope I don't need that much motivation myself. Let us know how the patch works for you (it didnt for me). If you have trouble with it I know two 20-30 year smokers that quit taking by taking Zyban. Not sure if thats an option witht he liver trouble though. Good luck.

[brimic]

Wow, scary story, I'm glad you are still around. Stay away from the coffin nails.

The first thing I remember after that was when they pulled the catheter out (now that's a waker upper!)

Might be a small blessing that you were unconscious for the insertion part. I did a 7 week stint in the hospital once and that was the most memorable and horrible minute of the entire stay :/

[Guest]

Dang, Bob. Take care of yourself!

I'm glad to hear about the smoking..it's tough to do but you sure do have some incentive.

Good luck!

[matt1911]

If i may admit my own stupidness,... been smoking for 30+ years,ueah i know,dumb,.... 3 months ago i started complaining of a pintch nerve in my sholders,every time i went to lay down, horrible pains across my back at shoulder level and down my left arm. Got so bad i went to the emergency room one night,they took blood enzimes,and EKG,worried about my heart,and found nothing.so next day went to family doc,and we treated with anti inflammatorys,and muscle relaxers,plus pain meds. It just got worse,2 weeks of worse,finally he checked blood enzimes again,and 2 hours later i was on a table with a cardio doc,shoving a garden hose up my thigh,to open a atrery that was 95% blocked.
That was one wek ago.
 no smokes,ratical diet change,cholesterol is over 500,tri-glicerites at 1800!!!(yeah,i need to lose a few pounds,but only 10!you'd think.....)and no booze!!!  Talk about a life style change!
I am 42.
 I got REAL lucky,see your doc folks,and stop with what you already know ain't good!.
Matt

[Kingcreek]

As I think about this liver issue a little more I recall that Nicotine inhibits phase II liver metabolism, so any OTC or RX drugs or any other toxins could have an increased toxic effect. Many intermediate metabolites (following phase I) are more toxic than the original form.

[Lee]

Wow!  Glad to hear you made it.  Keep up the no smoking.

[Sergeant Bob]

Rabbi

People have known about the dangers of smoking for about 50 years.  What were you thinking?

I knew about it too, but it could never happen to me.

Kingcreek

Congratulations Sgt Bob. but what was the inflamed liver about? OTC drugs? Viral infection? Alcohol?

Not viral and haven't touched alcohol in years. It was a combination of OTC drugs, having double pneumonia (contributed to greatly by the smoking), lack of sleep, just generally being run down and not taking care of myself the way I should have.

c_yeager

Having regular untreated bronchial infections can get you a real messed up liver pretty quick. Your body is a delicate balance and when things start getting out of whack, you end up with a domino effect. With a lot of diseases liver failure is often the ultimate cause of death.

Good on you for quitting Bob, i hope I don't need that much motivation myself. Let us know how the patch works for you (it didnt for me). If you have trouble with it I know two 20-30 year smokers that quit taking by taking Zyban. Not sure if thats an option witht he liver trouble though. Good luck.

You're right about the domino(e)s (Dan Quayle?). My kidneys and other organs were shutting down as a result of my liver problems. One of the ICU nurses said my liver enzymes were at 11,000 (whatever that means) and were the highest she had ever seen.
The patch is working great for me. My sister told me one of the first things I said (which I can't remember) when I woke up off the respirator was "I want a cigarette". The nurse slapped me (with a patch) and so far it's been pretty easy. They did prescribe Wellbutrin for me and it probably helps a bit.

I'm getting stronger each day and with the changes I've made I think I'll probably be better than I was before all this happened. It sure is alot easier to breath (didn't realize how bad it was before) and it's nice waking up and not having to cough up a lung before starting my day.

Thanks to all for the encouragement and just remember, it can happen to you.

[Standing Wolf]

I'm below a pack a day now, the least I've smoked since the week I started in 1960. I can't truthfully tell you I'm enjoying a single cigarette. The nicotine gum helps a little, although it tastes like @#$%^&!

If I could just quit coughing and hacking, I'd... probably go back to three packs a day.

[S_O_Laban]

Holy catheter!! Batman! ..... at first, as I started to read your story I figured it was just that..... a story.  Then at the end I realized you weren't kidding.....  I'm glad your okay.

 You'll be suprised how clean living will perk you up.

And yeah.... you owe Lisa big time!!  

[Penman]

Glad you quit, Sgt!

 I remember guys thirty six years ago, who said: "By the time I get lung cancer, they'll have a cure for it." Hope they made it...