I just wanted to say I'm so proud of everyone who has quit
My mom smoked for many years, she started when she was 14. Two years ago, in her mid 50's, she woke up one morning disoriented. She couldn't read the clock, her eyes wouldn't focus, and she fell out of bed, unable to stand up. She was rushed to the hospital, and it turns out she had a stroke. I tell you, it was DEVASTATING for me to find out and go to the hospital and see her like that. I was crying and she tried to look at me but her eyes just rolled around in her head. It was so scary to see my mom, who was always strong and in charge of everything, look so helpless and unable to control herself at all.
Luckily, she recovered almost fully within a week or so. She slurs her speech a bit when she gets tired, but other than that, she's on medication every day, and she's back to normal. The doctor told her to quit smoking, and she did, or so I thought.
About 5 months later I was visiting and I caught her smoking. I was so upset and so angry. It wasn't a question of IF she'd have another stroke by continuing to smoke, it was WHEN. I cried my eyes out and told her she was lucky to get through the first one, and I will not sit by and watch her do it again, because she will NOT be that lucky the next time, and I can not lose my mom yet, I couldn't pretend it was okay. A lot of people told me this was too harsh, but I told my mom I wasn't going to be around anymore if she insisted on killing herself. It's her life, but it affected MY life. The next day, she started the patch, and she hasn't touched a cigarette since.
My mom is happier than she's ever been, her whole demeaner is so much more care free and fun, and our relationship is better than it ever was before. I didn't think she'd ever quit, but she did, and it is amazing the change it's made in her life.
So
to everyone who is trying to quit or thinking of quitting.