My Grandfather / Smokers Beware!!

[Snake2715]

Ok,

This is basically a rambling topic due to some recent news I have received.

My Grandfather (age 61) who I am close to since my dad wasnt around at all. Was just diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer. He was diagnosed on Sept 28th.

He lives nearly 2 hours away but I am out there at least once, if not more a month to spend a night or two. We recently were fishing on their lake(Gun Lake) and playing cards till 3 am. He had no health problems in August what so ever. He developed a "Cold" in mid September and was completely fine otherwise.

Come late Spetember (week of 27th) he thought he had pneumonia due to the cold getting worse. He went in Monday and they decided to do a catscan. Tuesday they had the results.....

He was incurable stage IV Lung Cancer. Past the point of operating all they can do is prolong his life a little. And its not going to be pleasant for him, us anybody.

This was shocking for all of our family as we have always pictured him being around a lot longer due to his good health. The sad truth is its a VERY fast acting cancer.

One week ago we were all initailly shocked and the family was out there visiting, he was pretty stressed out and had to get his lung drained that day. He was woried but didnt know how bad it was, or would get. Besides being slighty drained from the stress he was up and around, his joking self.

This Saturday just 4 days later.....

He can barely walk, he wont eat, cant sleep ,and his vision is blurred all the time. One weeks time and he is almost confined to his couch. He goes in for Chemo this morning.

The whole point of this post is for me to vent, and also warn at least one other person about what will happen to your family, husband/wife, kids, parents, brothers, friends etc. If you dont stop smoking. It will happen quick and its not going to be easy for anyone to basically watch you become someone else in 1 weeks time. He is in a lot of pain and thats terrible to watch happen to anybody.

The sad truth is that 2/3rds are diagnosed in stage 4. A person dies every 20 minutes from Lung Cancer. Its past the point of being operated on or cured. The expectancy without chemo is less than 6 months. Unless it has reached the brain then just days to a few weeks.

If you take chemo its 75-90% make it 6 months.Only 43% make it one year and less than 24% make it 2 years. There are only a handfull of documented cases that were ever cured once in stage 4. So thats the odds, and there not to good.

Besides the addiction just be remeinded everyday of your family and think about them wanting you to be around to enjoy and visit for many years. Smoking has a chance to stop that very short and very fast.

Like he told me on Tuesday (9/28/04) He "always thought it would be the next guy"

That was the last real conversation I had with him.

Dont do this to your family.

[Grave_Addiction]

I'm very sorry to hear about your grandfather.

My grandfather also died from cancer a few years ago.

That's one thing that makes me more mad than anything is when I see someone die from smoking. It's totally preventable, but I think most people don't think anything will happen to them.

The truely sad thing is people see others dying all the time, but they seen no reason why they should quit.

My mom and my brother smoke, and it just pisses me off so much. I know that it is an addiction, but there was never a reason to begin to smoke in the first place.

It's a nasty, disgusting habit that will not bring anything positive to your life and will only bring sickness.

[Cornfedwb]

Yes, but for everyone who complains about smokers shortening their life.. you better be in top physical shape, never eat fast food and always drive at or below the speed limit. We all do dangerous things, we all shorten our life span, some with smoking, some with drinking, some with "accepted" normal activities.

And I'm sorry about your grandfather OP.

[WildWop]

Sorry to hear about your grandfather, man. I lost a grandfather to smoking awhile back as well. Instead of lung cancer, he had other complications that eventually led to a dizzying series of strokes and heart attacks. After each one the doctor kept telling him to stop smoking, but apparently that wasn't an option.

Eventually he was confined to a wheelchair and could barely speak. He required a live-in nurse to care for him, and the progression towards his death was long and painful for everyone.

Amazingly, I have an aunt (his daughter) that still chain smokes, and his wife still smokes a pack a day. Go figure.

[Snake2715]

I'm very sorry to hear about your grandfather.

My grandfather also died from cancer a few years ago.

That's one thing that makes me more mad than anything is when I see someone die from smoking. It's totally preventable, but I think most people don't think anything will happen to them.

The truely sad thing is people see others dying all the time, but they seen no reason why they should quit.

My mom and my brother smoke, and it just pisses me off so much. I know that it is an addiction, but there was never a reason to begin to smoke in the first place.

It's a nasty, disgusting habit that will not bring anything positive to your life and will only bring sickness.

The sad thing is that when he started it wasnt a wide spread epidemic and the warnings werent there like they are now. The ads were not out. He had been smoking for many years so its obviously a very hard addiction to kick.

Thanks guys.

[dtcarson]

Cornfedwb: True, but there's a difference between smoking a pack or two a day, drinking a fifth a day, and driving 4 miles over the speed limit, or having a Value Meal once a week. Now, people who *live* on mcnuggets, that's a little different. Smoking is one of the few things we can do/ingest that does absolutely nothing of benefit to our bodies or minds. The 'nutrient/junk' ratio of a Big Mac is certainly not very high, but it's not a total negative like smoking.

Snake2715: I am very very sorry for your loss. Keep the good memories in your mind, and you'll never lose him.

[GameDude]

I've never smoked a day in my life. 8)

[msdmoney]

Sorry to hear about your grandfather, I lost my grandmother to smoking. I cringe whenever I hear smokers downplay the harms of smoking or say they are going to enjoy life while they have it. The last ~15 years of my grandmother's life were miserable, spent on the couch or in a wheelchair because smoking had hindered the circulation in her legs, not to mention the breathing problems and constant coughing. The doctors told her they could help her years before she died if she just quit smoking, but she didn't want to.

[Xevious]

I know 2 people who died due to smoking. They both died in horrible pain. I did a lot of dumb things when I was younger but I had no illusions about smoking.

[Theenternal]

Almost all my friends started smoking in college...and now they are addicted, spending the 3 or whatever a day for a pack of cigs, with the same idealogy..ill quit later..im young.

My brother is head of one of the cancer testing centers in the local hospital... if you have an appointment to see him..it pretty much means you wont be seeing him or anyone else in a few months.

The things he rages on, is smokers who have a whole in the throat..or are on their deathbed and still request cigs.

Or the parent who is going to die, leaving two kids alone...and a lot of the time they could have been ok, but neglected the warnnings.

[sblymnlcrymnl]

I don't smoke because it's so expensive.

And if getting old means chopping your own member off (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=33119), the shortened lifespan is nothing if not a positive thing.

[punqsux]

Yes, but for everyone who complains about smokers shortening their life.. you better be in top physical shape, never eat fast food and always drive at or below the speed limit. We all do dangerous things, we all shorten our life span, some with smoking, some with drinking, some with "accepted" normal activities.


could you please not bitch for ONE thread?

OP i wish you and your family the best of luck

[DenisDFat]

tobacco smoke is disgusting

[dtcarson]

It's amazing how expensive it is. It wasn't that long ago that I was selling cigs at a grocery store--we sold name brand for 1.65 a pack including tax, cartons were 14.59 plus tax. Now they're like twice that, and that was less than 10 years ago. [And most of that money isn't going to the tobacco growers--it's going to the government.']
2 packs a day is at LEAST 30 bucks a week. Not even counting the long term health and financial costs.

[Rig]

I am very sorry to hear about your grandfather OP.

[Cornfedwb]

could you please not bitch for ONE thread?

I don't bitch all that often.. there's just been a rash of them today. And to clarify, I'm not bitching, simply explaining my point of view on a subject.

[punqsux]

i understand that, but this isnt a 'bashing smokers' thread...its about someones feeling thats dealing with the loss of a loved one due to smoking, your points were valid, but given the circumstance, somewhat uncalled for

[Cornfedwb]

i understand that, but this isnt a 'bashing smokers' thread...its about someones feeling thats dealing with the loss of a loved one due to smoking, your points were valid, but given the circumstance, somewhat uncalled for

Well I was mostly responding to Grave's comments, not the OP.

[Snake2715]

Its fine guys anyone posting in here gives me something to read.
Thanks for all the support.

The thing is he isnt gone yet and thats one of the most terrible aspects of this ordeal. Two weeks ago he was pretty much fine. A week ago he was a little sick now hes terribly sick. I am praying that somehow it goes away.

The reality of the matter is it probably wont. And not having completely lost him in form is worse then him being gone. Now my grandmother gets to stay up with him and watch this all day and night long. I obviously am over there as much as possible but its getting old quick. I hope it goes one way or the other in the next couple of days because seeing him like this is worse than just losing him.

[dtcarson]

I agree with you.....even worse than losing somebody, is watching someone suffer : (
All you can do is be there for him.

[GuilewasNK]

I have tried to tell my co-worker for the longest time to stop smoking. Her daughters want her to stop. But she always says , "I'll stop when I am ready." It upsets me because she has her daughters at home to support (single parent) and I think she is being very selfish if she doesn't at least TRY to stop.

Anyway, I hope you can find some comfort in talking here Snake2715. It's not much but at least its another outlet for you. It's better to talk than bottle things up.

[Goodtone]

I can relate to you. I went through the same thing with my Grandfather. It's very hard. My Grandfather was in World War II as a medic and everyone loved him. I think about him all the time and I watch the videos that I shot of him sometimes. Smoking is really bad. During his time of growing up, smoking was just normal to everyone like just grabbing a drink or something. Now we know that is not the case. I hope the last remaining time is well spent, and he doesn't suffer so much. It will be very hard for everyone, but it's part of life sometimes to go through these things. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to go through in my life, so the only advice I can give is be strong and make every moment mean something. Your emotions and your heart are going to go through hell for the next while. Just try to be strong...it will be harder for him if he see's his family suffer emotionally before he passes away. Just try not to do it in front of him...it will be hard

Everyone should know that the only thing the cigarette companies care about is money...They don't care if we get sick...they are all about getting you addicted to smoking and making money off of those who do. We are like dollar signs to them. Sad. Don't smoke people. If you saw what my Grandfather went through, you would never even want to see another cigarette in your life, and you would beat the fu.ck out of anyone who offered you one.

[Snake2715]

/\ Thanks guys.

[jennie25]

yeah man, sorry to hear that about your grandpa. I also lost mine 11 years ago to cancer, but fruggit I am gonna die someday anyway, smoke it like it's your last day (I don't smoke cigarettes). I don't think I am gonna make it my entire life cycle anyway so this is why my thinkin is the way it is, and I hope your grandpa gets better man, I would love to have mine back.

[Magician]

I'm so sorry about your grandfather. I wish him and your family the best of health.

Hang in there, man.

[KingDox]

The sad this also is there isn't that much money put into lung cancer research. No one has a walk for lung cancer because people won't donate money to the cause. Most people have little simpathy for people who smoke and get sick. The say to themselfs "you knew what you were getting into". But the toll it takes on a family is why we have to try to get people to understand that when it comes to smoking you never win.

[Zingela]

I'm sorry about your grandfather. I wish you and your family the best of luck.
I lost my grandmother to lung cancer last year, your story sounds all too familiar. :( Makes me a little angry though, as my mother is still smoking a pack or two a day. She's tried quitting several times, but nothing has worked so far.
Haven't ever smoked a day in my life, and I don't ever intend to.