*Sigh* So, another year has come and gone....

[Aquamentis12]

Well, will be in the beginning of the 4th year after 3pm exactly, (1pm NST) today, Nov 10th. 3pm Central time today, marks the exact minute my Dad passed away 3 years ago. I'm pretty sure I've talked about this somewhere around here before. But when I was little, cigarettes were considered by some as each one adding a nail into the smoker's coffin. And the tragic last 5 months of Dad's life all accelerated everything that came after, because he just had to have one more puff. Had a violent coughing reaction, and that started EVERYTHING snowballing.

Man, it's hard to believe it's 3 years already.... It really only feels about like 1, at least to me.

 

53 years of smoking though, unless a smoker dies young, it WILL catch up with them. I myself have some breathing issues, like asthma. Probably and mainly from being around Dad for 30 years. (I started doing more caretaking type stuff for him in my teens, until the day nearly the end of his last 5 months) So I was exposed to a LOT of 2nd-hand smoke, double-trouble when my sister would come over for a visit and they'd both light up. -_- The ironic thing is, if he had lived 2 months longer, he would've been 5 years out from his lung cancer surgery. They removed one lobe, and according to the ICU nurse that night, having that particular surgery is probably the 2nd most painful one there is!

 

I don't usually get on a soapbox anymore after telling even part of the story/history of his last few months, but given the pain and feeling of loss I am feeling today.... SERIOUSLY, if you smoke ANYTHING, please stop. You're killing yourself slowly (regardless of what you smoke) and it's going to hurt those around you, especially when you're gone younger than your life expectancy. Also, you'll save a TON of cash by not smoking, not just in cash that would normally go for smoking stuff, but in insurance and probably have less future medical problems too. My dad died at 64 and a half. His grandson was only 2 years old. My nephew only knows his "buppa" from pictures on the table. Today, is also, my grandfather's birthday. Somehow he's still hanging on, even though he's lost all 3 of his sons. (My uncles did not die from smoking, they were younger and had other things that happened)

 

That's all I'll say. Except this... My dad, was a singer and entertainer. Jokes, stories, songs... He lost his voice too, he couldn't sing anymore, it hurt him too much inside I think. He was oxygen for years before the final 5 months. The point is, if an entertainer like him could be brought down by these... coffin nails, anyone could be taken down.

 

Dad once said, that if his story could save even ONE person from going through, and putting their friends and loved ones through, everything he and us, his family, went through, then it would make all the pain and suffering, the tracheotomy and everything, worth it.

 

Here is one of the last photos of him that I took before he got really sick. With his granddaughter, just napping... Actually, I think Dad was faking it because it made for a cute picture. lol He may not have been the best father, but a better Grandfather would be hard to find. :)

 

 

 

 

[Musical_Shoyru]

I am so, so, so sorry for your lose. Losing family is the worse, but what's even worse is knowing it's something they cause themselves :( It make you want to find a time machine and go back and tell them to stop.

 

I totally agree with the smoking. I've seen so many people's health deteriorate because of it. A close friend of mine is so addicted to it that she actually kept smoking during her pregnancy, not a lot, but she would always tell me "I know this is bad, but I just need to calm down!" She honestly stresses herself out more than she needs to. Luckily, the baby had a no complication birth, but he's had a lot of infections that I don't think would have happened if his mother tried to keep herself at a 100% for her child.

 

It's a very sad thing when people don't realize that with smoking they aren't just hurting themselves, but those who are close around it and those who love them.

[lilshadowdweller]

I have a now-good friend at my work who doesn't believe smoking or seconde hand smoke is anything bad. She's a homeopath (ironic, eh?) which means she doesn't take or do any modern medications, but SOMEHOW considers cigarettes an exception. She's from Bulgaria and claims that "everyone" smokes there and tthat nobody dies from cancer or the smoke. I find there might be other things to consider (like a harsher life and shorter life spans.)

 

My Grandmother is a long-term smoker but we aren't close. She almost had a cancer scare which turned out to be pneumonia. Now she's right back to smoking and risking it again.

 

My parents hadn't smoked during my time living with them (20 years) , but they smoke now. I'm not happy about it but I don't say anything to them about it. My sisters are very cruel and sarcastic regarding it. I don't like their methods of shaming despite agreeing with their opinions. None of us smoke. I smoke NOTHING. I don't think putting any crap in your lungs is a good thing, regardless of what people try and convince me!

 

Ontario is now placing EVEN harsher laws on people. Just a few days ago, a law was passed that said that if you're on an outside deck at a bar and standing many feet away from employees and other people, if you hold a drink, you could be fined for having a cigarette in hand. I'm fine with it, even if people are crying about it! I hope smoking becomes extinct in the near future.

 

It's expensive. It's not good for you. And there's social pressure to smoke, too. Like at work where smokers get breaks where no smokers do not unless requesting to use the washroom!

 

You paint a fine message today about the realities of smoking and how it hurts everyone!

[queen_hatshepset]

I am sorry for your time of grief. Smoking is a horrible addiction. I purchased my first pack of cigarettes when I turned 18 and I hated them! But I was so stubborn that I told myself 'you paid for these, you need to finish them.' Because of that think-bullheadedness I became addicted to them and smoked for almost 12 years (well it would have been 12 years in October- but I quit cold turkey in June). It has been three months since I had one and there are still days that I just want to go to the store and buy a pack of cigarettes >.< But I tell myself that it isn't worth the medical complications in the end so I refrain myself from caving. I come from a family of smokers and so far all of them have quit- yet are experiencing an symptom or another because of it.

[Aquamentis12]

Thank you everyone. It IS hard. When my Mom's mom was dying, (she was on oxygen too and died when I was about 9 or 10 around 1990-1991) On one of our trips to the hospital to visit her, she had had some kind of pneumonia or something at home and had been rushed, again to the hospital I actually, at that age, WARNED Dad that he'd be facing the same fate or worse if he didn't quit. He didn't believe me.

 

Musical Shoyru, Wow, that's lucky and I'm glad that her kid was born healthy. I developed Asthma when I was 5. Not sure if it was Dad's smoking, or if it was some fallout from the local foundry plant. Probably a combination imho. ;) But hopefully her child does not get asthma! It's very annoying.

 

lilshadowdweller, Well, there ARE some places where you can buy "pure tobacco" for rolling your own and all. But it's still deadly, even without the additives. You're still blistering lungs, killing the "air-sacks" in the lungs, etc. Also, something your friend may not be aware of. IS that Nicotine is actually a NATURAL PESTICIDE! That's right! It is the tobacco plant's natural defense to whatever bugs might want to eat it. So, in a way, she's right about it being "Natural". ;)

Oh wow, so you saw your grandmother go through a scare? My late great uncle, my Grandfather's brother, died I think it was last year, or the December before.... Of throat cancer, he was a HUGE fan of cigars before the dementia hit. He had dementia REALLY bad too. I remember one time, I joined Dad, Grandpa and him for lunch. He ate it, and within minutes of the plates being removed, he asked "Did we order yet?" I swear, if it wasn't so sad, it'd have been amusing! I think, the only reason he lived that long with the throat cancer, was because of the dementia. Because he wasn't constantly worrying about it. Nobody else knew why he lived as long as he did with it, and he actually made it to some of my cousins' weddings that year, before meeting his end peacefully.

My dad did something similar to what your grandma did, only he actually DID have a small cancerous tumor. After the offending lobe of lung was removed, I'd forgotten this part. He was in the hospital about a week total, and on the way home, he had my sister give him a cig. He said it tasted awful, but he continued to smoke it and get right back into the habit. I wanted to smack 'em BOTH silly for such a stupid thing!

And your parents smoke now too? That's too bad. They used to say, when I was little, that every cigarette takes 5 minutes off your lifespan. Then it was upgraded to 7 minutes. I think as of a few years ago, it was at about 9, because they were learning more about what's in there, and what what's in there becomes as it's smoked. Such as Palonium 210, a freaking ISOTOPE!

I hope they will stop someday, for their sake, and for you and the rest of their family's sake too.

 

Personally, I like strong laws like that regarding smoking stuff. Here in Wisconsin, the only law I can say I really agreed with personally of the previous governor, was to sign a ban on smoking in public buildings. Technically, I thought he was over-reaching, but personally, I was grateful.

 

 

queen_hatshepset, Congratulations and KEEP going! :D That's great you were able to quit cold turkey! And 3 months is nothing to sneeze at! ~_^ If you ever feel the need to get more, there's always the buddy system. You know, call a friend who can help talk you through the craving. My dad tried chantix, and that seemed to help a bit. Obviously not enough, but he wasn't taking it as regularly as the instructions directed. Much more effective than stuff like the patch or the gum.

 

Beneath the spoiler is a wax sculpture I made back in high school. It was the FIRST of 3 times my dad was actually "Impressed" with my artwork. (Which is pretty lame considering how long I've been practicing and how many pics I had done by then. :P ) Normally, I'd save this for my thread in the art forum here at TDN, but since it's Dad-related in remembering him, I'm putting it here. lol

 

 

 

Baby Gorbash, from the 1982 movie, Flight of Dragons.

[queen_hatshepset]

Oh my goodness the sculpture is adorable! Great job! ^_^

 

I tried chantix but I was one of the select few that had horrible suicidal thoughts because of it @_@ But you are right about a buddy system. My fiance and I quit at the same time and we are both supporting each other and it seems to be working out so far ^_^

[Aquamentis12]

Thanks for the compliment on Baby Gorbash. It's a fun movie with some actually BIG name people... At least big name imho. ;) Like Harry Morgan, John Ritter, James Earl Jones, Larry Storch, and more! I don't like the DVD case, whomever drew and ESPECIALLY COLORED the dvd case, as well actually, as the last VHS tape release of this movie, oughta be checked for brain damage, from inhaling the fumes from the ink and paint! (DVD Case image behind the spoiler tag.)

 

 

Ok, so, the art style looks almost nothing like the awesome Rankin:Bass art. They messed up on the dragon. Using Smirgle's body type and line art with GORBASH's colors. And of Course Carolinus, the wizard. He is the GREEN Wizard, of Earth's realm! NOT LAVENDAR. LOL In fact, of the 4 magic brothers, none are adorned in THAT color.

 

Here's another spoiler hidden bit, with the intro, sung by Don Mclean.

 

 

 

 

This last one is a clip of Smirgle teaching Gorbash (or is it) how to breathe fire, fly, etc. I found it and thought I'd post it as well since it shows Smirgle in it, the one whose line art got used with Gorbash's colors on the dvd case. ;)

 

 

 

 

LOL Sorry, I love animation and mistakes like that irritate me. lol

 

Oh CRUD! Sorry to hear Chantix wasn't good for you. My dad had the weird dreams side-effect. I don't remember the ones he talked about, just that they were WAY weird! ;) That's good that you and your fiance are helping each other through the process of quitting. :) Good support is always a good thing. lol Best of luck to both of you! :D

[Marissa Beee c:]

This brought tears to my eyes....i lost my mom a few years ago and it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to endure and my heart truly goes out to you. Your Dad looks and sounds like an amazing man, God bless you and your whole family <3 You are a fabulous artist. Ive read all the posts on this forum, and i myself love your baby Gorbash haha he is too cute. I'm trying to quit smoking now. For my sake, for my friends sake, for my family's sake. Its an everyday struggle...i tried using chantix but had the same effect as your Dad with those terrible nightmares. I switched to these e-cigarettes or water vapor sticks, and they are somewhat sufficing the nicotine craving....that is until I'm outside and a nearby smoker's cigarette fumes waft in my direction and my brains receptors perk up. I don't even like the smell of cigarettes but my brains addiction to it tells me otherwise. I mess up every now and then, but I'm truly trying to get it under control. Your story, your family's lives, inspires me. I was about to go have a puff off of a re-fry cigarette i have sitting outside...i clicked on this as i was gong out to the balcony. Once i started reading, i came back inside feeling a mixture of things. Guilty and ashamed because i thought of only myself and feeding my addiction rather than the consequences...and also humbled. Humbled by your post and all of the feelings i have reading about your Dad and your life. Thanks for re-igniting my purpose.