Went to the Doc. today... :\

[Topless In Texas]

Well, I finally went to the doctor today...I had to get my TB test to renew my hair license anyways...so I thought what the hell?

So after 3 hours, 3 xrays and $250 frigin' dollars later, looks like I did some damage to the ligaments when I busted my ***** in Skyman's pc shop! .....he prescribed me an 'ankle brace' w/ some some support on the sides to keep me from moving it from side to side so it can heal better. Called the 'brace place' and evidently you have to make an appt. so the doctor can make sure it fits okay. Of corse this is ANOTHER $120! ....they couldn't see me, i need to make an appt. Nurse Judy said that I might can find one at Academy or somewhere like that thats a soft brace w/ some kind of beefed up side support that might be cheaper. Guess I'll start looking this weekend. Anyone ever found any like that?

guess its time for me to get health insurance...anyone got any good links to individual health insurance, that does not cost you your first born child?

Surprisingly enough, during my checkup my doc. (been going to him for about 15 years, ) said my lungs sound terrible and the word 'emphysyma' kept coming up....I dont think I can handle the thought of quitting smoking just yet. I gotta lose 15 lbs first. He said that they gauge it by 'pack years'. And for the number of years I've been smoking, that I'm at the point to where if its gonna happen, he's gonna start seeing it, and he is. He said that ive got the lungs of a 57 year old instead of a 37 year old. I havent been feeling that bad except for sinus problems that usually flare my asthma. So, needless to say, that was quite a shocker. It hasn't really sunk in yet though. I know I've been smoking a WHOLE lot more the last couple of years than I used to....guess if its gonna happen, i'm gonna have to make some lifestyle changes...like not staying up all night on my pc..that seems to be when I smoke the most. And if I'm not busy at work. Which is not too often. Although the last month or so, i've been doing a little better at going to bed but I guess theres always room for improvement. He also said that the sooner I quit, the sooner it will slow the progression. Just too wierd.

So, if any of ya'll have input on that brace thing or a good Health Ins. Co. to deal w/, lemme know! Thanks. TNT

[joe4speed]

QUIT SMOKING!!!!!!
Chew some damn gum, girl!
Emphysema (sp?) is a terrible disease, cancer is even worse. Don't go that route, heed his warning, hon.

[jj_jonathon]

joe said it....its your own damn fault for smoking....i still hope nothing bad is on the horizon for you, but smoking is one of the dumbest habits i have ever seen seen people do....it smells, it stains, it burns, it causes you to get sick worse when you do, it causes several diseases, etc...i myself will never touch a cigarette nor kiss a person who has...i get enough 2nd hand from my dad adn even that really bothers me...my mom quit smoking while sh was pregnant with me (18 some years ago) and she cant stop biting her nails tho...lol...ive stopped biting my nails for about 4 years now ...you just need the want to quit a habit...

GET THE WANT! ....now!

....your doctor is right...

so either quit or continue to be a victim of your own uncontrolable actions...

[Crazy Horse GT]

ouch, v.a. tell's me i got emphysema too, was just smoking half a pack a day, but im back to 3 , so we both need to quit, cant help with the ins, but you definatly need to find some, i know, it help's , otherwise i would be thousand's in debt, oh i am anyway. good luck on finding some ins, cya, marty.

[Topless In Texas]

ya, for a long time a pack would last me for 3 days...ive been smoking AT least a pack day, if not more. MANY years ago (19 or so),when I was first single, I"d smoke 3 packs a day. I was also clubbing every night.
Cant start biting my nails, they are allready gone...another bad habit. They were actually looking pretty good a couple of weeks ago. Maybe if I start cutting back like try to limit like 1/2 pack a day? dunno. Just havent really thought about it much till now. But, time for me to hit the sack. Gotta get cc up for school tomorrow! (which by the way, her first day of 4th grade went GREAT!) Took some 'first day of school pics...post them later!
TNT

Christine,

I agree with the others here,it's time to realize that you need to cut back on the smokin habit,...being a non=smoker myself...I realize I have no idea how hard it is for a person to cut back on the amount a particular person may be smoking,but,one thing that may help motivate you...and that is seeing your daughter grow up....if perhaps your lungs continue to get worse,there's a chance you may miss out on some things in the future with your daughter...if you ended up with lung cancer,etc etc.

[PKRWUD]

Christine-
I don't remember if I showed you my brace while you were here or not. It was in the basement next to the pinball machine. Anyway, the brace I had to wear last year because of my tendonitus worked awesome. It was kinda cumbersome (I'm wearing it in last years VRA championship pic), but it worked awesome (gnarly ) My doc got it for me for like $60, and it was soo worth it. If you want to, you can call them direct, and save the money of having someone else do the exact same thing. It's called a FoamWalker, and it's made by AIRCAST. Their number is 1-800-526-8785. It's pretty durable, too! I wore mine in the pits the last 5 or 6 races last year!

Anyway, I figured that might help you.

Good luck!

Take care,
~Chris

P.S.- Tell CC I said Hi!

[Dark_5.0]

After several members of our family died from emphasema and complications of emphasima. My dad quit smoking cold turkey after 30 years of smoking.

He has not lit up in 2 years ................My Aunt died from Emphasima at the 1st of this year. Her lungs got too weak to oxigenate her blood and she slowly wasted away to nothing over the course of 5 years.

When Dr's start talking emphasima it is really a no brainer. Stop smoking, people at risk for emphasema always think they will have time to quit before it gets too bad.

I am really not understanding your comments about having to lose 15 lbs. This is your life we are talking about here.

[1969Mach1]

Originally posted by Topless In Texas
So after 3 hours, 3 xrays and $250 frigin' dollars later, looks like I did some damage to the ligaments when I busted my ***** in Skyman's pc shop!

I think this calls for a lawsuit. lol j/k hehehe... hope ya get better real soon. I'm not a fan of doctors, I'll only usually go if I'm dieing. In Canada our goverment covers alot of medical expenses like x-rays and stuff like that. But it's always good to have a medical plan for prescriptions, and other things like that.

As for the smoking you should try to quit, you don't have to do it all of a sudden, maybe cut down on how many you smoke a day and lighter ones.

Hope everything turns out alright in the end,
§am.

[Coupe Devil]

Christine, Check your pm's

Bradley

[Kevin Price]

I agree, stop smoking. I smoked for a couple of years in college and, up until recently, just quit chewing tobacco. I chewed for 13 years and its been 3 weeks quitting and I'm not going back to it!!

I just kept thinking: "what if I had cancer i my mouth and had to have my lip removed. This could have been prevented!".

You might think the same thing if you are having to suck on oxygen 5,10,20 or even 30 years from now. Would you rather be working on your Mustang or looking at it through a big picture window because you are no longer capable?

My aunt smoked for over 40 years and a friend of mine is quitting after about 5 years. Both have had excellent luck with the patch and trust me, both are not very head strong. You can do it, good luck!

[Mr 5 0]

Topless:

I'm sorry to learn of your health complications.

Private medical insurance is expensive but you might consider a policy that only covers big expenses, like hospital stays and/or surgery. It won't pay for doctor visits or prescriptions but it can keep you from going bankrupt and losing your home should you be seriously injured or come down with an illness that requires surgery and hospitalization. Things can happen and it's not a good idea to be uninsured in this day of obscene hospital charges and high doctors fees.

Heres a link to a health insurance search that may help get you started.

https://www.ehealthinsurance.com/ehi...allid=GOT17810

As for quitting smoking, thats a no-brainer, Christine. You have a daughter that depends on you and will for many years. You owe it to her to quit. It's not easy but millions have done it so it's not impossible, either. Motivation is the key. Make your daughter your motivation and stop thinking about how hard it is for you. You're flirting with serious, terminal illness over some cigarettes and a lack of will power. Cigarettes aren't worth it and of course you already know that.

As for losing weight; think about this: you gained the extra (15) pounds while smoking steadily so why would not smoking make that big a difference? Smoking didn't replace eating for you and not smoking won't automatically make you eat more if you watch what you eat and avoid junk food and too-big meals. I quit smoking and didn't gain weight. So can you.

Start cutting down now and count your daily cigarette consumption, going one lower every few days. Don't go cold turkey. Save your cigareete smoking for when you really enjoy it; after morning coffee, after meals, before bed, whatever. Don't 'waste' your smoking on puffing thoughtlessly while on the computer or driving, space out the smokes and enjoy them, but steadily cut down the number. I did this and quit a long-time smoking habit in 5 days. Never looked back and can't imagine why I ever smoked in the first place. You can too.

The nicotine leaves your system in about 72 hours once you stop smoking. The urges are almost all mental after that and can be controlled the same way. By simply not giving in to the habit and the 'urge' to light up, knowing full well how dangerous lighting up is to your health. The urges pass, you start to like not smoking (or needing to light up) and within a few weeks you're smoke-free for good and on your way to better health and saving money wasted on cigarettes - which you can use to buy health insurance, instead!

I don't know much about ankle braces but I found this online store that carries them. Not too expensive at all for what it is. May not help a lot but gives you an idea of what's available and how much it costs.

http://www.smp.ca/smp_059.htm

I wish you well with everything Christine, and you know that we all do. Get serious with quitting smoking, check out the health insurance plans and get the ankle brace as soon as feasible before you do damage there.

I sure hope the next news you receive is positive.

[Kamaro Killer]

You HAVE to have the want to quit smoking. I seemed to smoke twice as much when my friends were around, so when I deceided to quit, I just didn't hang around them (or any smokers) for a few days. If I was able to get myself to not buy the cigarettes, there was nobody there to influence me. I just kept thinking, with the money I spend in two weeks on smokes, I could have my shifter, or new taillights, or etc.... The list seems to go on and on, but you get the idea. There are SO many other things to spend money on, that once you do stop smoking, you won't believe how much money you were spending. I hope you stop smoking soon, take care, Keith

[Godslayer]

Topless: If you saw some of the people I transport everyday and the terrible shape they were in because of smoking, you would quit right now... It absolutely atrocious.

It surprises me how many people at my job smoke, especially since they see first hand the results.

Bob

[srv1]

Christine.

Don't quit smoking. Enjoy your life to the fullest. Health insurance will always be expensive. prices will keep going up. global warming situation is not going to get any better. There will always be war in the Middle East. gas will fluctuate, but it never will be affordable.

All the time you start to get healthy, something else will contridict it. Enjoy your life. you will live to be 60 for the most part. by that time your daughter will already be married and out of school.

maybe you should cut down, but dont quit. if you get really ill in the near future, if the illness dooesnt almost kill you, the hospital bill will.

their are only two guarantees in life: Death and Taxes

just my opinion.

[Godslayer]

SRV: I don't agree with your statements. How can one be expected to enjoy life when they are sticken with COPD by the age of 55? What about after 60 assuming she doesn't develop a terminal problem? Many people live into their 80's and enjoy full active lives. Having been around people who have had strokes, TIA's, MI's, I can say that smoking a pack a day doesn't contribute to a long life.

Then again, if dragging an Oxygen tank behind you just so you can walk to the bathroom without passing out sounds like fun, then you have already decided your fate.

Bob

[srv1]

Originally posted by Godslayer
SRV: I don't agree with your statements. How can one be expected to enjoy life when they are sticken with COPD by the age of 55? What about after 60 assuming she doesn't develop a terminal problem? Many people live into their 80's and enjoy full active lives. Having been around people who have had strokes, TIA's, MI's, I can say that smoking a pack a day doesn't contribute to a long life.

Then again, if dragging an Oxygen tank behind you just so you can walk to the bathroom without passing out sounds like fun, then you have already decided your fate.

Bob

Bob, as long as she lived her life to the fullest at 55 or 80, she already has chosen her fate. i think most will misunderstand what i said. then again maybe not. how do you expect to enjoy your life if you are sickened with a terrible disease at any age?

[Godslayer]

I understand what you mean. All I'm saying is why create a problem that will devalue your health?

Bob

[srv1]

Originally posted by Godslayer
I understand what you mean. All I'm saying is why create a problem that will devalue your health?

Bob

that all depends on your attitude. if i was already a smoker of the years she is, that is the route i would take myself. since i dont smoke, i wouldnt take that route. that is my own personal preference. definetly not the healthy choice, but just my preference.

[joe4speed]

Originally posted by Godslayer
I understand what you mean. All I'm saying is why create a problem that will devalue your health?

Bob

I agree with that, it's better to quit and begin the healing in your lungs, than to be strapped to a tank of oxygen or constantly out of breath, unable to play with your child because you're too tired. and yes I did smoke I smoked 2 1/2 packs a day for 8 years and quit cold turkey about 7 years ago, and I feel awesome, so much better than coughing up a lung every time i do anything. My doctor says my lungs are as healthy as a non smoker now. They feel like it.