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Avatar universal

stents and smoking

I recently had two stents put in my heart and two in my groin. I have been a smoker for over 50 years and am having a terrible time quitting. What will happen if I don't stop smoking?
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Avatar universal
I have 10 stents after smoking 30 years. Clogged back up with eggs. doc said eggs make stents less effective, so stop eating chicken. Tried that, now they say i have cardiomyopathy and sizzle or as the docs call the swizzel sticks . You can`t have the pig and eat it too.. Bacon can you make you die from just one slice a year. Then my bowels exploded wit horrific syph, now back on the pipe or cigars. Lady in store said I smell like old rotten eggs.
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Avatar universal
So, over 4 years later...are you still alive??
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Avatar universal
Good for you I have quit too after a heart attack and a stent waiting to have another
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Avatar universal
Same dilemma as most here. Age 41 smoker of cigs and pot. Super fit. Always been able to push myself a lot more than most. Then 8 months ago had a heart attck. They found it wasn't my first. Closed coronary artery. Or chronic total occlusion. Had a 6hr op to take away the plaque and fit 3 stents 5 days ago. Suffered massive angina pain during the 8months. Now I feel so different it's crazy. Haven't smoked a cig but have smoked neat weed. But I feel so guilty about doing it. But I know I will back smoking some day. As soon as I feel better the op a distant memory I'll be smoking again. And I'm worried I'm going to leave my 3 children without a father. Some people think how on earth can you think of smoking again. The doc said if you smoke again it would be better if you just go and get a pistol and stick to your head at least it will be quick. No answer from me. Just explaining where I am.
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12143043 tn?1432805861
Eventually we all die. I don't understand why smokers are bashed so badly as opposed to over use of alcoholic beverages that can do just as much if not more damage.
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Avatar universal
Fact of the matter is, none of us really know the truth about how dangerous it is.

Cigs are a negative, that much is certain. But how negative and in what way is very unclear.

We can find anecdotal evidence for and against the argument and never really know the truth. All we really have to go on is what some zealous organization and a politically motivated government has to say about it.

For all we know, the whole propaganda war is nothing more then some social experiment on how to properly employ a prohibition policy. Direct out lawing of alcohol failed miserably so trying it with something half as harmful would never succeed. Much smarter to spread half truths and misinformation to scare the masses into submission.

Is that the truth of it? Dunno, but I wouldn't put it past them......
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Avatar universal
You'll die.  I'm sure you want to hear something else, but that's the truth of the matter.
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Avatar universal
(Age 66) I stopped cigerettes completely about 10years ago and started the pipe. I had a heart attack about five years ago, had 2 stents fitted and stopped smoking completely, pipe and all. About 1 year after that i developed ulcerative colitas and was on steroids a lot. Not very user friendly boyo,s. Had a colitas flare-up about 18months ago and went back on the fags and have had no bother with the colitas since. I,m between a rock and a hard place. Its common knowledge that the smoking prevents ulcerative colitas in a lot of cases. I know i should not be smoking, but its very hard to get the necessary motivation when the smoking is preventing another  serious problem. That is my storey on smoking
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Avatar universal
It's your life. You can make the choice, but don't you think it is a bit selfish towards your loved ones?. I mean, I am sure they would want you around!!!. Just imagine the times they could be saying "if only he quit" - " if only he got help and support to quit, he could still be around"

Also a lot of people feel guilty, feeling they should/could have done something,to help someone quit smoking while that someone was still alive.

Believe me, I know it is hard. I had a stent placed over 6 weeks ago, and just went cold turkey and stopped smoking, and what I found out was, I only wanted to light up when I needed to do something with my hands, and after eating - thus pure habit of lighting a smoke. been a smoker for over 40 years.

My sense of smell is sharper, my taste buds are working great again, and I myself smell good, I breath normally and easier and deeper again, I have great energy levels again, and I feel good about myself.

Here's to you! Maybe you CAN do it???
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2003585 tn?1327595907
jb2all posted: 'So now I ask myself, do I want to smoke and die?, or do I want to quit and live?'

I had seven stents fitted coming up to 2yrs ago.
I'm a 30-40 a day smoker have been for 44yrs - I'm fit & healthy still climbing mountains frequently & running 30 miles a week.

I couldn't stop smoking now (I'm 60 by the way & look 20yrs younger), so I want to smoke & die happy.

Good luck to all who choose to quit (It's just not for me).
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Avatar universal
just had 3 stents put in....it came out of nowhere, it came as a complete surprise to me – I was fit, Very fit 46 years old journalist – traveling all over the world , working for a major US broadcast company. I was smoking at least 1 pack menthol per day – I quit – it was not difficult at all – it is almost 8 months since I do not smoke – but damage to my heart is done – I got another chance to live and live me I will take an advantage of this chance. Smoking has destroyed me and my heart. It is NOT worth it !!! We have ONLY ONE life- lets not waste it on stupid cigarettes. I was ONLY weeks away form a major heart attack – saved now.
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Avatar universal
I have 5 stents now...and most is caused by being a heavy smoker, and I am only 43. So now I ask myself, do I want to smoke and die?, or do I want to quit and live?
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976897 tn?1379167602
" salt  and sugar"
I just did a class at rehab on salt and other diet problems. The dieticians exact words were "sugar is not a problem unless you are diabetic, it's just basically energy".
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Avatar universal
i just had a stent put in and iam a 35 year old black man and its hard to stop i know i need to but it stilll hard!... when my friends come over and they smoking them cigs i just want one puff .. i say to myself if i could have just one puff i would be fine..then i think about what i just went thru and u know what its not worth it... so i going to try and kick tha cigs in tha butts!
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Avatar universal
i used to smoke 30-40 a day then six months ago i to had the heart pains and had 2 stents put in within two days. probally the greatest thig to happen to me.the heart attack. I had to give up smokeing , salt  and sugar. the smokes were easy as i knew they were killers, but salt and sugar, well that is the worst eating sour bland food. worst of all i put on 10 kilos. now my new aim is to lose the 10 kg by sensible eating, and there are so many great tasteing recipies and sites i forget all about wanting a smoke or adding salt to a meal.a wise person once said smokers are stupid , it was me and i was right.
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976897 tn?1379167602
I got very worried through this thread because I thought the original poster had died or something. The name changed fhrough the thread from 'scared' to 'sacred'.

Spooky stuff eh

I hope this isnt an omen
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995271 tn?1463924259
You did the right thing, stay off the smokes.    Your 2 friends might be getting away it for now...  Just because they look great doesn't mean the process isn't there.  My father looked phenomenal the day he left work back in 1987, right before his massive MI.  He was only 42.  He was lean, cholesterol was only 202.    Luckily he was able to survive until he got his heart transplant.  His ejection fraction went from normal to 14% overnight.  It's amazing he didn't rupture and bleed out.    he's still with us today, 22 years later, completely clear and he stopped smoking the day of his MI, mostly because he was laid up in ICU.

Everyone in my family that smoked had early CAD and MIs.  Everyone who didn't smoke had no CAD.  It's was rather black and white for us.
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63984 tn?1385437939
Great advice.  I work as a volunteer in a cardiac trauma wing of a hospital, and I'm asked to speak with loved ones of patients and also patients as I was the poster boy of bad cardiac behavior and even though I continue to have cardiac issues, in the words of Elton John, I'm Still Standing.  My eyes glaze over when I read the research like the Courage report, common sense tells me that quitting smoking, losing weight, controlling diabetes and exercising will extend the life of cardiac patients.  When talking with loved ones of heart patients getting bypass, stents, valve repair, etc, I hear the same thing over and over again... "He/She just couldn't quit smoking..."

Don't let advice that suggests smoking doesn't end lives, you will be better off in many ways by giving up pimp sticks.  

Keep us informed how you are doing with smoking cessation... you can do this.  
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907968 tn?1292622204
  My brother who had a double bypass smoked shortly after getting home from the hospital about 20 years ago.  He still looks good.  I quit the day of my heart attack simply because I didn't want to pay out $6 a pack knowing it was going to continue to climb in price.  It was easy for me to quit since I already "wanted to quit" and the heart attack helped.

  Scared519;  The way I read your post, you stopped smoking but are having a hard time(?).  If you have stopped, DON'T start back up!  This is a perfect time to quit and a rather good reason to use.  While still smoking I looked up to everyone that was trying to quit and told them so, but once I seen a cigarette in their hands afterwords I let them know how stupid they were.  If you really want to quit, you will, and a few months later you'll see how easy it was.
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976897 tn?1379167602
Oh, I nearly forgot.  I have a couple of friends who had stents over 2 years ago and they smoke like troopers. Their stents are still fully open. They are actually fitter than me and I gave up as intructed by my cardiologist 2 years ago. So I suppose in the majority of people, stents won't be harmed by smoking, but 'research' tells us it will cause other blockages elsewhere.
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976897 tn?1379167602
You know, I still don't understand where the proof is regarding smoking and heart disease. Sure smoking can raise blood pressure in some people, but the amount of people I've met in my many visits to hospitals who have never touched cigarettes in their lives is high. There were also many who gave up smoking over ten years ago yet the disease is still increasing. So with such a high proportion not being smokers, how can it be said this is a major risk factor? I suppose it's like the cholesterol claims, whereby 75% of heart attack victims have normal cholesterol yet we still have to believe fat is the major problem.
Does it show that I dont trust much of the research claims?
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Avatar universal
I'm sure you had the stents in your groin.  My husband had the same stenting, and it is very rare to develop blockages in this area, but obviously it happens.  You need to worry more about your smoking than anything right now. My husband was told by 3 cardiologists that when you stop smoking your lungs immediately begin to heal themselves, but your cardiovascular damage is forever.
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63984 tn?1385437939
I'm curious about the two stents in your groin, are you sure that happened?  The artery in the right groin is tapped and stents go from there to the heart.  

I smoked for years, but quit when I got my first stent.  My doctor actually refused to do the procedure until I agreed to quit, and I quit on the spot.  Once I was focused on quitting it wasn't that difficult.  There were some moments that I had to sit on my hands, but those moments got farther and farther apart.

I think you know what will happen if you continue to smoke.  I'd suggest you find a support group, and wish you well.

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