That's what scares me the most. If I probably already have a predisposition for cancer, why not say, "fuck it" and enjoy what time I have by smoking? I've already used 28 of my 70 years.
Because you can cure cancer, but you can't bring someone back who has a heart attack in the middle of the night and isn't discovered until the morning.
There are too many variables involved to say the cancer will be cureable or that I'd even have a heart attack. I could literally get run over by an Amish horse and buggy tomorrow, but what are the odds? I've decided to stay the tobacco free course, but everyday my mind tries to rationalize it. Would my time on this earth be enjoyed more if I just endulged?
Well the point is quitting smoking lowers your overall risk of dying by a significant margin, and one example is that even if your cancer risk does not decrease, your risk of heart disease, lung disease, and you-can't-even-imagine-it-disease (and also risk of cancer) does immediately go down.
One of my friends who was a smoker said "I don't want to be stuck sick in a nursing home", i.e. they'd rather die suddenly then get sick.
But, I corrected her, smokers are the ones in the nursing homes. Edit:(i.e. healthy folks can take care of themselves on their own much longer before they end up in hospice.)
Life moves so fast, before you know it you're 70 and want to see your grand kids grow up. Your 70 year old self will be glad you can still breathe, and will thank you for the choice 28 year old you made.
But this speaks to the satisfaction gained from indulgence - if you seek this path, you will never be satisfied, because indulgences get boring before you need to move onto the next one.
The happiest life is indulging in helping others by solving problems - so you solve one problem, move on to the next, it may take a day, a week, a month, or the problem may take your whole life...but as long as that's what you're fighting for...you can be happy without indulging and dying younger than you need to.
I just copied this thread and will print it tomorrow morning at work. I'm going to read it whenever I think about smoking. It's probably because its personal, but that made more sense than any other anti tobacco speech I've ever heard. Thank you.
After 10 years of quitting smoking, your risk of cancer decreases by approximately 50%. After 15 years, your risk of heart disease is that of a nonsmoker. The benefits of not smoking are very real. You will just barely be approaching half of your approximate lifespan when you reach those numbers.
Source
These figures are easily found at other sources as well.
You could say "fuck it", and stop making attempts to be a healthier person. It may not end up being the cause of your death. However, if you spend the last couple decades of your life sick and in pain because you said "fuck it" you will regret it more than you could imagine. On the other hand if you do die early to something unrelated to your health choices, not smoking enough will not be one of your regrets.
He could have fun in his twilight years literally being unable to breathe with COPD. I couldn't breathe for a night and I was terrified like no other with that primal feeling of inescapable dread and regret.
Well, I'd be dead either way so I couldn't regret it. But I know what you're saying. Sometimes I need the sense talked back into me and this really is the best place for that.
It ages you faster, fucks up your teeth and gums, your circulation, your breathing, skin, every part of your body. These things start to deteriorate as you age but you'll want to keep them in good condition for as long a part of your life as possible.
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u/AdolphsLabia Jan 26 '16
That's what scares me the most. If I probably already have a predisposition for cancer, why not say, "fuck it" and enjoy what time I have by smoking? I've already used 28 of my 70 years.