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Well, I’ve been home from the hospital since Wednesday. That’s only 3 ½ - 4 days in there so that’s not too back. I guess I was pretty sick the first day or so but everything’s ok now. My tummy is kinda weird because of pain meds and antibiotics but no big deal. The big deal is I’m not smoking! I haven’t had a cigarette since last Sunday and I haven’t even wanted one. I keep waiting for the “Gotta have a smoke” thing to hit, but so far so good. I thought I had tonsillitis with a touch of the flu but it seems I have COPD, which, in my case is chronic bronchitis. This turned into pneumonia in both lungs. In Chronic Bronchitis, airflow may be limited by narrowed airways that get tight, swollen, and filled with mucus. This limits airflow into and out of the lungs. This will leave me open to acute bronchitis and pneumonia. This is caused by many factors, environmental, heredity, and smoking among other factors. Environmental factors account for 19.2 % of COPD cases but a person with COPD is 10 X’s more likely to be a smoker. We kill ourselves and pay money to do it. Aren’t we just smart? Oh well, nothing to do about the past, but I sure can work on the future.
I have always been one to really dislike smokers who haven’t had a cigarette in a few years to be preaching to me. It’s a terrible addiction. It’s not a choice after a few packs or maybe a few months, it’s an addiction. No one would expect a heroin addict to just stop cold turkey, or someone addicted to alcohol to just stop drinking one day. But, a smoker addicted to nicotine, which may be more addicted, is expected to just stop without any help. Well, thanks to Chantix, I have some help and it is working very well. I’ve heard good things about it, how well it works, but I really didn’t believe it. But I do now. The big problem is cost. It’s a little over $100 a month and my insurance won’t pay for it. They’ll pay for the long term treatment of COPD, but not for the Chantix to help me stop smoking.( Where do they find these people?) Now, I know I spend more than $100 a month on cigarettes, or I did, but that was spread out. I know folks who just can’t afford to spend that all at once. I wish there was more help for people who want to quit but need help. And, I hope it works for everyone as well.

My girls have been so wonderful while I was sick. (They tend to think I still am, I think I’m not.) Thanksgiving turned out pretty good considering I went to bed instead of doing my part and they had to finish cooking and cleaning up the mess. But they were here with all the grandkids and their brother and his girlfriend and I have heard they had a great time. Sarah, a nurse, stayed at the hospital with me and either did all the ‘nursing’ stuff or made damn sure whoever did it did it right! Sometimes it’s so hard to see what adults you’ve raised until something like this happens. She’s my baby girl, but she’s a professional who will hurt someone where her Momma is concerned. Tonya came and cleaned my room, washed all my bed linens, aired everything out so it wouldn’t smell like a smoker lived there. (Why didn’t someone tell me how bad it smells??) She cooked us a wonderful country supper, which is just want I needed. Anyway, I’m off work till I go to the doctor on Tuesday and he releases me. What a way to start the Christmas season. But, I decided take Tonya’s advise and milk this for a while. Dan has been bringing me breakfast in bed and making me fresh coffee whenever I want it. Whatever I want for supper is what we have…..I have done no cooking since I got home. I could get used to this pretty fast.
Everyone here on LitNet has been so nice. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t read all the posts myself. Thanks you all so much. I’m well, I’m not smoking, and I appreciate everyone’s good vibes. Now I gotta go read some posts.