Re: Surgery & Smokers

From: Robin (rmasse2333@aol.com)
Sun Aug 13 16:12:35 2000


I think I really opened a can of worms with this one...LOL I do plan on quiting. I already e-mailed Dr. Redan & told him I have already started cutting down & have patches for when I quit, to help me along. I just have to keep praying about the finanial end of things. I am still not sure where the money will come from. Thank you all for your support here. I dont know what I would have done with out this site!! Since your surgery on April 99, have you been pain free? My last surgery I was only pain free for 3 months (A glorious 3 months). Right now my biggest concern (besides the finances)is that Dr. Redan wants me to cut back on my pain meds. I know I am taking a lot of meds, but I still have pain. Before I was put on this combination of meds, I was just about totally bed ridden. I dont want to be that way now. I have too much going on to reduce my meds & be in bed most of the time. I want to thank every one for there support & the links on quiting smoking & there e-mails to me. Thank you!! Robin

At Sun, 13 Aug 2000, Bernie and Beverly Doucette wrote: >
>Dearest Robin...
>Try to quite, having surgery with R&R is the most wonderful gift in the
>world..as long as you can get to them, and many cannot, try your best to
>stop smoking and give yourself a chance to be well rid of your ARD!! Do this
>for YOU.....you have a very serious disease, it will not get better, only
>worse, read our stories on the quilt ( I am not sure if mine is one there
>right now...but read Christina Bueltemans...she died Kanuary 2000 at 42
>years old, she never had the chance that you have!! ) Please do not look at
>all this smoking stuff as a negative issue, look at it as what it really
>is...something you can fight , and fight it will be as it is an additction!
>If this whole situation with adhesions, DR. Redan and smoking were your
>daughter...what would you support her in doing? Live with the ARD for as
>long as she could and to live with ARD is NOT to be living at all, or would
>you transfer her to a lesser skilled surgeon because she wouldn't quite
>smoking, ( note I said " wouldn't stop " NOT "couldn't stop" )
>
>Robin....please go for it...try to stop, give yourself a chance at life! I
>work in assisiting so many many suffering ARD people, and to see them
>suffer, and never get a chance at having an appointment with Dr's reich and
>Redan just breaks my heart...YOU have that chance, my dear, just give it a
>try! Look at your suppport here, it IS great to be sure, BUT all the support
>in the world will not make you stop smoking..that will come from within your
>heart and mind,,and through prayers you can accomplish that..but it must be
>a positive thought in your mind, not one of such fear, pessimism or
>restraint within your self or it will not work! ( I don't think anyway, if
>it did work it would certainlky be harder with neagative thoughts on it!! )
>PLEASE try to do this..as to try is to have already won!
>
>To all:
>I am off to the hospital this morning, received at phone 5:15 am this
>morning!! It was one of the most exciting calls a parent could receive as
>my wonderful husband and I are about to be first time GRANDPARENTS to our
>new little grandson " Jacob "..of course Jacob has not arrived to join us as
>I write this, but we hear he cannot wait to meet us once he comes into this
>world today.. our daughter in law Jenny is doing good..but it sounds like
>our son needs us more then she does!!
>(....as many of you know ...I was dying from ARD only one and a half years
>ago..DR. Reich gave me back my life April 22, 1999 and there is not a day
>that goes by that I don't appreciate what I have been given!! A day like
>today I am filled with such appreciation to just be able to get up and make
>the three hour trip without any hesitation, pain suffering or even a second
>thought about my health!! Thank goodness as i can hardly think anyway as I
>am so excited!!)
>It is times like this that I know what life really means and I am so happy
>and thankfull to be able to be part of all this..our grandson is coming and
>I can be there to hold him, touch him, laugh, cry, hug everyone, take
>pictures..my GOD I am living again..and it feels great!!!!! ...and Mary
>POmroy is ready to share all this with us!!
>
>Robin...may all this be in your future too!
>
>God be with you all ...
>Bev
>

>>----- Original Message -----
>From: Robin <rmasse2333@aol.com>
>To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS <adhesions@mail.medispecialty.com>
>Sent: Sunday, August 13, 2000 8:06 AM
>Subject: Re: Surgery & Smokers
>
>> Thank you for your point of view. As a smoker of 20+ years, I do know
>> that it is bad for your heath & advise those who dont smoke, never to
>> start & those who just started to stop now, while they still can. I
>> wish I would have never started & have tried to quit many times. I hate
>> saying my mother is right, but... she was when she told me one day I
>> would want to quit & wouldnt be able to. I am giving quiting another
>> shot, because it will mean that Dr Redan will do surgery on me. Thanks
>> for all the suport & love.
>> Robin
>>
>> At Sun, 13 Aug 2000, rsh4799@att.net wrote:
>> >
>> >I find myself in a difficult position of not agreeing
>> >with the choice the doctors are making in not treating
>> >those that smoke.
>> >
>> >Would an ER doctor not save your life because you are a
>> >homeless person or a drug addict or gay?
>> >
>> >Would a dentist not work on your teeth because you don't
>> >brush your teeth regularly?
>> >
>> >I think that these doctors Redan and Reich although
>> >being highly skilled may be treading on judgement rather
>> >than giving people a chance even if it is complicated by
>> >bad health habits.
>> >
>> >I myself don't smoke. I see the dangers of smoking.
>> >
>> >This is only an observation of these discussions. I
>> >don't wish to publicly debate the qualifications of
>> >these doctors nor defend smoking. I just don't agree.
>> >
>> >Richard
>> >
>> >> Please try to discuss any type of smoking cessation methods with your
>> >> current medical care provider. There are patches available that will
>offer
>> >> you some help in decreasing and possibly quitting the smoking! Dr.
>Redan is
>> >> correct in his statement that the cells of a smoking person do not heal
>as
>> >> fast as a non smoker as the oxygen is depleted by the pathogens within
>the
>> >> smoke that is taken into your system. As with breathing oxygen, parts
>of the
>> >> oxygen are taken from the lungs and dispensed into our bodies..and that
>is
>> >> then carried out to the cells and tissues of the body, when a pathogen
>is
>> >> taken into our respiratory system..there is depletion of what the body
>> >> requires to keep the cells healthy...and in most cases with inhaling
>> >> chemicals in the smoke ( smoke of any kind from any source ) is taken
>into
>> >> the lung cells and depletes the good stuff that goes out into your body
>as
>> >> well as puts out the pathogens into your cells!
>> >>
>> >> Not only do you and will you suffer from unhealthy and fully oxygenated
>> >> blood cells, you also place your lungs in jeopardy by weakening the
>cells in
>> >> your lungs and destroying the tissues and that alone will cause
>difficulty
>> >> with anesthesiology during surgery.
>> >>
>> >> This is nothing new to either smokers or non smokers, it is simply a
>> >> fact..and a not so good one for the smoker. Not only are you in a
>position
>> >> of addition, which is very difficult to fight, and probably will not be
>> >> fought by you alone at this time Robin, as you do have increased stress
>with
>> >> suffering ARD, BUT...your life depends on what choices and the type of
>help
>> >> you secure in stopping the smoking in order to get the most highly
>skilled
>> >> surgeon to help you through his a surgery that will offer you a better
>> >> life..in fact, it will offer you a life period!!
>> >>
>> >> Slow down in your thinking right now, relax and take it a step at a
>time.
>> >> Maybe it does mean no surgery from Redan & Reich...can you blame them?
>You
>> >> can take care of this part of your health...no need to panick, just
>look
>> >> this over and get started on it if you want them to do your surgery!
>If you
>> >> were in need of heart surgery, a transplant or anything of that
>caliber, you
>> >> would have the same requirements...and the surgery planned for
>adhesions is
>> >> just as important as any of the others as it means YOUR life and and
>> >> future!! Most people that smoke take an offense and suffer not only
>guilt,
>> >> but fear at how to stop it....especially when it means your life
>depends on
>> >> it....do what you can to find a good source of medical intervention
>for
>> >> helping you to quite, you have the ARD, nothing will change that short
>of
>> >> surgery and nothing you do short of surgery will change that ARD...but
>YOU
>> >> can take control and responsibility for the smoking as there is help
>for
>> >> that and that help can be found and implemented by YOU...will it be
>easy,
>> >> well, as easy or difficult as YOU make it, with the proper mind set and
>> >> determination, Robin, you can do anything...and to stop smoking in
>order to
>> >> give yourself a chance live without pain the rest of your life...well,
>that
>> >> is all up to you!
>> >>
>> >> To quite smoking is not a fight we all have to make in our quest to
>get
>> >> well from adhesion disease, and who needs to fight that on top of
>adhesions,
>> >> but in your case you do have that fight...and in the end, the news is
>good
>> >> for you..your health and your life....one is in your hands and the
>other
>> >> waits for you!
>> >>
>> >> Best of luck my dear
>> >>
>> >> Bev

>>> >> ----- Original Message -----
>> >> From: Robin <rmasse2333@aol.com>
>> >> To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS
><adhesions@mail.medispecialty.com>
>> >> Sent: Friday, August 11, 2000 10:33 PM
>> >> Subject: Surgery & Smokers
>> >>
>> >> > Are there others that smoke besides me? Dr Redan emailed me earlier &
>he
>> >> > told me "As you already know......No smokers...Your risk of adhesions
>> >> > returning is VERY High as this keeps oxygen from getting to the
>healing
>> >> > post-surgical tissues and almost certainly will result in a recurrent
>> >> > problem. Please try and quit ASAP." I have tried to quit several
>times
>> >> > before. I have never been told to quit for surgery, although I have
>> >> > been told to cut back as much as I could & take a breathing treatment
>> >> > the night before & the morning before surgery. This is adding more
>> >> > stress. Now I am much more scared & more frustrated. Now I will
>worry
>> >> > about whether or not I will be able to quit. What If I can't, does
>that
>> >> > mean I cant have surgery? Any advice would be appreciated.
>> >> > Thank you,
>> >> > Robin
>> >> >
>> >> > --
>> >> > Robin
>> >> >
>> >>
>>
>> --
>> Robin
>>

--
Robin

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