Winb143 Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Read the piece and thought, if I go by all that they mentioned. Then I may as well give up living my life. Heck no way. Maybe they should have a little read on this site.Sonia xxx I started smoking when I was 19...drank coffee albeit decaf.....decaf tea also in the last 10 years guess I better blame it on the above or a lost relative...lol Luck of the draw I guess....but remember we are Soooo Special so live love and laugh ... Regards Winb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winb143 Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I started smoking when I was 19...drank coffee albeit decaf.....decaf tea also in the last 10 years guess I better blame it on the above or a lost relative...lol Luck of the draw I guess....but remember we are Soooo Special so live love and laugh ... Regards Winb I was cooking tea for my family when I had SAH....does the DM have anything on cooking causing SAH????? regards Winb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KelBel Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I was also told not to smoke over and over again, and not to do cocaine either! (which I have never done!) I started smoking at the age of 15, one a week initially and then it increased up to 30-40 a day towards the end, but I gave up smoking on the 8th Jan 2007 and have not had any since. It was re-iterated to me constantly by my GP and Neuro-consultant and nurses never to smoke again and to try to keep away from smoky situations, which I try to do anyway as it makes me feel ill. I am shocked that some medical professionals take an alternative stance. It makes sense that breathing in smoke can constrict the arteries and reduce the oxygen getting through to the brain and vital organs, thus increasing the risk of weak arteries and thus aiding aneurysms to grow. I have chosen to heed the advice and steer clear of smoky situations where I can, I will never smoke again, drink lots of water and caffeine-free drinks (where possible). I do have the occassional diet coke or 'normal' tea but I do feel it afterwards...and I then have to drink more water to compensate. I have reduced my alcohol intake to almost nothing (through choice as I was not actually told to do so, but I do take medication so it is not good to drink to excess anyway), and I have adopted a healthy diet and lost a lot of weight already (to be continued ) and I try to exercise as much as I can. And I feel a hell of a lot better for it. It is personal choice though and I can totally understand that some people will want to live life to the full and do what they want whilst they are here and are able to. Kel x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winter Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I am a smoker. Started when I was 14 or 15. I did stop for both pregnancies and then took it up again! Before I left the hospital, after the coiling, I was told under no conditions should I be exposed to 2nd hand smoke, let alone ever pick up a cigarette again! This came from the neurosurgeon and other dr.s attending to me. On the way home, after being released, I lit up a cigarette in the car!!! My daughter was so angry with me, she refused to talk to me the rest of that day! When I had my 1st 6 mo. post angio - I was asked if I smoked and said yes. The dr. asked me if I realized that this could cause another anuerysm, my reply: I guess so (as the guilt just kept pouring in!) I was told one of the arteries in my brain is much smaller than the others and THIS is what has contributed to the formation of the aneurysm. The malformed artery has probably been there since birth. While we all know that smoking isn't good for us and nicotine is a vaso constrictor, some of us continue to smoke. I know for myself that this is crazy behavior. Perhaps a denial of some sort on my part, that I can still live and it will be ok. I feel ashamed and guilty that I still smoke. I haven't yet mustered up the courage to stop. I have used the gum, patches, meds, and even a counseling group at one time. All worked for a short while, but in the end, I've allowed the addiction to remain!Until I am truly ready to face the things that keep me smoking, those other things will not work. Hopefully some day soon, I'll get there! In the mean time, I will at least refrain from blowing my nose too hard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnamarie Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 When i was in hospital i was told my sah had nothing to do with smoking but that i had to give it up. they said i hadnt smoked long enough or enough cigs to have done the damage. i started at 15 a few a day 7/8 (unless i was out)till 20 then i stopped for 3 1/2 years and went back on them about a year before my bleed. i didnt smoke in the hospital and stopped when i came out for 11 months untill 3 weeks ago when i decided to start up it does scare me smoking but the strange thing is i feel this is the only control i have on my life at the minute and i am holding onto it with dear life ( i no its not its just the way i feel) Donna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Just thought I'd add to this I dont smoke never have though my parents both did, anyway strange how times changed many years ago probably in the 1930's my Granny had very bad depression and the doctors answer to this was to start smoking:roll: how times have changed eh! Just remembered that thought I'd share it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Hey all I completely respect what everyone has said, been told and opined - I did ask if my smoking would cause another aneurysm and was told that smoking doesn't cause them, it can aid in the rupture but only if high blood pressure is caused by smoking. I asked what the likelihood of another bleed was from my anni if I carried on smoking and was told 3%. i asked what the odds were if I stopped and he said 1% but either way I had no more chance than anyone I passed on the street - smoker or non smoker - of it happening again. I do look after myself in every other way - I actually very rarely drink alcohol and eat a low fat diet with everything steamed, boiled, baked or grilled - nothing is ever fried. During my angio all ateries showed clear of any restriction or narrowing and the artery wall over the anni base has healed "perfectly". I do worry about smoking for other reasons than the SAH, but there are worse things I could be doing to me body and putting into my body on a regular basis. I would love to be able to stop smoking but I don't want to use all substitutes to do so - until I am ready to stop smoking in my heart and mind then I'll continue. I remember straight after my SAH I stopped smoking and have never felt so depressed. It felt like another thing this blessed SAH had taken from me and I was having none of it. I guess all of our specialists will have different views just like some of us are told to take aspirin and others are told to avoid it all costs as it thins the blood - different ways of thinking and working I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldfish.girl Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Having read the whole thread (and struggling to remember it all), Winter & Skippy, i am with you on this! All Doctors are giving different advice. One of my neuro surgeons said if I didn't stop i'd be back within a year & the outcome would not be good, that still scares me. I am almost 3 years on and not complacent. I think there is a lot to be discovered on SAH and many victims have never smoked, have high BP or drink much alcohol..... I agree that to continue may be denial & just wanting to do and behave how you always did. I was refused zyban (stop smoking drug 2 years ago) almost got Champix last week as GP agreed that it may increase BP but so does smoking!!! untill he checked my BP, which is still high a year after being put on full strength BP meds For me, this is massively frustrating as I want to be healthy and stop smoking but I have NO WILL POWER and this is made worse by defiance. I'd like to exercise more & lose weight to try to reduce BP but motivation is an issue for me (I'm also not that fat ) Personally, I think that stress was a much bigger factor but this is not recognised by the medical profession? It seems a huge percentage of people report being under stress at the time of the bleed? Obviously being stressed is not going to help when trying to give up smoking. Emotive subject & I respect everyone who has posted their views whilst refraining from making the offenders feel worse. Michelle x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winb143 Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 If I hadn't been out of it for a long while ..guess I would be smoking still.....I know it sounds daft but I enjoyed a ciggie.... now I cannot take the smell of them...but a bad way to give up smoking ..lol annie .... my weight has gone sky high though instead of smoking I eat and eat !!!! obesity or anni ????? hmmmmm lol Good luck All WinB143 xxxxxxxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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