I just want to say that I am happy for all of you who have bitten the bullet and quit smoking for your health's sake. There is no doubt in my mind that the poisons put into tobacco cigarettes, may be hazzardous to our health and yes, even cancer causing.

I have been lucky, not to have any of the possible horrible side effects of smoking and now I don't smoke, either.. I am thrilled not to have the smoking stains and smell all over my house and person. My Family is also pleased.

I'm only making fun here, because of how they like to blame smoking for every illness known to mankind and that is just not true and insane. We have many causes for the illnesses that plague us. Some natural and some man made.

Blaming smoking for it all, gets our minds off of the all the poisons that are added ( with the FDA approval ) to our basic life giving and sustaining items, such as, food, air and water.

Stepping down..

Hello all, I cannot believe what I have just read... Destiny??? I just this moment sent a pm to mrsD about my brain lesions and brain shrinkage... Lordy.

Firstly, yes, I do smoke.

Secondly, I do not have MS although it was suspected during the "what the heck is wrong with this gal period" ...

Finally diagnosed with extreme case of pernicious anemia (lack of intrinsic factor to process b12 causing deficiency). Actually I was, as I like to say for dramatic purposes, 'the walking dead' ... pernicious means death. I was as close to depletion as I believe is possible. Have possible permanent damage to nerves in legs, arms and neck....

Anyway, my point is that the last neurologist I saw to diagnose MS, said the good news is that you do not have MS. The bad news is that your lesions are more of the old age type and you have the brain of an 80+ year old (I'm a young 59). AND your brain is atrophied. Lots of space between brain and skull.

It seems I fit the bill for that study! Whether or not I quit, the damage is done. The exhaustion imposed by the PA has been life altering... unable to work for over 6 years. real couch potato..etc... Depression and lack of energy are two of many many symptoms of PA ... most of which I had, but no one noticed. Hard to believe that something as simple as a vitamin deficiency can almost kill you and be soooo difficult to diagnose.

Anyway, I'm babbling. I just could not believe my eyes that I just wrote a post about the very thing you are discussing here... Is this a sign I should stop -- or is it too late and I'll enjoy my life on the porch with my cigs & coffee. Any thoughts from anyone.... I really enjoyed reading all your comments!

Hi Pearly girl. I am so sorry for your DX of PA. I've never heard of it.. What are you and your Doc doing to treat the disease and stop the progression?

Much love and good luck to you..

Hi Sally! .. the gal with the greatest one-line signature ...

There is only one treatment: massive doses of B12 everyday for the rest of your life. Thanks for asking!

Quitting smoking was a tough one for me, I was so addicted I would drag my IV pole full of chemotherapy out to the smoking area because I couldn't wait another hour for the IV drip to finish. I was miserable and I need a cigarette much more than I needed the chemotherapy drip to finish. So there I was in the middle of winter, with an IV bag hanging onto the catheter in my neck, and a cigarette dangling from my fingers. Oh, how fashionable I was. I made one excuse after the other and believed every one of them. I wasn't ready to quit. When I finally did quit, I did it for me, nobody else, just me. I had harassed by friends, family, and coworkers. My DH and DS DD used to ask me almost daily to please quit. I did try many times, and I failed many times. I prayed about it, I worried about it, and I stressed about it.

It was long after the chemotherapy was finished and my blood work went sideways showing all sorts of inflammatory markers, and I began to worry the cancer was trying to return, but I got the courage to pray harder. I went to the doctor and asked for the nicotine inhaler. It was one of the best things I ever did, but I was ready. I was ready to do it for me, nobody else, for no other reason, it was only about me. When I stopped smoking my blood work almost instantly dropped back down to normal levels. What I didn't know then, is that I had MS and I was in a flare or a relapse. I was dropping my left foot, and had fuzzy vision in my left eye. That alone would explain the increase in levels of my blood work. Had I even suspected MS, I probably would not have had the courage to stop.

I am so happy I did. I smell better. I no longer have that funny little cough. And I spend my money on a better selection of toys. It was hard work for the first couple of months, but after that it got easier and easier. I know I'm one of those people that can never, ever pick up a cigarette even for just one puff. I know with just one puff I would be instantly hooked all over again. I know how hard this struggle is to lay them down. I don't envy the task for anyone, but I'm ever so glad I took the journey. And the famous line is, if I can do it anyone can.

to those who can, to those who can't.

I think this is a record for NewsBot! I don't think he's ever gotten this many responses to one of his "news flashes"! Bless his little heart.....

Newsbot knows how to start a comotion. He/she should be banned for flaming..

Pernicious anemia, which is a B12 deficiency caused by the gut not able to absorb B12 from food, is one of the most missed diagnoses, especially in the elderly. Sometimes, a serum test will not pick it up, only a urine MMA test will, especially in th elderly.

Sometimes B12 injections can partly reverse the damage, sometimes not.

Ys, it can lead to death.

Was your doc negligent in assessing you, or did you jsut never go to see docs?

PA is a mimicker of MS.

Thanks so much for verifying what I said PG

Funny how my first MRI (having smoked for 22 years) showed one lesion...then I quit in August 2009 and the last MRI in August 2010 showed several lesions.

I certainly agree with that weight issue, it just makes ya feel worse AND no nicotine to help with that emotional rollercoaster...lol

I still crave the smoke, really bad sometimes, but for me it helps to smell it while someone else is smoking...weird, I know.