Bad Habits

Do you have any bad habits?
Nail biting?
Smoking?
Drinking?
Swearing?
What is your vice?

I used to smoke cigarettes like no one's business. September 25 of 2005 was my very last cigarette. Unfortunately, it took me being hospitalized for five days with bronchitis and pneumonia to put the nicotine down. It was hard, but being a patient scared me enough to quit.
Cold turkey was no fun, especially being around a husband, friends, mother, father, and brothers who smoke. Going to public places and events where people smoked and having to watch and smell the cigarettes was the worst. I thought that I would have the most trouble resisting smoking while I was drinking. The two went hand in hand, I thought. Surprisingly not even a problem.
I've been hoping to convince my parents, brothers, friends, and husband to quit (or at least slack up) on smoking. I want them to be around as long as they can.
I think one of the main reasons it’s so hard to quit smoking is because all the benefits of quitting and all the dangers of continuing seem very far away. Well, here’s are some of the more immediate effects of quitting smoking and how that will affect your body RIGHT NOW.

* In 20 minutes your blood pressure will drop back down to normal.
* In 8 hours the carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) levels in your blood stream will drop by half, and oxygen levels will return to normal.
* In 48 hours your chance of having a heart attack will have decreased. All nicotine will have left your body. Your sense of taste and smell will return to a normal level.
* In 72 hours your bronchial tubes will relax, and your energy levels will increase.
* In 2 weeks your circulation will increase, and it will continue to improve for the next 10 weeks.
* In three to nine months coughs, wheezing and breathing problems will dissipate as your lung capacity improves by 10%.
* In 1 year your risk of having a heart attack will have dropped by half.
* In 5 years your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.
* In 10 years your risk of lung cancer will have returned to that of a non-smoker.
* In 15 years your risk of heart attack will have returned to that of a non-smoker.

Everyone has a bad habit.
Some not as easy as others to let go.
If you want to get rid of your vice, I wish you the best of luck in doing so, and success at staying rid of the habit.


Timeline