Thinking About Giving Up Cigarettes? Doc Velocity Just Had a Stroke...

Thank you for sharing the account.

Not many people explain first hand recollections that offer insights which could save a person's life.

As a smoker myself, I am actually inclined to quit, and I haven't thought about that for some time - thank you. My best wishes to you and yours, stay cool...

Be well.

Very happy you remain in the best health that can be hoped for under these circumstances. Way to hang Doc.

Doc,

I am sorry you had to go through this horrible experience, but thank-god you are still alive and well enough to post here on ATS.

My aunt at 50 had a stroke just a few months ago, and she is still recovering. It was tough to see her go through not being able to talk properly. She's a lot better now.

Don't wish it on anyone, keep in good health and spirit!

YAD.

good post doc and glad you survived that challenge in your life...

One question though, there are a lot of contributing factors other than smoking that causes stroke (i.e.high blood pressure, heart disease or atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat), diabetes, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, high alcohol intake (more than 2 drinks a day), etc), how did you or your doctor arrived at the conclusion that smoking was the main culprit that caused your stroke? hmmmmm....

P.S. am a non-smoker

WOW...

Crazy stuff Doc.... I'm glad you've used this as a catalyst and wish you every success in giving up smoking.

I quit 17 months ago and feel so much better for it... mine was due to health reasons too although not quite as terrifying as yours.
I really hope you stick at it and I'm sure you will mate.

I'm really glad no lasting damage was done and you're still the bright mind you were before.

Excellent thread my friend.

Take it easy and look after yourself ok?

Peace

Glad you are feeling better.

Also glad to hear that you have quit smoking. It is a dirty habit. That is why I play it like the big leaguers and throw in a dip. If John Kruk does it then it has to be good for you, right?

But seriously, your account of the situation was very detailed which could serve a good purpose for someone reading this down the line. Not that "I" would know or anything but from what you described it sounds a lot like a mild '___' experience, which is pretty crazy. Luckily your wife knew what was going on. It also sounds like there was no way for you to help yourself in a situation like that. Luckily you are surrounded by people that care for you which makes you lucky indeed.

Good luck on the recovery brother. Take a chance now to better your life for good.

Doc it is a blessing you are doing so well and that you heeded the warning from your body.

Hearing first hand the effects of a stroke is very helpful and I thank you for that.

I quit about a year ago and feel so much better now. My excuse was weight gain. I did gain about 30 pounds but I am now loosing it so it will come back off. I try not to be one of those annoying ex smokers, but it is worth the effort and breathing is not a chore anymore. No inhalers anymore either. :-)

I hope that people really listen to your experience.

red

Thanks for the first person view! I'm still a young smoker and I think I'm really gonna try and quit

reply to post by Doc Velocity


Thanks for that tale of warning Doc. I'm not a smoker but there's much to be learned from this.

Best of future health to you and yours!

I'm glad you are still with us Doc. And that was a wonderful post about how the stroke happened. Hopefully it will save some lives.

Its good to see that the stroke hasnt effected your ability to write wonderfully, either.

My best to you and your family. And congrats on giving up cigarettes.

Great post.

I've been trying to stop smoking as well but yeah, I guess a few fits of anger and migraine is nothing compared to a stroke.

I better stop by tomorrow.

Got this damn habit in College as well.

[edit on 28-5-2010 by Unregistered]

S&F!

i'm so glad you posted this, and so glad you're ok too! I've been working in healthcare for a few years and seen/treated a large number of stroke patients, even been present when its come upon them but i've never actually heard a step by step from the sufferer's point of view, its extremely eye-opening for me. For example, the acrid smells, i'd never heard of that or the vivid images/colours and emotions.

Was there any sensations of pain or uncomfortableness? if you don't mind me asking or yourself answering questions of course. It's probably not the same because it stems from a neurological thing, but was it like an experience like for example when you have pressure on a limb and it goes numb? like if you're sitting on your leg? or just like, completely unaware of it until you were on the floor?

I hope all the effects were temporary too. Take care!

Yeah, as someone mentioned sounds like a TIA rather than stroke per se. A mini-stroke as they are often called.

Nice description of right hemisphere neurological symptoms (the emotional aspect).

Get well soon. And good luck with fighting the fags (that's smokes). I shall light one up for you in sympathy

reply to post by Doc Velocity


Drink more water and moderate your smoking. If you do not have enough self-control to do so, which it sounds like you don't, then quitting completely is certainly wiser than tempting yourself.

Fear is not a good gauge.
Ignorance is no gauge at all.

So many people are dehydrated, immoderate, unhealthy eaters/drinkers, etc. The knee-jerk responses are always to get rid of this or that. Only an ignorant shepherd would advocate ignorance over moderation. Only a wrathful shepherd would advocate fear over self-control.

Again, drink more water. Generally fill up on whole grains and up to 6 ounces of meat a day, and eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Make sure your food does not contain pesticides. Make sure your food is fed well if it ate when it was alive. You are what you eat and smoke (make sure your smoke does not contain pesticides/additives). Don't over or under do it.

Good luck.

Doc I am glad to hear that you are still with us. I wish everyone luck in quitting smoking. I quit when cigarettes reached three dollars a carton at the base commissary. I temporarily switched to a pipe which gave my hands something to do while my body adjusted to not inhaling the smoke. I wish I could get my cousin to quit.

old guy lives across alley from me just had a stroke, laid there for 2 days before someone found him, he's in bad shape. about a month before, i was talking with him and noticed he had slurred speech, i asked if he had a stroke, he said he didnt care, i told him to go see a doctor, i guess he never did.

Well I'm very glad you're ok. As I was reading your words I was on the edge of my seat.

I smoke and have Multiple Sclerosis. I woke one morning and had lost the use of both legs instantly and hit the floor. They stayed that way for 3 months. Then just as fast as it came on it ended and I could walk again. This was very scary coming from someone who was healthy with the exception of the MS which didn't give me a lot of issues that I couldn't handle up to this point. I had been big into weightlifting, aerobics and such yet all the while smoking.

I have bought the nicorette gum a good month ago and will quit. Thanks for telling your story.

Thanks for sharing your cautionary tale!

I am glad you and your family were mentally prepared for such a health emergency - a friend of mine from the Internet - only in his early 40's - had also prepared similarly and though he ended up with a little more damage than yourself - it was his wife's (like yours) quick actions which saved his life!

I think since we here at ATS are really amongst the cream of the crop of intelligensia and free-thinkers - this should be a wake up call for us all!

Anyone who voluntarily smokes, eats donuts, or drinks commercial (non organinc non healthy) sodas is just being willfully ignorant and BEGGING for health problems!

Also - if you are able bodied - keep your weight within healthy levels - obesity is simply a weakness of will for the majority of us out there - no judgement - just get it together - okay!?

We are all too intelligent to give TPTP any more advantage over us then they already have!

Let Doc's clear warning be our rallying call!

To lighten you up buddy:
There is a history of strokes, heart disease and diabets in my family, so now that I crossed that 50's mark, I decided that I should take care of myself and watch out for any danger signs.

So....Im in the workshop truning out some stickbaits on the woodlathe, felling kinda low and yucky all that day, but the workshop always cheers me up.

I wear a facemask thats part of a hard-hat when turning and a dustmask if the wood dust can be hazardous. Im standing there shaving wood away and Im as happy as a clam...

I then detect a tingling sensation at the back of my head and I think 'oh ho!' and stop the machine. The tinglings getting stronger and very slowly making its way up my skull and I am crapping myself, so take a seat.

The sensations at the top of my head and isnt going away and I think my numbers up and that this must be what a stroke feels like, or something along those lines.

I reach up and remove the hard-hat/mask combo and the creeping sensation gets more rapid.....then I get a mental slap!!!

As I realise.........its the elastic of the face mask, under the helmet, creeping through my short hair!!!!!!!!

I know, I know....Im an idiot, but its a true story and I hope it goes a little way to shking the darkness from the situation buddy.

Peace!

[edit on 28-5-2010 by Tie No Bows!]

DV, the Chief Neurosurgeon that treated me after my stroke turned me on to this. As you might imagine, I had a bazillion questions and he kept telling me each case is different. He offered no false hope or promises. He simply said, Never Give Up.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/09d6cc541585.jpg[/atsimg]

I am still 2.5 years out from my stroke but continue to get little "gifts" each day as the neurons in my brain re route paths to bypass the stroke damaged sections. The other day I was scratching myself with my weak arm involuntarily and didn't even realize I had an itch.

As you can tell by the outpouring of responses here, we are all rooting for you.


[edit on 28-5-2010 by kinda kurious]