A Question For Robroy.

[Shadow_Thomas]

I remember not all too long ago, you gave up smoking. I was just wondering how that is still going for ya ? I sure hope your still smoke free. I think I may give it my best shot come new years day.

I know for myself I have been smoking for 27 years. Yesterday I got my first wake up call. I have been havening problems getting up 3 to 4 times a night to use the bathroom. Well I had a DR.'s appointment with Urology yesterday and everything cheeked out ok, BUT he wants me to have a simple test to see if I have any cancer cells in the urin. Then he went off on me because I smoke. He says smoking can cause bladder cancer. That got my ATTN: They just put me on another new drug. Like I need another pill. But it's called Flomax. So we'll see I guess.

If anyone smokes you may want to consider quitting too. I never thought about the bladder. I always think heart, lungs. But bladder ? I'm not saying I have cancer yet. and I sure and hell hope not either.

And to make matters even worse yesterday, after I left the DR.'s office I had to be some place else. Wouldn't you know as I am driving along at 45 MPH. my turn comes up I go for the breaks, I blew a break line. Yup peddle sinks to the floor. I turn the wheel hard to the right, the back end of the car starts to fishtail and then....yup she started to come up on her side. I was on 2 wheels for a brief second. I then floored the gas without thinking and the car came back down on all fours. I coasted to the next DR.'s office which was down about a quarter of a mile from the main road. I needed to pick up some MRI films for next Wednesday for pain management. I had to open my door and drag my foot on the pavement to get my car to stop Lol. For a second I almost thought my car was going to go right threw the front office. I had to pry my hands off the steering wheel. I get out of the car, pop the hood like I know what I'm doing....NOT. I go to the back of the car, look underneath and there she be all my break fluid pouring all over the place. I walk in the office, tell the girl at the front desk who I am, and I need my MRI films calm as can be. Then I start shaking like you would not believe. I scared the hell out of the girl at the front desk. All I wanted was a phone to call for a tow truck. She's asking if I want to come in the back for a cup of coffee. I respond, thank you, but no thanks. I need to go outside and smoke a carton of smokes and a few Valium. The girl laughed when I mentioned about the Valium. Little does she know I was serious and do take it daily Lol.

You know I left the first DR.'s office uptight and was thinking maybe I really should stop smoking, so I refused to light up when I got outside in my car. Well that only lasted about 15 minutes as that is when all the hell broke loose.

[tenmm]

Shadow_Thomas

I quit smoking after 24-25 years,started when I was 13-14.

I quit cold turkey on a weekend in the mountians,no temptations and no store to buy some for 30 miles.

Downside?? yes.

After all this time of nonsmoking. too stand next to someone who smokes will give me a headache.

Good luck.

Hope you make it.

tenmm

[tg1911]

Shadow,

I know this is off topic, but....

If you ever loose your brakes, gradually apply your Emergency Brake. The Emergency Brake (EB) is connected to your rear brakes by a mechanical connection, not a hydraulic one. If you gradually apply the EB, you will be able to use them just like your normal brakes. This will hold you, until you can have your brakes properly repaired.

Robroy,

I'm also curious as to how your quitting smoking, is going.

[Shadow_Thomas]

Shadow,

I know this is off topic, but....

If you ever loose your brakes, gradually apply your Emergency Brake. The Emergency Brake (EB) is connected to your rear brakes by a mechanical connection, not a hydraulic one. If you gradually apply the EB, you will be able to use them just like your normal brakes. This will hold you, until you can have your brakes properly repaired.

Robroy,

I'm also curious as to how your quitting smoking, is going.

If I had one of them cars with the hand pull EB. I would of, but I drive an older car thats a 1988 Pontiac Grand Prix and the EB. is on the left side. You know the peddle type. everything happened so fast. The amazing thing is... is the little side road I turned into is a busy road. I have never made the turn without someone sitting at that stop sign waiting to make a left or a right turn. If someone was their I would of hit some innocent person. I think today I have a mild case of whip lash. I can hardly turn my head to the left.

3 or 4 weeks ago I was in the same location just a little across town. Well I was at a Wall Mart store, came out started the car, went to step on the gas and my exhaust broke. My car was louder then hell. Infact it was so loud I could barely hear myself think. So I say to myself great ! Wouldn't luck have it, I get to the end of the parking lot sitting at a traffic lite. I had to make a right turn and to my left the local police were sitting at the red lite. Yup ! on goes the bubble gum lights. He pulls me over. Were screaming back an fourth to hear one another because my car was so loud Lol. He made a sign with his hand for me to shut the engine off. He says...do you know why I pulled you over ? I laugh at him and say NO. Big mistake on my end. I try to explain to the good officer that this just happened back at Wall Mart parking lot. I told the officer I would drive my car down the road to Monroe muffler & brake and have it fixed right there on the spot. I even went so far as to tell the officer to follow me to the garage. Wow what a mistake that was. He still gave me the ticket and he also followed me down the road only to pull me over again. This time he asked me if I had been drinking. I asked him why do you ask ? He replied I noticed you were weaving down the road. I replied. I get nervous when I have a cop behind me. Now he asks me to get out of the car and walk to the back of the car. Now with all this, who happens to just drive by but my father in law. He pulls over and walks up to the police officer and asks whats going on. The officer yelled at him and told him to get back in his car and move along. I'm thinking wow, this is great now my father in law thinks I'm a law breaker. Anyhow the officer made me take a breathalizer test which I passed because I seldom ever have a drink. I never have even one beer and drive a car. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. That was almost a $300.00 day out. Can't wait to find out what yesterdays event will cost me today.

[tg1911]

Shadow,

Suggestion also works with the foot pedal.

Man, if it weren't for bad luck, you wouldn't have any luck at all. If we ever meet, remind me not to get too near you. I'd be afraid of a safe, or something, falling on me. LOL

Don't know how much good it's going to do, but, Good Luck!

[flashh4]

shadow if im hitchiking please dont stop...... gl with not smokine, me still no guts to quit & i have a sis-n-law whos a doc. so you can guess how much chitt i catch ......... STAY SAFE

[thesidekickcat]

My goodness Shadow, can't you stay out of trouble? Wouldn't want to give our board a bad name now would you? Just kidding my friend.

I am so glad you survived the brake failure. That is so scary!!!

Sounds like you need to get a thorough checkup on that car, before anything else fails.

What did your father-in-law say to you later after the cop incident?

P.S. Don't be surprised if your insurance rates go up due to the ticket, or worse yet get cancelled. That is what happens in this state after tickets. But I would sure contest the ticket, assuming it was for improperly maintained equipment or some such thing. At least talk to the judge and explain the muffler just fell apart a few blocks before. They shouldn't be able to ticket you for something that just happened. As for the laugh, I doubt that is a good reason for a ticket. So talk to the judge.

Still your luck isn't as bad as what I heard on the news the other day. I didn't hear where this happened but the person in the car is lucky to be alive. Several people thought it would be "fun" to buy a frozen turkey and toss it onto a car windshield. I didn't hear if it was on an overpass or where. Anyhow the turkey, of course, broke the windshield and glass all over the driver's face, then turkey continued on to the back seat, but didn't hurt anyone else in car. the human turkeys were arrested a short time later, ID'd by the store surveilance camera where they bought the turkey.

I sure hope you start a better pattern of "luck" in the near future. But I think that car needs an early warning system for everyone to be careful around it.

Stay out of trouble and get well soon my friend.

God bless everyone.

[robroy]

Hey everone. Yes I've been smoke free for over 11 weeks now, cold turkey. after way too many years. The last 3 yrs I had been smoking ultra lights (not covering the holes around the filter) and couldn't even smoke anything stronger after the first yr. I'm sure that has actually helped me quit. Food tastes better, more energy, no coughing no cravings after the first couple of weeks. If I can do it anyone can. If you need to use the gum or the patch then use them. Quitting is worth the time, trouble and effort. the cost is nothing compared to the cost of cigarettes for a year and even less against the health benefits

Any one who tries it has my best wishes for success

JD

[Shadow_Thomas]

Hey everone. Yes I've been smoke free for over 11 weeks now, cold turkey. after way too many years. The last 3 yrs I had been smoking ultra lights (not covering the holes around the filter) and couldn't even smoke anything stronger after the first yr. I'm sure that has actually helped me quit. Food tastes better, more energy, no coughing no cravings after the first couple of weeks. If I can do it anyone can. If you need to use the gum or the patch then use them. Quitting is worth the time, trouble and effort. the cost is nothing compared to the cost of cigarettes for a year and even less against the health benefits

Any one who tries it has my best wishes for success

JD

Thats what I had hoped for, too see you still smoke free. See I did not forget about your quest about your quitting smokeing. Great ! good for you and keep up the great work Robroy. I too am going to set myself up for the first of the year to hopefully quit for good. I did it once before for about 7 months. I found myself at a party having a few too many beers and people everyware were smokeing, so I asked a few people during the day for a smoke and found myself back right ware I started I do have the patches sitting right infront of me as I type this out.

[robroy]

I know how that goes. I had quit once before, onthe day my daughter was born, lasted 9 months party ruined it for me too. That was 23 yrs ago

JD

[hitest]

Hi Shadow_Thomas,

I quit smoking 22 years ago. My wife started taunting me and said I was too weak to quit. Well, that made me very angry so I quit just to prove her wrong. My wife is a very smart woman, she knows that I'm pig-headed. I wish you the very best of luck in quitting, man!

I was a social smoker. I liked to smoke at parties, gatherings.

If you're really hooked maybe using the nicotine patch might help get you over the cravings so you can quit.

Hang in there

hitest

[martymas]

hey shadow take care of your self.i belong to the heart and diabetes assoc

and all you have to see is some of the videos of the lungs and pancreas that smoking does to these body parts to see how bad it is for your body.

like some of the other posters i havent smoked for thirty years.

and i know what it is like to try and stop.dam hell.for me personaly it found it was mind over matter and force of habit.for instance after ide stopped smoking for several years .

after a meal or when i got bored my hand used to go to my back pocket looking for the cigs .

now i hate being around people who smoke .

luckly in my country from the 15 of december all smoking in public areas.inclosed areas ,which means cafes pubs hotels .restraunt all in closed areas

the only place exempt is your private chatels .will be banned.

of course.the smoking lobby.is laying down and kicking there heels up in the air.

but it has to be done.

this b------it

of individual rights is in fringing, on the millions of people who dont smoke .

i feel guilty in posting this because i was one of those and at the time i didnt give a

s---t on what other people said.

so smoking has turned a complete cycle.

i sympathise with you but if it affects your health please think about it at least

we dont want to lose you from this board.

i just dont want to see you die because of smoking.

you take care shadow

and good luck

marty