SMOKING

[Guest guest]

I know how bad smoking is for your health and especially if you have

something like CMT, but I can't seem to quit and stay quit! I didn't

start smoking until I was 25 and I am now 52. I did stop twice for 2

years both times, but all the MANY other times I have quit have only

lasted a few months, weeks, or days! The first time I quit for two

years is because I had pneumonia and I thought I would never want to

put another cigarette in my mouth again. The second time was because

I say my mother on a ventalator in ICU. It is like I can't stop

unless

I have a really good incentive to make me stop. My seventeen yr.old

daughter use to keep ear infections until I stopped smoking in the

house. Addictive personalities run in my family big time! My other

daughter, Jana, who is 28 and who drs. say has one of the most

addictive personalities they have ever seen, also has CMT and she

smokes. She also has asthma and has been in the hospital several

time

for pnemmonia and to the ER often for respitory distress! Yet, she

too can't seem to quit smoking. She is addicted to all kinds of

things. Perfume, clothes, people, aromas, etc!

When I started years ago I remember thinking and saying that I just

couldn't believe that people could become so addicted to cigarettes

and that after a year I would be able to put them down. I've put them

down many times since making that statement!

How many of you CMTers smoke and how bad is it affecting your CMT? I

just haven't felt good the last couple of days. For the last couple

of years off and on, for a few days at a time I feel weak and achy.

My body and face will feel tingly and if I smoke a cigarette it will

make it worse so I will cut back and not smoke very much for a few

days, but after the symtoms go away I will start right back to my

pack

a day. So far today after having only a few puffs my ears felt funny

andI could feel my face getting more tingly so I stopped. Right now

I

am chewing a piece of Nicorette Gum and praying that I will never

pick

up another cigarette again!

I need to hear as many negative things that I can about smoking and

how it effects you when you have CMT. When you are yonger you really

don't seem to worry near as much about it as you do when you start

getting older and things start going wrong. Also, what exactly is

vasculitis and what are the symptoms? I read on one of the message

boards that people with CMT sometimes get this.

Thanks,

Cindy in Memphis