Anastasia

Giving Up Smoking

Since I was diagnosed with PAD last month - Peripheral Arterial Disease, a narrowing of an artery that suppplies blood to the legs, I have promised myself that I would give up smoking and adopt a healthier eating pattern soon after my summer holiday in Chania, Crete. Adopting a healthier eating pattern wasn't difficult but giving up smoking was.  Following a medical test and questionnaire, my GP said I was moderately addicted to smoking. She decided to give me medication which would help me give up smoking and get rid of the addiction to nicotine. I have been taking NICOPASS 1,5 mg for about a month which helped greatly. 

However, I need to be honest. I did smoke 2 cigarettes and felt miserable about it. I shouldn't have smoked these cigarettes!. Today, my GP said I shouldn't be feeling guilty and added that smoking 2 cigarettes in more than a month meant that I no longer needed cigarettes! She's right! Cutting down on smoking isn't a solution. You have to give it up completely but you also need support both from doctors and family. I feel lucky to have this support, especially from my husband who has even given up smoking the odd cigar. What really saddens me is the attitude of some "friends" who would treat me as a second-rate citizen when I smoked my 40 cigarettes a day!

Surely, giving up smoking isn't easy - not when you are addicted - but judging from my own experience it's all in the mind.

Vascular Problems: Diagnosed with PAD

It's been a while now that I feel tiredness in my right thigh, especcially when I walk. As it was just tiredness , not pain, I didn't really consider this seriously. However, this tiredness has recently been getting worse and worse. If I walk up to 500 metres, I need to stop for a minute before going on walking. I mentioned that to my GP who suggested having my blood vessels checked. 

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About a month ago, I was diagnosed with PAD (Peripheral Arterial Disease). This is a narrowing of one or more arteries - mainly the arteries that supply blood to the legs and is mainly caused by smoking and high cholesterol.  First I had an ultrasound test for about 10 minutes. This showed there was a problem in the upper part of my right thigh. So I had to go through more tests like the ABP test (Ankle Bracchial Pressure) to check the blood pressure in my ankles and then compare this to the blood pressure in my arm. Fortunately, that was normal - there was no difference between the two pressures.However, this test doesn't identify which blood vessel is narrowed. So, the next step was to take a CT Scan which clearly showed that the narrowing was up to 90% - therefore it couldn't be treated with medication.

Finally, on Tuesday morning I'm having angioplasty. During the procedure, a tiny balloon is inserted into the artery and blown up at the section that is narrowed. This widens the affected part of the artery. I won't be given full anaesthetic and my doctors assure me that the procedure, which takes about an hour, is quite painless. I'll have to stay in hospital for 24 hours, though. I fully trust my doctors and hope that all will go well. Naturally, I've already given up smoking. I promised my doctors that I would do that soon after I was back from the holidays and so I did. It's been 10 days now  and haven't smoked at all. It's not easy but I'm determined to stick to non-smoking however hard it may be at the beginning. My GP prescribed NicoPlus - pills that help people give up smoking. I haven't used them so far and truly hope that I won't need to. When there is a will, there is a way.

Greece Goes Smokeless: Human Rights for All?

Since yesterday an official smoking ban has been imposed by the Greek Parliament in an effort to join many other EU countries that have already gone smokesless. The governments of these countries have decided to act as some kind of dictator with the USA giving the "good" example in the first place - thus forcing people to adopt the lifestyle their governments dictate! This reminds me of the basics of Communism - a regime which, as we all know, has miserably failed.

This said, anti-smoking centres and so- called anti-smoking campaigns have arbitrarily decided about the preferences and the lifestyle of quite a large part of their population. These citizens are labelled as "Smokers". They are treated as second-rate citizens and are often categorised as "drug-addicts" or simply "ghettos".  How very ironic!  The World has miserbaly failed to solve some vital problems such as:

1. Homeless people.

2. Obesity

3. Drugs (by the way smokers are not drug addicts!)

4. Pollution!

Yet, the governments of this world feel free to impose a law: smoking bans! Because, you see, they have solved all other problems. 

I have learnt to respect all people - regardless of whether their habits are different from mine. I am a very heavy smoker  yet I take my own risks.. MY problem!  Yet, like most smokers, I respect non-smokers. I personally banned smoking everywhere in my school but I often sneak a cigarette outside. The smoking ban hasn't been voted in Cyprus yet but out of respect for the children I teach, I decided that no one will be allowed to smoke at my school. I want non-smokers to treat me with just as much respect. This is what I call equal rights as I live in a democratic country.

FIVE ARGUMENTS AGAINST SMOKING BANS IN RESTAURANTS, HOTELS AND BARS

1. I believe in what is fair and suggest 2 separate rooms in restaurants,bars,hotels,cafes - smokers and non-smokers. Not just areas - ROOMS

2. In open air restaurants, cafes or bars, there must be 2 separate areas at a distance - for smokers and non-smokers. That's what I call a democratic option. 

3. Smoking should be totally banned in public transport, offices and workplace. As I said above, I respect non-smokers too much to allow them or their children to breathe my smoke.

4. My husband doesn\t smoke cigarettes. Ah right! He was strong enough to give it up 13 years ago. But he does enjoy the occasional cigar at a restaurant, after a good meal. I love the smell of a good-quality cigar and I think it is unreasonable to ban cigars from a smoking-area where cigarette smoking is allowed!

5. Passive smoking : in the open-air there is no such case! Yet, I understand that some people may not wish to smell someone's smoke: so - outdoors smoking areas should be kept at a reasonable distance from non-smokers and children. Indoors smoking and non-smoking areas should be in completely separate rooms. If this is not possible - I agree with the non smoking ban.

I don't often post such long posts as I also respect my readers' available time. I'd greatly appreciate your own views but ...please don't preach!