So today was basically a sucky ass day. But it did put into perspective quitting for me.
I was a late in life baby. I'm 24, my father is 63, my mother 64 (do the math there eggheads). For the past month or so, my father has been having problems swallowing. After getting the run around for the past two weeks from doctors, dad finally had an endoscopy done this morning.
And the results were not good.
When I was a young child, I can remember my father smoking and drinking. He was what many would consider an alcoholic and a chain smoker. Dad could polish off a six pack of beer and two packs of Winchester little cigars/cigarettes every day (and even more on the weekends).
Dad quit smoking cold turkey in 2004 after 30 years, and had quit drinking back in 1997-98.
Today, though, the doctor diagnosed him with two likely malignant tumors, one on the bottom of his esophagus and the other on the top of the inside of his stomach.
In two weeks, he meets with a surgeon to discuss options (which we have already been told will include a feeding tube and radiation treatments).
Don't do this shit to yourself. I can't tell you that drinking and smoking caused this shit... But it damn sure didn't help. They are both listed as the #1 2 causes of esophageal cancer. My father knows he has just lost some of what were to be the best years of his life, and it is killing him inside.
If you don't think it can happen to you, think again. Dad is the toughest, hardest working man I know. If any human being on the face of this earth deserves to beat this,he does. I hope and pray he can get through this.
Don't risk it folks. If you are just browsing, thinking about quitting, quit now. Don't wait ... you're losing precious minutes off your life while you put it off "one more day". If you are quit, then stay quit damn it. Don't keep playing Russian roulette with your life. Who cares about a "one in a million" chance if you are that one?
I quit today ... and I've got a damn good reason why.
