Last updated on September 26, 2019
My mother was a chain smoker and it eventually took her life. When I was sick she actually promised to quit smoking but could not. When I was a couple years in remission she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She also recovered but was never able to stop smoking. She actually continued to smoke during treatment and after treatment. I asked my support group and my doctors what was the impact on the possibility of a recurrence since she continued to smoke. I got a lot of concerned messages and comments that the statistics were really bad. However, I never actually looked at the statistics. At that time the internet was in its infancy and google was an idea on a whiteboard.
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I decided to do some research and found that the statistics are extremely frightening. For someone who has been a long term smoker if they do not quit the chance of recurrence can be as high as 42%. Also, the chance of not surviving either the first diagnosis or a recurrence goes up to a whopping 60%. You can see the statistics in this article.
Another important thing to discuss is the impact of second hand smoke on the ones you love. Second hand smoke has been proven to cause health problems in children, and other family members. This includes asthma, SIDS, ear infections and breathing issues for children. For adults it ups the chances of cancer, strokes and heart disease. Finally, direct and second hand smoke can impact pregnancy.
The form of cancer I was diagnosed with has been linked with drinking and smoking during a woman’s first trimester. I had non seminoma germ cell testicular cancer. The doctor shared with me that the germ cell travels down the spine to be deposited into the testes. Due to the fact my mom drank and smoked they cell did not make it all the way down. At the age 25 the cell turned to cancer and grew into a huge mass in my abdomen. One interesting fact is that this tumor can be identified with a pregnancy test. If you are interested in learning more listen to my first podcast with my wife Laura.
So in short if you are a smoker I implore you to stop smoking. You are doing great harm to yourself and your loved ones. It was outrageously painful for me to learn that my mom’s in ability to stop smoking and drinking lead to a really rough time in my life. Please, please seek help to give up these bad addictions or habits. I would love to hear what others think. Please post a comment.
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