Hi smurphy
Here’s my rather long, rambling story about smoking.
I used to smoke, more than is good for a person. Way back when I was first diagnosed and for several years after, I worked in London, smoked and drank to excess, often having 20 fags and a bottle of red wine instead of dinner.
I am not, by the way, endorsing this kind of lifestyle; but it was good fun at the time.
I gradually had more relapses and became more disabled, and some would say, became more civilised, or at least, tamer (domesticated!). I moved out of London, worked from home for a couple of years and eventually had to stop work because of disability. At this time, I was using a crutch and driving an adapted car, but could still walk.
At one time, my OH came with me to a neurology appointment and asked the neuro whether my smoking was affecting my MS. The neuro at that time (about 2004), said he didn’t think it did. I believe generally nowadays however, most neurologists think smoking is more harmful for the MSer than for someone without MS.
I eventually decided to stop smoking. I thought it was better to stop while it was my decision rather than one made for me, either because I couldn’t afford to smoke any more, or because my disability had worsened, making smoking outside the house much harder. And of course my OH disapproves of smoking so I always did smoke outside (or in the shed on really bad weather days!)
So I stopped. It wasn’t easy, but I decided in Spring of 2011 that while I knew I’d never give up through the Summer, my quitting day would be the day the clocks went back in October. So all through the summer I happily puffed away, but in Spetember I started cutting down. By October I was down to about 6 or 7 a day, by the last day I smoked one.
Then the following February (2012) I had a real humdinger of a relapse, I was completely numb from the waist down, couldn’t move a single toe. I was in hospital for 2 weeks, then a rehab unit for another 6. So of course, I couldn’t have smoked, it would’ve been forced on me.
I consider there’s two ways of looking at this: the most likely supposition is that it’s just as well I’d given up before being forced to. But the small evil little devil that resides in me suggests that it was the giving up that was the cause of the dreadful relapse. I know this is probably not true, but the thought still lingers, 4 years later. By the way, I did have some remission from the relapse, but I still can’t walk.
So, obviously not smoking is better for you and your health in so many ways. And it’s certainly likely that giving up is better for your MS. But I would never condemn a person for smoking. Working in your industry, I probably would never have been able to give up. As it was I think I was virtually the last person I knew who still smoked. And I still rather like to hover around a smoker and inhale a little second hand smoke.
Sue
Crumbs, the stories we tell ourselves!