Comments on: Share your story

By: Madison County Resident

Madison County Resident — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:14:55 +0000

It has been a rough year. Three of my family members passed away this year. I lost one family member to cancer and one was from a brain hemorrhage but the most was losing my daughter’s mother to emphysema. This was rough on my child. She is seven years old and very resilient like myself. My mother also passed away from emphysema. She was ill four years. She remained in the hospital for months before her passing. She was supposed to come home on August 15, 2007 but passed away on August 13th. She was a smoker and tobacco took her life away. If you smoke, you should quit. It will catch up with you in the long run.

By: Madison County Resident

Madison County Resident — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:09:58 +0000

Tobacco has damaged my families life from years of smoking. It infuriates me that the industry makes billions of dollars while our loved ones continue to die.

By: Madison County Resident

Madison County Resident — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:08:31 +0000

I didn’t smoke or use tobacco when I headed to Vietnam in 1966. Our unit arrived and the third night our brigade was mortared. That’s when most of the guys in my squad began to smoke cigarettes. It was something about the environment of wondering what happened next. I was smoking about two cartons a month. This went on my whole time in Nam.’ Then I flew home and when I landed in Oakland the first thing I did was kiss the ground. I was back in the world. Then the second thing I did was find a garbage can to throw out the last five packs of cigarettes I had. I said to myself and the Lord, Nam’ didn’t get me and now the cigarettes are gone too. That day was the last day I had a cigarette, 43 years ago.

By: Madison County Resident

Madison County Resident — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:02:09 +0000

My mother smoked for 55 years. Sometimes she had two cigarettes going at the same time. She tried to stop with no success. She died after three months in the hospital. She had a hole in her throat with a respirator to help her breathe. Because of smoking, she missed out on her 5 grandchildren growing up. She is really missed by all of us.

By: Oneida County Resident

Oneida County Resident — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:59:48 +0000

I quit smoking 15 years before I was diagnosed with lung cancer. Proof that if you smoke for any length of time, you are not out of the woods as far as cancer is concerned.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:58:18 +0000

My grandfather was diagnosed with throat cancer when I was 10. He can no longer speak. He has a machine that helps him communicate but it is very hard to understand him. He also has had open heart surgery caused by blockages due to smoking. My grandfather also suffers from dementia because of the oxygen deprivation from smoking. I believe he would be much healthier and have a better quality of life if he never smoked. I am from Madison County.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:16:43 +0000

My dad smoked most of his life, starting as a young boy. He quit at one point, as an adult, for almost ten years. A cigar, in celebration, triggered his addiction and he smoked again until diagnosed with cancer.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:13:45 +0000

My dad smoked most of his life, starting as a young boy. He quit at one point as an adult for almost 10 years. A cigar, in celebration, triggered his addiction and he smoked again until diagnosed with cancer.

By: prevention2

prevention2 — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:23:50 +0000

Dear Cigarettes,

For over 30 years you have been my friend; my crutch and my severe addiction. I hate you for the thousands of dollars I have wasted on you. I hate you for killing my aunt Midge with cancer; and my aunt Joan and uncle Jack as well. I hate you for the heart disease you gave my father and eventually killed him with too. I hate the way tobacco companies have made so much money from me; while lying and deceiving me and making me believe all I was smoking was rolled up tobacco; when in fact all along they were filling my cigarettes with pure poison that is slowly killing me like it has so many other people, most of which are clueless as to all they put in the damn things. The way other people have looked at me; judged me and condemned me for smoking you; the way it has made me feel bad about myself. The way it makes my clothes and home smell. The poison it has put into people around me inhaling my secondhand smoke. I hate you and I am breaking up with you forever. It is over. I am done. I no longer want you in my life. You have caused me health problems and years of hell. This is my Dear John letter to you cigarettes; because we are done for good and forever. I never want to see you again. I never want to want you again. I never want to buy you again. I do not want anything from you-but for you to stay away from me and my body forever. To stay out of my thoughts, mind, heart, body and soul. I have washed myself clean of you for good. Do not try to come back; do not try to trick me with your withdrawal symptoms; do not try and get me to return because I will not. I am done. Forever. I hate your guts. You ruined my life and many other people’s lives. You are not my friend, you are my worst enemy. I don’t know what I ever saw in you in the first place. You have fooled me for the last time. I will not allow you to steal anymore years of my life away. My life is too precious and too short as it is. You will not take any more years from me ever again. So goodbye forever and good riddens.

By: Donna

Donna — Wed, 26 May 2010 21:10:52 +0000

After smoking for 40 years, I ended up with lung cancer. I tried, mind you not too hard, to stop, but did attempt it. I stopped when my doctor told me that my bronchitis had returned. I had bronchitis every year, but Auguts 2009, I was diagnosed with lung cancer. The only way you will stop is if you want to, but please use me as an example. I thank God every day that I’m still alive. I was lucky, you may not be. I’m from Canastota, NY