Be smart and quit smoking

If you want one of the most excruciating pains you’ll ever have, keep smoking. I did for 63 years. I led a physically active life and never thought I’d suffffer such horrible ill effffffffffffects.

Then one day out of the blue, doctors had to do emergency surgery on my right leg due to massive blood clots. After nine days of wondering whether I would ever walk again, I was released. My right foot and thigh are still partially numb, and walking is uncomfortable. Mind you, before that, I led an active, physical life. I’ve had multiple stents put in and an angioplasty. There are better things to do in life than lie in a hospital bed where the nurses come in at 4 a.m. to draw blood.

After my last bout with my leg, I fifinally kicked the butt habit. It’s been six months, and the smell of cigarette smoke now nauseates me. I never realized how bad it smelled to others. I burned up many thousands of dollars on cigarettes over the years. I was addicted, but thankfully I can live without cigarettes now, although I still get the urge — but all I need is the reminder of the pain in my leg and the fear of having it amputated. Friends and family had urged me to stop for years, but I didn’t listen. It took an event of terrible pain to make me pay attention.

If you’re young, don’t start. If you’re already a smoker, save yourself the inevitable and quit.

— Pt. Charlotte, Fla.

The addiction to nicotine is tough to break, which is why giving up cigarettes can be so diffificult. There are plenty of programs to help (try the National Cancer Institute at smokefree.gov or the American Cancer Society at cancer.org). We are glad you fifinally quit, and we hope others won’t wait until they are in the hospital — or worse.

Instead of telling “Grossed Out” to contact the health department, she should fifirst speak to the owner immediately. As a restaurant owner myself, I defifinitely would want to know if an employee was licking her fifingers when serving ice cream. It’s unlikely the employee would show her offffffffffffenses during an inspection.

Since “Grossed” is concerned that the owner might retaliate, maybe she could simply ask the employee, “Aren’t you supposed to wear gloves?” According to the standards set by the health department, all employees must wear gloves when prepping, cooking or handling food.

The general public would be surprised to know how much sickness is passed along by such health nonos.

—SweetHomeAlabama Please email your questions to anniesmailbox@comcast.net.