Probably not the right forum for help with this. But, I quit smoking before I got pregnant. I was SUCH a happy non-smoker. I went over a year. I thought I'd kicked it forever.

Now, I've started again. I accepted a cigarette from a friend a few days after we learned of the HD risk. I was so stressed and heartbroken. My smoking started gradually. It's inching towards addiction. (Maybe that's a ridiculous statement--once addicted, always addicted?) I'm nursing my little boy, and smoking a few cigs a day (always right after nursing, and I'm washing my hands, brushing my teeth, and changing my clothes immediately after having a smoke). I buy cigarettes, though. Horrible.

Anyone been in the same boat--with HD, at-risk, or as a caregiver--who caved given the stress?

Anyone care to offer advice regarding re-quitting? I've posted many times indicating that I'm clearly not coping well with this risk. Clearly. Perhaps just visiting this site more frequently will help me. I feel like such a failure.

Tobacco calms people. When I get out of bed I cannot swallow or speak and after one cigarette I can swallow and after 2 speak. This is the most rotten time to have a disease that is a little better with tobacco.

I think it is far more important for people to stop driving cars which burn gas

why don't you try those e cigarettes which have nnno flame, some peope use them here.

OH NO! I am on an electronic e cig! They work awesome! ;p

Laura gave up regular cigarettes maybe a year or so ago for e cigs. They are a blessing for us both. She doesn’t have to go outside to smoke and I don’t have to worry about flame. Nothing sucks more than having to go outdoors in the middle of winter at the crack of dawn and torch up. And. . . nothing sucks more than wondering if and when I will ever need the services of the local fire department. She is really happy with them and so am I. No more dirty grey smoke in her lungs. I can’t say enough good things about them. If you would like more info I would be happy to share. I would encourage anyone and everyone to use them.

Pete

You know you have a problem..... But you & only you can do something about it. Lungs are somewhat forgiving but NOT always. I have met a large number of ex smokers who now have COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) but only smoked short time, the majority with COPD are longer term smokers (at least those still alive.) Have a look on the web for COPD, then if you still continue smoking, you will know the price you will pay in the future!
The damage to non smokers is always an issue, but many with COPD never smoked, but worked or were associated with smokers ie a spouse a child. So you have to make the decision and the sooner the better.
Have to go now my oxygen tells me I am about to run out, so have to refill or!

Smoke 'em if you want 'em. This is still America, and we can still smoke.

I quit for three years, never thought I would pick up a smoke again.

I picked one up during the fiasco that I went through with the Indiana HDSA and now it is two years of smoking. The stress was so great that I was looking for any kind of relieve, smoking helped. Doesn't seem to help anymore tho.

I plan on quiting in the new year, the old fashion way.

Hey! new here but reading old posts. My grandma hid HD from my family as well. I grew up crying thinking one day I would go crazy. ( I only knew that my grandma had refused an aoutopsy after grandpa killed himself: they thought he had a "condition;" 20 years later after my dad was sick we found the letter from Gramps doc. stating he most likely had HD; grandma never told anyone) But never knew it was HD. We had a whole new generation born with at risk status in our family. That's my kids, my sisters kids, and my cousins kids. That's 11 granchildren.

Grandma had already passed, so I never had the chance to be upset with her. But I was very upset. I had to let that go. One thing I've learned since learning about HD is that everyone reacts differently (HD positive or not). Furthermore, people with HD absolutely have judgement errors way before diagnosis. Things that seem common sense to me aren't to my sister (HD+); her diagnosis only confirms this theory. Every family member in my family who ended up with HD had a history of poor decision making YEARS before physical symptoms.

When my dad got sick and I found out myself, and even more terrifying my kids could have this: My casual habit turned into addiction. I am now a smoker. Ironically, I told myself I would rather die of lung cancer than HD. Well, I tested negative last Dec.. So much for my theory? lol

My wife smoked for 28 years until she tested negative, then quit. I believe somehow smoking helped her cope with the nervousness of living at risk, since her father and two sisters all died of HD complications. They were her only two siblings so I could imagine how stressful this was for her. She felt that someday she would become sick and smoking couldn't hurt her. I'm blessed to be able to say that number one, she won'd develop HD and number two. she doesn't smoke. Now if I could only quit!!!

I quit for 6 years and have been back at it for 3...hate that I caved but also hated the 45 # weight gain from six years as a non smoker. Die of obesity, die of cancer...at least now my knees and joints don't hurt like they did when I carried that extra weight. So I go day by day. Maybe I'll stop again some day.

Carla

I am also a HD smoker. I had quit 7 years and started before I knew. I tried many times since and even in the Fall to try and keep healthy. I agree the stress of my work and HD has had me give up for now. I guess It somehow feels like if something is going to take me. Maybe I will try those electronic cigerettes. I'm glad to hear others has the same issues and maybe give myself more time till I try again.