Schmoopie
12-20-2009, 11:27 PM
I don't usually post stuff like this, just because although I do think of myself as a very caring person, to read posts about others sadness upsets me. However, I didn't want to put this in the complaint department.
You guys might remember my talking about a friend of mine that I met through a purchase we bought at our local jewelery store. I'm sure I posted about this guy more than once! :crazy:
Anyway, we went up to the mall to give him his Christmas present this afternoon. It was really busy in the store and although we weren't there to buy anything at all, he took the time to chat with us (as did the other amazing employees) for a while-about 30 minutes, actually.
Anyway, he looked pretty upset and he voluntarily told me that his mom went for a checkup recently and they found something on her lung. From what he tells me, she is a longtime smoker. I don't know how old she is, but I don't think it's much older I am. I'm 42, so I'm guessing she is in her 50's... maybe early 60's but I don't think so.
I didn't really think much of it at the time, but now it really upsets me. He is very close to his mom and I guess she has moved in with him (which I didn't know until today). He said she has no health insurance or money and he's trying to get her on DSHS assistance.
I am completely against smoking and always will be. I have never smoked in my life but I can see how it would be terribly hard to quit. In the past 3 years, I have lost three people to smoking. My stepdad died on New Years Eve, 2006 of respiratory failure. My aunt died six days later of lung cancer and the head of our office, a wonderful and really funny guy, died in February of 2008, just before his 50th birthday. All from smoking.
My friend is totally against smoking as well, and he's tried like crazy to get his mom to stop. He said that on Wednesday they are going for a consultation and have been refered to specialists in Seattle. I've never even seen a picture of this woman, but the thought of losing another person (even indirectly) to smoking just devestates me. I don't even want to think of what it will do to him. He's only 29, and I know what that's like, losing a parent at a young age. My dad died in 1992, when I was 25.
What really ticks me off about all this is why do these things ALWAYS happen around the holidays? Not that there's ever a good time, but it seems like Christmas time makes it worse.
I didn't post this to gain sympathy, but rather to get my feelings out. I hate keeping things bottled up. Right now I feel like crying, Im so upset and worried about my friend's mom (and him for that matter).
Andrea
You guys might remember my talking about a friend of mine that I met through a purchase we bought at our local jewelery store. I'm sure I posted about this guy more than once! :crazy:
Anyway, we went up to the mall to give him his Christmas present this afternoon. It was really busy in the store and although we weren't there to buy anything at all, he took the time to chat with us (as did the other amazing employees) for a while-about 30 minutes, actually.
Anyway, he looked pretty upset and he voluntarily told me that his mom went for a checkup recently and they found something on her lung. From what he tells me, she is a longtime smoker. I don't know how old she is, but I don't think it's much older I am. I'm 42, so I'm guessing she is in her 50's... maybe early 60's but I don't think so.
I didn't really think much of it at the time, but now it really upsets me. He is very close to his mom and I guess she has moved in with him (which I didn't know until today). He said she has no health insurance or money and he's trying to get her on DSHS assistance.
I am completely against smoking and always will be. I have never smoked in my life but I can see how it would be terribly hard to quit. In the past 3 years, I have lost three people to smoking. My stepdad died on New Years Eve, 2006 of respiratory failure. My aunt died six days later of lung cancer and the head of our office, a wonderful and really funny guy, died in February of 2008, just before his 50th birthday. All from smoking.
My friend is totally against smoking as well, and he's tried like crazy to get his mom to stop. He said that on Wednesday they are going for a consultation and have been refered to specialists in Seattle. I've never even seen a picture of this woman, but the thought of losing another person (even indirectly) to smoking just devestates me. I don't even want to think of what it will do to him. He's only 29, and I know what that's like, losing a parent at a young age. My dad died in 1992, when I was 25.
What really ticks me off about all this is why do these things ALWAYS happen around the holidays? Not that there's ever a good time, but it seems like Christmas time makes it worse.
I didn't post this to gain sympathy, but rather to get my feelings out. I hate keeping things bottled up. Right now I feel like crying, Im so upset and worried about my friend's mom (and him for that matter).
Andrea