Yeah, I don't want to wander to far away without this one. It is a needed thing on my everydays outside the house.

Happy Macro Mondays

This shot was taken a month or so ago on Paris Plains Rd. There is not a lot of space to pull over but there are a few nice posts along the way.

The world is getting a bit scary out there with the virus spreading. I hope everyone respects a little bit of personal space and wash your hands often. I have COPD so I am at risk but am trying to be on the ball about it. Be safe everyone.

Happy Fence Friday

Especially for today, the world COPD day.

Do you see the statue of the soldier ?

Appears to be carved from that wooden post but it isn’t.

Today could have gone better tbh…Jonathan felt flat on his face at the end of last week but didn’t tell me and on Saturday asked me to look at his eye which was painful. It had a bright red streak which close up looked like a blood vessel and pressure in the eye is a side effect of his new medication for COPD caused by Covid or the Covid virus. He stopped taking the meds but wouldn’t go to eye casualty re the fall and hitting his eyebrow at the edge of the eye socket as the consultants on strike then. So made the earliest optician appointment which was this afternoon.

After extensive tests then a scan costing £30 ( brilliant new technology ) the Optician said his eye was not turning to the side properly and the pupil not reacting properly to light shining on it, although till that part the optician had been quite optimistic that no damage had occurred

He is phoning the hospital and told us to expect a call from them tomorrow 😏 These pics were to try to act a bit lighter but not reflecting my mood now :(

Jonathan says they might put it down to age or a small bleed on the brain and do an MRI scan.

He doesn’t appear worried but I am….😟

"Spring Sunshine" Nikon D500 with 55-300mm at 247mm, 1/500, F11, ISO250, Finally Ventured out of the house after 3 weeks, Drove to the valley with the misses a tankard of coffee stopped at St Croix. Deserted road and took this capture. Felt like i was doing something wrong . ( We were safe, came in contact with no one, Sure felt nice to have some sunshine.)

Felt Risky as i have stage 2 COPD and there is no turning back from that.

Smile on Saturday theme Selective color Smiley face. The balloons are getting ready for New Years 😀 My new COPD medication is working great. I blew up these balloons my self. The gang didn't help 😉

I am so ready for another trip to the coast. Maybe with this new job and if the Airbnb thing takes off, I'll be able to slip away. I used Topaz Impressions to do the painterly look on this image.

Does anyone else have COPD? The VA Clinic gave my Symbicort, but it's tearing my throat up. I can barley talk. I sent them a email asking for something else, but it'll be Tuesday, probably, before I hear back. It would be nice to know something to suggest to them. If I lose my voice I'll lose my job. Yikes!!!

Four of these blowers (two at each end) kept carbon monoxide from building up to dangerous levels in the 6,800-foot Sideling Hill Tunnel on the old PA Turnpike.

The Rays Hill Tunnel is only 3,500 feet long, short enough that it needed blowers only at one end.

Carbon monoxide hasn’t been a problem since 1968, when both tunnels and 13 miles of highway were abandoned.

December 25, 2008 was by far the most difficult and painful day of my life. I have been through countless romantic breakups, including a divorce, but somehow losing Mom just blows the rest off the charts.

The morning after her death was appropriately foggy and eerie, like my mood. I walked outside, in a fog myself, and took this shot looking down my street.

My mother had suffered with emphysema for years. Only recently had she gone on oxygen, and it seemed all downhill after that. COPD/emphysema is a horrible way to die. I watched her gasping for breath and crying out for God to help her. It was the most helpless I've ever felt, knowing that no one could do anything more than sedate her to keep her out of misery.

During the last two days of her life, they increased her morphine doses ten times. I think it hit me the hardest when I realized she would never come to again, and that I'd already had my last conversation with her- that I'd never hear her voice again. At that moment, I would've given anything just to hear her yell at me for something! My heart just sank. The night before Christmas Eve, Mom went into respiratory failure. I watched as she shook and gasped for breath like a drowning person, eyes wide open, but unable to respond. She suffered for over an hour like that, and I have no doubt that she felt as though she was suffocating. It was horrible, and there was nothing I could do. The next day, they'd increased her meds so much that she could no longer cough, or breathe deeply, or talk, or move. She was completely sedated, and that meant that pneumonia set in with a fever, and hastened the end of her life. It was a trade off for her comfort.

If you smoke, STOP. Stop NOW. Mom tried repeatedly through the years, but couldn't muster up the nerve until after my brother's first child was due. She wanted to set a good example. She quit after 53 years of smoking, but though she'd spared herself lung cancer, and though she probably did gain a couple of years of life by doing so, the quality of her life was dramatically reduced, and she suffered so much in the end that had she known her fate in advance, I believe she would've moved heaven and earth to alter it. Please, for the sake of those who love you as well as yourself, if you smoke, just stop. I can tell you from having watched this, that what Mom went through in withdrawal was nothing compared to what she went through in suffering at the end. It's worth it, and you owe it to those who love you to stop.

Happy New Year, and God bless, Chris

View On Black (large)

Explore #276, May 24, 2009

One of the things that drew me to Scotland was that I could find Puffins in their natural habitat. Well, let me tell you this was no easy task at all! The first place I tried was called Troup's Head and it was a HIKE! A very small parking area in the middle of nowhere... the road actually went right through a farmers barnyard area! to a very small parking area and then... Hike. I am no hiker. I can barely get from one end of a parking lot to another without gasping for air (COPD). But I was Determined. I guess I walked more than a mile over a rough field to a cliff. At the cliff I saw a lot of Beautiful seabirds, but not a single puffins. I gave up and started the trek back wishing I had the forethought to bring a bottle of water along! Next place I tried was called Bullers of Buchan and it wasn't quite as long a hike but it had a path that literally was 8 inches wide, on one side a barbed wire fence, on the other a sheer drop down a cliff into the waters. I couldn't go too far on that trail, so no Puffins and gave up again. Finally we found a tour Guaranteed to see Puffins and yes we DID see them. My photos are terrible because, wrong lens, late in the evening, and it was Freezing cold! But the whole point was to see them and I did. :D

When cradle and spool are past

And I mere shade at last

Coagulate of stuff

Transparent like the wind,

I think that I may find

A faithful love, a faithful love.

---William Butler Yeats

The morning I left back for Texas. I caught my Dad looking out the window at his back yard. He was minutes away from returning to his care facility over 2 hours from his home.

He is a war disabled veteran whose disabilities manifested strongly in these last few years. He is mostly blind with AMD, has Parkinson's diease and COPD.

The only time he gets home is when my sister or I come and bring him home.

The " Vessel " has 8 stories. The slide on the left is a " ADA accessible lift reserved for " Disabilities Visitors ". I am a 70 years old man with COPD problem. The security personnel let me ride the lift or otherwise I can't afford to climb up the top !

Until early morning hours, my son was in the ER with what has been diagnosed as pneumonia. The hospital does not have the COVID-19 test, but following their criteria, he was not diagnosed with the coronavirus. However, my research indicates that in early days, some people are asymptomatic, others don't have all the symptoms of the "criteria for diagnosis". So now, I'm just waiting and watching.

He is on the autism spectrum, has COPD as a result of being a preemie (never smoked, etc.) and works part-time for a large store that remains open because they carry essential items. His hours were cut last month making him ineligible for benefits. Yet, for the past two weeks he has been working more than the required 20 hours. Fortunately, he is on our health insurance. One of the reasons my husband isn't retiring. I worry about my son, I worry about my husband.

If you're the prayerful type, please pray. I pray for the world.

This is for a lung function test and for screening for COPD. It has a tube to blow into, which measures the amount of air flow. It is a spirometer.

Copda Valley, Chile.

I have always been surrounded from childhood mostly with people who had and have high Ideals. Starting with my family and continuing with people I met and worked with, and been fellow citizens with, and people I met around the world. Mostly my influencers have been to be of service to others as a life purpose. I have learned so much from people, (and even pets) I have met along the way. Must admit I have frequently fallen short of my ideals, and goals. I heard a good expression recently: "Do, Make, Grow". I like that.

I guess my rambling was an outcome of having spent the day at the emergency room due to a personal health crisis. Grateful to be here to be Grateful.

I also had a dream 17 years ago, that I remember from time to time, that has helped shape my view about life. (See album: A Dream of Hope.) Peace✌️️☮️️️

GP had to go for diagnostic imaging today at the Smiths Falls site of the Perth and District Hospital seen here. I brought my camera as it was ironic we would be once again going to the Smtihs Falls hospital entering via the ER doors on February 13th and I wanted to take a photo of the hospital for my 365.

The irony of going there on this day was that it was 23 years ago today that I entered the same doors with GP and our middle daughter to say goodbye to my dad.

My dad lived with us and he was always in and out of the Smiths Falls Hospital - he had COPD. He used to laugh and say they should put him on the payroll - he knew all the nurses and janitorial staff by name, their life stories and they knew him.

Doctors or nurses would always call me saying I should get in as his time was short. Every time, over the years he beat their odds. If he went in on a Friday he would be coming home on the Monday despite medical professionals thinking he was on his last legs so-to-speak.

23 years ago today, it would be no different. They called me and said I should come in right away. We got up and left thinking they are wrong he will be coming home. When we arrived though, it would not be the case.

I think he was waiting for me to get there just so I could say goodbye. I held his hand as I told him it was okay for him to go, that I would be okay without him and he took his last breath.

That was the biggest lie I ever told my dad in all my years because, after 23 years I am still not okay without him. My mom passed in 1986 and I am an only child so basically I am an adult orphan I guess. I still miss him terribly as does Mike and our kids.

I did not post this long blurb for anyone's sympathy rather, for a diary I guess of my day on this 365 journey.

SOC no edits other than resized for the web.

I appreciate each and every visit, comment and fave here on my little corner of Flickr. Have a super day!

This is a repost of a photo I shot in May 2009...

Martin was active as a beggar in The Hague for almost 30 years. He was suffering from COPD and past away this morning (January 18). He was a really nice guy and will be missed...

She is with her granddaughter. She has COPD. She wants to move and hopes to find something affordable. She found a place but someone took her phone so she lost the apartment.

It took me three days of off and on trying to get this VW to have its one of a kind personality come thru ...I still feel the need to get my darks richer......because I am going thru( or stuck in) a hard to concentrate time with my COPD...This VW is all pink and I am leaving it in the pencil stage...Seems to speak well to me. It's gone now but it was out by a popular road for a long time as they were building a business there...it always caught my eye and I am glad one day I stopped for a photo. The one thing a VW isn't is a gas hog..I'd still be driving one if I didn't need more more room to transport needed supplies...

My mother’s window is our portal to her world, a world in lockdown at a assisted living facility. It’s here we have long talks over the phone, blow each other kisses and place our hands against the window to try and touch one another. The blinds are now down, her room dark as she battles Covid19 in a hospital.

At 94 years of age and suffering from congestive heart failure and COPD her prognosis was not good. Last Tuesday our family was told she was in respiratory failure and we would be allowed to see her, to say our goodbyes.

But, something happened...she was given convalescent plasma and Remdesivir....a miracle drug! My mother began to breathe better and the fever stopped.

I’m telling you our story to give you hope. All around my area, people are very ill and dying but my mother isn’t, not today and not from this virus. She’s recovering and will be going into rehab to help get her back to her window. It won’t be easy but she’s a strong willed fighter who intends to win.

Everyone can have a bad day.

Nikki Haley

My neighbor who has copd got pneumonia. When you can't breathe, nothing else matters.

Der gestrige Tag war wohl doch ein bisschen zu viel für mich, Erkältungstechnisch gab es einen Rückschlag.

Ohrenschmerzen, starker Reizhusten und Atemnot haben mir den Schlaf geraubt.

Ohne meinen Tascheninhalator wäre ich im warsten Sinne des Wortes "Atemlos durch die Nacht" gewandelt ...

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52 Weeks of 2022

Week No. 1: Happy New Year!

Category: Creative

This was supposed to be an easy theme to start off the year. “Happy New Year!”. Life hasn’t been overly happy in my world lately. Tom and I have been taking care of our mothers, neither of them has been doing good. Yesterday his mother passed after 96 years in this life. My mother with COPD is being consumed by dementia. I have been living at her house and Tom at ours. Not an ideal living situation. While Mom was napping I took a short walk down the street and discovered this mom and baby chick. It is a refreshing sight to see after being immersed with end of life caregiving. To see the rebirth of life in these birds is refreshing. It helps remind me to be thankful, grateful and appreciate life. Happy New Year!

If you are looking for a fun group for 2022 with weekly themes and a great group of fellow photographers, follow this link and join “52 Weeks of 2022”: www.flickr.com/groups/14811117@N23/

My images are posted here for your enjoyment only. All rights are reserved. Please contact me through my email at: laurietakespix@gmail.com if you are interested in using one of my images for any reason. Web page: laurieabbotthart.com

My step-father asked me to take this picture of him after he regained consciousness in CCU. He lost the fight with lung disease (Asbestosis, COPD, and Pnuemonia) Friday morning April 18, 2008.

On behalf of my family and me, I would like to thank my friends, family, contacts, strangers, Flickr, and everyone who sent this to a web site, or forwarded it to a smoker. Through responses we have received via comments and e-mails, we know the message was heard around the world. It brings tears of joy to our eyes to know that it was viewed more than 200,000 times, with the blessed result of helping some to decide to quit. Mere words can not express what that has meant to us, nor how the overwhelming response has touched our lives. I just want to hug each and every one of you. It is with a tear in my eye and love in my heart that I say THANK YOU!!!!!!

All photos are copyrighted and are not to be used without my written consent. © Sean Kaufmann

This picture is for the group Macro Mondays and this week the theme is "Perfect Match".

This is both ends of the tubing that connects to my nebulizer and nebulizer cup. Albuterol (liquid ventolin) is put into the cup and then one end of the tube is attached to the bottom of the cup and the other end is attached to the nebulizer machine. When it is turned on, the air from the nebulizer (which is basically an air compressor) is forced through the tubing and turns the liquid in the cup into a fine mist that is inhaled. There is a number of liquid medications that can be used in a nebulizer for the treatment of lung diseases.

People with Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis and COPD (Emphysema and Bronchitis) use this type of treatment to get the medication deeper into their lungs which hopefully helps to make breathing easier.

(Every Breath You Take - The Police)

Smoking being a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and cancer.

So for your health stop smoking!

This is one of my old shot's, hope it's fine!

COPD develops so slowly that those who are getting it are unaware. After time they realize they are tired and perhaps wheezing when they breathe. Treatment may ease the symptoms but that is all. There is not much left for the doctor to tell you except that you have killed yourself. Your realization is that you have paid a great deal of money to do this.

Just lost my grandad after a long battle of dementia and copd. But he is now in heaven with my nan. <3

1 Multiblitz Minilite 200 w/ 17 x 55" soft box & tracing paper on the right.

1 Yongnuo YN560 aim at background paper.

All other 4 YN560 flash to show their location.

Yongnuo YN460II on camera as a trigger.

It's freezing out there, so in winter I rather stay home to take some still life photos. And beside I have a COPD problem, that's I find hardly to breathe in the extreme cold weather like under 45F. And also I can't afford to walk too long. Of course when I was young, these won't happen.

bighugelabs.com/onblack.php?id=4708076910&posted=1&am... Editted with Nik's Silver Efex Pro, ";High Contrast,Green Filter Preset" Mike is doing well despite some problems with copd, He still asks for rollup tobacco from me despite telling him that he should consider quitting as his breathing can be pretty heavy at times.

This old farm house, heavy on the white - plenty of lead in the paint I bet, is across Jasper Road from the International "Binder" shot that I recently posted. This is the Erie - Wise Homestead Museum farm house that looks fairly spiffed for the museum collection. Certainly, agricultural museums are far more valuable than the crops that were formerly grown on the lands... so long as we can get our food from Argentina and China. Of course, the Chinese chow is more likely processed with melamine for the benefits of extra protien. My Gawd, my dog just died! Probably not getting enough cheese whiz. The one pet here is my early robin worming the sparse but early spring grass. Oh well, the early bird, etal. He might have done better in February and early March. The robin could be shooed away with the broom.

The old farm house caught my attention because of the rain barrel under the porch gutter and I started tracking eDDie's fresh snow yet again. Perhaps the barrel is not original but I thought about Colorado state legislators bashing each other about collecting rain water from a roof, currently illegal. Why? That water would never be useful nor drain onto the Wise property, one way or the otherwise. There is massive difference between draining water and having a barrel in the draining rhereof. Genius. Sheesh! The US suffers from an overburden of stupid people who buy their way into the gummint for personal gain. Business is best done by buying politicians.

This spot is near Erie and the route of the original rails west through Leyner (at current #287), Valmont and to Boulder before challenging the fooyhills. In fact, coal trains probably rumblied and steamed past and have been seen not far south of this porch, good sleeping! They probably only traveled in daytime though I bet passengers had to mind the coal dust on the seats. Mmmm, even more effective than COPD. Several coal mines were scattered around the farms near early Erie. I remember head frames near the Leyner area, south of Lagtown. Coal was hauled to Boulder by the rails. Fortunately most of the US coal companies have failed or been reorganized; suck eggs Kochs! Blankenship recieved but a year for murdering his laborers. Certainly this area was a great spot for agriculture as well as coal mining. Boulder got it's start in 1858 while prior to 1870 was the founding of Erie for its bituminous coal deposits. Coal is still delivered to Valmont via another rail route. The route can still be traced on Google maps east from Valmont.

I always try to throw at least two eggs out the car window at this "Navy Dock" at the Ford Plant each day - the odor emanating from this plant many days is intolerable and can be detected miles away. Many days it will burn our eyes - unfordunately so far Ford has ignored the problem as has the town.

If I get a good buy on lemons I'll save two for myself & throw a few in the ditch each day, also, along with orange peels - helps cleanse the environment, they say. I'm thinking this would also be a great place to recycle coffee grounds - will have to speak to Starbucks and see if they'd be interested in donating (they're right up the street).

We have abnormally high incidence rates of environmentally caused diseases here such as lung cancer, cystic fibrosis, mesothelioma cancer, asthma and COPD here in Kentucky, USA - I would not recommend living or staying in this area very long if one is genetically predisposed to these conditions. Many of these illnesses, such as cystic fibrosis, are easily visibly identified *without* a visit to the doctor. Know the signs and systems - you might just save the life of a loved one. Stem cell transplants are now being used in many parts of the world to reverse these insidious diseases. www.unitypoint.org/desmoines/article.aspx?id=2448b930-145...

all rights reserved

Crude Oil and Your Health

Crude oil contains highly toxic chemicals that can evaporate and

blow in from the ocean, across neighborhoods and towns.

You may smell the odor of these chemicals.

Children and the Elderly are Especially Vulnerable

Exposure to crude oil in the air can cause difficulty breathing, headaches, dizziness, nausea, and confusion. Even brief exposure can cause health problems for people with asthma, COPD, and other respiratory problems.

Direct contact with contaminated water can cause skin damage.

Delayed effects of crude oil exposure can include liver, kidney, respiratory, reproductive, blood, immune system and nervous system damage, cancer and birth defects. The occurrence and nature of harm will depend on exposure and individual factors, but some people are more susceptible:

Children are at higher risk for many reasons.

Pregnant women are also at higher risk, and so are their babies.

Elderly & those with health problems may be at higher risk.

Protection

Preventing exposure is the best way to prevent health problems.

Be aware of odors and pollution alerts that warn of air pollution. Avoid contact with oily sand, soil, animals, plants or other materials. Vulnerable people in high pollution areas can consult their health care providers about ways to reduce their exposure and remain healthy.

For additional information and resources see:

www.sciencecorps.org/crudeoilhazards.htm

www.waterkeeper.org

I've been unable to get on my computer lately because of some remodeling we are doing. Because of my COPD I'm not allowed in the same room. Plus I'm still not feeling that well and sleeping quite a bit. I'll catch up with everyone when I can.

Both Foggy and Charlotte are doing fine. Though Charlotte isn't 100% yet.

This site, also, is within walking distance from my home. It's a big one.

Vistar - Kentucky, 2701 Stanley Gault Pkwy, Louisville, KY 40223

I am heartbroken to share the news with you that we have lost our sweet, wonderful firecracker of a friend Carol. Her whimsical quilts, drawings and funny comments have kept us all entertained and smiling for these past seven years.

Carol has had ongoing health issues, including long-standing COPD and more recent neurological complications. She has had many ups and downs over the past five months, but has remained her same spunky self until two weeks week ago, when she quietly went deeper and deeper into sleep, then finally left us.

I know all of us send love and prayers to our dear Carol, her wonderful husband Bob, daughter Tammy, son Mike and granddaughter Arwen. We have lost such a bright, special soul.

Another week has passed. And what a week it was....

This photo was one of the better moments. A walk on our favorite estate. Open for public and it's a nice place. We love to come there. It's a great place for a walk and a bit of off leash practice. Now that she's getting older, I notice that everything I taught her has actually stuck!

Here we were practicing on Sit-Stay and Come. Each time I walked a bit further away. My wife is just outside the frame, enforcing the stay, but Skye's focused on me because "that's Dad walking away!"

The look she gave me this last time was priceless. As if she wanted to shout at me "that's far enough, Dad! Call me and I'll come storming at you!"

But it's not all fun and games unfortunately. Last week the vet took some x-rays of Skye's lungs. There were some signs of a mild pneumonia and she was given antibiotics.

Unfortunately, things didn't really improve that much. She coughs a little bit less but the vet expected a much bigger improvement. So she suggested to send the x-rays to a radiologist for further examination. His diagnosis shocked me: chronic bronchitis or COPD.

This shocked me for multiple reasons. First and foremost: how and why? She's still so young... Too young to have a condition like this. Did we miss something? Did we overlook the symptoms? We're both non-smokers and we don't allow others to smoke in our house so that can't be the reason. So what caused it? So many questions...

But second of all: I'm all too familiar with COPD unfortunately. My father was diagnosed COPD some 18 years ago and has died of COPD in 2021, only 71 years old and just 3 months before Skye was born.

And a couple of years after my father was diagnosed, my mother-in-law got the same diagnosis. Luckily, she's still in quite good health given her illness.

So I know how this can turn out and I don't like that. In fact, it scares me. It is as if COPD is hanging above our family like the Sword of Damocles.

Luckily, Skye's still the happy dog she was before. Always eager to play and walk. Always eager to steal my slippers :D

For now, a lot is still unknown. Skye's currently is prescribed a short course of prednisone, for two reason. Main reason is to get those inflammations under control. But also to see how she reacts to it. Chances are she is bound to use a inhaler for the rest of her life. Now, that will take some training...

I lost my sweet Wife "Ernie" on Jan 13 2023 to COPD.

It's killing me to get through this but everyone says I'll get through it.

© Israr ZAYAN

All contents are copyrighted...!!

Don't use this image anywhere without my permission.Using any of my pictures without permission is illegal. If you want to use some of them, please contact me by Flickr email.

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Smoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. This is primarily practised as a route of administration for recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them available for absorption through the lungs. It can also be done as a part of rituals, to induce trances and spiritual enlightenment.

The most common method of smoking today is through cigarettes, primarily industrially manufactured but also hand-rolled from loose tobacco and rolling paper. Other smoking implements include pipes, cigars, bidis, hookahs, vaporizers and bongs. It has been suggested that smoking-related disease kills one half of all long term smokers but these diseases may also be contracted by non-smokers. A 2007 report states that about 4.9 million people worldwide each year die as a result of smoking.

Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the vapors either tasted or inhaled. The practice began as early as 5000–3000 BC. Many civilizations burnt incense during religious rituals, which was later adopted for pleasure or as a social tool and religious ceremonies.Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 16th century where it followed common trade routes. The substance was met with frequent criticism, but became popular nonetheless.

Tobacco is the single greatest cause of preventable death in the United States and worldwide. Tobacco use leads most commonly to diseases affecting the heart and lungs, with smoking being a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (including emphysema and chronic bronchitis), and cancer (particularly lung cancer, cancers of the larynx and mouth, and pancreatic cancer). It also causes peripheral vascular disease and hypertension. The effects depend on the number of years that a person smokes and on how much the person smokes. Starting smoking earlier in life and smoking cigarettes higher in tar increases the risk of these diseases. Cigarettes sold in underdeveloped countries tend to have higher tar content, and are less likely to be filtered, potentially increasing vulnerability to tobacco-related disease in these regions.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that tobacco caused 5.4 million deaths in 2004 and 100 million deaths over the course of the 20th century.Similarly, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes tobacco use as "the single most important preventable risk to human health in developed countries and an important cause of premature death worldwide.

So, Stop Smoking.

Another busy day at work. Went in early for a meeting, then had a pretty productive day after that. Popped over to St Paul's this evening to collect an order from Blacks (a new umbrella and some walking socks - excitement). Busy evening at home, cooking dinner, taking in a Tesco delivery, taking washing down, and watching Tim do about twice as many jobs. Good news for him today though - he had a COPD check-up and had improved really well since the last one.

The Manhattans: Kiss And Say Goodbye -

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtjro7_R3-4

THE MANHATTANS

Early history

The Manhattans, originally from Jersey City, formed in 1962 with members George "Smitty" Smith (born December 28, 1939, Florida; died December 16, 1970), Edward "Sonny" Bivins (born Edward Jessie Bivins, Jr., January 15, 1936, Macon, Georgia;[3] died December 3, 2014, Basking Ridge, Bernards Township, New Jersey), Winfred "Blue" Lovett (born Winfred Lorenzo Lovett, November 16, 1936, Jersey City; died December 9, 2014, Arizona),[4][5] Kenny "Wally" Kelley (born Kenneth Bernard Kelly, January 9, 1941, Jersey City; died February 17, 2015), and Richard "Ricky" Taylor (born in 1940; died December 7, 1987). Bivins, Lovett, and Kelley were graduating from Lincoln High School, while Taylor and Smith were graduating from Snyder High School.[6] All five enlisted in the armed forces and came together as a group following their discharges from their respective branches.

The Manhattans Story: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Manhattans

Prague-Žižkov, Czechia

THIS is what I wear for a 12hr shift if I'm looking after COVID patients on Intensive Care.

(This is not me, but this is what I wear).

The FFP3 mask is tight, it squashes my nose, so I end up constantly mouth-breathing. The mask also gives me pressure sores on my face. I get dehydrated and physically and mentally tired quicker.

If I can wear this for that long, you can wear a thin cotton one or a thin surgical mask for 20 minutes in the shop or when you're walking into a bar, unless you're *officially* except.

I'm not a hero, I'm just a human being like you. I don't like wearing a mask in the shops or when walking into a restaurant or bar, but I do, because it's the right thing to do.

18 months we've lived through this. Yes, it slowed down. Yes, it got better, but it's starting to ramp up again.

Myself and many of my colleagues have PTSD, we've still got anxiety and stress, but we thought there might be light at the end of the tunnel. But, no.

Now the Tub of Sociopathic Lard has announced a 'Freedom Day' on 19th July, adding "We must reconcile ourselves that there will be more deaths".

Yes, he expects more deaths.

WTF? These deaths are preventable, but no, as he said previously, "Let the bodies pile up."

According to scientists, statisticians, epidemiologists, Dr's and the dozens of other specialists and experts, the stopping of compulsory mask-wearing and stopping any form of social distancing is going to cause the death rate and Covid rate to surge, again.

I can see an already mentally exhausted NHS workforce being tipped over the edge by this. The sickness rates will rise, I will see my friends and colleagues barely holding it all together.

I sincerely hope I am wrong.

Spending 12hrs in a tight FFP3 mask and gown is exhausting, I've just spent two days post-night shifts with a constant headache and fatigue.

If you value the NHS, if you value the staff, if you value me as a friend (or even if you don't know me), you will continue to wear a mask (unless you're officially except), you will continue to wash your hands, you will socialise, but with caution and you will get vaccinated.

Remember, you can still catch and spread COVID if you've been vaccinated. I have seen this first hand.

Remember the vulnerable:

Those with cancer, COPD, the disabled....the list is endless.

Even those who are "just" obese or have diabetes. Again, I know this first hand.

You might be fit & well, you might be doubly-vaccinated. Many are not. This isn't just about YOU. Wearing a mask is a community responsibility, you are part of the community.

Wearing a mask, is, at worst, a brief inconvenience and briefly mildly uncomfortable for the majority of us.

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(Any anti-vax/anti-mask/covid-denying comments will be immediately deleted and unfollowed/blocked, I can't take your ignorant selfish shit).

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If I'm left with one lingering thought about my fellow Americans when this pandemic subsides, it will be the politicization of wearing face masks. Early messages clearly conveyed, "We're in this together." We obviously are not. Shoppers walk into stores maskless and then, when asked to don one, become rabid, throwing groceries all over the store, spitting on people, and screaming.

"You are in violation of my %#*@$ constitutional rights!," one man yells when asked to leave a Miami Beach grocery store. A Colorado woman refuses to leave a liquor store, calling employees "Nazis" and saying it is not a state law to wear a mask. Another angry person destroys a mask display at her local Target, while yet another throws her groceries on the floor before storming out of the store. Others claim the American Disabilities Act (ADA) allows people with certain medical conditions to refrain from wearing a mask. People with breathing problems are covered by the ADA. But some customers have shown employees fake ADA-branded cards that "prove" they are exempt under the law. Unless you have severe breathing problems from diseases like asthma and COPD, there is no danger when wearing a mask. "Oxygen hunger" can cause some initial discomfort you may feel. But that can managed by knowing how to breathe. If you want to know the science behind this and how you can reduce your oxygen hunger, watch this video. It's fascinating.

Our nation is already polarized. How did something as simple and critical to stemming COVID-19 become part of our non-stop culture wars? When the virus first appeared here, medical experts, like Dr. Fauci of the National Institutes of Health, said only frontline medical professionals should wear them. But this was when personal protective equipment (PPE) were scarce and our knowledge about how the virus was spread was limited. Masks are available everywhere now and we know the virus is transmitted through the air by our breath, talking, coughing and sneezing. A German study showed wearing masks reduced the virus outbreak by 40%. Wearing a mask protects others from catching it from you (even if you don't think you have it, you may be asymptomatic).

A deep cultural sense of American individualism is another reason people object. We base our society on freedom of speech and our pursuit of happiness. From the beginning, our founders were cautious about government overreach. That's why we have a three-branch governance system, the legislature, the executive branch, and the judiciary, to mitigate control by any one part. The role and reach of government sets our two political parties apart . The 2nd Amendment has often been the center of this issue. Do we have a right to own assault rifles when it's clear many will lose their lives from massacres and suicides?

Our interpretation of our laws divides us. And we often misinterpret them. The 1st Amendment's concept of freedom of speech is limited to the government's power to curb speech critical of itself (you can't be arrested for criticizing the government). There are additional laws that cover hate speech. But these offer no protection for interactions between people or between people and businesses. Stores are private property and businesses can control behavior in their establishments (no shoes, no shirt, no service). During the pandemic, many jurisdictions have passed laws requiring the wearing of masks in stores. But stores can also dictate our behavior on their property. Constitutional rights have no power here.

This is not the first time we have encountered push back to laws and rules that restrict our freedom. When seat belts were first introduced and states passed laws mandating their use, many objected. Since 1985, there have been at least five judicial reviews of seatbelt laws' constitutionality. All were dismissed. Texting while driving is another example. While the 14th Amendment guarantees citizens life, liberty, or property, without due process of law, Annotation 7 to the amendment gives states the power to protect the public health, safety, and morals. It’s easy to see how a mandated face mask law can be applied here.

The most important way to stop this pandemic is to reduce transmission. And the best way to do that is by wearing a mask. It protects others and their masks protect you. If we are in this together, that means treating each other with respect and empathy. Wearing masks is something we all can do for the greater good of our communities, the country, and the world. There's nothing American about selfishness, anger, and stupidity.

Feel free to pass this poster on. It's free to download here (click on the down arrow just to the lower right of the image).

See the rest of the posters from the Chamomile Tea Party! Digital high res downloads are free here (click the down arrow on the lower right side of the image). Other options are available. And join our Facebook group.

Follow the history of our country's political intransigence from 2010-2018 through a six-part exhibit of these posters on Google Arts & Culture.

I chatted with this 92 year old woman yesterday in Jim Thorpe yesterday. She was yelling at smokers. She told me that she had COPD and she started smoking when she was 14. "People called me Elephant Girls because I was chubby. I started smoking because I wanted to control my weight." She went on to say that she wish she had never started smoking. Cigarettes killed my mother in 2009. If you smoke, please quit. Now.