I just finished talking to a woman who is scheduled for triple bypass and valve repair surgery next Tuesday. She is scared. I know the feeling. She is concerned about how soon she will be able to go back to work. I know that feeling too. She has so much on her mind, but at the top of her list is her continuing struggle to quit smoking. She feels guilty. She tells me how hard it is to quit. I know that non-smokers just can't understand how a person who is about to have open heart surgery can still smoke. We forget sometimes that smoking is an addiction, but I know that if she doesn't quit her long term prognosis is not good. I hope she can quit. Her life depends on it.
