It is great that you had the opportunity to talk to a doctor about all the changes that your body is experiencing as you adapt to your new life as a non-smoker.
Keep up the great work Brenda, you are doing great!
I just want to share what I found out today during my visit to the ears, nose, and throat specialist (ENT). As many of you know I had a really bad sore throat beginning about 10 days ago that didn't begin to clear up until a couple of days ago. It got so bad I was having problems swallowing, and I wondered how much of it had to do with quitting smoking. Well, the ENT did say that my adenoids are large, but that is because I was a smoker, that it takes about 11 months for adenoids to shrink back down to normal size. (Adenoids are like tonsils at the very back of the nose. Enlarged ones can cause snoring and other breathing and sinus problems.) The doctor also told me that the mucuous in my throat is thick, and he said that is the result of my cilia trying to regenerate and clear my lungs. He suggested that I take plain Mucinex for a few days and take no more Ibuprofen that the infectious disease specialist has advised. Now he also told me two things that probably would not affect very many recovering smokers: I have large tonsils and a large tongue. He's ordered swallowing studies for me, but he surmises that the size of my tonsils and tongue are enough to cause the swallowing problems and sleep problems that I've had for years.
My Milage:
My Quit Date: 5/1/2009 Smoke-Free Days: 76 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 2,052 Amount Saved: $769.50 Life Gained: Days: 8 Hrs: 9 Mins: 11 Seconds: 45
