drinking, smoking, the works

[JazzysMom]

I am very proud of you for not caving into peer pressure. I was terrible as a teen & even into adult hood. I drank & smoked marijuana & got so intoxicated that I am surprised I made it home. I look back at that in such horror! I tell my 8 year old that its much easier never to give into temptation. Its easier never to begin an addiction then to try & quit it. I realize that not everyone that drinks becomes an alcoholic, but the pattern of an alcholic is still there when a teenager! My husband is a recovering alcoholic. He will be sober 12 years in February & as an adult he still gets the pressure to drink when we go places. Even tho drinking/driving awareness is there. The drinking part doesnt seem (in my area & IMHO) to improve. It affects so many things in life. Some is short term & some can be long term. I encourage you to stand your ground & speaking from experience. You can still have fun & guess what.....chances are great that you will remember it!

 

[thelizardqueen]

I tried one cigarette once, and I didn't even inhale. I thought it was disgusting, and never did it again - a. because its bad for my health, and b. because its disgusting. As for drinking, I didn't start to do that till I was legal at 18, and even then I wasn't a huge drinker. Now a days I'll ahve a glass of wine once and awhile. Just say no. I know sometimes its hard to say that to your friends when they're all doing it...but I just think long term. Think of how bad your health could get long term if you do these things. That's usually reason enough for me to stick to my guns.

 

[coltsfan715]

All I can say is props to you on staying strong even though your friends may be asking you about it.

Alot of my friends asked me about this when I was in school and I used my health as the reason for saying no with smoking and drugs and such. I just would say no - not with the CF guys and they let it go. They also would make sure not to do anything smoking or anything around me, which was cool.

As for drinking my friends and boyfriend always were into that and always asked me about it when they were first getting to know me. After so long they get tired of asking if you say no all the time because they realize that your answer will always be no thanks.

You are doing a great thing by saying no and standing your ground and wanting to be responsible about it. I always looked at it this way - if I was sober, no high or whatever I knew I would be okay. I drove myself to every party - I NEVER rode with friends because I didn't know if they would be drinking or smoking or getting high or what have you, but I knew I wasn't going to do any of that.


I had my first drink after I turned 18 at a friends party - and I was staying at their house for the night. I have some funny memories from that night but I can say that I am glad I waited til I was out of high school and away from the peer pressure to do it. When I did finally drink there was no pressure and it was MY decision to do. I have only been drunk maybe 3/4 times in my life but have a drink on special occasions now (like bdays and new years and stuff). It is good to wait and always be responsible when you do finally take the step to try it.

Also something to let you know my endocrinologist told me that I needed to be careful if I was drinking with insulin and all. He said not to take insulin when you drink because your body can only do one thing at a time regulate your blood sugar or process alcohol. So if you give insulin your body may process insulin and you may get extremely drunk at a faster rate and also if you give insulin and your body is processing the alcohol you may experience a severe low before you are able to realize and you may pass out. He said to always make sure if you are drinking that someone you are with is aware you are diabetic in case you do pass out - it may not be a drunken pass out it may be a low blood sugar type thing in which you would need medical attention.

Not trying to scare you with that but I want you to be aware. My doc told me that when I turned 21 cause he was afraid I would be going out and partying really hard or something lol.

Take Care Kate,
Lindsey

 

[JazzysMom]

Just to add to Lindseys.....alcohol is one of the worst things you can do to your sugars!

 

[coltsfan715]

I also wanted to add a story from right after high school that involved on of my best friends at the time.

Me and a friend had gone out to celebrate one of our 18th birthdays. She had started smoking since graduation and I was fine with it, but we had an understanding that she wouldn't do it around me. Well we went out one night and she starts in on how she is craving a smoke and just has to have one. She pulls out a cigarette while she is driving and goes to light it up. I just looked at her and said pull over. She stopped and said why? I told her she promised she wouldn't smoke around me for my health and such and I wanted her to pull over. She did even though she was ticked and b!t@#ing about my being ridiculous and expecting her to live up to her deal with me. I ended up outside the car ready to walk either 3 miles home or 1 mile to my work to have a friend from work take me home(I worked in a sports bar&grill so they were open late). She finally understood I was serious and put the cigarettes away and we finished the drive. She lit up as soon as I was out of the car, but not around me.

My point to that is that it took me 15-20 minutes to get her to believe I was serious. People tend to think that you will just let it go, but if it is something you are serious about and feel strongly about do NOT let people push you around at all. You will regret letting them do it later.

Stay Strong,
Lindsey

 

[Emily65Roses]

Smoking is generally (in my experience) easier to explain your way out of without looking like "a dork." Especially if you try once or twice and hack your brains out and your friends see it. They generally stop asking if you want any. Haha. Even drinking though, isn't a problem. If you're driving, you can blame it on that. "I can't tonight, I'm driving." Whatever. If anyone questions that, tell them they're idiots. I was hardly a goody goody in high school, but I NEVER let myself or ANYONE I knew drive drunk, and I only got told I was being too stupid or a worry wart or whatever a very few times. Usually people appreciate a designated driver.

I doubt I need to tell you this, but you can drink and be careful, as long as you don't drive. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0">

 

[Hughett]

I am sure you are doing great!  Stay strong.  Someone
told me once that with your health (in any situation), is like
rowing a boat in a river with a waterfall at the end.  We
start out at the mouth of the river rowing.  The water is calm
and nice but has a current that keeps us rowing.  If we stop
rowing just for a small bit we can lose some ground and get into
choppy water.  Its hard to get back to that calm water.
 If we stop rowing all together we go all the faster toward
that waterfall.  <br>
<br>
It might be a silly example but I agree with the other posters.
 If you don't take your health into consideration you can do
damage that will be hard to come back from.  When its all said
and done, you are the one in charge of your health.  <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
   From the sounds of it you are doing great!
 Stay strong.  It was hard for me in in Jr. High and High
School too.  If you need any encouragement, all of us here at
this site are willing to talk or help.   

 

[EnergyGal]

I really like your analogy. Something to remember.

 

[icefisherman]

Here's a story from the other side of the spectrum.

I met a girl when i was 16, and i wanted to forget about being sick. I turned into a party goer, smoked (both things legal, and not) and didn't care about anything. I never felt sick duing this time, the fact that I stopped all my meds made me feel that I was an average teenager. I grew fond of pot and realized after about six months, that spending all my hard earned money on drugs wasn't working out. Besides I wanted to work to get my life in order, because i knew my life was shorter than average. ( i am now realizing this after looking at things, but it was just life back then). I cut down a lot, but i didn't stop. My ex- g-friend and I were always the hit of the party, For the first time in my life, i was the cool guy to the "cool guys". then i wanted to stop the party life, and she said that she did too. from that point on it became a game of keeping points on eachothers screw ups. needless to say we broke up, and i had to find my own way. I realized I had a high tolereance and began drinking a lot. I had a few flings with party girls, and then started hanging out with an old friend from school. Her bf drank a lot, and after one night of drinking we began to make friends(because we were the only ones still awake). Her bf and I began drinking together everynight, a case of beer a piece (believe it or not). We started betting people that I (a 130lb. guy) could out drink anyone. I never lost I bet, but then I got an ulser (sp?). After that i stopped hanging out there, and started my own life. I got back into the things that are important to me. Now I am the person I have always been. I still drink, probably more than I should. But it is within reason, and just because i want a few drinks, not to win a bet. I guess where I was trying to go with this is that the teen years are controlled by hormones. they make us crazy lol. We don't have another 60 years to get our life together. I made mistakes, and learned. You are young so if you want to do something it's ok, but don't loose focus on your life. The hardest thing to realize is that we need to get our lifes together faster than anyone will let us. Your friends are just in a stage, and when your life is the legnth of ours(even if your optimistic)there isn't much time to waiste on certain stages. Be who you are. find out things you like, and go for anything of your interest. This is your life, you are painting your own picture. what do you want it to look like?

sorry probably a little venting on my part, and it'a a little long but hoefully you got something from it.
Ben

 

[icefisherman]

sorry forgot to mention that I haven't smoked pot in 4 years, and I'm very happily married to a great girl and living the dream!

 

[Scarlett81]

Very proud you Kate for having convictions and sticking to them. You know what that's called-smart. You seem like a real smartie, esp for your age. You're learning a serious life lesson earlier than most of your peers.

The reality is that most of your friends/peers will smoke and drink and by the time they have reached 20, 21, 22-they'll realize it gets old and boring, ages you tremendously, and is unhealthy. (That's the ones that don't get addicted and learn the hard way, which may happen to some) The difference is you are learning those things now, instead of later and it will give you a one up on your cf! Its doing yourself a favor in terms of your health, and like buying a little more insurance!<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

I have never smoked, but I lived with smokers the first 6 years of my life. This is b/c my parents had serious drug/alcohol problems and had to give me up for adoption when I was 6, so I was adopted and lived in a drug free home for the remain of my life. My CF was given wonderful care by my adopted family for the rest of my life. But-those first 6 years of living with smokers did irreversible damage to my lungs. My lower left lobe is so damaged by the smoke! I'll never get that back!

So its not just refraining from smoking, its also not being around your friends when they smoke. If you are serious to them about not smoking around you, they'll respect you. True friends will.

As for drinking, I grew up seeing what alcoholism can do to a family, esp children. I also probably have that addiciton gene b/c of my parents so I refrain from drinking. A glass of wine every few months on a special occasion, but that's it.

 

[Diane]

Hi Kate,
You are one smart cookie for asking for advice with this one, rather than going and doing something you may regret. I myself was a stupid teenager like a lot of us....lol and wanted to prove that even with cf, nothing gets in my way. Now i have to admit what made it easier was the fact that i was healthy and naive about cf. I smoked pot twice and hated it each time, all it did was give me a sore throat. Then i decided drinking and popping a few drugs might be a better option. Well it did give me the high i was looking for.... but looking back, i couldnt have been more stupid. Hmmmmm taking a drug from a friend i did know too well , was an easy way to get raped . drinking with some new friends and passing out is another way to end up on the side of the road in the middle of no-where or worse. Drinking with my own friends and getting so drunk we got in a car with a a guy who fell asleep at the wheel is just unbelievably stupid. ( who would have guessed he'd fall asleep, but if we got killed ,it would have been too late to ponder that one)
Obviously you get my point, if you are going to try drinking no matter what, use common sense which i KNOW you have ,since you asked for advice, and keep it simple . Drugs are never a good choice....ever ! If i had known about cf what i know now, i would have never even tried any of the things i did. I'm so impressed with your request for advice....Kudos to you for not giving into temptation<img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0">

 

[LouLou]

Good advice from everyone else.

Everything in moderation...don't smoke or do drugs.

CF matures us beyond our years. While most kids don't really cut loose until they are in college, I came of age in high school. I never have regrets about anything I did and am so glad I've had all of my life experiences. The first time I got a buzz from alcohol was at home. My dad insisted. I drank socially in high school because most drinking was outside. Maybe once a month tops. College was another story. Most drinking was at bars and I wanted no part of the bar scene. I have always hated cigarette smoke. I don't see what the big deal with drinking in moderation is. I think a lot of people are just fine with alcohol and don't over do it. I wouldn't get sloppy wasted - it's just fun to get a bit of a buzz. Now I drink only a few times a year mainly because it thins my blood and seems to encourage hemotysis. I don't have diabetes. What's the big deal with saying CFers shouldn't drink. I've never been told that by a medical professional.

To give advice to someone not to do any drinking or smoking (other than tobacco) would not in my opinion be good advice.

My latest favorite wine is: Peachy Canyon Zinfandel (Zin's a red - not White Zin that rose stuff)