What I learned from COPD’ers my first day of Pulmonology

1) Smoking is never the cause of their bad lungs-
“I know I’ve smoked 2 packs a day for 60 years but that has nothing to do with my bad lungs… I was a farmer!”

2) If they don’t have a cigarette in their mouth, then they have quit-
Do you smoke? “No I quit!” When? “2 hours ago!”

3) Anything less than 1/2 a pack a day doesn’t count as smoking-
Do you smoke? “No I quit… I only smoke like 4 a day now!”

4) They are not addicted, they smoke “just cuz”-
“Doc, it is the darndest thing! I can go 3 weeks without a cigarette, no problem at all, then I just decide, hey, a cigarette sure sounds good… and I pick it up again!”

5) Their meds are too expensive, they can’t hardly afford their cigarettes!