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Posted

That is the exploration that awaits you! Not mapping stars and studying nebula, but charting the unknown possibilities of existence. Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy Reveals He Has Lung Disease, Warns Against Smoking By Raechal Leone Shewfelt 14 hours ago Yahoo Celebrity

It's too late for Leonard Nimoy, but he wants his fans to know that they should quit smoking now. The 82-year-old actor, who's played the iconic role of Spock in "Star Trek" TV shows and movies since 1966, has revealed that he has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from his days as a smoker.

"I quit smoking 30 yrs ago. Not soon enough. I have COPD. Grandpa says, quit now!! LLAP" he wrote on Twitter, referencing the traditional Vulcan salutation, live long and prosper.

COPD is a disease that makes it increasingly difficult to breathe, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Patients who have it often have the conditions of emphysema and chronic bronchitis, and experience tightening of the chest, shortness of breath, and other symptoms. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD, which is now the third leading cause of death in the United States.

Last week, Nimoy raised questions about his health when he was spotted riding in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank as he passed through New York's JFK Airport. Mainly, it was because the octogenarian has continued to be active and never really retired. He reprised his most famous role in last year's "Star Trek Into Darkness" and appeared on Fox's "Fringe" in 2012.

Meanwhile, he's prolific on Twitter, with more than 807,000 followers. Nimoy regularly comments on his daily life, upcoming "Star Trek" events, and interacts with his fans.

Posted

Is 30 years not enough time to recover from the effects of smoking?

For some, apparently not. I quit after 12 years having reached a 2.5 pack a day habit. I lucked out.

Bob Kolker

Posted

Is 30 years not enough time to recover from the effects of smoking?

For some, apparently not. I quit after 12 years having reached a 2.5 pack a day habit. I lucked out.

Bob Kolker

On her deathbed, Queen Elizabeth I of England reportedly said, "All I own for one more day." It is not that we are mortal that we are cursed, but that we know it. Nimoy had a long and productive life. He lived beyond the expectations for his birth year. He made far more of his time than any of us here.

On the problem of smoking, people are different. You cannot necessarily infer your metrics from someone else's.

I noticed in a second second close-up that Nimoy's teeth were stained by nicotine. He was a heavy smoker at one point... but it is also know that smokers achieve more than non-smokers. The light that shines twice as bright, only burns half as long.

Posted

COPD is one of the nastier conditions. In its final phases one is constantly short of breath and doing the simplest things like walking to the bathroom are like a normal person running 100 yards at full speed. One is heavily winded.

My next door neighbor had COPD and in her last 6 months she could not go anywhere without an oxygen breather stuck up her nose and even then she had a slate grey complexion. When I chatted with her the last time I saw her before she died she said she was up to 10 on the flow meter of her oxygen rig. She said "Well, I won't be for too much longer". I sensed she was ready to die and not all that sad about it.

All things being equal that is not the way I want to make my exit. I want to be feeling real good the day before I die.

Ba'al Chatzaf

Posted

I want to be feeling real good the day before I die.

Well, it is sort of ironic to be feeling good when you die - I mean why would you want to die if you are feeling good? But I understand the sentiment. I also want to go out with my eyes open. Dying in your sleep seems like missing the end of a good movie.

Posted

I want to be feeling real good the day before I die.

Well, it is sort of ironic to be feeling good when you die - I mean why would you want to die if you are feeling good? But I understand the sentiment. I also want to go out with my eyes open. Dying in your sleep seems like missing the end of a good movie.

Since one never knows for sure the day he will die, my approach leads to feeling good every day.

Posted

I want to be feeling real good the day before I die.

Well, it is sort of ironic to be feeling good when you die - I mean why would you want to die if you are feeling good? But I understand the sentiment. I also want to go out with my eyes open. Dying in your sleep seems like missing the end of a good movie.

Since one never knows for sure the day he will die, my approach leads to feeling good every day.

You frequently make these statements which are literally not true while taking some pride in being a literalist

--Brant

Posted

Ba’al wrote:

Since one never knows for sure the day he will die, my approach leads to feeling good every day.

end quote

Several years ago my father was dying from smoking induced emphysema and I did some research into it. Our brains have a built in evolutionary function evolved from the “flight or fight” impulse. If a predator has a human in its jaws and oxygen deprivation occurs the human experiences loss of movement and a euphoric dream - like state in which the human sees themselves walking or floating toward a light. Sometimes the predator will then release the prey and the human manages to get away. This must have occurred enough times for those with the “fittest” response to an attack, survived to pass on their genes. My Dad, as he was dying and could still speak talked about the euphoria he felt and seeing lights and shimmering. I asked a nurse if he were on drugs and she said, “Not one.” The universe is a wonderful place.

Posted

I had a heart attack when I was 33. I am 45 now and everyyyyy day I wake up happy.

Eat bananas for the potassium. Some vitamin E for regular heart beats.

--Brant

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