Smokers Need Not Apply

I've made it pretty clear in my posts that I'm a non-smoker. I'm allergic to smoke. I cough, I hack, I CAN'T BREATHE when I get near cigarette smoke.

So why is it, when I sit on a bench that is clear of smoke, that someone either decides to light one up, or worse, someone sits down close to me and lights one up? It happens all the time. At the bus transfer station when I'm waiting for a bus and they're NOT ALLOWED to smoke, on a bench while I wait for the library to open, at any bus stop where there's more than just me waiting, etc.

The latest statistics I've seen about smokers tell me that about a third of Americans smoke. So why is it that I get saddled with these inconsiderate jerks ALL THE TIME?

I'll tell you: It's because there are more poor, undereducated people who smoke than who don't smoke. So the people who can't afford a car and have to take the bus are more likely to smoke. The people who go to the library because they don't have a computer at home or worse don't have a home are more likely to smoke.

And the worst part is, they don't care that I cough and hack when they light up. They don't care that they could get a $200 ticket for lighting up in Moore Square. They try to hide it from the 'police' that enforce the ban. And the police don't seem to care much either, so smoking is on the rise there.

All because people don't care about how their smoking affects others.

Of all the living things that God has created in all of eternity, tobacco is the worst.

You can quote me on that.

Michael Harrison Fox

An Anniversary Approaches

Ominous tone.... On February 14th, I will 'celebrate' the first anniversary of my accident that dislocated my shoulder and hurt my knee. Here's an update on what's happening with both of them:

Yesterday I went to an orthopedist paid for by Project Access. The PA there told me the same thing another orthopedist had told me back in December: I need an MRI. Now the first one was paid for by Vocational Rehab, but they never got back to me about scheduling the MRI. But I did hear from them the day after the current appointment was set, and I do qualify for services. I'll find out more about that on Thursday.

The knee still hurts, but the PA gave me a cortisone shot (painful in of itself) and free samples of Celebrex. Hopefully that will last until SOMEONE makes up their mind to help me with the MRI. But the original doctor who said I needed an MRI was worried about a rotator cuff tear, which would require surgery. Only an MRI can tell, though.

The knee really isn't going to get any better without surgery, but until the shoulder is diagnosed and treated, I can live with it. Right now it's feeling okay, but that won't last forever. There is arthritis under the kneecap.

That's all for today. I'll have more news after tomorrow, but I wanted to give those that are following this blog some news. Thanks for reading!