Battle

My husband and I are currently in a battle right now. Well, he shoulder mostly of the battle. It's about his SMOKING. He's been into it for half of his life. Literally. He would tell me that he started smoking when he's about 14 or 15. That's a lot of wasted years to nicotine. :(

I too, smoked, but I wasn't that addicted. I started when I was still in college and continue the habit for at least 5 years. I remember that whenever my friends and I would go to some bar to unwind after work, I could finish a whole pack. I smoke as fast I could finish my drink. Which is usually a hard drink because I never drank beer (another bad vice). So, when my husband and I met, I swore to him that I would quit smoking, and I did that. I did quit and haven't had a stick for nearly nine years now.

So we sort had a fight after his bout with flu last week and lost a lot of weight. I told him to kick out the habit. He would always say, "Yes, I'll start tomorrow. Definitely. I'll just have 3 sticks a day.". And I would believe him...but sadly, it's been 6 years of telling him and he's still smoking. Its not that he's not trying. He even tried nicotine patch. But the patch is too expensive here that he did not continue with the patch program. He also tried substituting candies for cigars. But no luck.

Then I just snapped with our fight. I told him that if he's not going to do anything with the habit, that if he's not going to be more disciplined, then I might as well join him again too. And that got him worried. So today, he only had a single stick. I know that it'll be long before he could be totally free of this "addiction", but I am more than willing to help him, and encourage him to do the right thing, not just for our daughter but mostly for himself. I'm just blackmailing him right now (why would I go back to smoking?)... and it is working. So I'm happy, and so is his health.

If only we live in a country where healthcare is a priority. But sadly, our country really lags behind in this department. You got sick, you need to have tons of money to pay to get well. Palagi kong sinasabi.. "di bale nang kakaunti ang pera, basta walang magkakasakit." Because in the Phillipines, "health is truly a poor man's wealth".