The Quit Date looms. I smoke continually, determined to enjoy each cigarette without the usual concern and guilt. The weekend passes. The final night. And then the unexpected happens. A blessing in disguise, perhaps. I choke while smoking my last...

July 2012 I arrive at the appointment about a week later. The nurse carries out a number of tests. Bad news. One of tests reveals that I have the lung function of a man thirty years older than I actually...