JCinPA
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2025
- Messages
- 299
- First Name
- John
So, we all know cigars are not great for you ... but, the guys who really know are the actuaries for the life insurance companies and most of them don't get too upset about cigars although they might beyond a certain number. I haven't bought life insurance in many years, but last time I did, they knew I smoked cigars and I was rated standard.
So I go to the doc for my normal checkup, and the conversation went this way. I'm Type 2 Diabetic, by the way, a little squishy, and very sedentary.
Doc: "Smoke?"
Me: "Cigars."
He doesn't bat an eyelash, and goes on with his questions and the checkup activities. Curious, at the end I asked, "Aren't you supposed to tell me not to smoke cigars?"
He grins and says, "Look, you're diabetic. You drink too much, you're overweight, you don't watch what you eat closely enough, you don't excercise and you smoke cigars. I tell you to lose 25, maybe 30 pounds, cut the drinking to either a cocktail before dinner or wine with dinner, but not both (guilty), watch what you eat with less cheating, and start exercising regularly. If you come in next visit and say you quit cigars but not the other stuff, I'd still scold you for the other stuff. But if you came in 25 pounds lighter, were watching what you ate, cut down on your drinking, and started an exercise program but were still smoking cigars, I'd say, fine, enjoy them! The cigars are not your biggest issue. Address the other stuff, and I'll never bother you about the cigars. Even though I'm supposed to."
I thought that was refreshingly frank. And I think he's right. I mean the docs are almost duty-bound to tell you to not smoke cigars, but if they've been in practice long enough and know cigar smokers who were not cigarette smokers I don't think the honest ones worry about it too much. Anyone else had a conversation like that?
I do need to address the other stuff, though. For sure. I ain't getting any younger.
So I go to the doc for my normal checkup, and the conversation went this way. I'm Type 2 Diabetic, by the way, a little squishy, and very sedentary.
Doc: "Smoke?"
Me: "Cigars."
He doesn't bat an eyelash, and goes on with his questions and the checkup activities. Curious, at the end I asked, "Aren't you supposed to tell me not to smoke cigars?"
He grins and says, "Look, you're diabetic. You drink too much, you're overweight, you don't watch what you eat closely enough, you don't excercise and you smoke cigars. I tell you to lose 25, maybe 30 pounds, cut the drinking to either a cocktail before dinner or wine with dinner, but not both (guilty), watch what you eat with less cheating, and start exercising regularly. If you come in next visit and say you quit cigars but not the other stuff, I'd still scold you for the other stuff. But if you came in 25 pounds lighter, were watching what you ate, cut down on your drinking, and started an exercise program but were still smoking cigars, I'd say, fine, enjoy them! The cigars are not your biggest issue. Address the other stuff, and I'll never bother you about the cigars. Even though I'm supposed to."
I thought that was refreshingly frank. And I think he's right. I mean the docs are almost duty-bound to tell you to not smoke cigars, but if they've been in practice long enough and know cigar smokers who were not cigarette smokers I don't think the honest ones worry about it too much. Anyone else had a conversation like that?
I do need to address the other stuff, though. For sure. I ain't getting any younger.
