Carol, real sorry about your eye problems, but you don't know at all that smoking had anything to do with it.  When I worked as a Paralegal in Naples, one of the secretaries (she was about 60) also was diagnosed with macular degeneration and she never smoked.  I wasn't boasting about smoking.  I was making fun of the Paparazzi for trying so hard to get a photo of Obama smoking.

 

can barely see what I am typing. I could not begin to read any of
these posts were I to print them out. I am currently paying a grad
student $18 an hour to read to me a book which I feel I need as
background for a paper I am writing for April's Left Forum in New York.
The reason is macular degeneration. probably that is the result of
smoking from 1950 to 1990. I stopped in time to avoid emphysema, but
apparently not in time to preserve my eyesight.

I agree of course with Nancy's comment on Kate's post, but wish to add
I'm curious why Kate finds the fact that she is smoking a cigarette
something to boast of.

Carrol