yeehawI stopped smoking when someone told me it straight, so I'll do the same for you.
Smoking is not only bad/unhealthy/smelly. Most of all it's an incredibly selfish habit. When it inevitably catches up with you, it's your loved ones who suffer the most.
Every smoker knows this, but knowing it and hearing (or reading) it are two different things. You've heard it from a former chainsmoker yourself now, so no excuses. If you continue, you're just being a horrible git at the expense of your significant other, your kids, their kids, etc.
All the best with the biopsy and of course, good luck quitting. It'll be the best decision you've ever made.
Someone else gave me that same advice and it helped me quit
I certainly have. Here's two stories.
My story -----
I smoked for about 13/14 years, stopped a couple of times, had bronchiopneumonia, still started back up again. Around Easter 2002, I made the decision that I was going to stop. Not tomorrow, I said to myself. New Years Day 2003. And I said it to myself every day. Every day, until Jan 1st 2003. Yes it was tricky, it's horrendously addictive of course. But I was NOT going to fail. And I didn't.
My holiday that year was in Austria, cut a long story short - I leapt off a pedalo slap bang in the middle of Lake Fuschl. Such a drastic temperature change sent me almost immediately into a panic attack. My girlfriend at the time didn't realise and took a leisurely ride the size of John Terry's turning circle. If I had still been smoking, I would never have survived. If I'd still been smoking, maybe I wouldn't have jumped in. But there we go.
After about 18 months, I started jogging. I'm on and off it now, but I'm still fairly fit.
Uncle Dave's story ------
Uncle Dave is my Mom's brother. Lived with my 20 a day Nan until she passed. He was about 35 ish. When Nan died, Uncle Dave invited his 20 a day girlfriend to move in with him.
Last Christmas, Dave was diagnosed with cancer in his neck, possibly his brain, lungs, a few places. They gave him some kind of medication - probably chemo - and they now reckon he's got 3 years or so. They said if they hadn't given him what they gave him, he'd have been dead in a fortnight.
Uncle Dave has never touched a cigarette in his life. But he's been subject to passive smoking every day.