Smoky Joe

Dorky though it may be, my firm is sponsoring a team in the 2005 CPA Basketball League, here in New Orleans. A number of the local and regional firms put together teams made up of staff members and these teams compete in a ten week season.

I decided to join the team in my office. I've become pretty good friends with the other guys who are on the team anyway, and I used to play baketball when I was a kid, so why the hell not?

Ten years of cigarette smoking that's why not.

We had our first practice this past Saturday, and I was pretty excited about it. We showed up at 9:30 on Saturday morning and goofed around for a bit, just shooting and what not. Then we decided to play a couple of two on two games. This involved running, jumping, and the other common physical exersion required of anyone playing a game of basketball. Roughly three minutes into the first game, I started wheezing. I have never wheezed before in my entire life, but once I started I couldn't stop. I've run short of breath before, but no wheezing. Since I started smoking ten years ago, there have been times when I would exercise regualrly but these never lasted very long. Maybe two months at the most. But even in those times, I was running and jogging but never started wheezing. Breathing hard maybe, but not wheezing.

Anyway, the wheezing got to me pretty quickly and I had to sit out for a while. I really didn't do much playing for the rest of the morning because when I tried, I'd just start wheezing it up again.

I spoke to my regular physician (read: the nurse who loves me) and we think I may have developed asthma. Shortness of breath is to be expected of someone as out of shape as I am, but wheezing, even as a smoker is not to be expected. In addition to the wheezing, since we moved to New Orleans I've started snoring very loudly and very often, which I never did before. Due to these developments, I will be seeing a doctor about it soon. I'm sure it's no big deal, but I'll tell ya I really want to quit smoking now more than ever.