Chewing Tobacco
Think chewing tobacco-or spit or smokeless
tobacco and snuff as it’s often called is a safe alternative to smoking? Think
again. Chewing tobacco contains dozens of cancer causing agents and increases
the risk for oral cancer, gingivitis stained teeth white patches in the mouth
and a black hairy tongue. Still want that kiss? If you think that a pretty
sight read this story and take a look at what it did to one man:
In the year
1965, I had recently settled to Ogden Utah practicing as a General Dentist in
the suburb of Washing Terrace. I lived
in Washington Terrace, next door to a tobacco chewer by the name of Mr. Smith. He
walked into my office one fine day complaining of a sore spot where his lower denture
touched.
Here below is the
true story as best I remember told to me by Mr. Smith himself.
“The first time I
tried to spit tobacco I was age 13 it made me feel dizzy and I threw up," He
said he wished that would have been enough to deter him from using tobacco. Instead
he went on to become addicted and ended up battling a situation far worse than he
could have imagined.
When I was 30
years old, I noticed a small red bump on the left side of my tongue. The bump
started to grow slowly and within 10 years it was the size of the tip of my
little figure when you diagnosed it Doc. I didn’t want to break my Wife’s heart
when she asked me why I was drooling and slurring my speech so I told her my wisdom
teeth were coming in."
My wife told me we
were going to the mall. “When we passed to the turn off she just kept driving
to my office. Instead of going to the all she drove to my dental office. After I
sat down in the Dental chair and it was time for my exam, you took one look
inside my mouth … immediately saw the ugly acute carcinoma, and called the Oral
Surgeon. Mrs. Smith drove her husband to
the surgeon’s office.
I had immediate surgery
but it wasn’t to take out the lump it was to cut out half of my tongue to get
rid of the carcinoma. That took 13 hours, followed by a one month recovery in
the hospital.
My nightmare didn’t
end there Surgeons also made an incision from ear to ear to make sure the
cancer hadn’t spread to my lymph nodes. Radiation burned my face and mouth. My remaining
teeth rotted and I had to get new set of dentures. A bone from my femur was transplanted
into my jaw to rebuild my face. Skin from my thigh replaced the missing skin on
my face. Muscles from my chest helped to rebuild the inside of my mouth. I lost
80 pounds.
"I used to be a
really hot guy. I was ripped off, but this is what tobacco did to me. I’m not going
to tell anyone that they’re a bad person if they use spit tobacco or smoke.
That would make me a hypocrite but I do say the choices made today do affect
you for the rest of your life."
Today, my face is
disfigured from cancer; my speech is difficult to understand, I’m cranky, and hard
to understand. I keep the window blinds closed and never leave the house unless
absolutely necessary.
I know I’m hard to
understand but please bear with me. Listen as closely as possible. Tobacco
ruined my life. I never thought of the long term affect I was only 13 when I
started.
I was a high school baseball star with a 410
batting average. I wanted to play for the San Francisco Giants. That is what
tobacco did to my dreams. At 17 you’re not supposed to have to face life and
death issues, but because I chose to spit tobacco, I had to face it. I was
given a 25 percent chance to live.I don’t like the way I look, but I am still thankful for the blessings God
gives me every day.Take a good hard look at my face. I hope it
makes you make the right decision in your life because God knows I wish I would
have."
DR. KARL WALLACE
D.D.S.
To read more go
to: www.karlwallaceblog.blogspot.com
