Bloody hell that is scary. Don't google related images unless you really want to be freaked out.
Luckily, I don't think it's related. That's an unlikely leap - like getting a headache and suggesting it's the onset of bird flu. There are much more likely causes.
I do have moderate venous insufficiency in my legs. It's one of the main reasons I wanted to quit smoking. Because I successfully quit, I have recently gone to get treatment for it. Didn't seem worth the trouble if I was still smoking.
So, a few weeks ago I went to see a doctor for the first time in decades. Quitting smoking was the first step in my plan, then getting treatment for my legs so I can exercise, go on a diet, get my blood pressure down, etc. I have a lifetime of bad habits to make up for, like many of us do at a certain age.
I was dreading it, but the doc was great. He didn't wag his finger at me or lecture about stuff I already knew. I'm not the type that responds well to that approach.
My sinuses are better, my hands are better, by voice is clearer, I rarely cough, my dental health is better, and my blood pressure and resting pulse are lower than they have ever been in my life.
On the flip side, my lungs still don't seem to be healing, four months into this. I don't know if I should expect much improvement there. Doing the math, I smoked 300,000+ cigarettes over 30ish years. I'm sure that adds up to a lot of damage, with much of it irreversible.
