My husband and I contacted Stop Smoking Services on 8th April this year in the hope that we could both support each other to quit. We have both been smoking for 40 years and have never tried to stop before. I was admitted to hospital recently with breathing difficulties and was very ill. I was in there for 11 days and have been diagnosed with COPD. This gave both myself and my husband the motivation and the push we needed to want to stop smoking for good. It was a frightening time; this did upset my husband. We attended Havercroft & Ryhill clinic where we met the Smoking Advisor, Marie.
My husband was not a heavy smoker like me, so it was much easier for him, he was quit by week 4 with the help of patches and lozenges. I could not get out of the habit of having just those 3 cigarettes a day and it took me a while but, with the help encouragement and patience from Marie, I eventually did it and have now been smoke free for 8 weeks.
After 12 weeks of treatment, we are now at the stage where we are not using any Nicotine Replacement Therapy at all. We never thought for a second, we could do this, but we have.
James says, “I could kill for one sometimes, but I now have the willpower to say NO”.
Our health has improved we can now go out for longer walks, walk much further and not be out of breath, our lungs feel much better, and we are no longer coughing.
We are both retired and with the money we have saved, we now go out for more afternoon lunches and have been on a couple of holidays already.
Thank you to Marie who has been lovely and friendly and to Stop Smoking Services we could not have done this without you!!!
