I really wanted to quit smoking, and have smoked nearly all my life. I am now 56 years old and suffer with COPD which I have medication for daily and attend monthly checks with the specialist practice nurse due to the severity of my condition. I also get a lot of chest infections, so have emergency antibiotics to take in the event that I feel another chest infection is starting, rather than waiting to make an emergency GP appointment.
I started smoking at the age of 9 when I would go to the shop for my parents to buy their cigarettes. As a treat I was allowed to light their cigarettes before handing them over for them to smoke, as in those days, no-one knew of the damage to your health that smoking caused and obviously if this had been known back then, my parents would never have allowed this and would have done their best to quit smoking. When I grew up, I automatically became a smoker like my family members. I now have three adult children, one son and his partner live with me, and they are both heavy smokers.
I have had some previous quit attempts and, in the past, managed to be smokefree for two years. On this occasion, I had paid £10.00 to take part in a 6-week course that I attended every week. Unfortunately, I did return to smoking which I am very upset with myself for doing. I also quit for a month when I was admitted to hospital, but when I came out I returned to smoking just 6 weeks later, due to the death of my dad. At that time I found the temptation too difficult to resist those strong urges to smoke.
With the support of Jane, my stop smoking advisor, I have now been quit since 13.04.2019, using Nicorette Invisi patch 25mg and Nicorette Inhalator. I have gone through the course and am now down to Nicorette Invisi patch 10mg dose but will be coming off them over the next week or two, and I now find that I rarely use my Nicorette inhalator, however I do keep it on me just in case.
I have attended regularly and every week to start with as I really struggled at first and felt I really needed the one to one support and found the first 3 weeks were like torture. I had very bad cravings, stress levels, anxiety and was very fidgety and did not know what to do with my hands and constantly felt like I needed a cigarette. I felt a real high and was absolutely delighted when the CO monitor did not beep at our second meeting, and my reading dropped to 4 after quitting as it had been 21 on my first visit.
I do feel much better, and my skin looks a nice healthy colour, and my breathing is improved, although I am still monitored monthly in the specialist clinic and am waiting for results of some investigations which is stressful too, but I am managing well.
I feel happy with what I have achieved with the support of the clinic, and more positive and relaxed and feel it is the best thing I have done for myself. I have a bit more energy with my day to day life and when I look after my young grandchildren.
I am pleased as I have managed to be smokefree, despite living with two heavy smokers and have managed to maintain my quit and do not feel I will ever smoke again.
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