Paul had been smoking for 44 years until he was struck down by a sudden heart attack, Paul said: “I was actually smoking a cigarette when the heart attack came on. It was a powerful wake-up call. I always knew in the back of my mind that smoking would put me at risk of a major health scare. I wish I never started.”
Knowing that recurrent chest pains and an increased risk of suffering another heart attack would be far worse than the withdrawal symptoms of quitting, he expressed his desire to quit during his stay in hospital. The hospital staff promptly put Paul in contact with Nora, one of our expert Tobacco Dependency Advisor. She visited Paul in hospital and provided him with support and nicotine patches to keep him comfortable.
When he was discharged, he received follow-on community smoke free support and Nora talked through all the nicotine replacement products available. Out of all the options, he decided to quit smoking with the aid of nicotine patches. Paul said: “The patches really helped with the cravings. I’ve got the 24-hour patches which I change over in the morning. I was worried about smoking at work as that’s where I used to smoke the most, but I was ok as I had my patch on. With Nora’s guidance, I’ve been gradually reducing the strength of the patches, I started on 21mg and went down to 14mg. I’m now looking at buying my own and going down to the 7mg patches.”
From the moment Paul became smoke free, he could feel his health improving. Paul said: “One of the most noticeable changes is how clear my chest feels. It cleared up in the first couple of weeks which is quite miraculous. Before, when I was smoking, my chest would rattle all day long especially in the morning. If ever I got a cold, I would always end up with a chest infection. It was pretty horrible really. Now, when I’m out walking the dog, I can feel how much easier it is to breath.”
Now that Paul is free from the nightmare of addition and unburdened by freezing cold cigarette breaks, he is enjoying a better quality of life, saying: “I’m so pleased I don’t have to go out in the wind and cold. I’m so pleased I’m not smoking around my children anymore. As soon as I opened my eyes in the morning, I would want a cigarette. I’d have to get up immediately and have a smoke, then get back into bed and lie next to my wife (who does not smoke) stinking of cigarettes. The need to smoke would even wake me up prematurely, so I was getting less sleep. Now I can comfortably stay in bed and have a nice lie in. I can’t believe how much it was controlling my life.”
In a final statement, Paul expressed the value of smoke free support services, saying: “I think it’s really good to have the opportunity to check in with someone in case I relapsed or was struggling, I would have someone to talk to about it. It was a good motivator to keep me on the straight and narrow. I know that staying smoke free is ultimately down to me, but Nora helped me keep that in mind and kept reminding me of my reason to quit and how it caused me to end up in hospital.”
It’s clear that becoming smoke free has had a hugely positive effect on Paul’s health and quality of life. From breathing easier to sleeping better to being unburdened by the inconvenience of stepping out in the freezing cold to have a cigarette multiple times a day.
Having met Paul initially on the ward at Derriford Hospital as he recovered from his heart attack, it was a pleasure to support him when he was discharged with two weekly phone calls over a 12 week period. Knowing that quitting smoking is the single biggest thing a person can do for their health, it was wonderful to hear Paul talk about the many benefits he has gained from being smoke free. As he rightly said staying smoke free is ultimately down to him and all credit to Paul for becoming an ex-smoker though his own commitment and determination.
If you would like advice and support to quit smoking, like Paul, contact the One You Plymouth team today, and we can help you take the first steps to becoming smoke-free. Call 01752 437177 or email [email protected]