Claire, 54, started smoking when she was 15 and before she became smoke free, she would smoke around 5 cigarettes a day during the week and 15 cigarettes a day during the weekend.
Unfortunately, Claire was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo a mastectomy. Following the procedure, Claire opted to have breast reconstructive surgery but was told she would have to give up smoking for a significant time before and after the surgery due to severe risks of complications. Claire expressed her desire to be smoke free and the hospital staff contacted our friendly wellbeing team who promptly put her in contact with Angie, one of our expert health improvement practitioners.
Angie provided Claire with specialised, one-to-one ongoing support, offering encouragement and understanding of the nicotine addiction process. Together they developed a personalised quit plan that included a quit date, strategies to cope with cravings, withdrawal symptoms, how to manage triggers, and more.
To further assist Claire with her quit attempt, Angie talked through all the stop smoking medications available. Of all the options she decided to quit smoking with the aid of Varenicline, a stop smoking treatment that decreases the pleasure derived from smoking and helps reduce nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Claire said: “When I had cigarette, I felt sick straight away. I’d get halfway through a cigarette and think to myself, I’m not enjoying this and it’s making me feel queasy. By day 4 of taking Champix (Varenicline) I just thought that’s it! I’m not enjoying smoking at all so what’s the point.”
Claire admitted that she was still worried that she’d be tempted to have a cigarette when she goes out during the weekend for a drink, saying: “I also have a vape with 0mg nicotine for when I’m out on a weekend and drinking alcohol. It’s just nice to have something there in case I’m tempted to have a cigarette.”
In a final statement, Claire expressed how much she valued stop smoking support services, saying: “Angie was amazing. It made such a difference having someone out there routing for you. I didn’t feel judged at all and that was the biggest thing for me. She was super really. I would highly recommend having a stop smoking adviser. I’ve broken the habit now and feel mentally prepared to never smoke again.”
You’re three times more likely to stop smoking with specialist support. Our health improvement practitioners work with you to understand your triggers, manage any cravings and support you all the way. If you’re also looking for a specialist advisor that can help you change your life, get in touch today.