ned's story: quitting smoking

ned's story

"i've been smoking ever since i was a teenager. that's 40-something years ago. i never really thought about what could happen to this old body if i kept lighting up. i just knew that i loved to smoke.

"then i started to notice that it was getting harder and harder to do simple things like walk to my mailbox. one time my chest was so heavy that i lay down on the sidewalk until i could catch my breath. the neighbours must have thought i'd been run over. i kind of felt like i had been. i don't ever want to feel like that again. then there was the coughing. i could barely get through a conversation without coughing.

"finally i went to the doctor, and he told me that i had copd. he said i really had to quit smoking.

"i wasn't sure i could. to be honest, i wasn't sure i wanted to, and that's what i told him. he said my breathing would get a whole lot harder if i didn't quit, and that one day, i might have to be on oxygen and be laid up in bed. that scared me enough that i decided to give quitting a try.

"i tried to quit cold turkey, but after just a few days i could tell that it wasn't going to work. i knew it would be hard, because my best friend smokes, and we spend a lot of time together. he wasn't ready to quit, so seeing him light up made it really hard for me to say 'no.'

"i realized that i needed to try something else. so i tried the patch, and that made a big difference. it took almost 5 months, but i was finally able to quit, and i felt like it was for good. i can feel a difference in my breathing. and i feel hopeful that quitting will give me a few more years on my feet.

"my son has also been a huge help. he quit smoking almost 10 years ago. when i want a cigarette, i will sometimes give him a call. he helps me remember why i quit in the first place. he reminds me that i never want to feel 'run over' again. this time i plan to stay on my feet."

this story is based on information gathered from many people facing this health issue.