Watching her mum struggle for breath in intensive care gave Wendy from Cleethorpes the motivation she needed to quit smoking. Sadly, her mum who had COPD from smoking died, but Wendy vowed to quit so that her daughter would never have to go through the same experience.
Wendy, who works in Scunthorpe General Hospital, says: “My mum was rushed into hospital and had a tracheotomy – she couldn’t breathe or speak and it was horrible to watch. I knew that smoking had caused it. I made the decision then that I couldn’t let my daughter go through the pain of watching me like that.”
With the help of her local stop smoking service, she was able to quit using an inhalator and patches but unfortunately, seven years later she was diagnosed with kidney cancer caused by smoking. The cancer was removed but a year later she was told she had lung cancer also caused by smoking.
Wendy needed part of her lung removed known as a lobectomy to remove the cancer. Her surgeon explained that if she hadn’t quit smoking, she probably wouldn’t have been able to have the surgery as her lung function would be so impaired that the risk of surgery would be too high.
“I’m just so glad I quit when I did,” she said. “Because I’d stopped smoking, my lungs were healthy enough for me to have the operation, so it’s never too late to stop smoking even if you’ve got cancer.
“I stayed positive as I knew I’d given myself the best chance to recover. The surgeon explained that because I’d stopped smoking, I had a much better chance of recovery and of healing well.”
Wendy explains that at the time of surgery, it wasn’t the operation that upset her but the impact she could see it had on her family.
She says: “I felt bad on my family and when I could see my husband crying, I’d think I don’t want to lose him. It’s not the surgery that upset me but thinking of my husband and daughter. I’m just so glad I stopped smoking when I did.”
Two years later, Wendy is feeling great. She’s made a full recovery and has focused on improving her health. Now she’s not smoking, she can breathe easier and exercise more and has lost 4 stone in weight.
Wendy’s daughter, Amy, also smoked but seeing what her mum went through and becoming pregnant, she too has quit.
Wendy says: “I’m so proud of her and it’s great that my grandchild will be brought up in a smokefree environment. They won’ t see smoking as normal like I did.”
Wendy started smoking when she was a child – having a grandchild on the way has made her reflect on just how young she was.
“I started smoking when I was 12 because that’s what everyone did,” she said. “All my family and friends smoked, my mum and dad smoked in the front room so it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.
“When I first got cancer, I did blame myself and I thought this isn’t fair on my family but then I thought to myself, no, I’m not to blame because at the age of 12 what real choices do you have? Especially when the tobacco industry was glamourizing it – Bett Lynch in Coronation Street, characters in Grange Hill in the playground – it was seen as glamorous to smoke.”
Wendy has the following advice for anyone who still smokes: “You’re never too old or too ill to quit – even if you’ve got a cancer, quitting smoking can lower the risk of it coming back. Do it for your family, I’m glad I did.”
You’re three times more likely to quit for good with the support of North East Lincolnshire Council’s free stop smoking service.
What we offer…
- Face-to-face support and advice
- Phone calls/texts to check in with you
- Vape starter kit, with a 12-week supply of salts
- Nicotine Replacement Therapy such as nicotine patches and gum
- Varenicline – prescribed medication to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms
You can use more than one of these paths.
- To find out more, discover a support venue near you or self-refer, visit: www.nelincs.gov.uk/stop-smoking
- Call: (01472) 325500, Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 4pm, except bank holidays
- Email: [email protected]
If face-to-face isn’t for you, the council also offers free six-month premium access to the Smoke Free app to set goals, track progress and stay motivated, with expert advisors on hand 24/7.
Watch the ITV advert here: https://youtu.be/zqtdFishMEc
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