Sue

What was your main reason for accessing the service?

To improve my health and financial situation.

Did you believe you could achieve 4 weeks smokefree?

Yes I did think I could do it.

Have you used stop smoking medication to help you quit?

I used the Champix medication.

How helpful did you find it?

Found the tablets to be very helpful, not sure I could have done it without them.

Apart from medication, what else helped you to quit and stay smokefree?

The daily SMS messages were really helpful and kept me going. My advisor Sarah Sverdloff was lovely and really helped me, her support, advice and regular contact made the whole process easy. She put me at ease.

Did you visit the Yorkshire Smokefree Webpage?

No I haven't visited the webpage.

Has your health improved since you quit and if so, in what ways?

Yes, my breathing is a lot better, I'm not out of breath as quick and I am a lot more energetic. I have also not gained any weight like I thought I might. My taste has returned too.

Other than health, have you achived anything since quitting that you couldn't do whilst smoking?

I can now chase after my grandkids more and not become out of breath like I would before.
I have also managed to save some money by putting the money away that I owuld have spent on cigs. I plan to treat myself to a holiday when we can go. It's amazing to see the money build up.

Has the current lockdown helped with your quit or has this made quitting harder?

Not many any difference.

What have you found helpful accessing the service via the Telehone?

Accessing the service via telephone and speaking to Sarah over the phone has been great. I haven't felt embarrased as I have been protected in my own home behind a phone. I find it hard and embarrasing to ask for help and being over the phone rather than in person has given me the confidence to do it and speak more openly too than I probably would in person.

Could you give us a quote about your experience of becoming smokefree that may help others to take the same step.

Never stop stopping, keep going until you crack it.