Susan had smoked off and on for 40-some years and mentioned to her doctor that she wanted to quit. One day, the BREATHE 2 postcard arrived in her mail.
“That’s how I found out about the study and it sounded interesting,” Susan said.
She had set a goal to quit smoking and the study came at a perfect time.
“I had tried several different methods,” including cold turkey and several different medications.
This time, she got BREATHE 2 medications plus coaching from UW-CTRI Health Counselor Mari Marquez.
“In addition to the meds, the coaching was the difference as opposed to previous attempts,” Susan said. The support and accountability from Marquez made BREATHE 2 feel like a comprehensive approach.
“It worked so well for me, I was glad to be a part of it,” Susan said.
Now she’s elated to live smoke-free. “The lack of worry about ‘when can I have my next cigarette,’ or ‘I’m down to the last three in my pack. Where can I go to smoke?’ Or ‘I don’t want them to see I’m a smoker.’ It’s very freeing. I think my hair and clothes smell better. My sense of smell—it is very enlightening how much smoking smells.”
She would recommend BREATHE 2 to friends. In fact, she already has!
“If you get the opportunity to join this study, do it, it’s worth every minute you spend doing it. I don’t think about it every day now. The first six months, I thought I’d think about smoking forever. Now, smoking isn’t a daily thought. I’m so happy to be a recovering smoker, it makes me giddy.”
She’s happy to set a good example for her younger relatives, and she is saving money to take a trip to Alaska. She’s excited to see whales, glaciers, and take deep breaths of fresh air.
