Linda proves that it’s never too late to quit smoking

“I’ll never smoke again. It’s just not worth it.”

Linda’s Quit Story

Linda had been smoking for 20 years. She quit in August 2020 after being diagnosed with lung cancer and having two thirds of her lung removed. Her doctor put in her touch with Yorkshire Smokefree Sheffield.
She got one-on-one support from a stop smoking nurse named Gemma who prescribed her nicotine replacement therapy patches and was by her side all the way through her quit journey.

“Everyone from the surgeons, doctors and my smoking cessation nurse has done so much for me. I’m not going to let anybody down, including myself.”

Recovery has not been easy, but she’s confident that things would’ve been a lot harder if she was still smoking.

Smoking reduces blood flow which increases the risk of blood clots and slows healing, so a surgical incision is more likely to become infected. Since smoking is a major cause of heart disease, the chances of suffering a heart attack during or after surgery increase.

After her operation, Linda needed a lot of help and support to get back on her feet.

“The operation was terrible, afterwards I had to stay at my sister’s and she would take me in and out of bed and bathe me, I couldn’t lift my arms, I couldn’t move. Now I’m a lot better. I feel 100% better.”

Lots of people who experience serious health issues as a result of smoking go on to see big improvements to their health after quitting. When you’re ready, we’re here to help you along your smokefree journey.