Carl is celebrating eight months smokefree after 60 years of smoking up to 25 cigarettes a day.

The 75-year-old granddad from Chellaston is sharing his story for No Smoking Day on 8 March, to inspire other smokers in Derby who have tried to quit before that it’s never too late to succeed, and getting the right support can make all the difference.

He joined Livewell after being diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) – a progressive group of lung conditions that causes breathing difficulties, with smoking being the leading cause.

Hearing I’d got COPD last May was a shock, so when the doctor said I should give up smoking to stop it getting worse, I decided to follow their advice. 

I’d tried to pack up several times but always failed.  I changed to making roll-ups to try to reduce the amount of tobacco I was smoking but I still could not give up.  The practice nurse suggested I join Livewell so I booked a phone appointment that same week to get started.

My advisor, Casey, was wonderful giving me lots of encouragement and good advice.  Waking up without lighting up was the hardest. Casey suggested I mix up my morning routine to reduce my urges for that first smoke. It sounds simple but it works!

Livewell offered me free nicotine patches and mouth spray to help manage the cravings.  I didn’t get on with the spray but the patches did help, and popping into their stop smoking clinic in Alvaston to pick them up meant I got some extra support.  The breath test for carbon monoxide quickly showed that my levels had returned to that of a non-smoker and seeing that green reading at every visit encouraged me to stay quit to keep it there.

The support didn’t stop when the 10-week course of nicotine replacement products ended.  Casey continued to check in with me each month which I’m thankful for, as she helped me through the odd wobble.  There were times I could have sparked up again but I’m glad I talked myself out of it with Casey’s reassuring words.

Now that I’m through the other side, I can breathe easier and knowing I’m preventing my COPD from getting worse is a relief.  My wife and three adult sons are pleased that I’ve reduced my health risks too.

Keeping up with the grandkids is less of a strain and food tastes so much better - which is less of a good thing as I’m eating a lot more!  

It’s nice not to feel stressed about when I can have my next roll-up, particularly at airports or when travelling.  Friends have noticed that I no longer pop out for a smoke during meals out.  I hadn’t told them about quitting so they were surprised when I said I’d given up – I’m not sure they thought I could do it!

I won’t say it’s been easy but having the right support and products makes a big difference.  I wouldn’t have made it this far otherwise.  At 75 I thought it would be too late to quit but I’m proof that you can reverse the damage and enjoy the health benefits, even in later life.”

Livewell advisor, Casey Baxter added:

Carl has done incredibly well to quit. As he had smoked for so long, he was unsure he could do it, but he was motivated to try, and he put faith into the products and the tips and guidance we provided. Every time we spoke, Carl had stuck to his goal but he found the cravings a challenge at times. Explaining the difficulties of quitting and taking each day, each week and each month one step at a time, I reassured him he could get there. Carl has now kept it up for 8 months and is feeling free of the ties of smoking – proof that anyone can do it if they are ready to have a go.”

Inspired to quit?

No Smoking Day is an ideal time to quit and Carl’s story demonstrates it’s never too late to try! 

Derby smokers can get free nicotine replacement products for up to 10 weeks and support from Livewell’s friendly team.

To find out more and book a phone appointment to get started, visit the Livewell website.