I can now go places without worrying where or when  I can smoke. I can go to Bower Ponds, a place I had only been to once since I moved to Red Deer 20 years ago. And I just discovered Heritage Ranch. Cigarettes were really holding me back.

Quitting has been life changing for me. Over the many years that I smoked I always made sure I had a shower and changed my clothes before any medical appointment. When I was working on quitting, I had an appointment with the family nurse at the clinic. She made a comment to me that she could smell smoke on my clothes. This really opened my eyes, I found out I was only fooling myself. I vowed at that time, that I would quit for good and no one will ever smell smoke on me again. I don’t think this nurse will ever know the impact her innocent statement had on me. Along with many reformed smokers, I now detest the smell of smoke.

Another revelation to me, was that as soon as I would open a beer I wanted to smoke so, I quit drinking to help me quit smoking. I came off blood pressure pills just before I quit smoking. Even with some weight gain, which I am working to take off,  my blood pressure is normal. I find I can now walk up to 2 hours every other day and I can climb hills without getting out of breath.

A great bonus of quitting smoking was when my son found I had chosen to quit, he decided to do the same. I am so proud of his progress and that I can be a positive role model for him.

I feel great about my choice to quit smoking and I am really enjoying my new freedom!

To learn more about the RDPCN programs, visit www.reddeerpcn.com