Smoking is tough habit to quit
By Terry Rindfleisch of the Tribune staff
David Amborn tried to do everything to get ready to stop smoking a year ago.
The 52-year-old La Crosse man, who smoked for 33 years, picked a quit date and rallied support from family and friends. He decided to use the nicotine patch and the medication Zyban. He had his apartment cleaned, rugs shampooed and his clothes dry-cleaned.
“I was serious this time about quitting because I knew I had to do it for my health,” Amborn said. “I had quit for two to three weeks at a time before, but then I’d talk myself into smoking. I missed it. It’s quite an addiction.”
But he enjoyed smoking less, and he always had a cold and sore throat. “It also was awkward in social circles and less attractive,” he said. “I wanted to be healthier, and smoking didn’t fit in.”
Amborn talked to his doctor about quitting, and he had a plan to deal with triggers that included having healthy snacks around such as carrots and celery sticks. “I ate too many carrots and celery sticks to count,” Amborn said. He also added exercise.
“I gave myself the right start,” he said.
Amborn also was one of 16 team members of the Healthy Living team in last fall’s communitywide initiative, “Healthy Living — Today, Not Tomorrow,” a six-month project spearheaded by the La Crosse Tribune and WXOW-TV focusing on healthy eating and physical activity.
“The fear of public humiliation was a great motivator to stop smoking,” he said.
A year later, Amborn is still smoke-free. But in June, he had triple bypass heart surgery.
“Thirty-three years of smoking caught up to me,” Amborn said. “I feel great, and I’m healthier. I can take the stairs easier, and I don’t wake up with the morning cough.”
Amborn said he saved $3,000 in cigarette money in one year and rewarded himself with a trip to Las Vegas. “A lot of right things came together for me,” he said. “Smokers don’t always like smoking. It’s a habit.”
Doris Doherty, a smoking cessation specialist at Franciscan Skemp Medical Centerk, suggested that smokers wanting to quit should first see their physician. “Then set up a plan,” Doherty said. “The preparations are very important. Set a quit date, and get a support person. Support is extremely important for success.”
She said smokers need to decide whether they are going to quit cold turkey or use over-the-counter or prescription nicotine patches, gum, inhaler or medicine such as Zyban. Patches, medications, counseling or joining a smoking cessation program often significantly increase the success of smokers quitting, Doherty said.
“There are a lot more helpful drugs today for withdrawal so the symptoms are not nearly as bad,” Doherty said. Doherty provides one-to-one counseling in a stop smoking program that includes follow-up phone calls.
Amborn, who used the patch and the Zyban, said withdrawal symptoms were not bad. “There were a few times I got upset and angry, but it wasn’t terribly bad, and I was really focused on my health,” Amborn said.
Having a plan greatly increases the success of stopping smoking for good, said Susan Lundsten, Gundersen Lutheran wellness education specialist who facilitates the medical center’s Journey to Freedom nicotine cessation clinic.
“If somebody doesn’t have a plan, then that person will be more likely to light up again,” Lundsten said.
She said it’s also important to identify the triggers for smoking such as stress, a cup of coffee, starting your car or getting up in the morning. “Some smokers never thought about triggers because they have done things out of habit,” Lundsten said.
Alicia Elsing, co-coordinator of the Mayo Nicotine Research Program at Franciscan Skemp, said smokers should set a target quit date that is not far away.
“If you set the date too far away, like a year from now then you make it too difficult,” Elsing said. “Remember social support during this time, and really look at the benefits of not smoking and how important it is to quit. Many smokers don’t realize all the benefits until they stop.”
Sharon Schulz, a registered nurse and co-coordinator of the Mayo Nicotine Research Program, said developing an action plan for quitting is crucial.
“You need to be prepared for those first couple of days, like what you’re going to do around smokers. Walk away or avoid them? What are you going to do with your hands? What about stress?” Schulz said.
5 Keys for Quitting
Get ready.
Get support.
Learn new skills and behaviors.
Get medication, and use it correctly.
Be prepared for relapse or difficult situations.
Preparing yourself to quit
Decide positively that you want to quit. Try to avoid negative thoughts about how difficult may be.
List all the reasons you want to quit. Every night before going to bed, repeat one of those reasons 10 times.
Develop strong personal reasons in addition to your health and obligations to others. For example, think of all the time you waste taking cigarette breaks, rushing out to buy cigarettes, hunting for a light, etc.
Begin to condition yourself physically. Start a modest exercise program, drink more fluids, get plenty of rest, and avoid fatigue.
Set a target date for quitting. Make the date sacred, and don’t let anything change it. The Great American Smokeout is coming in November; that may be a good time, or maybe on your birthday or a wedding anniversary.
Make a list of triggers or urges to smoke, and make a plan to deal with them.
Make a decision about using medicine, such as the nicotine patch or Zyban.
Make a plan on how you will relax and eat healthy.
Choose a support person.
Tell loved ones and co-workers that you are quitting.
Source: Gundersen Lutheran, Franciscan Skemp Healthcare and National Cancer Institute
local CESSATION PROGRAMS
• Gundersen Lutheran Journey to Freedom Nicotine Cessation Clinic, (608) 775-5442, or 1-800-362-9567, ext. 55442.
• Franciscan Skemp’s Stop Smoking Program, (608) 785-0940, ext. 2193 for general information and ext. 6393 for appointments.
• Mayo Nicotine Research Program at Franciscan Skemp, (608) 791-4197.
Terry Rindfleisch can be reached at trindfleisch@lacrossetribune.com or (608) 791-8227.
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