“I was climbing the walls for a cigarette while in hospital”, said Donna. “I told the staff ‘if you don’t give me something I’m going to go outside and smoke.’ ”
Donna, 62, had smoked for 45 years, starting when she was a teenager. Having been admitted to Colchester Hospital with breathing problems related to COPD, Donna had been unable to quit by herself.
She said: “I was being very demanding because I was struggling so much. I remember feeling obsessed with how much I needed a cigarette during those 10 days in hospital.”
The team caring contacted the Tobacco Dependency Team at the hospital and Debbie Henley visited Donna on the ward to offer her support.
Donna, who lives in Brightlingsea, said: “Debbie was amazing. She spoke to me, she was very respectful and really kind.
“I felt a bond with her and knew she understood what I was going through. We talked through the options and she gave me nicotine patches. I felt like I could breathe again. I felt like she was my little angel.”
Donna said it’s saved her life by quitting, especially as she thought she might die while in hospital.
She added: “My mum and dad both died of cancer related to smoking. My mum said to me ‘please stop smoking’ before she died.
“I’d wanted to stop for such a long time. I’d tried to stop, but without any help, and it just didn’t work. The way Debbie made me feel I could do it helped me believe in myself. It was such a great connection and I am so grateful to her.”
Donna, who has two children and two grandchildren, hasn’t smoked for two years. She said she’s still using some nicotine replacement products but it has made a big difference quitting cigarettes.
She said: “I can feel the benefits, I can walk further than I could before and my breathing is better.”
Debbie Henley
Debbie Henley is a tobacco dependency adviser at Colchester Hospital, which is run by East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust. She said: “Donna has come so far and done so well stopping smoking cigarettes. It’s incredibly kind of Donna to say I was supportive – but that’s my role and myself and my colleagues are happy to help anyone who is in hospital and would like our support to stop. There are so many options available and we can offer information and advice on what might be suitable.
“Donna should feel proud of what she’s achieved. It’s never too late to quit and there are many benefits to your health – and your wallet!”
The Tobacco Dependency Service at Colchester Hospital is part of the health inequalities programme at ESNEFT. It is available for patients in hospital and those having pre-operation appointments.
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