Great grandmother Jenny Goodwin is over the moon that she’s managed to go smokefree after 50 years, proving that it’s never too late. Beverley Hunt went to meet her.
Jenny Goodwin has ‘loved a fag’ since she started smoking at the age of 18, but she pledged to give up on her 70th birthday because of the cost.
Jenny was spending £70 a week on cigarettes and sometimes had to ‘rob Peter to pay Paul’ to make sure all her bills were paid. She was also struggling with health issues, including breathlessness due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and losing the sight in one eye following a haemorrhage. They were both linked to smoking by her doctors.
Former Deptford market stall worker Jenny had tried to quit more than 15 times before but always struggled on her own. She felt like she had to hide her smoking from friends and family because of the issues it had caused in the past.
This time, her GP gave her One You Kent’s phone number and she cannot speak highly enough of the personal service she received.
“Everyone I spoke to was an absolute diamond. The man on the phone was so encouraging, wishing me good luck and Shelley, my smokefree advisor, has been amazing. All I can say is if I can give up smoking, anyone can. The support was out of this world. I have never had a certificate for anything before this one. Everyone who knows me is completely gobsmacked.”
Jenny’s family is amazed she’s quit after trying so many times before and are ‘very proud of her’.
Jenny noticed a difference as the weeks went on, feeling less and less breathless going up the stairs and noticing her teeth were getting whiter too. She saved more than £1,300 in the first three months after she quit, which she used to furnish and decorate her lovely new home in Teynham, with her partner Lenny.
She feels her success came down to the one-to-one support she received from One You Kent Advisor Shelley Crosbie, who was like ‘an old friend’ and there to support her weekly and on the phone in between.
Shelley recommended patches and lozenges, which alongside the smokefree information booklet from One You Kent, helped Jenny to finally get through the cravings and break the habit of a lifetime.
Jenny said: “Shelley had lots of tips, including sucking on frozen grapes and drinking lots of water, which really helped me. There’s no way I would ever go back to smoking now. I would say to anyone, just do it, it’s hard but it’s so worth it.”