Amazing stories of people who quit smoking – Annika Valtonen, Finland
It’s wonderful to appreciate how many people use Allen Carr’s Easyway throughout the world – and there is not doubt – our endless pages of testimonials which are left on our website tell their own story (there are thousands and thousands of them).
Having said that – it’s even more wonderful when we receive more detailed information about those who stop smoking with us.
Here is Annika Voltenon’s story in her own words:
My name is Annika Valtonen and I’m 38 years old woman from Hämeenlinna, Finland. I started to smoke cigarettes when I was 10 years old. I thought it looked cool and that I looked more grown up if I smoked. I smoked for 28 years.
Please do not be scared by the first part of my story – I know when I smoked stories like mine used to make me turn away from the page – but there is a happy ending to mine. In 2003 doctors found tumour on my lung. I had surgery in January 2004 and the tumour was removed.
Of course – after that I realised that I had to stop smoking. I’m a mother and I didn’t want my kids to loose me too early (I lost my own mother very young). I started my process to stop smoking – by now I was smoking 20-30 cigarettes a day. I tried to stop with nicotine patches, nicotine inhalator, nicotine chewing gum, Champix/Chantix, and just plain, old fashioned willpower. On each occasion I failed to quit smoking and continued to smoke.
Then I heard about a book – my friend told me about it – the book was written by Allen Carr. I was ready to try anything so I bought the book and I read it. It made sense to me – yet still I was smoking. I was desperate. I felt like I would never stop smoking.
I was in really bad shape – even though I was young – I couldn’t walk very much anymore because I had such difficulty breathing. I was so scared.
Then I heard that Allen Carr’s Easyway Clinics were arriving in Finland. I was so happy. I signed up for the stop smoking seminar that same day.
The seminar was on 29th October 2011 and I haven’t smoked since that day 🙂 And my life is so happy today.
After I quit smoking my life has change in many ways. I’m so relaxed now. I don’t stress about things so easy anymore. I have much more energy today than when I smoked. It’s much more easier to breathe because smoking doesn’t block my lungs.
I don’t have to plan my day around cigarettes anymore. Today I can do what I want and when I want and I don’t have to think when I need to smoke.
Getting rid of that fear that my kids were losing their mother because of tobacco was wonderful and liberating.
Today I have enough strength and energy to play with my kids everyday. And I’m happy.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Annika attended Allen Carr’s Easyway Stop Smoking clinic in Helsinki, Finland
Click here for more information about Allen Carr’s Easyway To Stop Smoking Clinics.