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.
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Annika attended Allen Carr’s Easyway Quit Smoking clinic in Helsinki, Finland
Click here for more information about Allen Carr’s Easyway To Quit Smoking Clinics.