Jennie, a 45-year-old former ambulance dispatcher from a small Western town, recently told us her amazing story. After more than three decades, she was finally able to quit! Beginning her habit at a young age of only 15 years old, she smoked an average of 20 to 25 cigarettes a day. As the price of cigarettes skyrocketed, she and her husband Scott decided enough was enough, going on to make the life-changing choice to quit for good.
When one packet of cigarettes hit $43 at their local grocery store, Jennie knew it was time.… The packets had increased to [$43] — that was the bottom line,” she said. The last few rounds of increases were particularly worrisome for the duo. Jennie remembered, “Anything above that [$31], we were like, ‘Man, we should give it up. Then finally, prices just continued to rise which became the watershed moment in their lives.
For almost a decade, Jennie suffered under a rare skin disease that was misdiagnosed as lupus or psoriasis. She suffered through chronic hives on her arms and back for about 16 years. Even after visiting dozens of doctors, nobody was able to correctly pinpoint the underlying cause of her many debilitating symptoms. Yet, within two days of quitting smoking, Jennie’s skin condition cleared up. Turns out I had lupus or psoriasis — misdiagnosed — for 16 years. No doctor was able to determine the cause of my chronic hives covering my back and arms from head to toe,” she described.
Jennie’s decision to give up smoking was as much about saving money as it was about improving health. After their breakthrough quit, she and Scott were $6,000 a year ahead with the money in their own pockets. This unexpected financial windfall now gives them the ability to make planned renovations to their property and start thinking about their retirement. These are just a few of the great things that Jennie said that indicate her enthusiasm. She explained, “We were really stoked about that. We would have otherwise paid it, but it would have been a stretch.”
The couple’s pledge to quit smoking complements their plan to focus more on their physical health and emotional wellness. “Our health should have been our top priority,” said Jennie. The pair have five daughters and are doting new grandparents, with a new grandbaby just one month old. They’re committed to ensuring a healthier starting point for their expanding family.
She’s enjoying family life and preparing for her 20th wedding anniversary later this year. She’s documenting her process on TikTok and doing an incredible job building a community with her audience. She hopes her posts will reach others who are trying to break bad habits or overcome health problems. “I never thought we’d ever quit, but once we realised we could easily pay for that uni and go on a trip, that’s really important. It overtook smoking in priority,” she said.
Jennie’s story is a reminder that we can all do to take control of our health. It illustrates how radical transformations can occur when we undertake serious lifestyle changes. As she goes through the process, now and in the future, she hopes to help inspire other women going through the same struggle.
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