NNMC Promotes Smoke Out, Tobacco Cessation
BETHESDA, Md. – Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Antoine Giacometti, LPO of the National Naval Medical Center’s (NNMC) Urology Clinic, had been a smoker for the last 16 years. Two months ago, he decided he was tired of the habit and no longer found it enjoyable.
“I was tired of feeling chained to something,” Giacometti said, as he craved cigarettes and often smoked several packs a day. “The addictive part of it was taking over the pleasure of it.”
Giacometti also wanted to ensure a healthy lifestyle for his family ‘ he and his wife are expecting their first child in the spring.
Giacometti said he never felt the side effects of smoking. Cigarettes didn’t seem to slow him down while he was running or exercising. Still, he wanted to break free from the addiction.
“I know it’s [clich'], but determination and will are really what got me through [the process of quitting],” he said.
Giacometti also attributes his success in quitting to the tobacco cessation courses at NNMC, which he said helped him realize the benefits of quitting. It also helped him identify the “triggers” he should avoid to keep him from wanting a cigarette.
“The classes are really a tool that will help you,” he said.
In addition, Giacometti used prescribed medication to help with his withdrawal symptoms.
He is already feeling the positive impact of being tobacco-free, he said. He is saving money by not buying cigarettes ‘ about five dollars per day, which will add up to roughly $1,800 in a year, he said.
Margaret Schroeder, a Navy family member, also found success in quitting thanks to the tobacco cessation courses at NNMC. She had been a smoker for roughly 60 years.
When her doctor suggested she take the class for health concerns, she said, she decided to give it a try. Since the day she quit, Sept. 14, she has already noticed the health benefits.
“I feel better, my breathing is better,” she said. “I don’t get as tired, and I don’t waste as much time … and I can focus better.”
Schroeder said she found the class not only informational, but also encouraging. Course leaders and other participants gave her the support she needed to make it through the difficulties of quitting.
Fortunately for smokers who want to quit, or who are willing to quit, there are several resources available at NNMC, said Adrienne Brantley, NNMC’s tobacco treatment coordinator. There are support group sessions, individual counselors and online courses.
Since Giacometti has quit smoking, he said, he has found he can focus more clearly because he is no longer distracted by his cigarette cravings.
“I also wake up much more easily, and I have more energy,” he said.
Giacometti said he recommends the tobacco cessation courses, but knows that smokers must ultimately make the decision to quit.
“You can bring a horse to the water, but you can’t make him drink it,” he said. “You have to have the will to quit.”
