Smoking nearly killed me

Anyone who needs encouragement to quit smoking should listen to the story of Margaret Curtis.

L&Q resident Margaret, who lives in New Malden, Surrey, recently celebrated her 60th birthday – but just a few months earlier she was staring death in the face.

She started smoking at an early age and worked in a cigar factory for years. Like many people, she thought nothing of it until her health started to suffer, her weight plummeted and she developed a terrible cough she couldn’t shift.
When she finally went to get checked out she was told she had a 3.5kg tumour on her lungs – the equivalent of carrying a baby inside her chest!

The huge tumour had to be surgically removed and thanks to doctors and surgeons in Kingston and Tooting Hospital her life was saved, but it was a close call.
She said: “I kept on coughing and I couldn’t breathe. I thought it was bronchitis or something, but it turned out my lungs were filled with water.”
“I lost nearly three stone in two months and my skin was sagging on my bones. Now I have scars on my back from the operation.”

After the operation she read an article in Homelife magazine about giving up smoking, and it helped inspire her and her son Steven, who lives with her, to promote the work of the British Lung Foundation and Cancer Research UK.

She said: “The article in Homelife was amazing. I feel so good to be alive, and I want everyone to know how dangerous smoking is.

“You can’t preach, but I want people to know what they might go through and what their families could go through. My son could very easily have been breaking his heart now, but instead I’m getting my health back, getting back on my bicycle and getting my life back together.”

Do you need help quitting?

NHS smoking helpline – 0800 1690169

QUIT – 0800 002200

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Giving up smoking

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