Brian Childers, a painter with Hurley Facilities Management, first got caught smoking when he was 12. He smoked ever since then, 1-2 packs a day, for almost 30 years. 

After a scary phone call from his dad, Brian quit smoking the very next day

Brian got a phone call from his dad telling him that he had had an aneurysm on his aorta. This very serious, potentially life-threatening condition is a hereditary issue with smokers."I already had the patches in my house," he said, "and the morning after that phone call from my dad, I quit smoking and I haven’t looked back. I haven’t had a cigarette, I haven’t even wanted a cigarette."

"My Hurley doctor has been right there for me"

For Brian, an important part of quitting smoking was finding a doctor he could talk to and who was knowledgeable about how he was feeling. "My Hurley doctor has been great. Any questions or concerns I’ve had, he’s been right there for me. I had anxiety issues–a year ago, I thought I was having a panic attack and it turned out to be high blood pressure," he said. "My doctor told me, 'Relax. Let’s let things work out the way they’re supposed to and not push them. One thing at a time so we don’t go backwards. The last 9 months have been great."

"I feel much healthier"

"I coach sports, and to show the kids what I need them to do, I just couldn’t do it anymore," Brian explained. "Football, basketball–I couldn’t display physically what I wanted done. Now I’m in better shape so that I can actually perform with them instead of just vocally. I have 3 kids and I don’t want any of them to be smokers."

To quit smoking, Brian said, "Mentally I think you just have to be ready for it. When I got that phone call from my dad–he’s only 65–I realized I didn’t want to be there in 20 years. As of Friday, March 23, 2012, I've had 9 months of being smoke-free. Now when I smell smokers or smoke, it makes me sick. It’s a terrible smell. I can’t believe I ever smelled like that."

Advice for others who want to quit smoking: Don't give up

For somone to stop smoking, Brian said, "They definitely have to want to do it. In my case, I had my kids and my wife, but talking to my dad the day before I quit is what really hit home."

If Brian could tell people one thing to do, it would be, "Don’t give up; you got to keep trying. If you really want to quit, you have to keep at it. It’s too easy to get started smoking. The hardest thing for me was saying, 'If I can get past the first week, I’m never going to smoke again.' But I did, and it worked."