Most smokers try to quit several times before succeeding. In November's Health Check: a local program aimed at improving those odds.

Traci McCoy used to get winded just taking a walk with her daughter, Dani. It was the result of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for 25 years.

She quit more than a year ago and can't believe the difference

She says, "Now I can walk as long as she can; talk without being winded which for a 16-year-old is a long time. So physically I think stamina and ability to tolerate exercise is quite a difference. I can breathe."

It makes sense when we realize cigarettes start damaging our bodies almost immediately. And smoking affects women differently than men.

Alegent Health's I-Can Instructor Sheri Rowland says, "They experience a more intense withdrawal and are more likely to relapse. Research hasn't gotten far enough to tell us what do we do about that but we do know there's a difference."

The I-Can program is a five-week course that offers more than a "quit kit" with substitutions for smoking. It uses medical tools and support groups for the best results.

Lighting up robs our bodies of oxygen and cardiologist Dr. George Sojka sees the effects in women before men.

He says, "They get high blood pressure, they get early hardening of the arteries, early heart attacks, congestive heart failure, all kinds of complications."

Traci McCoy tried the I-Can program before it came to that and every walk she takes is proof that smokers can kick the habit.

She says, "The class really offered me tools and support to help me be successful. I haven't smoked for 405 days. That really keeps me motivated. I don't want to go back down to zero or say 30 days again."

The five week program costs $100 dollars. The next session starts November 12. For more information call 1-800-Alegent.

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