We are The Christie magazine July 2025 Staff edition

Tony Jackson, a 63-year-old army veteran, faced a life-changing moment after his kidney cancer surgery at The Christie.

Tony Jackson

A lifelong smoker, Tony's operation was nearly abandoned mid-way due to the strain smoking had placed on his lungs. "As I woke from the operation, the anaesthetist looked relieved to see me," said Tony. "She told me the surgery was close to being aborted because of the amount of oxygen I needed. I was horrified, and it was the wake- up call I needed to get serious about quitting smoking." Tony had started smoking in the army in 1983. "During training, I realised if you were a non-smoker, you got sent to do extra jobs whilst everyone else had a break to smoke. That's when I started to smoke. The cigarettes were so cheap at the NAAFI in Germany, being duty-free and profit free. Soon, I was smoking 40 cigarettes per day and still smoking 20 daily until the day before my cancer surgery." Despite many attempts to quit, nothing worked. "I had tried many times, with vapes, patches, inhalers, and even hypnotherapy, but nothing worked more than a few days. Perhaps I just enjoyed it too much, so I became resigned to the fact that I would always be a smoker. Then I was diagnosed with kidney cancer last autumn. I was in shock and couldn't bring myself to read the cancer information book initially. When I read it a week later, I was surprised to read that smoking was a leading cause of kidney cancer." Tony and his wife, Karen, have four children, and the thought of never seeing them again was devastating.

Support from The Christie's health promotion teammade all the difference. "Charlotte didn't judge me whatsoever. She was respectful and friendly and promised to support me. She arranged for the ward staff to change my patches after surgery, and her colleague Paula came to see me after my operation, and something just kicked in." "As I headed home, I was worrying if I could quit smoking this time. Back at home, there was a curious parcel waiting for me. Opening it made me smile from ear to ear. It was a big box of patches from Charlotte and precisely what I needed to keep going. The psychological impact of this package was enormous, knowing that Charlotte and Paula were rooting for me." "After just a week, I wasn't coughing at bedtime or first thing in the morning and soon after, my sense of smell returned and my energy levels have increased. Most importantly, I'm loving life and feeling well. I am proud that I've stopped smoking and am looking after my body. The Christie has helped change my life in many ways. I've learnt a valuable lesson about looking after myself and never taking life for granted." Any Christie patient can ask their clinical team for a referral to the hospital's stop smoking team or visit nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking

"I am proud that I've stopped smoking and am looking after my body. The Christie has helped change my life in many ways."

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