Marie W.: Smoking, Buerger’s Disease and Amputations

Marie W., a New Yorker, is one of the former smokers featured in CDC's Tips From Former Smokers® campaign.

Forty years of smoking

Marie started smoking in high school, gathering with friends to smoke cigarettes they'd taken from their families. At the time it seemed like the thing to do, and like a way to look older.

She smoked for 40 years, at one point two packs a day. She tried to quit several times and sometimes stayed smokefree for up to 9 months — but something, a problem at work or with her two children, always pulled her back. She worked as a key puncher at a New York City brokerage at a time when smoking in the office was allowed.

Buerger's disease

Marie liked to organize lunchtime walks with coworkers, and on those walks she noticed her legs stiffening. She didn't think it was serious at first, but the symptoms kept getting worse, and she saw a doctor.

In 1993, in her early 40s, she was diagnosed with Buerger's disease — a disorder linked to tobacco use that blocks blood vessels in the hands and feet and can lead to infection or gangrene. Confirming the diagnosis took a year, and the pain was so bad she needed painkillers every day.

Over time, parts of her body had to be amputated:

Quitting for good

In 2006, Marie quit smoking for good with the help of nicotine patches, motivated by wanting to see her grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up. At 62, she was enjoying reading and time with friends, and she shared her story hoping to move other smokers to quit. Her advice: if a quit attempt fails, keep trying.

Help to quit

• 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669); in Spanish, 1-855-DÉJELO-YA (1-855-335-3569)
• In Chinese 1-800-838-8917, Korean 1-800-556-5564, Vietnamese 1-800-778-8440
• Text QUITNOW to 333888 (message and data rates may apply), or try the quitSTART app
• Online: CDC's Quit Smoking pages and Smokefree.gov

Sources

Based on "Marie W.'s Story," Tips From Former Smokers®, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the campaign participant's own words are rewritten in hubnx's own words.