JULY 2008
Community Paper

College Park Woman Was In Prison For 48 Years!
by Susan Titour, Publisher, Community Paper


Imagine... no going out to the movies... no eating inside a restaurant... no PTA meetings... no travel on a plane... no working inside an office building... not being able to participate in your children’s activities... no going to church... for 48 years! At the tender age of 8, in just one moment of succumbing to peer pressure, her life would be forever changed. Who knew that just that first one would have her hooked on a drug that would imprison her in a world that was so constricting... eventually destroy her bones, her teeth, her lungs, her heart, her stamina. In today's world, it's different. There is knowledge, where as back then it was "cool." But... just that first one... you know the saying... "The First One's Free..." - the first one began a chain of events that she had no way of knowing how imprisoned she would be. 29,200 times per year she did something that could have caused her to killed herself. Of course, she tried to escape many times, but never succeeded. Now, at age 56, she is finally being released from her imprisonment!

Yes, that's right, I was in Cigarette Prison!!!

Sure, by now we all have read the horror stories that cigarettes can cause. Cancer. Heart disease. Lung disease. Emphysema. Many of us think it won't happen to us. "I come from a good gene pool." "I really only smoke a few." "I'll quit for my New Year's resolution."

Many of us started smoking before the Surgeon General decided to tell us it was dangerous, then got hooked. Nicotine is an unrelenting master. Wake up and before your feet hit the floor, light a cigarette. Gotta grab that pack of smokes before I can walk from room to room. Get in the car, turn the key in the ignition, light a cigarette. Phone rings, light a cigarette. Break time, lunch time, dinner time, light a cigarette. Have some stress? Light a cigarette. Get stressed out, light a cigarette.

If you don't light that cigarette, your brain screams at you, your body begins the withdrawal cycle, your nerves feel like they are on the surface of your skin, begging for another fix. Without your nicotine drug, you scream at your kids, co-workers, friends, spouse... for no reason. Eat eat eat to try to fool your mouth that there is something there. Your lungs cry out, feeling like they aren't getting any air. You can't sleep. You are so antsy you can't sit. You are HOOKED.

For years I have tried cold turkey, the Patch, Nicotine gum, hypnosis, acupuncture. They work for some people, but they didn't work for me. My willpower was lacking, I was weak against the Master Nicotine. I wanted to be free, but each time I tried to quit some reason came up that made me think, "well, I'll wait until... there's no stress (when is THAT???); after my daughter's wedding (where I missed plenty of the celebration because I was outside smoking); on New Years (EVERY year????) and on and on... I had every excuse. I finally decided I didn't WANT to quit. Forget it. I just can't do it. I told my children that when I die at a younger age that it was my own decision to shave years off my life in order to light up. Don't grieve for me, it is my choice. BUT THEN.... something new came to College Park to make me change my mind......

LASER SOLUTIONS, INC.
Welcome to College Park the answer to every Smoker’s prayers... Laser Solutions, Inc.

After years of being poked, prodded, hypnotized, stuck with acupuncture needles, patches, and gum, I was ready to give up on trying to quit smoking. But my husband WAS ready, and I have surgery coming up (smoking reduces healing time and could cause problems with surgery). Reluctantly, and with great trepidation, I decided to give Laser Solutions Laser Therapy a try. I've got to say, I seriously doubted it would work.
When you enter the building, it is peaceful. Soothing music is playing. The lights are dimmed. Certified Laser Technicians Carolin Allie and Maggie Doeve are there, smiling and happy to see you. They envelop you with their confidence and caring attitude. Immediately I felt at ease. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all, I thought. They actually CARE about me!

I filled out a questionaire. One of the questions was "Why do you want to stop smoking?" I answered, "I DON'T WANT TO STOP." In reality, I was SCARED to stop! I started smoking when I was 8 years old! My entire behavior was wrapped around cigarettes. I couldn't imagine life without them! Carolin laughed. I was going to be a tough customer.

Then Maggie told me that she had smoked for 43 years and stopped. WHAT???? You're kidding me! I felt the urge of competition coming on, NO WAY was I going to let this woman do better than me. Haul me in, zap me with lasers, I will beat this!

We entered a very soothing room, with a big comfortable reclining chair. I snuggled in and tried to relax. I'm not much for going down a road that I don't know, so I was nervous, but Carolin and Maggie calmed my fears. I had expected something like a loud clunking MRI machine that would encase me and trap me in the machine, zapping lasers at my head, resulting in a labotomy! However, when they showed me the Laser machine I was surprised! It's no larger than a VCR. No Frankenstein wires attached to my head, merely a heavy cigarette lighter shaped object on a cord. Hmmmmm.... I can't imagine that this little box can change my life.

They gave me protective glasses to wear, I closed my eyes and braced myself. I imagined that every zap of the laser would burn. I felt gentle hands, exploring my cuticles on my fingers. No burning. Hmmmm.... I peeked open one eye to look and they were doing the treatment on me and I didn't even feel it!!!! How could this be??? The concept works like accupressure, using the pressure points in your body that make your brain release more of the hormones that make you feel good. With just a tiny bit of pressure with the laser wand, the did my hands, my wrists, around my nose, in the middle of my forehead, inside my ears. It didn't burn, didn't hurt, and was very relaxing. I was amazed!


Jim Jernigan receiving a Laser Solutions treatment from Carolin Allie and Maggie Doeve

20 minutes later the session was over. Usually I would have had to duck out to some hot, muggy, uncomfortable area for a cigarette in that amount of time. But I felt great! I didn't need a cigarette! I felt clean! I know that sounds weird and probably you think I read it in Ripley's Believe It or Not, but it's true!

As I was leaving they gave me a CD to listen to when I felt the need for a cigarette (a smooth voiced gentleman telling me that I don't want one); a squeezable rubber STOP sign to squeeze when the urge hit me, and a surprising invitation to come back ANY TIME I felt overwhelmed.

Wait. Did they really just say that??? For a one time price (less than a month's worth of my cigarettes), I could come back as often as I felt I needed??? Oh, I thought, they are gonna go broke on me, because I'll be back every hour!

Nope. Didn't happen. I got in the car to leave. My old brain would have said, "start the ignition, light a cigarette." My NEW brain said, "start the ignition, light a stick of incense." I did. It worked.

I got home. Previously before going for treatment I had cleared out all the ashtrays, loaded up on candles and incense. I was astounded when I walked into my house and could actually SMELL the cigarettes. I never smelled it before. The treatment was starting to work already! Amazing!

I went into a cleaning frenzy, scrubbing all the nicotine off the ceiling fans, my tv screen, my curtains, blinds, washing all my clothes (they all STUNK!). Even when I opened my filing cabinets the paperwork stunk of cigarettes. I put fabric softner sheets in them, and the smell was gone. For two days I cleaned and felt GREAT.

Surprising to me was the fact that I had NO NICOTINE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS. Seriously!!!!!!

However, four days later I was feeling weak minded. My brain was trying to play tricks on me. "Oh come on, you can have just ONE." Uh oh, I called and they said come right in! I got another treatment, and in just 20 minutes all those wonderful hormones that make you feel good were flooding my brain and the urge was gone. Endorphins, Serotonin, Dopamine, and Norepinephrine, all being created NATURALLY in my brain. When these chemicals are re-introduced into the body it makes it easier to cope with the addiction, withdrawal symptoms, and cravings that arise from giving up nicotine. I'm am in awe. I am amazed. I am telling everyone I know.

A very nice side effect of the treatment is that when I eat, I feel full after a couple of bites (no weight gain!). My anxiety level has decreased immensely. My energy level is amazing. I am sleeping better. My house smells good.

O.K., I confess, one day I slipped. About two weeks after the first treatment, my friend came over after work. It has always been our nightly routine when she comes to sit, relax, talk about our day and smoke. Not even thinking, I lit up. EWWWWWWWW! Oh Ick!!!! It tasted HORRIBLE! It made me sick to my stomach! I got a splitting headache! I felt nauseous and my stomach burned. I couldn't breathe. I smashed the cigarette into the ashtray after two puffs.

That was the beginning of my behavior modification. I realized my urges are from HABIT, no longer from nicotine withdrawal. I am finding other things to do when I answer the phone, get in the car, visit with friends, deal with stress, have a glass of wine. None of them have anything to do with lighting a cigarette.

I've got to tell you that this is a continuing saga. There are way more advantages to the Laser Solutions treatment than just stopping smoking. Next month I will tell you about their treatments for PMS, Post-Menopause treatments, Restless Leg Syndrome, Depression, unexplained pain, and more.

YOU HAVE NO MORE EXCUSES. Call them TODAY! Stop Smoking TODAY! Laser Solutions 4016 Edgewater Dr. (corner of Hunter across from St. Charles School) Orlando, Fl 32804 (407) 964-1326 www.NewLaserSolutions.com

 

How Laser Therapy Works:
Laser therapy for smoking cessation is a well-established technique, having been used in Europe for over 20 years. It has only been in the U.S. a few years, but it is already becoming the most popular method for smoking cessation.

It is drug free, pain free, non-invasive and unlike other methods, there are no harmful side effects. Laser Solutions uses a computer controlled, F.D.A. cleared, class 3B laser, to stimulate specific points on the ear, face, hands and wrists relating to addiction. When you stop smoking, a sudden drop in endorphin levels lead to withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, irritability and depression. The laser treatment protocol is to stimulate the release of the body’s natural “feel good” chemicals, which can help eliminate the withdrawal symptoms associated with smoking cessation. When the brain is stimulated to produce and release these chemicals naturally into the body, it makes it easier to cope with the addiction, withdrawal symptoms and cravings that arise from giving up nicotine. This allows the body to rid itself of the nicotine without experiencing the symptoms of physical withdrawal.

Nicotine Addiction

Nicotine addiction is a treatable disease and need not be a life sentence.

Combine a drug whose physical addictive power is comparable to cocaine with the social and mental aspects of cigarette smoking and what you end up with is an addiction that is extremely difficult to overcome alone. At Laser Solutions, they understand the mental and physical challenges that you will have to overcome on your road to success. Quitting takes an extraordinary amount of determination and willpower. But never underestimate support and knowledge.

If you are serious about quitting for the last time, let them help you. They will utilize laser therapy to help you overcome withdrawal symptoms such as craving, irritability, anxiety and fatigue. But most importantly, they will arm you with the tools you need to fight your battle with your brain and we will be there for you for as long as it takes.

Have you tried: Hypnosis, Prescription Drugs, and Experimental Shots, Magnets, Patches, Gum or any other Nicotine Replacement Therapy?
AND STILL SMOKE?

Their slogan is, “Stop Smoking In One Hour.” I thought, oh yeah. Right. Not possible. In reality, it only took 20 minutes!!!! I know, unbelievable!!!!