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Quit smoking with free smoking cessation classes at Piedmont Newton
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COVINGTON, Ga. - There is good news for the estimated 68 percent of adult smokers who report wanting to quit; Piedmont Newton Hospital now offers a free smoking cessation program called Freshstart™ to help those that want to quit smoking develop a plan for success.  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 34.3 million Americans smoke and more than 16 million people in the United States are living with a smoking-related disease. Illnesses related to smoking cost more than $300 billion each year in medical care and lost productivity. 

“Piedmont Newton Hospital is offering a free, group-based smoking cessation program called Freshstart™,” said Brandy Smith, director of respiratory therapy at Piedmont Newton. “The two-week class provides crucial information on how to develop a quit plan, as well as teaches skills for coping with cravings.” 

Cigarette smoking is responsible for about one in five deaths in the United States each year. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, many of which cause cancer and other health problems and diseases. Since smoking effects almost every organ, those who stop smoking greatly reduce the risk of diseases and even early death. 

“People who stop smoking at an early age receive many health benefits,” said Smith. “However, you are never too old to quit and there are benefits at any age.” 

Some of the benefits associated with quitting include:

  • A lowered risk for lung cancer and many other types of cancer.
  • A reduced risk for heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and other vascular diseases.
  • Reduced respiratory problems and symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. 
  • A lowered risk of developing lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema. 

The Freshstart™ program uses face-to-face group support sessions to teach motivational intervention activities, give social support, and educate about medication and approaches to quitting. Certified facilitators for the program, developed and offered by the American Cancer Society, use evidence-based approaches to helping participants make a successful quit attempt. 

The Freshstart classes at Piedmont Newton Hospital will start Tuesday, March 5. Each class is held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the hospital’s Physician Pavilion Auditorium (basement level). There is no charge for the class; however, registration is required. To register, go to piedmont.org and click on ‘patients & visitors’ and then classes and events. You can search by hospital or for the key term ‘Freshstart’. You can also register by calling 877-527-3712. 

Oxford woman shares experience battling colon cancer
Leni Longino
Leni Longino - photo by Contributed Photo

Leni Longino never missed work as a customer service representative. That is until searing abdominal pain prompted her to go to the emergency room at Piedmont Newton Hospital one Friday last August.

She had had a few signs something was wrong in the months leading up to the ER visit. For example, her energy was so low that she would sometimes have to use her lunch break for a nap. But hearing the diagnosis at age 46 of colon cancer that had metastasized to her liver still shocked Longino.

“When I was in the emergency room with my friend, who had come to sit with me, I just looked at her and said, ‘Well, that’s a game changer!’” The face of the typical colon cancer patient is changing. According to the American Cancer Society, the rate of people being diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer under age 50 went up almost 2.5% per year between 2012 and 2021. Current guidance from the organization is for people at average risk for colon cancer to start regular screenings at age 45. But people with colorectal cancer in their family or people with a personal history of certain bowel-related conditions may want to start screening earlier.

“Screening guidelines from professional medical organizations are not as clear-cut for people with risk factors for colorectal cancer,” said gastroenterologist Michael Cheng, M.D., with Piedmont Physicians Gastroenterology Newton. “They are best interpreted for any individual by their doctor.”

Longino regrets that her first colonoscopy with Dr. Cheng was when she came to the ER. She said she does have a family history of cancer.

“No one wants to have a colonoscopy, but it’s really not that bad,” she said. “It’s worth it in the long run to not be sick.”

Her younger sisters took her advice and got colonoscopies, which confirmed they do not have cancer.

Longino just finished her 11th round of chemotherapy. She is winding down on infusions and will soon only need the chemotherapy given through a take-home pump. She has come to enjoy the team of nurses at Piedmont Newton.

“The infusion nurses are fantastic. That whole group over there is just a joy,” she said. “I’m so happy to not have to do that [sit for infusions], but I’m going to miss them!”

Radiation is up next. Once that is complete, Piedmont Clinic physician Evan Feldman, M.D., will perform surgery at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital to remove the mass in Longino’s colon.

Longino credits her positive attitude for getting to this point. One thing she is positive about: the access she has had to quality cancer care close to home. Piedmont Newton is just a five-minute drive from where she lives in Oxford, Ga.

“I have to go to Atlanta occasionally. I can’t imagine having to do that every time. It would be a nightmare,” she said.

Longino’s treatment progress is evident to her from the positive difference in how she feels after an infusion. There were times early on when she needed a wheelchair to leave Piedmont Newton. “Now I just be-bop out of there like ‘See you on Thursday,’” she said.

Her oncologist, Shanker Polsani, M.D., with Piedmont Physicians Medical Oncology Newton, seems pleased too.

“[Dr. Polsani] doesn’t sugar coat things,” Longino explained. “I can tell that he’s excited by my progress, and that helps me feel optimistic.”

On Saturday, April 26, Piedmont Newton is holding a benefit concert to support oncology services and programs at the hospital for patients like Leni Longino. Everyone is welcome and tickets can be purchased at give.piedmont.org/newtonconcert.