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» A AMC MAGA Z I N E | W I N T E R 2 014
Retired police officer Andy Baum had tried everything—from the
nicotine patch to hypnosis. Still, after 50 years of smoking two
packs of cigarettes a day, he hadn’t managed to kick the habit.
Better Together
A Little Help
Goes a Long Way
“Nothing worked,” says the 62-year-old
Edgewater resident. “But I knew I had to
stop before it was too late.”
Because of his long history of
smoking, Andy’s primary care physician
recommended him for AAMC’s lung
screening program for patients who have
a high risk of developing lung cancer.
The low-dose computed tomography
(CT) Scan Andy received is two-and-
a-half times more effective at detecting
early stage lung cancer than traditional
x-rays. “I felt lucky that the screening
was clear, and I thought if I don’t quit
smoking now, I’m just killing myself,”
Andy says.
Andy contacted smoking cessation
nurse Joanne Ebner but just one day
before their scheduled meeting, Andy
ended up in the emergency room
unable to breathe and subsequently
had a four-day hospital stay. Joanne
paid him a visit in the hospital, but the
experience had convinced Andy he could
quit on his own.
“This really scared me, and I thought
“You’ve got to do it. Life’s too short to
be killing yourself with cigarettes.”
—Andy Baum
With the help of smoking cessation nurse
Joanne Ebner, Andy Baum was finally
able to quit smoking for good.
