Carolyne’s story

PROFILE of 52-year-old Carolyne Miller, lung cancer patient

Carolyne had her first drag of a cigarette when she was 14, by the time she was 16 she was a ‘smoker’.

Carolyne tried to quit numerous times over the years. One qutting attempt lasted for 6 years from 1994 – 2000.

In 2000 a friend asked Carolyne to light their cigarette and from that day on she was back to being a pack-a-day smoker.

In 2003 Carolyne needed to have chest x-ray prior to having elective surgery. The chest x-ray results devastated Carolyne – they came back showing she had non-small cell lung cancer and she was told the affected lung had to be removed.

Carolyne was shocked beacuse she had not one warning sign – no cough, no pain, no nothing.

Carolyne had her lung removed and underwent extensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment.

“I appeal to all women to look at me as a real life example of the devastating impact of smoking. Please don’t wait a moment longer to quit, it could be too late,”

“I only wish sophisticated anti-smoking campaigns such as Lady Killer were around when I was young. At the time I started smoking it was promoted as a glamorous thing to do. That image is a lie. The only thing that is really true about smoking is that it makes you ill, it makes you addicted and it has far reaching effects on your family,” Mrs Miller said.

“This campaign could be called the Silent Lady Killer as, like Jenny in the ad, I had no signs or symptoms of lung cancer before I was diagnosed,” said Mrs Miller.

“My message to female smokers couldn’t be more clear, quit before you have a chance to regret you never did,” said 52-year-old Mrs Miller.