![\"\"](\"https:\/\/westorlandonews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AirForceVeteranJohnSchultz.jpg\")
<\/a>\u201cShe told me flat out that my smoking was one of the biggest factors affecting my heart,\u201d Schultz said. \u201cShe set me up with the VA\u2019s quit-smoking program and introduced me to Dr. Wolf and the pharmacist. I didn\u2019t really have a choice, and I\u2019m glad I didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\nSchultz, who served 20 years in the Air Force from 1975 to 1995, had smoked for more than five decades. He had tried to quit twice before, only to relapse. This time, he was determined to make it permanent. With the help of Dr. Laurie Wolf, the Orlando VA\u2019s Tobacco Use Treatment Lead Clinician, and the support of his family, Schultz chose May 4, 2025, as his quit date.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to roll my own cigarettes and kept the last few in a Tupperware container,\u201d he said. \u201cNow, I look at them every day and think, you\u2019re not going to touch those again. I also watched my oxygen levels go from the low 80s into the 90s. That was proof my body was healing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The changes were immediate and meaningful. Schultz noticed he could breathe easier, walk farther, and spend time with loved ones without having to step away for a smoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s one hundred percent positive,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t have my wife or daughter telling me I smell like smoke. I don\u2019t have to leave the table when everyone else is enjoying themselves. It feels good.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Dr. Wolf, Schultz\u2019s story represents more than a clinical success; it echoes a deeply personal loss that continues to shape her mission. Earlier this year, her brother, who had smoked since high school, passed away suddenly from a heart attack at just 51 years old. He had been working to make healthier changes but had not yet been ready to quit smoking.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019d told me once that he knew smoking would catch up with him someday,\u201d Dr. Wolf said. \u201cWe all thought that day would be far away and would come with treatment options. Losing him has taken the meaning of this work to a new level. When I see a Veteran make changes to tobacco use, I feel hope that they have the chance at life my brother didn\u2019t have and that another family will be spared the pain of such a loss.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Wolf sees in Schultz the chance to take control before it was too late. \u201cQuitting tobacco is one of the most beneficial things people can do to improve their health,\u201d she said. \u201cHealth benefits begin within days, and the improvements keep building over time. It\u2019s never too late to quit.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Orlando VA\u2019s approach focuses on accessibility and partnership. Veterans can attend Tobacco Use Treatment 101, a one-time education class held twice monthly over video. The program reviews medication options such as nicotine replacement and prescription therapies, along with behavioral coaching to help Veterans build motivation and change habits to take charge of tobacco. Veterans can enroll without a provider\u2019s order by contacting any Orlando VA scheduler or care team member.<\/p>\n
For Schultz, that partnership made all the difference. \u201cThe VA support was incredible,\u201d he said. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to disappoint my wife, my daughters, or my care team. I\u2019m proud of where I am now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Wolf hopes more Veterans will take the same step that Schultz did to protect their hearts and their futures. \u201cFind your why,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s no perfect timeline or method, just a commitment to yourself and your health. We\u2019re here to help.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schultz agrees. \u201cListen to your doctor,\u201d he said. \u201cThey know what\u2019s best for you. I wish I had done this 20 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Veterans interested in quitting tobacco can ask any Orlando VA team member about Tobacco Use Treatment 101, or visit https:\/\/www.mentalhealth.va.gov\/quit-tobacco\/gaso\/index.asp<\/a> or smokefree.gov\/veterans<\/a> for more resources.<\/p>\n PHOTO: Air Force Veteran John Schultz smiles as he reflects on how far he has come since quitting smoking and taking back control of his health. <\/p>\n Hansraj Raghunandan is the Public Affairs Specialist for Orlando VA Healthcare System<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Great American Smokeout (GASO) returned on November 20th, a day dedicated to promoting education, treatment, and resources…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":82823,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[21835,45875,45876,45877,45878,139,141,140,45879,45880,7029,2007,24366,13469],"class_list":["post-82822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-air-force","tag-gaso","tag-great-american-smokeout","tag-john-schultz","tag-laurie-wolf","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news","tag-smokeout","tag-smoking","tag-tobacco","tag-treatment","tag-va","tag-veteran"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82822"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82822\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}