COLIN Nolan has opened up about the huge lifestyle changes he made after suffering a health emergency.
The Loose Wives star, 58, quit smoking after four decades of smoking when she developed a dreaded chest infection.
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He often struggled to breathe and became certain he would die in a particularly bad episode this winter.
Colin told the Mirror: 'I literally couldn't walk a few feet without stopping to catch my breath.
“It was the worst cold ever. A day later, our heat guy, Lee, insisted on taking me to the doctor and put me on antibiotics.
“I was a normal wife and mother, I always said I was going to be okay.”
Despite the medication, his condition worsened.
The situation came to a head when the ITV panellist met her partner Michael in a hotel one night in December and found herself unable to speak due to a narrowed airway.
She added: 'When we got in the lift and walked a few steps to our room I was gasping and trying to say I couldn't breathe.
“I had a massive panic attack and the more stressed I got and the more I cried, the less I could breathe.
“I really thought, 'I'm going to die in my hotel room, away from home.'” It was really scary.
“All of it took two minutes, but it felt like an hour.”
After the incident, Colin made an emergency appointment with his doctor at home.
There he was told that if he continued to smoke, he might develop COPD or emphysema.
The news is a shock to the system as he wants to be as healthy as possible to spend time with his children.
She was sent for X-rays and blood tests and convinced herself that she already had lung cancer or COPD.
“When I went back to get the results and they said my X-ray was clear, it was a huge relief,” she said.
“My chest will probably never recover, but hopefully leaving it means it won't get any worse. I felt the universe saying, 'This is your last chance.'”
Colin has now been smoking for 12 weeks, which was a heroic effort for him as he has been smoking 35 cigarettes a day since he was 12 years old.
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