Ok... I'm a smoker! I will be having surgery sometime in August. Not sure yet of the exact date though. But at the seminar everyone was advised to quit smoking at least a month before surgery. So now is the time to quit my nasty stinky habit! I know it will be hard. The only time I tried to quit and it was somewhat easy was when I was pregnant. Every other time I failed. When I was pregnant I did it for a healthy baby, but now I need to do it for a healthy me and for my future with my kids.

I've tried the patch once before but that made me have crazy dreams. Has anyone tried anything else like the gum? I quit cold turkey when I was pregnant and hope to do it again. But if I need help then that's fine too. I'm going home for the holiday weekend and will be around family that doesn't know about my smoking. So this will be a good time to stop! I want to quit and never start again! Any advice would be appreciated! Wish me luck!

I used the patch for about a month maybe, then it was cold turkey. I also lived on this website, it literally saved me on more than one occasion. There is alot of information, forums, chat and the best thing is there is a gadget that tracks your quit for you and you can sit and watch it go up. The gadget kept me going, I would look at it and think to myself it's just not worth losing my progress so far.

Now if I could only find a gadget like that for Cookies and crackers not eaten!!!

Another thing I did was I actually quit on Christmas day and I made that a gift to my kids...that way I couldn't start again, I would be taking away a gift! It will be 5 years this Christmas.

Here are the stats from my gadget:

1648 days, 20 hours, 17 minutes and 51 seconds smoke free.

65954 cigarettes not smoked. $13,184.00 and 16 months, 23 days, 19 hours of your life saved.

Your quit date: 12/25/2005 2:00:00 AM

I quit 2 years ago after smoking for 25 years. The 2 tools that helped me finally do it, was a prescription pill called Chantix, and a book titled The Easy Way to Quit Smoking. The Chantix helps to make you forget about smoking as it blocks your pleasure sensors to the nicotine. You actually take it while still smoking. The book helped by teaching you to be joyous about quitting instead of deprived, and that it's an emotional addiction and not just a physical one. Kind of ironic, but quitting smoking is what led me to getting the sleeve because I gained so much weight that year. I hope you are successful. I'm still extremely proud that I finally did it and now I don't even think about it, ever...it's such a freedom to be unchained from it. Good luck to you.

I'm quitting smoking too. Might as well do it now rather than later. I'm still in the smoking stage using Chantix but am confident this is going to do the trick. I've tried every other method out there. You're right...it IS hard but I must say it is one of the things I regret the most...starting smoking.

Best of luck with your smoking cessation!

Chantix..... I never thought I'd be able to quit, but it was a piece of cake with this miracle drug. I haven't looked back since!

Thanks everyone for the advice! I've been busy today cleaning and packing to get ready for my trip so I've been busy. When it crosses my mind I just start another task and stay busy. About 2 more hrs. and I will be on the road. I CAN do this, I HAVE to do this!

:thumbup:

Chantix..... I never thought I'd be able to quit, but it was a piece of cake with this miracle drug. I haven't looked back since!

I've heard this from several people now. Before my problem was that I was not wholey committed to quitting. I used it as a stress reliever instead of food. I'm thinking of taking up knitting or something, lol, in order to relieve that stress since I won't have cigs or food to rely on after July 16!

:thumbup1:

I've heard this from several people now. Before my problem was that I was not wholey committed to quitting. I used it as a stress reliever instead of food. I'm thinking of taking up knitting or something, lol, in order to relieve that stress since I won't have cigs or food to rely on after July 16!

Funny that you mention knitting... thats exactly what I took up when I quit! LOL Try it, its not so bad :thumbup:

i'm what people consider a social smoker, but i admit i am addicted to it.....even though i only smoke on the weekends or at a social event. i say that i can quit whenever i want, but then i fail.....thanks for your advice i will be sure to get the book and try to get the pill.

I also used Chantix to quit smoking. It really was a miracle drug for me. I only took half the recommended dose due to sleep issues but it still was enough to get a long term (30+ years) 1.5 pack/day smoker like me to quit. I quit about 2.5 months before surgery and I can tell you that it so helped with my recovery. My lungs took a big hit from the anesethia and I don't think I would have done as well if I had still been smoking. Also in the first few weeks to months after surgery just the thought of smoking with my tender new stomach was enough to make me gag. Good luck to those who want to quit.

Frankie

VSG 3/22/10

Hello from Toronto!

I understand 100%. I was a smoker, quit LAST SUNDAY! I've been a smoker for 20 years, but have only been smoking 12-15 cigs a day for the last 10 years. I quit because it was time, and this was punctuated by my surgery date on the 15th of July. My Dr. wanted me to quit 2 weeks before surgery.

I have quit in the past, about 7 years ago, but stressful events in my life had me returning to the nasty habit! I had quit for 6 months, a real shame to return after that period of time.

Alas, we move on, and try, try again! My quitting this time is part of my overall change of attitude! I want to get healthy, so I can play with my children, and feel good physically again! It's a lifesyle choice, and I am now chosing to control my habits, like smoking and eating and lack of exercise, rather than letting them control me! It's rather empowering me...and I'm feeling like I'm taking back my life, step by step.

I'm using the patch, and it's working well. Try taking it off about 15 minutes before bed...the dreams and restlessness should stop...

Stay strong, and breathe deeply everytime the urge creeps up on you...seems to be working for me. Staying away from "triggers" like coffee, alcohol ect is important.

I KNOW you can do this....

Best of luck!

I welcome myself to the quitters thread. I smoked most of my life, for at least 30 + years. Because I'm having surgery on July 6th, I have been working on seriously quitting for the past week. Determined not to buy any more cigs and I'll be out of them today. I'm reading The Easy Way for Women to Quit Smoking and it is really helping me, I'm supposed to finish the book today and tomorrow I'm going to place the nicotine patch on and just do it. I recommend the book to anybody that struggles quitting smoking because of the different approach that it contains. Good luck to all the quitters and good luck on you upcoming surgeries. Gloria

So nice to not feel so isolated in this...thanks everyone and keep up the hard fight of becoming independent from nicotine. We can all do this!

Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking.

Perfection. If you can get to a seminar, great. If not, read the book and see a hypnotist for good measure.

Quitting smoking is not physically hard. It's the brainwashing that is hard to eradicate. THE MOST important thing to realize is that smoking does NOTHING for you. It doesn't relieve stress when you're stressed, it doesn't calm you down, it doesn't give you any benefit whatsoever. Once you genuinely believe that, it is the most simple thing to never pick a cigarette up again.

Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking.

Perfection. If you can get to a seminar, great. If not, read the book and see a hypnotist for good measure.

Quitting smoking is not physically hard. It's the brainwashing that is hard to eradicate. THE MOST important thing to realize is that smoking does NOTHING for you. It doesn't relieve stress when you're stressed, it doesn't calm you down, it doesn't give you any benefit whatsoever. Once you genuinely believe that, it is the most simple thing to never pick a cigarette up again.

Yes, I totally agree with you, the book is fantastic. I'm almost done with it and I find it the best approach to quit smoking for good. I recommend it to anyone.

I quit 2 weeks before my surgery. So, I am 6 weeks smoke free. I tried the patch but I had an allergic reaction to the adhesive. So, I just went cold turkey. It sucked but, I did it! I am so happy that I quit. I wish you the best of luck, you CAN do it.