Any smokers out there?

[juliegeraci 7]

I smoke and I smoked during my surgery. It had no adverse reaction. I want to quit though and I say that to myself every day.

[angelburch 0]

I'm smoke free for 22 days today. My doctor won't perform my surgery until I've been off the cigarettes for at least 4 weeks. The first time I "quit" -- it lasted for 3 1/2 years. Then one day I was under a lot of stress and decided "just one will be okay" -- that was 3 years ago, and now I know that "just one" will NEVER BE OKAY. I had gotten to where I would go weeks without thinking about them. It seems that all that hard work went down the tubes. Well, now I'm back to being smoke free . . . and it's just as hard as the first time. I'm on the patch, and that has helped tremendously.

Some doctor's will do the surgery whether you smoke or not, and others won't. I do know that smoking will make the healing process slower, and it can cause complications with the surgery (excessive bleeding). I was on the road to quitting, and this was just the "straw that broke the camels back" when it came to making up my mind. I'm glad I quit, and I'm glad I'm getting the band. Both of those things will make my life healthier and happier.

Good luck to you, I won't lie, it's going to be hard, but you can do it!

[j.s. 0]

My surgeon wouldnt do it unless I quit smoking. I used the patch, the first couple of days are bad but it got much easier as time went on. I was smoke-free for 9 months and then bam.... started again and it is just amazing at how quickly you are right back to the amount you were smoking before you quit....I will give it another shot one of these days. I was also told that smokers do not come out of the anesthesia as well so I guess if you are not going to quit, you should let them know - for your own saftey.

[lapbander081004 7]

I graduated from High Shool on June 9th 1968 and quit smoking Cigarettes on June 10th 68.

Went into the Milatary and took up a pipe. Was going to go back to Cigs but didn't want the enemy catching site of the red glow on end of cig so I started a pipe. Figured what the heck They'd never see the red glow at the bottom of the bowl from a plane.

Came home from Nam in 1972 in time to go to funeral of an uncle who died of tongue cancer and he smoked a pipe for 39 yrs. On way home from cemetery I rolled down car window and tossed out a beautiful pipe I had purchased in Hong Kong. Got stopped by a cop and issued for littering. Oh well.

Decided to take up cigars two years later and just before I got married my future wife told me that between farting and the damn cigars I could really stink up a room. So since farting is more natural and of cousre fun I gave up the cigars.

Everytime I get into a smoked filled room I really have to fight the urge but I have for all these years.

Bungy jumping, smoking, riding in car without seat belt and getting married can all end a man's live early. So far I survived smoking, no seat belt and 32 yrs of marriage. I WILL NEVER BUNGY JUMP.

[Northernsun 4]

As someone who tried to quit a few times and always went back to it, i think the reason we fail is because someone tells us to quit and we really don't want to. I didn't. I still don't after being smoke free for 1 yr 5 months and 4 days ( give or take!) I had the 2x4 upside the head with blood clots in both lungs and a 4 day hospital stay. Dr said smoke and die and after 4 days without, it seemed kind of silly to restart ( and die!). I did tell my dr i would start smoking again on my 90 th birthday and she told me to live a little and start on my 89th! Hopefully, by then i will no longer want to! My dh still smokes but is polite about it and doesn't smoke in the house or car and has cut down quite a bit. I can't say i don't miss smoking sometimes but most times i find the smell awful now. Good luck to all who are trying! Don't be too hard on yourselves it is possible!