Aloha all,

I'm relatively new to this site and have just started my VSG journey, so I thought this might be a good first post. I've completed the informational session and have my initial consultation and NUT appointments at the end of March. According to the nurse at the info session, this doctor requires a minimum of two months nicotine-free (using the honor system) in order to be eligible for surgery. Due to some scheduling coordination issues, I plan to have the VSG in July, so I've got plenty of time to quit and still have two months before the surgery.

My question to you fine folks is this: is anyone else in this same position? Anyone trying to quit? I'm on my third quit attempt in four days, and each time I tell myself it'll be my last. I've read through all of Allen Carr's Stop Smoking the EASYWay as well as a lot of articles on whyquit.com. Despite all of this intellectual knowledge, I'm still finding it incredibly difficult to quit. I think right now I'm a victim of what the website calls "cue-induced cravings", and I'm trying my best to overcome them.

So, anyone else trying to quit and succeeding? Or trying to quit and need someone to chat with? I'm open to discussing our journeys here or via private messaging. Just wanting to throw the topic out there and see what others are experiencing.

--Josh

Your stronger than I. I would have said "yeah, you don't look that addicted. You should just smoke less and breath more." You can't understand someone else's addiction unless you are willing to confront your own. Not that I'm bitter. Lol

Haha...I'll have to remember that one for next time. And no, I don't think you're bitter at all! Lol

I have quit smoking for 1 month I did smoke initially for the first 2 week but hardly 10. However I use to smoke at least 20 per day. No more craving for it after sleeve..... I m going to treat myself for hair loss and then skin rejuvenation by platelet rich plasma treatment. Being a plastic surgeon is awesome. Thumbs up

I'm having a really rough time quitting smoking ! My sleeve date is July 29 2016. A few weeks. Going to try again tomorrow ! Any advise?

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Edited July 3, 201610 yr by SusieQ63

SusieQ63,

As of this writing, I'm now 859 days nicotine-free! It was hard at first, as evidenced by my posts around that time. Especially when I had a stressful situation. But I took it one minute, hour, day, week, month at a time and here I am. You're not going to be able to avoid triggers, but you have to figure out a way to manage them without turning to smoking.

I ended up reading the Alan Carr book (I forgot the name) for motivation on how to approach quitting. That helped get me in the mind frame. Aside from that, it was just "cold turkey".

I'd encourage you to quit as soon as you can. You know how smoking affects your appetite, and I'm sure you know it also affects your ability to have (and quality of) bowel movements. Both of those will really hinder your recovery, so please start now. My surgeon mandated two months of being smoke-free before he'd operate for those reasons as well as to speed overall recovery, so I'd recommend you get started now. I'd hate for you to go through the surgery only to have your recovery hindered.

@hawaii_josh you rock !!!!!