Smoking

[CyclicalLoser 155]

Everybody has different levels of addiction, but I smoked for 3 years and was instantly hooked. I got up to 2/3 or a pack a day. I quit long before surgery, and I don't want to say I quit cold turkey, but I didn't use any tools other than my wallet. Essentially if I got the urge, I would go out, buy a pack, smoke one, and then throw them out. Sometimes I would even tear them up in angst. This was very expensive, and it really helped me quit...but...

For me, there were certain behaviors associated with smoking. After I drove to work, I would smoke a cig in my car. At lunch I would do the same, sometimes twice. After driving home, smoke. After dinner, smoke. When I worked on my car, a cig was a "victory" for taking a part off, and another for putting it back on.

I had to adjust things. As soon as I parked my car, I had to practically jump out of it like it was on fire. Sitting there felt stupid and made the urges incredible. Working on cars, well, I work all the way through, and when I'm done, I now have a Vitamin Water and call it a day.

But the real reason is to stop for the health reasons. I'm sure you getting this surgery is at least partially because of the health benefits (For me it was 100% why, but I know some people also do it for looks). So tell yourself if you're willing to go through the surgery for health, then you can simply not put a cigarette in your mouth and light it!

If you think you need to "transfer" your addiction, then you could look into something like tea, coffee, expresso, sugar free gum (If your surgeon will allow it), or something else that is healthy.

[dathvick 150]

9 hours ago, Twism44 said:

How often are you having a cigar? Are they causing you any problems?

I am not the same person that posted earlier about smoking a cigar but thought I would chime in.

Everyone is different and every situation is different, what might work for one might not work for anyone else. I smoke a quality (not a gas station bought) cigar about every night. I also have my cigar with either a glass of whiskey or rum. I am in really good shape and have done very well after my surgery. I actually ran my 2nd 5K yesterday (my first one was back in May) and finished 3rd in my age group.

Clearly the cigar smoking is not slowing me down at all.

[insta_adventurer 1,046]

On 10/07/2018 at 00:56, CyclicalLoser said:

Everybody has different levels of addiction, but I smoked for 3 years and was instantly hooked. I got up to 2/3 or a pack a day. I quit long before surgery, and I don't want to say I quit cold turkey, but I didn't use any tools other than my wallet. Essentially if I got the urge, I would go out, buy a pack, smoke one, and then throw them out. Sometimes I would even tear them up in angst. This was very expensive, and it really helped me quit...but...

For me, there were certain behaviors associated with smoking. After I drove to work, I would smoke a cig in my car. At lunch I would do the same, sometimes twice. After driving home, smoke. After dinner, smoke. When I worked on my car, a cig was a "victory" for taking a part off, and another for putting it back on.

I had to adjust things. As soon as I parked my car, I had to practically jump out of it like it was on fire. Sitting there felt stupid and made the urges incredible. Working on cars, well, I work all the way through, and when I'm done, I now have a Vitamin Water and call it a day.

But the real reason is to stop for the health reasons. I'm sure you getting this surgery is at least partially because of the health benefits (For me it was 100% why, but I know some people also do it for looks). So tell yourself if you're willing to go through the surgery for health, then you can simply not put a cigarette in your mouth and light it!

If you think you need to "transfer" your addiction, then you could look into something like tea, coffee, expresso, sugar free gum (If your surgeon will allow it), or something else that is healthy.

I was so worried about transfer addictions after surgery.. but thankfully- I’m now 10 months smoke free. I know if I make it a year, statistically the odds of me starting again go down drastically.

I hope it worked out for the OP!

[Matt Z 4,139]

On 10/6/2018 at 10:00 PM, Twism44 said:

How often are you having a cigar? Are they causing you any problems?

I smoke when I want to... like this past weekend I went camping and had 3 or 4 of them over the course of 2 days.. Zero issues.

[mousecat88 2,279]

I smoked a few cigarettes a day for about 10 years and quit several months ago. Within a week of quitting, your lungs feel SO MUCH BETTER. I used to wheeze walking upstairs, thinking it was due to my weight... nope. Now I can sprint up steps and not be out of breath at all (and I am still pre-op). You really have no clue how much it affects them until they start healing themselves. Now, on rare occasion, I will have one cigarette if I am out with friends and I immediately feel wheezy and awful. Good luck to you!

[lablover1019 0]

I had my RNY in 2007. I am a CST, Certified Surgical Technologist in the OR. I work with several baratric surgeons who tell me You MUST Quit Smoking!!! I have seen some pretty nasty Ulcers post op even years and years later caused by Smoking!!

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