has anyone had problems stopping? I'm having problems stopping.I have gone from a 30 plus a day habit to a single puff but i just cant seem to stop altogether.Are you tested pre surgery?:cursing:

I don't have cigs in my house but I do have friends and family who smoke.

I didn't stop for surgery, I didn't want to give up food & smoking at once.. luckily, my doc didn't require me to give it up.

But I did have to quit recently due to pregnancy, and I have to say.. I've always been terrified of quitting, much like you're saying.. if I knew I could have one 'later on' I was ok, and I'd have the one later on.. but when I finally stopped getting them and said "No more", it was oddly easy. I keep thinking this book I read brainwashed me. I never had withdrawals or anything, smoking turned into just.. like wanting a dessert. I never have to have it, I may want it sometimes, but it's not enough to make me buckle.. I just say no.. and things I learned in the book helped *ways of looking at it*.

It's called "The Easy Way To Stop Smoking" by Allenn Carr. Friend let me borrow it, and I really think it did brain wash me lol. Couldn't hurt to read.. it even says, don't stop just because you're reading the book, just read the book.

My surgeon does some sort of test pre-op to be certain smokers have quit. I cannot tell you much more than that as I quit several years ago. But in the pre-op seminar and support groups I went to, it came up and he said he would cancel anyone who did not quit.

Your surgeon may be different, this is my experience with my surgeon.

Denise

Hehehe...I quit smoking a few years ago, and when I met with my surgeon for the first time, he told me that I could never smoke again. The first thing I did when I left the office was buy a pack of cigarettes! I'm so defiant!

Anyway, I'm hoping it will be all out of my system before I have the blood test done.

I'm sure it depends on the doctor, but mine did say that he does test pre-surgery.

I have been smoke free for 4 months now.. But, I still get the urge to want to smoke.. I did have one mess up and I bought a pack smoked one out of it then gave them away.. I didn't want them after that one cigarette. It's hard!! I noticed I started eating more to curb the smoking.. Now I am trying to stop that.. I haven't got a date yet just waiting on the approval and date..

Hang on! I am looking into LapBand in Mexico...You have to quit smoking before you have this surgery??

I had to quit for the surgery as well or my surgeon would cancel and they make you sign an agreement that you would quit and that they would test you for nicotine and cancel surgery if you had it in your system. My mother died from complications of COPD from years of smoking and I was sounding a lot like her so I had a double reason for quitting. I quit in February of 2008 and can honestly say that I have no desire to smoke again. I used the prescription Chantix for about 2 weeks and did'nt like the side effects so I basically did it on my own. You have to stop altogether, not even a puff and once you get past the two week mark it bets much easier. You will have enough metabolic changes in your body after surgery that you don't want another one with quitting, so I would do it before surgery and get your body used to being smoke free, it takes about 3-4 months for the metabolism to stabilize after quitting (my doctor told me this is why the weight gain after quitting, but it eventually evens out). Hope this helps! Think of it - THIN AND SMOKE FREE IN A YEAR:tt1:!!!

Like Granny..., my surgeon told me that if he found nicotine in my system he would not do the surgery. I'm sure it probably depends on the dotor...but I guess it's not all bad. It's one way to make us quit, or at least quick before surgery...LOL.

It seems easier for me to quit smoking than quitting solids. I decided on my own to quit smoking 4 days ago when a cardiologist doing my clearance for surgery found Hypertension...I am due for LB surgery on Tuesday.

My regular doc told me my anesthesiologist will thank me for quitting as she said anesthesia works quicker and better with smoke free lungs? My cardiologist said I should clear out my lungs before surgery. I think they know we are not the type to easily scare.