Smoking

[hakunamatata_ca 0]

I was wondering about the smokers and what they did before or after surgury. I have smoked for so many years and plan to use this time to try and quit with the patch and nicorette. I hope for it to work but I also hear the healing time is longer when you smoke after.

[bignik 0]

I tried to quit , I was 40 regular a day , bad day somedays even 60 , disgusting isnt it , anyway pre op I tried to quit but only managed to get down to 10 regular a day and it was a struggle , my first op on 25th March until 4 days after 2nd op on 1st April I managed with none and really tried to keep but failed , , a few days I was back on 10 a day . a couple of weeks on Im on abou 15 - 20 a day and seem content , I have however changed from regular to lights hoping well perhaps if I can get nictoine intake down I can try cut back say 1 a day and get down to 10 lights a day and then try quitiing again.

Sadly I think Im having to concentrate on the band more and quitting smoking will have to take 2nd for a month or two until I get fully settled down with the band.

I wish you all the best and hope your will power is a lot better than mine , no easy task by any means sadly for me .... my love for a smoke is as great as my love for food.

Perhaps instead of the band I should just have gotten my lips stitched together LOL , that would have solved both problems at same time :wub:

[Jodi_620 37]

I was not to eat, drink or smoke after midnight before surgery. I had to be at the hospital at 6AM so I had my last cigarette at 9PM and went to bed.

I had hiatal hernia repair along with the surgery and my diaphragm was very weak for several days after surgery. I would get winded just walking across the room or talking in full sentences. It was not like the congested lung type of breathing issue, it felt more like if you could imagine, someone sitting on your stomach and you try to draw in air but can't. I just didn't have the strength it takes to draw in the smoke. But for the first 2-3 days I was zonked out from pain meds and didn't even think about it anyway. The third or fourth day I suddenly realized it had been days since I smoked but knew that I was still too weak to draw in smoke.

I knew that it takes approx. five days to get the nicotene out of your system. I had reached the five day mark and I realized that I would have been a fool to turn back at that point. I still wanted a cigarette but I did not "need" one.

In my 20 plus years of smoking and trying to quit I had never made it that long. All I had to do at that point was to combat the physical addiction which takes about 4-6 weeks and I would be smoke free. No, it is not easy but each day got a little easier and a little over a month later I was rarely even thinking about it anymore.

I have been smoke free for 10 months and two weeks now!

Edited April 15, 2009 by Jodi_620

[hakunamatata_ca 0]

I was not to eat, drink or smoke after midnight before surgery. I had to be at the hospital at 6AM so I had my last cigarette at 9PM and went to bed.

I had hiatal hernia repair along with the surgery and my diaphragm was very weak for several days after surgery. I would get winded just walking across the room or talking in full sentences. It was not like the congested lung type of breathing issue, it felt more like if you could imagine, someone sitting on your stomach and you try to draw in air but can't. I just didn't have the strength it takes to draw in the smoke. But for the first 2-3 days I was zonked out from pain meds and didn't even think about it anyway. The third or fourth day I suddenly realized it had been days since I smoked but knew that I was still too weak to draw in smoke.

I knew that it takes approx. five days to get the nicotene out of your system. I had reached the five day mark and I realized that I would have been a fool to turn back at that point. I still wanted a cigarette but I did not "need" one.

In my 20 plus years of smoking and trying to quit I had never made it that long. All I had to do at that point was to combat the physical addiction which takes about 4-6 weeks and I would be smoke free. No, it is not easy but each day got a little easier and a little over a month later I was rarely even thinking about it anymore.

I have been smoke free for 10 months and two weeks now!

Very nice on the quitting! Congrats!

You didn't use anything for help either.

I have stocked up on some nicorette and patch but don't have my head into quitting too much yet. I hope that changes.

I am hoping that with restriction on eating I won't be able to nibble as much if not smoking and using gum etc.

Congrats on reaching your BMI target too. I can't wait to get done April 27 - sleeve (VSG)

I have friends who have quit for 2 and 3 yrs and picked it up again - that is so discouraging.

My kids would be so happy if I quit - they hate it which I am glad they do. After 30+ yrs it's my crutch.

Good luck to you and WTG on your successes.

[hakunamatata_ca 0]

I tried to quit , I was 40 regular a day , bad day somedays even 60 , disgusting isnt it , anyway pre op I tried to quit but only managed to get down to 10 regular a day and it was a struggle , my first op on 25th March until 4 days after 2nd op on 1st April I managed with none and really tried to keep but failed , , a few days I was back on 10 a day . a couple of weeks on Im on abou 15 - 20 a day and seem content , I have however changed from regular to lights hoping well perhaps if I can get nictoine intake down I can try cut back say 1 a day and get down to 10 lights a day and then try quitiing again.

Sadly I think Im having to concentrate on the band more and quitting smoking will have to take 2nd for a month or two until I get fully settled down with the band.

I wish you all the best and hope your will power is a lot better than mine , no easy task by any means sadly for me .... my love for a smoke is as great as my love for food.

Perhaps instead of the band I should just have gotten my lips stitched together LOL , that would have solved both problems at same time :thumbup:

Thank you - I hope I have will power too - not so good in the past for sure. I love smoking in one way and it's my crutch for sure but also hate it in another way. Good luck with your band and I think the more attempts at quitting the more likely you will eventually succeed. I have the love for smoke and food too

[Jaffa 5]

Nicotine can really affect your bodies hydration level. Hydration level can make big changes in restriction for me. It is best to quit, just to be more predictable.

Nicotine Patches for some reason, really make things bad for my band restriction. It makes the restriction from morning to night change much more and is way frustrating.

Quit before and never look back, you will be much happier.

[Fanny Adams 7]

I used the Patches for 2 weeks prior to and 2 weeks following the surgery, on doctor's orders but had no intentions at the time of giving up long term. However, I discovered that the Patches had a double-whammy - they helped curb my appetite, even on the pre-op diet and it wasn't anywhere near as hard as I thought it was going to be.

I did slip back into smoking again but found I had cut down a lot (about half my previous amount) and when I met my non-smoking boyfriend six months ago, I decided to have another go at giving up. It seems all I needed was the right motivation, as it's been six months cigarette free now! YAY!

[hakunamatata_ca 0]

I used the Patches for 2 weeks prior to and 2 weeks following the surgery, on doctor's orders but had no intentions at the time of giving up long term. However, I discovered that the Patches had a double-whammy - they helped curb my appetite, even on the pre-op diet and it wasn't anywhere near as hard as I thought it was going to be.

I did slip back into smoking again but found I had cut down a lot (about half my previous amount) and when I met my non-smoking boyfriend six months ago, I decided to have another go at giving up. It seems all I needed was the right motivation, as it's been six months cigarette free now! YAY!

That is so great you have quit. I think I have been smoking more just thinking about quiting. I wasn't going to try patch on until heading out for surgury but I think I will get on that tomorrow morning to start my work day and see how it goes through the week for me. I leave Sunday night / early Monday morning next weekend. Thanks and congrats to you!

[aubrie 6]

WOW ....Kudos to you for bravery. I have to give credit to anyone willing to try and kick two addictions at once. I wish you the best and admire you greatly.

[DownInSocal 12]

I had surgery for something else last September. I decided that I would quit smoking while in the hospital after surgery. I had my last cig the night before surgery.

I found it easier to quit because I was so medicated for days after surgery I my cravings were minimal. When I left the hospital I wanted one but I was determined to quit.

Everyone on this board can quit. I promise. It is hard but you have taken on something much harder. After the first week things got better. I still dream sometimes about cigs but my cravings are down to once a week and they are fleeting at best. It will get better. If you quit don't take how hard the first few days, weeks, and month is as the way it will always be.

[wootsie73 0]

Well, I quit and then start back, then quit again.......It's a vicious circle for me. I don't just quit for a week or so, I quit for a year and start back. I have no idea what my problem is, but I can't seem to stay off of the stupid things. I guess right now I'm really showing my boyfriend who dumped me, because I smoked when I was with him. I haven't heard from him since. So, now I'm smoking all the time again. He doesn't even know, so the jokes on me.

Anyway, I wanted to tell everyone that Chantix really does work. I've taken it the last 2 or 3 times I've quit, and was very successful. Combined with the patch, it was much easier to quit. I am going to try and quit again before my surgery, but I don't have a surgery date yet, and I'm still depressed over my bf dumping me. I'll think about that next week!

Joan

[kimaly 57]

I smoked before and after surgery and just quit 2 mo. ago and it stalled my weight loss. I wish I had quit before. If I had it to do over again I would have quit first.

[twiley 0]

Long Time Smoker, 20 plus years. I have smoked with the patch and chewed nicorette for years and was a closet smoker. Thought I would never be able to break the habit.

I did by accident though. I was prescribed Wellbutrin XL and noticed a side effect of not wanting to smoke at all. That was over 2 years ago. I kept the nicorette going for about 6 months after that but bought my last nicorette in October 2007 and weaned off to regular gum. Been chewing that regularly since then and the day of surgery (Sept 08) I left the hospital chewing gum and haven't had any problems. I was concerned for the first few days.

My doctor said "no gum" is a guideline. They are very strict however about smoking however. THey figure if you can't quit smoking, then you have bigger health issues.

It is a tough, tough habit. We are all addicts. I notice the smell on people now and wonder how I ever was able to get off that crutch.

Good luck to all. It is still amazing somedays.

[kimaly 57]

I couldn't do it by myself I used Chantix, Took away the need but not the want. If I smoked on it the cigs tasted like doo-doo. Don't think I could have done it without it.

[mylisa1 0]

my wife had the rnu and she was a big smoker {no pun intened} the dr.put her on a new drug called chantax worked great she has lost 105lbs and quit smoking