Question:
I AM TRYING TO HAVE MY SURGY BUT IT IS HARD TO STOP SMOKING WHAT SHUOLD I DO
IS FEB5 PLEASE TELL ME IF IAM GOING TO BE OK IF I DONT STOP — candygirll (posted on January 18, 2006)
January 18, 2006
I had my last cigarette the night before surgery. Afterward the surgery my
sense of smell and taste changed and now the smell and taste of a cigarette
makes me want to gag.
— lmarkwell
January 18, 2006
I wouldn't continue to smoke. I quit 2 months prior to surgery and haven't
had another one since. Soemthing that helped e smoke is that no one is
allowed to smoke around me, and to help with the whole hand to mouth thing
I ate sunflower seeds like a mad woman. It's really worth your health to
quit, most surgeons won't operate if they know you are smoking. It's not
that difficult to test you for nicotine either. You just have to ask
yourself what is more important to you, your health and losing the weight?
Or continuing to smoke?
— NavyNukeWife
January 18, 2006
I know a woman that went through the long drawn out process of having this
surgery and the moment they got her in Surgery The Doctor could tell by her
breathing and would not perform the surgery... My doc tells his patients
the same thing.. I was blessed and quit smoking 12 years prior to my
surgery... Its really best for you... As did the writer before me I used at
that time Apple Jolly ranchers ...Good Luck and keep us posted on your
progress.
Flo
— Flo
January 18, 2006
No one can tell you that, lungs are a very tricky organ when put under a
general. Let me tell you I smoked up to 3 weeks before. I have asthma, I
was terrified. What I did was wake up and take a shower immediatly and
then slapped a patch on. My friends mother died from a heart attack while
smoking on the patch so I was to scared to smoke, then the next day I did
the same thing....around day 4, I stopped the patch and just quit. You can
do it, this is the rest of your life. I cann ot tel you not to tell your
doc. I wouldh ate for you to wake up on a ventilator. Like I said I have
asthma and have woken up plenty on machines, it really really sucks. Good
luck and put those things down!! My best friends sister , 37 just
diagnosed with lung cancer..it's in her brian, spinal fluid, spine and
ribs. She has two kids, I know I will never smoke again. And thin and
healthy is so much better than smokes! I guarentee it!!! I went from
350ish to 170 in 7 months!!
— CrawfordS
January 18, 2006
Oh Maggie, I wish I could tell you it didn't make a difference, but it
truly does. I took a look at your profile, and because of your BMI, this
makes you an even greater surgical risk. Not only is the acutal surgical
risk increased, but the type and scope and severity of post-operative
complications is much more acute for smokers than for non-smokers. Please!
You are SO worth the care and investment to make quitting NOW a priorty.
My best friend tried so hard to quit before her WLS - she finally gave up
trying shortly before going for her surgery, though. She came through
surgery okay, but her pulmonary function was compromised. She kept saying
she'd quit when she reached her goal weight. Well, she reached her goal
weight - and couldn't bring herself to stop. She died this past fall - a
pretty horrible death after a cascade of pulmonary illnesses, leaving a
beautiful young family behind.
You are a precious person, Maggie. Please - make every effort to do
everything you can to stop now - and for good. Please!
Blessings,
dina
— Dina McBride
January 18, 2006
I hear ya LOUD & CLEAR! I was....extra emphasis on WAS a smoker until
the beginning of Novemebr last year. I made up my mind that I had to quit
if I want surgery of any type for WL. Many folks on here will say it
doesn't matter....but it does. A huge majority of docs will do arterial
blood gasses and if you are too low on oxygen sats....or on the hemoglobin
too high or other things out of kilter that only smoking causes........not
just nicotine......they will not operate. And this can be done in less
than 5 minutes before the anesthetic is begun.
Healing takes many times longer for a smoker. Blood clot risks are
multiplied many times for smokers. Just generally raises all your risk
factors and puts many big black marks against you in the surgery and
healing process.
Talk to your PCP......get a script for patches.....if that doesn't work get
a script for nasal spray........or an inhaler. Don't discredit Nicotine
Replacement Therapy.......IT WORKS! I went from a 2 sometimes 3 pack a
day habit to nothing. I started out with patches...was allergic....went to
nasal spray.....and it's awesome!
I can't believe the things I smell now......and even better that I don't
smell like a nasty ashtray.
Best Wishes you can do this is you really want to......
and another thing nicotine anonymous is always an option even online.
email me if ya want more info
Marsha
— Wings In Waiting
January 18, 2006
I completely understand where you are at. I to am going to quit smoking, (I
used to say trying but trying leaves room for failure, and I will not fail)
I enjoy smoking and before looking into WLS I didn't think I would ever
stop. But now I have cut how many cig. I am smoking by half and am smoking
ultra lights, this saturday I will quit! What I am doing to quit is my PCP
put me on Welbrutrin, and I just got a prescription for the nicatral
inhaler. I will make sure I am smoke free at least 6 weeks before my
surgery, for the following reasons: After I researched this surgery there a
many factors that you don't want to make more difficult - chance of blood
clots, already high because we are MO, but smoking increases your chances,
breathing problems while under or coming out of anesthesia - smoking may
make us be on a resperator(spelling)- healing is harder with all the
chemicals in our bodies - our lungs could colapse - also I don't know about
you but I cough in the mornings - can you imagine the pain after surgery
having to cough. There are many more risk factors that smoking causes, and
I don't think it is worth it.
I would suggest quitting today - goe get the patch or gum - Walgreens has
them on sale - $40 -also the sunflower seeds is a great idea - I bought a
bunch of David's low soduim, buy some balloons to help build your lungs up,
blow them up numerous times each day til your surgery - your lungs start to
heal the day you quit smoking - give yourself the best chance. With all the
risks, we need to do everything we can to help the surgery be successful
and live long healthy lives, isn't that why we are doing it in the 1st
place. Please don't take this a preaching, but what really helped me was my
DH asked me- if Dr told me that if I smoked and had this surgery I stood a
good chance of having problems, possibly dying would I continue to smoke ?
I thought about this(how sick is that) and I want the surgery, to be
healthy, feel good and of course all the other benefits, so why would I
risk all that for smoking? Please quit today! It's really truely not worth
it, think about it, why is it that every surgeon tells us to quit smoking
before surgery? It is already high risk to operate on us, so what's one
more risk? It must be big or they wouldn't make it a requirement, think
about it, they require very little from us, why quit smoking? if you need
someone to talk to or support or someone to b**ch and moan with please
don't hesitate to email me. We can do it! Jen F
— jlflbf
January 18, 2006
There is a book I've heard about. A few people I know have quit after
reading it: THE EASY WAY TO STOP SMOKING, by Allen Carr. Give it a
shot... maybe it will help... GOOD LUCK!!!
— [Deactivated Member]
January 18, 2006
Maggie ,You can do it. I quit 1 year ago on January 21st I feel so much
better too, like one of the other posters had said try the Wellbutrin and
the Nicotral Inhaler, alot of people saw me puffing on the inhaler and said
I replaced the cigs with inhaler and I guess I did for a while but then
again they are smoking and I am not. It is amazing how awful ciggys smell
now. I work with a woman who is always dressed to the T perfect-
hair,perfect make-up etc... and smells like a wet old yucky cig every day
she would be mortified if she knew what she really smelled like under all
that perfume... Think about it.
— sunnie
January 18, 2006
It odesn't make sense to have the surg to fix one MAJOR health problem but
you still self inflict an even bigger one. We do this surg to fix our
health...smoking increases the risks of surg and decreases the healing
time. WHy would you go through this only to succumb to lung cancer in a few
years? I am not trying to be mean rather honest and if you cannot make this
change how do you plan on following the rules for post op WLS patients?
— SteffieBear15
January 18, 2006
smokers get more leaks, heal slower, more hernias, more ulcers,recover
slower, feel worse, and sadly die more often. most surgeons today do a
blood test the morning of surgery. smoked in the last month or 2? surgery
cancelled. it looks bad when people die from WLS, so its being done for
your own good. just the idea of a leak where your not allowed anything by
mouth including water for a month or more should be enough to make you
think. just being tethered to a IV 24/7 at home or work:( please quit now
for you and your family. all this info from my surgeon!
— bob-haller
January 18, 2006
I smoked for 20 years. I quit. I had to. My 9 year old daughter said to
me "I don't want a dead mommy". It still puts tears into my eyes
just thinking about that day. You can do it! The motivation is there...
just pull it out of yourself - If you are here on this site and have made
the hard decision to move forward with this surgery, you MUST be a strong
woman! :-)
Amy~
— ajensen
January 19, 2006
I know it's hard, my friend. Try the Committ lozenges to help with the
cravings...I won't say that I am COMPLETELY smoke free, but this is
definitely like morphine to a heroin addict (to use a scary
analogy)...though I've read/heard nicotine is much more addictive than even
this insidious drug...You're not a moral failure though, please remember
that.
— rebeccamayhew
January 19, 2006
If nothing else works, maybe this will. After surgery you are made to
cough! If you think about that for a second you will realize that all of
your abdominal muscles have been cut and therefore coughing is not fun.
Smokers tend to accumulate more mucus and what is supposed to be a little
cough cough might turn into something a little more painful, like cough
cough, hack hack hack ughhh. Hope this doesn't scare you but encourage you
to quit smoking! Best of luck to you.
— jmessenger3
January 19, 2006
I would suggest seeing your primary care doctor and see if you would be
eligible to try Wellbutrin / Zyban.
Welbutrin in an antidepressant that is sold under the name Zyban as a quit
smoking drug.
I found it extremely helpful when quitting... no cravings, no withdrawl.
It didn't help the social part.... meaning that I still wanted to go out
and have smoke breaks with friends/family/co-workers but at least I didn't
feel physically sick.
Good luck to you.
Sid
— mrsidknee
January 20, 2006
All the people I know who successfully quit smoking just decided that they
were going to stop, and did it cold turkey. If you try to do it gradually,
it is harder (according to them). One of them was a three pack +/day
smoker and another was a chain smoker who smoked all day for over sixty
years before he quit. He had started smoking at age 10!!!!
My advice is to throw out cigs, try not to go where people smoke, and just
do not stop. I realize it is hard, but you really do not NEED cigs, not
like you need food!
Good luck! You can do it!!!!
— Novashannon
January 20, 2006
Maggie...I beg you to STOP!! I am one month post op now...I quit and
started on and off..quit 2 weeks before and the night before i was so
nervous i had one....LUCKILY i did not wake up on a vetilator, BUT...i had
such a terrible time breathing when I woke up and the cough was
unbareable..so bad that pain meds barely helped. I am so sorry that i
didn't quit before hand, and had clearer lungs to start with...My first
week post op was a night mare because i didn't have enough self control to
quit and stay quit....and PLEASE... Tell Your Antesthesiologist if no one
else, they will then be prepared for any complications. I did , I feared
they would tell me GO HOME..but it was something i had to deal with..they
proceeded , but , It wasn't easy afterwards. I STOPPED NOW...Too late to
have had a more comfy recovery period..but at least I will have a smoke
free new life. RNY Dec 20, 2005. Good Luck and DO IT FOR YOUR OWN
SAKE!!!..ALLY
— allyson1211
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