Question:
What do I do?? I have to stop smoking before surgery.
I found out yesterday that I was approved. Today the surgeons nurse called and wanted to schedule the surgery for Oct. 8. But we could not because I have not quit smoking yet, and they require you to be tobacco free for at least eight weeks. So now we scheduled the surgery for November, but that means I must quit smoking Monday! My husband and I currently live with my parents, due to my father having a heart attack earlier this year, and they both smoke. None of us smoke in the house only outside in the garage. Any advice on how to make quitting any easier? I started Zyban up today, and we cannot chew gum at work, so could use any advice!! — Mini Gadget (posted on September 19, 2003)
September 19, 2003
I quit smoking almost 4 yrs ago. It was really hard and I gained weight but
I had to do it. I wanted to be tobacco free before we started to try to
have a child. It was the fourth time I had tried to quit and I had been
smoking for 7+ years. How did I do it? I HAD A GOOD ENOUGH REASON!!! What
would you do if you couldn't have WLS because of yourself? Think about
saving $5 a day towards a new wardrobe. You don't understand when you quit
smoking your sense of smell comes back and then you realize how bad you
stunk. By the way, I live in a 2 family w/ my mother-in-law who smokes 4
packs a day. You'll realize what a gross habit it was. Do you want to be
skinny and healthy or do you need a cigarette? (sorry if I sounded preachy)
— Susan M.
September 19, 2003
I quit smoking 12/26/02. It was either smoke and stay fat or quit and get
healthy. I have young kids so my decision was a no brainer. I am smoke free
9 months and I don't miss them st all. The first 2 weeks were tuff,but
after that it gets easier. I stopped cold turkey, no pills or patch or
anything. If you want to be healthy bad enough, you will quit.
— jwd430
September 19, 2003
I had to quit for surgery also . I used the patch for one week and then was
told that still put nicotine in my blood and I couldnt use that either so
I stopped cold turkey. I smoked for 24 years and my smokes, chocolate and a
pepsi were literally my best friend.I recently took care of my mom who was
dying of lung and liver cancer (due to smoking) and I loved her dearly but
I still clung to my cigarettes even more after she died because my nerves
were all over the place. But when they told me it was stop or no surgery (I
stopped).This surgery means so much to me.Fortunately I have a great
husband who decided he would stop too b/c he knew it would be easier on me
but only you can decide which is more important to you. For me it was a
hard habit to break but the only choice I had.Everything I was addicted to
was killin me.
— loisph
September 19, 2003
I don't have my first consult until Monday (9/22) and as soon as I began
reading this sight I knew it was inevitable. I quit in July and didn't look
back. I didn't use any aids, just cold turkey. My husband smokes (not
inside my house) but he does in the car with me (yuk). I gave it some
thought and decided that there was no way a cigarette was coming between me
and my weight loss. Best of luck...it will be sooooo worth it!
— Angela T.
September 19, 2003
I QUIT SMOKING 7 YRS AGO THEN STARTED BACK 6 MTHS BEFORE SURGERY...BAD
IDEA...WHEN I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL I COUGHED UP GREEN PHLEGM & THE
SMOKERS COUGH WAS SOOO INTENSE IT REALLY HURT MY INCISION...ALTHOUGH
NOTHING HAPPENED TO ME AS A RESULT OF SMOKING I WISH I HADN'T STARTED
SMOKING BEFORE I HAD SUGERY...
— BLSLIM77
September 19, 2003
i had to quit too. i did it cold turkey. yes it was very hard. anytime i
had a craving(which was alot) i would just think about why i was quitting.
having wls to get healthy and then smoking was kind of crazy to me. i
wanted better for myself because i'm worth it.
— franbvan
September 20, 2003
stop right away. people are fighting with their insurance compaies to get
approval for wls, waiting months and years to jump through the hoops
required to get to where you are now. wls takes tremendous strength to
handle afterwards it does take will power reguardless of what some people
may say it is hard, if you can not stop smoking how well will you handle
all the rest of the stuff that goes along with wls??? if they can not wean
you off the tubes, if you cough your head off, tearing your insisions open
and feeling like you have been kicked by a mule because your lungs are week
from smoking you will wish you had stopped sooner. guess i have too vivid a
memory of my mother hacking and coughing after her hysterectomy and tearing
her belly open her innards coming out through the open insision and her in
such agony words can not discribe it and she never smoked one cigerrette in
her life, sorry to be so unsymatethic to your plight, but if you think not
having that ciggerette you want will be hard wait until you dream about
that chocolate cake for weeks and can't have it, that is hard too.
— janetc00
September 20, 2003
heya hun.. okies.. here are some things that have helped me in the past..
the patch..(but i was alergic to the tape of it).. my dad and aunt used
welbutrin..and were able to quit with in 10 days.. my step dad used some
kind of fake cig tube..that you inhale on like a cig..(he got it at the
pharmacy..behind the counter but i dont know what it was called).. and now
i see a new lozenge along side the gum at the store..also..i carried a
bottle of water constantly..when i was quiting..if i felt the need for a
cig i would ask myself why i wanted it(even if i had already started
smoking it).. if it was because i was bored.. or upset..or something like
that..i would try and just drink some water..or make a cup of tea.. if it
was because if i didnt smoke a cig i thought i might strangle the next
person telling me to quit..i would take a slow drag.. then wait about half
a min..do it again.. and then reavaluate if i could handle just smoking
that much..if not one more drag.. if so.. i put it out..and washed my
hands..and if possible brushed my teeth and put on some body spray..(sounds
like a bit much..but it helped me if i just got the nicotine i was needing
then got the smoke smell off of me..so i wasnt craving just from the
smell)..also i smoked in a different place( i had always smoked on my back
porch..i switched to the front porch).. i only sat in the non smoking
section.. i quit smoking in my car..(for this..i put my cigs in the back
floor seat opposite side so i couldnt just light one up out of habbit)..i
hope this all helps.. feel free to email me..( i went from 2+ packs a day
to quitting..its been 7 weeks so far)..good luck to you..huggles n bb..
— johanna F.
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