SweetSouthern

I smoked almost a pack a day until 2 months before my surgery and my doc told me that he would not do surgery if I had been smoking and he did a blood nicotine test on me the day before surgery to make sure I was not lying. He told me does this routinely on ALL of his patients whether they report being a smoker or not because it is a very LARGE health risk when dealing with anesthesia. First, you want your body to have the capacity to heal itself after surgery and cigarette smoking restricts blood flow in arteries and veins and slows the process of healing because it takes blood flow to health properly and in the case of diabetics gives them problems in triple fold causing wounds to actually not heal and get worse. (Don't know if you are a diabetic, but that is good info all the same) Secondly, you WANT your lungs to be clear and healthy for this surgery. You do not want to wake up on a ventilator (breathing machine) because you stopped breathing during surgery and wouldn't start back on your own. You do NOT want to develop pneumonia after this surgery because your lungs are so full of crap that you can't do your deep breathing exercises afterwards to keep your lungs clear. I know this sounds harsh, but the truth is that the results of smoking is harsh! Don't risk it and be healthy. You are having this surgery to be healthy, no? Then why would you kill yourself in another way by polluting your lungs and running the risks of giving yourself cancer. Won't do that small body much good if it can't breath and live after the surgery due to something you could have controlled! I know you think I am being mean, but I'm not. I'm just being honest. I have people on this board that I love dearly and have helped me through this long process and they have started up smoking again after surgery and if I could be with them and see them lighting up, I'd grab their cigs and break every one of them in half and give 'em my stink eye......cuz I love 'em of course. LOL You guys know who you are..... (aheemmmmmm.....clears throat) hehehe But seriously, you are having this surgery for your health. Put those nasty things down and NEVER look back. I did and you can too. I'm not saying the urge is not still there sometimes, but it is SO not worth it now! Good luck to you and do what is right, k?

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Official AlabamaSlammer Bear

"These will be the best years of my life"

Trina