"Quit Smoking!" - Page 3 - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

lmwisern · 08-09-2008, 12:55 PM

I think its been so easy @ this point in my life because I know I want to have this surgery. The Nurse Practitioner told us that she would dip our urine and if its positive for nicotine she would put us on the bottom of the list for surgery and it would take a "LOT" longer to have the surgery. She made a believer out of me. Anyways, any time I think about a cig, I think about my surgery day and I say "I dont do that any more".....so far so good...

Baja Big Dog · 08-09-2008, 01:40 PM

My surgeon was pretty funny about the smoking subject. Smoke and let someone else do the surgery. His opinion was why should he do a life saving procedure, when your gonna smoke, and defeat the purpose of the surgery!!

I had to laugh!!

Although I quit years ago.

oregoncora · 08-09-2008, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snick1899

For a long time I loved the smell of it and thought that if I ever smoked another cigarette I would start up again.

I find that interesting. I have often thought if I had just one cigarette I would be back to 2 packs in no time. Sometimes I still think a cigarette would be nice. I can remember those days even 16 years later. In truth, the only ones that I really enjoyed were the ones after a meal or after sex. The sex went out the window when my husband died but I still eat plenty! LOL

gregs317 · 08-09-2008, 06:19 PM

I need to quit smoking as well. Even if not for the urine test, I wouldn't want to take a chance of my lungs collapsing on the operating table. Or the painful side effect of coughing up the 'stuff', which would be painful, as someone else indicated. Greg

Thumper · 08-09-2008, 06:35 PM

Hang in there, Lisa. You're doing great and you have focused your attention on your ultimate goal.....BEING HEALTHY. Now, when you use the tool and get to goal, you'll be at goal healthy and able to enjoy all life has to offer. You're a strong person or you wouldn't be where you are right now......We're rooting for you.

Vikkator · 08-11-2008, 01:02 PM

I quit last year (for about the 10th time), but this time it's for good. My husband smokes but not in the house. Still, I can smell it on him (phew) and make him take a shower if he wants to get near me.

Quitting smoking is the hardest thing I ever did. I quit for 9 years and went through a really stressful time in my life (teen years for my kids) a few years ago and started up again.

You can do it. It's hard, but so worth it. I wish I could have had gbs after I quit because I wouldn't have gained the extra 55 pounds I'm carrying around with me now. LOL

I still chew a lot of gum and I'm no longer gaining weight. I did quit with Chantix, but even that took a really long time.

Good luck!

RottenRedhead · 08-11-2008, 01:55 PM

ahh.. so THAT'S why I was told to quit smoking. No one explained the why's just that you had to be smoke free 4 months prior to surgery. Since I just started this process, I figured I had a few more days to enjoy the habit.

After reading these posts.. I am making today the day.

Vikkator · 08-11-2008, 09:04 PM

My surgeon said it's because your blood doesn't clot as much when you're a smoker and you can bleed too much during surgery. I quit November 30, 07 and they still made me take a blood test because I was a smoker. They wouldn't take my word for it that I quit. I probably shouldn't have told them, but the smoking/quitting/weight gain was a main reason for gaining so much after I quit and I had to mention it.

Red_Cricket · 08-16-2008, 06:28 PM

You can quit and yes it is so important for the surgery! I will give you my horror story and maybe it will help you along. I had breast reduction and was still a smoker (I am 1.5 years clean now) and my doctor said the same thing. So I thought I was being smart and found that it only last so many days so I didn't smoke for like 5 days (why I didn't stop then I still don't know) then after my surgery I went right back to smoking. When the badges were taking off my breast part of my skin under the breast slide right off. My doctor looked at me and said "thought you could just keep smoking now you will have this scar for the rest of your life because you didn't want to listen". She was right. It does slow down the healing. I know that ever case is different but wanted to share that with you so you understand how your body needs to breath and smoking stops it.
I will be honest I didn't read though all the post so if I have repeated what has been told (which I'm sure I have! lol) I'm sorry.
Best of luck to you!

gina0922 · 08-16-2008, 08:00 PM

You can do it! I watched my mother die from Emphysema and even that did not make me quit. I knew eventually one day I would quit though. Well it finally happened. It was my Sept 22 and it was birthday. I decided that I was going to give myself the best gift possible. I was going to quit smoking once and for all. I always knew that for it to be possible for me to quit I had to be ready in my heart and in my head. I smoked the last one, crumpled up the pack and threw it away. It felt strange because every time I through away that "last pack" before I felt like, "Oh no! what have I done" when the next urge to smoke came around, which always lead to me buying another pack.
But this time I never felt like that. Not saying I didn't have to fight my demons, but this time it just felt right. I finally had it right in my head and in my heart.

I have turned out to be one of "those people" who can not stand the smell of cigarettes. My husband still smokes though. Even though he has had 2 strokes (1 major and 1 mini) and had a heart attack in October. He tries to tell me he is quitting but being as sensitive to the smell as I am I can always tell when he has had one. I guess he will quit in his own time.

Best of luck to you. It's a journey just like going through the wls. But you can come out on top. Just think of all the nice new clothes that will smell like cologne and not cigarettes!