Question:
I can't stop smoking and I'm affraid I am hurting myself
I too thought I had my last cigarette the day before my surgery(6 weeks post op) but once I got home I started smoking again it was hard to not eat or smoke. If you don't smoke please do not answer this question, You do not know how hard it is to quit ! Also I am a bartender and work 5 days a week in a bar does it really make a differance weather I smoke or not. — angel19 (posted on January 2, 2007)
January 1, 2007
Angela, I too quit for 2 weeks prior to my surgery and didn't smoke for 4
weeks after...then under great stress I picked it up...I keep telling
myself I can quit again and go days without one then go right back to
it....It is much harder when you have lost all of your vices...you can't
eat, you can't hardly drink, alcohol is out...so yes, it's very difficult.
The only thing I can tell you is that I do understand and will keep praying
that all of us have the strength to quit again....Just keep trying and set
new goals.
— shellyv
January 1, 2007
Angela,
Although I'm not a smoker, my partner is and she had the surgery 3 years
ago. If memory serves, I believed she stopped smoking a few days prior to
the surgery and I'm not sure when she started back after the surgery;
however, she still smokes. She does have the will power to stop; however,
I don't bother her about the smoking because she has enough stress so me
nagging her about her smoking there's no need to add more stress.
— the7thdean
January 2, 2007
Smoking is very difficult to quit. Bad eating habits are tough to break.
Doing both at the same time, although optimal for health, is nearly
impossible. Work on one problem at a time. In the first few months after
surgery, changing your relationship with food is the priority.
— SteveColarossi
January 2, 2007
I stoped smoking 7yrs ago after stopping the first three yrs I got lung
cancer from the smoking I thank God I had already stoped. They were able to
get it all and not treatments of any kind. My surgeon says he never sees
that happen so rare Please try your best to stop. I dont and cant even be
around second hand smoke. I had smoked for 32 years.
— cynthia O.
January 2, 2007
Hey there, I quit smoking 3 months prior to my surgery, but then started
again, and I smoked all the way until the night before I went in. I was
fine until about a week and a half after the surgery. Coping with not
eating was way too stressful, so I started again. I just got very sick
(head cold) on Christmas and have been fighting it ever since. Smoking has
agitated it, so I have quit smoking again. I hope I don't start back up
again!
— Cheriehott
January 2, 2007
I smoked for 16 years and was told that I had to quit smoking 30 days
before surgery. I did and that was pretty easy. However, NEVER and I mean
never has it ever been easy to try and quit. I was never told that I
couldn't smoke after surgery. But let me tell you why I haven't started
smoking again. About 3 months before my surgery I was talking to one of my
doctors that I saw for sleep apnea and he told me that I should not start
smoking after my surgery, because he had worked in the bariatric unit for a
long time and he had seen where people were smoking after surgery and it
was eating up their stomach lining, because it was so small in there. So I
didn't want to mess up my surgery and so I haven't started smoking again.
No sometimes it isn't easy to keep from smoking, but I don't want to start
back. Good Luck to you!!
— julsann
January 2, 2007
I've had a terrible time of trying to stop on my own. On 12/18 I went to
LifeLine a smoking sessation clinic and it worked forme. Its a shot they
compare it to novacane for denisty. The medication numbs the nicotene
receptors so you don't experience any physical withdrawl symthyms. You
leave with a 2 week supply of pill form. So far so good I havn't touched a
cigarette since. Hope this helps. You can email me if you would like the
info. I'm in s.Florida but they must have have these clinics everywhere.
[email protected]
— Maria M.
January 2, 2007
I have spent the last 5 years "wanting" to quit. Everyone I work
with smokes. It took me a year to get approved for this surgery and the day
they were going to schedule, they asked "You quit , right?" I
told them yes and threw my cigarettes away. That was on 12-13-06. (surgery
12-26) I really did want to quit and I crave a cigarette a-lot. BUT, the
hardest part they say is the first week. I did that, and the second. I just
think to myself why I quit. (So I could get this life changing surgery) (In
turn so I could be healthy). Smoking is not healthy and could cause
complications with my stomach. Girl, we came this far ! Yes it is hard
not to smoke, but wouldn't it be hard and disappointing to let yourself
start back smoking. You will smell great, look great and have healthly
lungs. We are totally in the same boat, I am trying to be strong, it is
comforting to know I am not alone with this.
— cbarrientez
January 2, 2007
I quit smoking 4 months before my srgery day. I simply took what I had in
my pack (it was only minus 4 cigs) and gave them to my employee and told
him to take them away. Then at home I simply Put signs every where saying
no smoking inside and I set up a place where people could smoke outside and
put there cig butts. And Sprayed Febreeze at least three times a day on
everything for about a month to get that smell gone so I wouldn't be
tempted by the smell of cigs. I have been smoke free for 3 years 1 week
and 3 dys and 2 1/2 hours. Also everytime I felt like I needed to smoke I
went and brushed my teeth. Sounds silly but it worked!!!!! Good Luck to
ya.
Kelly
— mystic0619
January 2, 2007
Angela, I sympathize with you. I had to quit to have surgery per surgeon
and I did, it was much harder than the pre-op diet. I stayed smoke free
for 3 months, then stress was high so you guessed it, I grabbed a
cigarette. I'm almost 2 years post-op now and still I haven't quit. I
tried again just about 8 weeks ago and went back to them again *sigh*. Yes
I know I NEED to quit healthwise but my opinion is unless someone really
wants to quit it won't happen. I hope at some point soon I get it in my
mind that I don't need nor want one. Best wishes ~ Dana
— cajungirl
January 2, 2007
This is one of the things that scares me the most about having lap band
surgery...the need to quit smoking. I'm meeting with my surgeon on 1/19
for my first consultation and I'll find out how long before the surgery I
must quit. We know it's worth it, we know we have to, we know it's not
healthy...but none of that makes it any easier in my opinion. Why don't
you talk to your regular doctor about Chantix. It's a new drug by Pfizer,
just FDA approved in 5/06. It targets the nicotine receptors in the brain.
You take it a week before you quit smoking and then for 12 weeks
afterwards. Then another 12 weeks if you've successfully quit. I know
that's what I'm going to try when it's quitting time.
— PurplePixie
January 3, 2007
Angela, I am so sorry for what you are going through. I won't pretend to
understand your struggle, I do know that smoking really get a hold of a
person. I have seen it in my Mother and my own son, but am not a smoker
myself. I won't advice you at all, but I will beg you, do what you need
to, change jobs, even if it means a loss of pay, and do whatever it takes
to quit. I can say that it does hurt a gastric bypass patient to continue
to smoke, it does damage to those surgery areas, and can cause problems
that are much bigger than withdrawal. Please, I beg you, get what every
help you need and evaluate your job issue. I know these are big changes
for you, but a year from now, you will be glad you did. My son, by the
way, after being hooked on smoking since he was about 13 quit in June, and
has been smoke free since June. I am so proud of him. My Mother on the
other hand, is still very addicted to smoking. It is tough, no doubt, and
you have your work cut out for you, but I do believe that you can do
anything you set your mind to. Best to you, take care. Patricia P
— Patricia P
January 3, 2007
OK, I dont knwo if the last post made it so here goes again. I smoked from
13 until the day b4 surgery. I started quitting about 2 months prior. What
I did was only have a cigarette on the second urge for about 2 weeks,
basically ignoring the 1st one. Then on to the 3rd urge for the next 2
weeks.....what I found was each couple of days the urges got farther and
farther apart. I made my mind up that I wanted to stay a non smoker afer
surgery. At first at my parents house the smell made me sick but now it
doesnt bother me at all. I had the surgery in October and still to date I
have not smoked anymore!!! You can do it, just retrain your brain. I went
out to a club on New Years and was around a lot of smoke and wasn't tempted
at all. I will always be a ex smoker and have to remember if I dont put
forth the effort I will start again. The smoking hinders the healing
process is the only thing I know of, plus all the other bad things we
already know about.
— nitabean
January 3, 2007
I am an ex-smoker myself, believe me I know what you're going through. I
had my surgery Dec.8th and luckilly had quit before surgery. I don't think
that I could have handled post surgery and wanting to smoke. I have a
friend who had the surg. 14 months ago and she went back to smoking right
after also. But smoking has caused her to have an ulcer and now she has to
take med. every day for it and watch what she eats. It's best if you quit.
I know it's hard but you can do it! Try and think of cig. as a peice of
choclate cake. you just can't have it.
— barbaral
January 3, 2007
Hi Angela. I know what you are going through. I stayed quit for 9 days
post op. I have to say that my Doctor was really cool about the situation.
He is the one who said he wasnt concerned at this moment for me to quit
smoking. He said his studies have proved that if you try to quit both at
the same time, you are more than likely going to fail at one of them, and
then from there it is a mental thing. You will tell yourself that if you
couldn't succeed at the smoking then you will fail at the correct diet for
your surgery. He told me that since I was interested in quiting, that lose
the weight first, and then he would help me quit. Just dont try to do them
together. We all know it is bad for us. So is the weight. The world was
not built in a day, and we are not going to just stop everything in a day
either. Talk to your doctor, tell him how you feel and ask him to support
you when you have reached your goal to help you quit! I am with ya and
understand completely how you feel. No lectures coming from here, just
take care of one thing at time and know that you are planning to quit!
Good luck.
— Melinda34
January 4, 2007
I smoked for 31 years and I layed the smokes down after hearing the message
on TV telling me that only GOD could fight all my battles in my life, that
pastor on TV called my name 3 times. I said ohhhhhhhhhh no that is not for
me this is just too freaking weird, but I knew that I was powerless over my
smoking and eating, I knew that my life was unmanageable. He said that my
smokes were not my sword in the battle field of life which is full of
stressful events that constantly happened in my life. I have been smoke
free since 2-13-06. I am truly greatful. I praise GOD everyday for taking
the desire to smoke completely away from me. I was a hard smoker for those
31 years and I made all kinds of excuses that oh I would gain weight, I
need it with my coffee, after sex or food I need my cigarette blah blah
blah. I am letting GOD fight this battle everyday. I choose not to pick
up a cigarette again each and every day. It takes one day and one step at
a time to give up smoking. It is not easy but it is possible because all
things are possible with GOD.
— BrendaBoo
January 8, 2007
My insurance requires me to be nicotene free for at least 8 weeks before
surgery. They have denied me twice now and one of the reasons is because I
haven't been able to quit ( Among other reasons) Good luck to you, I
know it is very hard.
— Tracy LeAnn
January 11, 2007
Angela, I had RNY 6/29/06, my surgeon required me to not smoke for two
months before surgury. Instead of telling myself I couldn't quit like I had
the several times in the past I told my self I could quit. I spoke to my
doctor about wanting to quit and he prescribed Wellbutrin. It took me two
weeks from the day I started Wellbutrin to totoally quit smoking.
Wellbutrin made me hate the taste of smoking and if I smoked I got stomach
pains. I had tried so many times in the past and it was so mentally
challenging that I have no intensions of having to make myself quit again.
What I am saying is change your mental attitude, speak to your doctor and
when you do quit never put yourself through all that withdrawl again. Good
Luck!
— caririnehart
Click Here to Return