No Smoking Contract

I am starting my journey to WLS and attended my seminar this past Saturday.  As one of our first steps at the hospital I chose we had to sign a No Smoking Contract.  I agreed that I either don't smoke or that I agree to quit smoking and be smoke free for 3-6 months prior to surgery.

As you may guess I fall in the 'agree to quit' category!  Is this a common practice among surgeons?  Any suggestions on quitting?  I haven't had a cig in about 4 hours now and I am already going crazy!  I didn't buy any today and now I am trying to talk myself out of running to the store right now!

 Jessica

This is the norm for surgery.  I know how difficult it is to quit.  Hang in there.  I have heard good things about Chantix.  You might want to talk to your doctor about a script.  Some of the reasons they want you to quit is because of the anathesia, your ability to recover from surgery, and smoking really damages your tissues and makes healing extremely difficult and makes it extremely difficult to operate.  It make your surgery last longer and can create problems.  Besides, you want to have this surgery to increase your life span, so why continue with a behavior that will cut your life short?  Good luck in your venture in becoming an ex smoker!  

Dear Jessica:

Yes, this is now common practice among bariatric surgeons.  Mine goes so far as to say if you come to the hospital smelling of smoke on the day of surgery, they will cancel.  I know that he had at least one patient angry as heck when this happened to her.

The thinking is that you are having this surgery to become a healthy human being and smoking is NOT healthy.  As Nancy said, there is also the  fact that the morbidly obese are risky enough to operate on, let alone doubling (or tripling) those risks with a morbidly obese smoker.

Now, I was a "closet smoker" on and off for years before surgery.  I quit NUMEROUS times, it just never stuck.  It took me almost 2 years to gain approval for my surgery and I did not stop right away.  Once I DID stop (a few months before my surgery) I never went back.  I don't know exactly WHAT changed that last time, but I DO know that I have not been healthier in over 20 years, and I have no real desire to light up again.  I also know that if I smoked "just one", I would be back in that pit before very long.

So.........please talk to you PCP about the Chantrix or other medication that helps.  It really DOES help.  The craziness will sibside, that is the withdrawl.  You WILL be able to do this and you will feel OH SO MUCH better.  I know how hard it is.  Come here for support, we will help you!