smokers/ex-smokers please!

Well, I quit 10 days before surgery.  The day of the surgery anesthesiologist told me that, it is best to quit a month/ two prior or just not to smoke the day of surgery.  Quitting a few days before is actually adding some risk to recovery.  Bottom line, you should work with your anesthesiologist to make sure it is taken into an account during your surgery and after during the recovery.  BTW, during recovery, don’t skip breathing exercises.

I started smoking again a little more than a month after the surgery, yet I am feeling better than ever, weight loss going perfectly (5-6lb per week).  

Good Luck.

 thanks for the info mike ... i've never spoken to my anesthesiologist soooo i will definitely ask about breathing excercises. 

My surgeons office told me they are going to test my blood to make sure I haven't smoked.  I have heard you need at least 2 weeks but a month is ideal.  I know a blood test will measure qualitative and quantitative.  If you're a bartender at a pool hall, you're going to have some cotitine in your system (they're actually looking for nicotine and cotitine) but it all depnds on the quality and quantity of it I guess...

thanks for the info ... my aunt who is a lab tech said it only takes 3-4 days for nicotine to leave the bloodstream, but i will ask about the cotitine next time i see her, i had never heard of it lol 

 The guidelines for this surgery are very strict. Leading up to and definitely after. All these guidelines are put in place for a reason. We are at such a high risk for complications and throwing blood clots that by adding in smoking increases the risks soooo much more. You don't ventilate well during anesthesia and your healing of your actual stomach can be compromised. Why risk this? Do everything possible to save your life. 

I still smoke, never quit, told my surgeon there was probably no way in hell i would going into the scariest thing I've done as an adult.  He put me on a PPI (Prevacid) and rides my ass constantly about how goofy it is to smoke, especially after as much as I am exercising and the weight I lost (I agree, no effing idea why I'm still driven to do so).  

My surgery is next Tuesday and altho I was told to quit months ago I lied and said I was on the nicotine gum. I know I should quit but I was supposed to loose weight before the surgery too and im sorry but I dont know many people who can loose weight and quit smoking at the same time. My surgeon wouldnt do my surgery if he knew I was smoking. But he is more relaxed about being on the gum or the patch. I am praying that I have no complications with anastesia since I have lied and they think I havent smoked. I did read that it is more harmful to quit within a week of surgery vs continuing to smoke so I will just have to see how it goes. To be totally honest with you I am very very nervous now about the anesthesia since I have still been smoking. I wish I would have put in more effort to quit because it is causing me much anxiety now. Im not sure how it will turn out but I will let you know next week!!

if they do a blood or urine test, they will know if it's "patch or gum" vs smoking a cigarette. They are metabolized in your blood differently. My surgeon HAS canceled 3 people because of their stop smoking fibs.

My surgeon told me on March 25th I had to quit. I was smoke free within 24 hours. I wanted this surgery so bad. As soon as I was able to drive post-op, I was at the gas station buying cigarettes. Smoking slowed down my healing SO much. My 1 inch insicion should have taken 10 days MAX to close and scab over..it took over 3 full weeks--100% because I wanted to smoke again. I am now almost a year post-op and still smoking more than I ever have in my life; more than a pack a day. Smoking is also the reason I had awful reflux post-op and needed a high dose of PPI. I am going to quit and stay quit for good. Quitting is the hard part. Staying quit is SO much easier than you think; seriously. Do yourself a favor and DONT do what I did.

Ok so after reading all the comments on this post I decided that you guys are right and I am being stupid risking myself and my ability to have the surgery so I saw the doc today they gave me a prescription and I am done with the cigarettes, thanks for the reality check. And to the original poster, its so hard to stop but trust me the anxiety of not being sure you will keep your lie going is much worse!! Thanks everyone.