Why do they take everything of pleasure away?

Okay, I know smoking is bad. I know it is something no one should do. I have resolved the fact that I DO have to quit smoking. I want to know though other than the obvious reasons.. why do you have to quit before the surgery? Also, I went to my pre-op class last week only to discover that I will have to give up coffee for at least 3 months. I almost got up and walked out of the room when I heard that. I want this surgery to improve my health. But why do the doctors etc make you feel punished? I keep getting this sense of.. You have been a bad girl. If you don't stop this, I won't let you have that.. I'm not 4. I'm 50 years old. Next they will tell me I can't have an intimate relationship anymore. This is so hard. I don't know if I can do it. My date is 10/12.

Reasons to quit smoking before surgery: Risk of ulcers - smoking has been proven to cause ulcers along the staple line (I picked smoking up after surgery - after not smoking for almost 10 yrs - I ended up with 3 ulcers and quit again - no ulcer problems since - trust me you don't want ulcers) You will be required to do breating exercises - smoking makes it more difficult to do those and get the lungs in good order after being on anesthesia Risk of pulmunary blood clots - smoking increases the risk of blood clots in the lungs after surgery Proof that you are serious about making lifestyle changes - the fact is that many people are not good candidates for surgery. They self-sabotage. This makes it harder for others to get approved by insurance, not to mention it's not good to undergo such surgery only to sabotage. As for caffeine - every doctor is different. For the first few months, it's important to follow the protocol to a T. Afterwards, do your research, be informed and make responsible decisions. Hang in there - yes it's hard, but life after surgery is hard too. This will just prepare you for the major changes ahead. I know personally how difficult it is to quit smoking, but it's not impossible. Nobody is punishing you - they want the best for you. They want your surgery to work for you. Believe it or not, these steps will help with that. The truth is if you want the surgery badly enough, you'll do what the doctor asks. I'll be rooting for you! Big hugs Michelle

Thanks Michelle. That is the first response I have ever received that actually explained things to me in an informative manner. I am able to make major changes in my life. I have done it over and over. So I guess- here I go again! Aime :deal:

Michelle gave great reasons to quit smoking. It is not to punish you, but to improve your chances of a safe recovery and no complications afterward. As for caffeine, it is a diuretic. In the beginning the docs want to ensure that you get enough fluids in post-op. If you are consuming caffeine, you will end up peeing out the fluids your body needs. They don't want you to dehydrate. Finally, the mention of self-sabotage is so critical. If you are not serious about lifestyle changes now, then you won't be compliant with the regimen afterward. Hugs, Trish

I feel your pain. I too had to quit smoking and today is my 3rd day without... This is not fun at all as I really like smoking and don't want to quit . I am 3 years post op and quit 6 weeks before my surgery. I really didn't lose as much weight as I hoped for and started smoking again about a year after surgery. The lbs. really fell off after I started smoking again and I got down to 130 lbs. But now I am starting to feel ill effects in my body and I know it's from the cigarettes. Since I want to live to see my 14 year old son grow up I have decided to quit once again. So it's day 3 of torture for me today and I can already feel the lbs. started to creep back on. I have a drawer full of hard candy that I can't stop eating. Unfortunately I rarely dump and it's either the candy or I'll go crazy... I know I'm not much help here for you, but just wanted you to know that I feel your pain. Take care and God Bless you in all your decisions.

I quit 12 days ago as I knew I couldnt have wls if I continued to smoke. To me wls is more important than smoking. I was on 3 packs a day and have smoked for 40 years. My DH is still smoking though, but not around me. you CAN do it Hugs Myra

Good Luck! I know this is a one moment at a time process. I am pleased with the results of the nicotine lozenge. It really has helped me.

I quit smoking 14 years prior to surgery and thank God I did not have to deal with that too. Caffiene was another issue but it was not so bad. I strongly recommend you do it. Since surgery I started smoking and drinking coffee again. I am not proud of it and it was gradual. I can tell you I think I recovered moe quickly and felt better not smoking and drinking coffee so I am really glad I did it! Laurie