Quitting Smoking for surgery

I swear am I the only person on this planet who is a smoker that wants to have weightloss surgery??? Everytime I ask at the meetings where I live everyone says "oh I didnt smoke so I didnt have that problem"
The doctor says that they require you to be not smoking for 2 months b4 surgery. Im wondering if anyone else had to go through the quitting smoking process while trying to loose pre-op weight, learing to eat a different way, and excercise and do all these things and quit smoking without loosing their fricking mind???

 I had quit about 2 months before anyway, so it wasn't just for surgery. But that doesn't make it any easier. Sorry.

Sorry (happy?) to say that I am not a smoker either, but also wondered about it.
They really seem to emphasis absolutely no smoking before WLS - why?
My mom is a heavy (no pun intended) smoker and is considering WLS..
1) How would they even know?
2) is it the nicotine? would a tobacco chewer have to quit smokeless tobacco?
3) What about E-Cigarettes? - Moms is trying those too
4) How about patches, gum etc etc...
---I am having enough problems ditching caffeine and my 5-6 can a day diet coke habit, along with day 3 of my pre-op diet. I can't imagine what you must be going through -
Best of luck with that
~J

they can do a simple blood lab to test for nicotine in your system. So yes, they will know.

When I worked in orthopedic surgery, we required our patients to stop smoking before major operations because smoking decreases oxygen to your bones and tissue and slows your healing process and can increase your chances of post operative infections.

Ulysses, it really sucks, I also have/had a 6 can a day Coke habit so I am trying to quit that too, My surgeon says I can be on nicotine replacement, but most surgeons wont even allow that. I have tried patches and they make my heart race, so now ive been trying the gum and it is worthless it doesnt do anything for the cravings. How does your mom like the E-Cigarettes? ALso I guess they can tell if you are still smoking because they can test your blood for nmicotine maybe??? Not sure.

CChampion,

I had 2 diet cokes yesterday and a lot of Crystal Light...The CL just doesn't have the same FIZZ that soda does; I think that is what I'll miss about soda. I looked up caffeine levels and regular coffee has like 3X the amount that Coke/Pepsi does. And I see people at work that fill up these gigantic super big gulp looking coffee kegs every 2 hours...I know that its the thrilling effervescence of the carbonation that wakes me up, not the caffeine. Ah well, small price to pay.

My Mom and step dad actually like the E-Ciggs, my sister and I ordered them both high dose (you can order different levels of nicotine) "Safe-Cig" starter packs last Christmas (they were not too thrilled). But after they tried them they like them a lot. Both of them are old school/refuse to quit and have OCPD, and unfortunately still smoke but A LOT less with the e-ciggs...They both tried Chantix and it didn't work for them - we are on them constantly about it and they get pissed! But they do order the replacement safe cig refills (so they can "smoke" in our houses)...It's freaky - it looks JUST like a cigarette and smoke (vapor) comes out...Just none of the carcinogens, smell etc. just nicotine.

I was also under the impression that carbonation and caffeine were worse than nicotine - they are both legal stimulants...Keep in mind that your body is only addicted to nicotine for up to 72 hours - after that is more the habitual ritual that you will miss.

Cheers and good luck!
J

IT SUCKS. I didn't do so hot on the quitting smoking... and they almost canceled my surgery. Good luck. It sucks. It sucks. It sucks. 

I was required to not smoke 24 hours before surgery.  LOL....unlike a lot of other people on here.  I was not a heavy smoker to begin with, more of a social smoker, so I haven't smoked since surgery (4-6).  I'm sure I will again the next time I'm in a social situation where I want to.  Have you tried Chantix?  My husband is a heavy smoker and Chantix really helped him.  You can smoke the first 7 days on it and after that it makes them taste really bad and the cravings are gone he says...I'd ask your doc about that!

 Thats a GOOD IDEA!! Try Chantix! Cause it actually helps you with a lot of complusions, so it would probably help you with the pre-op diet too! If I don't quit soon, I am going to do chantix! 

OMG, it was the hardest thing I had to do. I stopped smoking bout 4 months ago, I smoke for over 20 yrs. Crazy I know. They will not do surgery. My surgeon is very adamant bout that. He actually told someone to come back in 3 months and he wasnt doing surgery on them because he smelled cigarettes on them, like they must of jus smoked one or something. Now that I dont smoke I guess I could see what he is talking bout. My nose is super sensitive I can smell it out of no where and it stinks now. I thought I would never say that. Anywoo I knew this info before going to surgeon because the insurance told me I need to stop, I also heard of stories of doctors/surgeons testing for nicotine in your system. So I would hate to have went thru all this pre op stuff and be really excited thinking Im gonna get surgery to be told no surgery right when Im at the hospital or appt. If this helps any I started taking Chantix so I believed it helped me some, although I didnt take it as long as the suggest because it gave me suicide thoughts. One of the side effects. It would be me to get all the dam side effects from like every dang medicine. lol I think the Chantix got me over that initial hump. I was really hard to because my husband still smokes and he is an ass. He would still smoke in my vicinity/area so I had to fight that too. Adsolutley no consideration. So if I could do anybody can. Yes I have gained a lil weight  since I quit but guess what I am getting my surgery on May 4th. The weight wouldnt of held me back its the smoking that would of, so i rather gain the lil weight knowing once I get approved for surgery it will come right back off. Oppose to smoking and not getting approved and propbably gaining weight anyway. That is the reason I was trying to get surgery  cuz I cant control me weight.

Well Good luck I hope this helps u.


Kisha