Quitting Smoking for surgery

My hubby didn't have the suicidal thoughts, but he did have really vivid and crazy dreams.  That was his only side effect from the Chantix.  Good luck!

My surgeon won't give you date until you are 30 days without smoking. I tried quitting last month and only went 3 days and ended up smoking again, I am now 5 days without smoking and know I can do it this time, it's hard but I'm very determined and feel like the hardest part is already over. He will also give you a script for that medicine to stop smoking (I forgot what it is called)

My cousin had her surgery in upstate NY and she was a heavy smoker.  It wasn't easy for her but she had to quit one month before surgery and she did it.  

As a former smoker I can tell you that it's probably the hardest thing to do and I must have quit a dozen times  before I had an epiphany one morning and told myself today was the day. I did not smoke that day and have not had one since and it's been 3 years. I can't see myself smoking anymore, I can't stand the smell of it and the taste.  

I wish you the best of luck.

Ok, this is how I did it. I don't know how heavy of a smoker u are, but I was only a half pack a day.
The dr told me I had to quit caffeine, smoking and soda! It was hard, but I did it one at a time! I quit smoking 1st. And YES the first 72 hrs are the worst! Once u get through that, it isn't as hard. Next was caffeine, I went to half-caff coffee and I went to full decaf the 1st day of 2 week preop diet. I did not quit soda till the 2 week pre op diet either. I know I will probably go back to caffeine after I heal fully cause I can't stay awake without it, so I wasn't real concerned to quit that till the pre op diet.
Good luck with all the vices and I hope ur journey is great!

I gave up on the day I went to the surgery seminar, (16 October 2011).  When the surgeon said that he absolutely would not operate on an active smoker, I decided that I was not going to let cigarettes get in the way of me getting on with the rest of my life.  I went home, smoked one last cigarette and put the rest of the pack in a drawer.  I have not smoked one since.  The pack is still in the drawer.  whenever I see them, I think about having one.  Then I think about how far I have come without them (70 pounds lost, walking 6 miles a day, not hacking up a lung every morning when I wake up, not having pains when I take a deep breath, I could go on...) and I close the drawer.  Eventually, I will toss them out.  But, for now, they are a good reminder of where I have been.

At around the same time, I had to break a much more insidious addiction:  Coke Zero.  I was drinking 8 cans of full caffeine Coke Zero a day.  Not a day goes by that I don't covet a soda...  I pass Coke machines and it literally hurts not to put my money in.  But, I have substituted water and lemon and lime for my soda.  I never thought I would be the one who chose water over my Zero...

Two more reasons why I thank God that I had this surgery...  I am not only a healthier weight, but I also have developed healthier habits.  If I hadn't wanted this surgery so badly and wanted to succeed so much, I would still be morbidly obese, smoking a pack a day and gulping caffeine laden diet sodas like a fiend, whch is where I was in October...

Yea I never really realized how many wrong things I was doing until I saw my NP that first time after the seminar. I knew I drank a lot of pop, and it wasnt diet pop either it was full on Coke Classic, the first thing I would do every morning right when I woke up was crack open an ice cold Coke and light a cigarrette, that was fantastic! Thats how I have started my day for so many years now. I am not sure how I will stop smoking the pop is almost as hard to quit but I dont have the little devil in my head trying to bargain with me for a soda, he only wants the cigarettes lol. So many things to change its making my head spin! I tried the patches b4 and they made me all jittery and made my heart race, I tried just the gum for the first time today and my anxiety was so bad I had to take one of my fast acting anxiety pills to calm myself. The thing I dont understand is, I am a former drug addict, 9 years sober next month, and I did so many drugs and one day I just decided to stop, I was getting very sick from them and just decided that I couldnt take it anymore so I just stopped. No rehab or anything. It was a tough first year because the drugs is what caused all of my panic attacks and anxiety and until I found thr right anxiety medication I was a mess but I didnt want the drugs and refused to even think of doing them again. So why can it not work that way for cigarettes? Why cant I just make up my mind to stop like I did with the other drugs? its very perplexing to me. Anyway, thanks for listening, I am very frustrated with myself today.

CONGRATS ON THE 9 YEARS SOBRIETY!!!  That is amazing and probably the biggest accomplishment you'll have in your life.  That is awesome...  With willpower like that, you can do anything...including kill the smoke habit!  Good luck!

Ok this is what  did.....I finally caved in an saw a hypnotist on the advice of a friend.  I absolutely thought it would be total garbage and bull ****!  I did not believe in any of that hocus pocus.....well Guess what?  Being Hypnotized was the ONLY method of smoking cessation that has worked for me over my 21 yr habit.  I smoked close to 2 packs a day, more over the weekends.  I have tried it all, cold turkey, gum, patches, etc....  Being Hypnotized is NOTHING like it is portrayed in the movies and TV.  You are completely lucid.  None of this " going under" falling asleep bs they show.  After 4 sessions and listenign to my audio cds of the sessions, I never picked up anpother ciggarette.  I also asked the woman to do some aversion type suggestions.......she made me think about the most horrible disgusting vile things when it came to putting a cig to my mouth.  I have been smoke free for over 6 months now.  No desire to have one.  Good Luck to you!

Hi there, I am a smoker, and I was told to quit 1 month before, and I tried but a few days before I smoked, and it was the worst mistake of my life..I woke up in recovery and I could not breathe.  The doctors and the nurses kept asking me If i had smoked, and I lied until they kept reminding me to breathe and one nurse said sweetie if you smoked, tell us, then we will no why you are having trouble..it was the biggest mistake I have ever made..honestly, quit now, its not worth not being able to breathe. I know its not easy and I figured I could lie about it, see how that workede for me?  Good luck to you.use a patch,use whatever will work for you but I would not chance it, trust me on that one.

Thanks for sharing that Charmaine, I thought about doing that too but dont want to end up dying cuz they didnt know that I had smoked.