Question:
TO THOSE OF YOU WHO SMOKED PRE-OP:
Ive been trying to quit smoking for months now. Ive been very sucessful at cutting back and have not been a heavy smoker for weeks now. ive been on the patch to help me cut back but still smoke a few a day. I know its bad, i know i should have quit completely but its definetly a battle. Did any of you have any problems as a result of not quitting completely before hand? Ive been a smoker for less than 2 years, ultra lights. I guess im just nervous since my surgery is Thursday. I also have promised myself not to smoke afterwards and hope the days in the hospital will be a good detox. Thanks for the feedback. — Kymberly H. (posted on September 16, 2003)
September 16, 2003
I had quit for a couple of months prior to surgery and then as my day
approached I was a bundle of nerves and started again. I was told by my
surgeon to keep it to 3 per day before surgery and i did that for the last
couple of weeks beforehand. I am sure that quitting is ideal but definitely
the less you can smoke the better. I did talk to my surgeon about it
because I did not want complications to arise from not having told him. You
are much better off being honest if you cannot completely quit. Good luck!
— Carol S.
September 16, 2003
I had quit about a month before my surgery date, but my was admitted to the
hospital, and she lingered on the critical list and pasted on week before
my surgery, so I had started back and smoked up till two days before, I too
shared that info with my doc. I guess it depends on how frequent you smoke
as to how this will affect you during surgery. It would be best to quit
way ahead of time, but some of us just are more compulsive than others at
times.
I haven't thought about smoking all this time, now I want a stogie.
— Rosa F.
September 16, 2003
I went to an informational meeting where the doctor stressed you have to
quit for three months before. One young lady with nothing wrong with her
health, lied to him and she ended up on a ventalator and in a coma for
three weeks. caused directly by smoking he said. he refuses to operate
now on smokers and would not have done her surgery if he had known she
hadn't stopped.
— Delores S.
September 16, 2003
I have been smoking for almost 20 years and it's been very hard for me. I
have slowed down and continue to smoke. I know it no good for me but I
can't stop. I had surgery July 24th and I smoked the morning of my
surgery. I did not smoke while I was in the hospital but the day I was
discharged I started up again. I have been ok no complications. But you
should speak to your dr and see what he says.
— mari62870
September 16, 2003
You need to tell your surgeon that you havn't quit because you will get
withdrawel symtoms when you do stop. Withdrawel symtom include raced
heartbeat, lower ozygen lewel and higher bloodpresure, so that's important
to know for the surgeon. Smoking also courses slower healing. On the
bottom of my profile is two links that can be helpful tools to stop
smoking. (I have been a non-smoker for 10 month now) I wish you all the
best.
— Tove Annelise H.
September 16, 2003
I quit smoking (1pk a day, menthols, down from 2 pks a day previously)
exactly one month to the day before my surgery. Not only did I want to
make a clean break with as many bad habits as possible, but my son is still
an infant and even though I never smoked anywhere around him, he would
cough when he put his face near my clothes. Talk about guilt! So, that is
what got me there...post-op, I was so busy obsessing about food that I
completely forgot about smoking. I kid you not, the food withdrawals I had
were 10x worse than nicotine! I was lucky, I guess, although I didn't
think so at the time, let me tell you. Now, I'm 4 months clean and am to
the blessed point where food isn't an issue and cigarette smoke doesn't
smell very good, thank God! :) My family doesn't smoke, so that helps me
100%. Good luck whatever you choose to do!
— Rachael B.
September 16, 2003
I had my surgery 9/8 and stopped smoking the night before surgery. I
didn't want to quit and tried two puffs out of one and didn't like it. I am
not sure if I will continue this or go back. One thing I think it is much
healthier for me and I also think the surgery helped me with the withdrawls
that I may have iccured with out medication.
Best of luck to you
Lori
— Lori P.
September 16, 2003
I smoked for 19yrs and quit in 1996. but before quitting for good I took a
class that is offered at alot of local hospitals called smoke stoppers. It
really helps. Plus I wanted to mention that your habit of smoking a couple
of cigs a day while you are using the patch, if it is at the same time, you
could have a <u>heart attack</u>. There is a strong chance of
this if you smoke while wearing the patch. there are a couple of things
that helped me get over the having to hold a cigarette. I used a small
pencil or a paper clip (one of those black triangle ones with the two metal
pieces on the end), I used to clip it to keep my hands busy. You could also
try putting a rubber band around your wrist and snapping it whenever you
get the urge to smoke. I hope these help, but please be careful with using
the patch and smoking.
Lisa (lap/rny w/dr.Williams 10-10-03)
— Lisa H.
September 17, 2003
I am not a smoker, but my now former smoker sister (also very slim) had to
had orthopedic surgery. She did not heed the instructions to stop smoking
prior to the surgery and she almost did not wake up. It was touch and go
for some time and she did not come out of the anesthesia enough to walk out
of her "out-patient" surgery until a full 24 hours later. At the
time that she was released she was barely functioning and her oxygen level
was barely in the okay zone.
So, it is life saving to stop smoking prior to surgery and especially a
surgery such as what we are contemplating or preparing to do because with
all this weight we are not in primo-health condition.
— Arizona_Sun
September 17, 2003
A coworker had three heart attacks from smoking while using the patch. The
2nd and 3rd were, luckily, in the emergency room because he had to be
brought back from death with those. I have a friend who smokes and when she
had her TT it did not heal properly. Lost her belly button and had to pack
her open incision daily for >3 months, each time excruciatingly painful.
Then get reoperated on and it didn't heal all the way then either! Unable
to work for >4 months. Sooooo......
— Chris T.
September 18, 2003
Felt like an elephant on my chest after surgery :(
— ladirhiannon
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