Question:
smoking before the ryn gastric bypass......

Would like to get a response from someone regarding amoking before the ryn gastric bypass. I have smoked for years and would like to quit before my surgery 7-17-02. would like to hear from you your experiences and/if any problems. i do enjoy smoking and if after the surgery i do not feel the urge then will not start. thank you. pam    — Pam W. (posted on June 25, 2002)

June 25, 2002
Pam, I smoked from the time I was about 10 years old (I know very bad)off and on till 1 month before my WLS surgery. I had my surgery on 2/28/01 and tried 1 cigarette and could not stand the taste. I was surprised and elated. I would like to think that the surgery also helped with this addiction, but I surely can't guarantee it. There are a lot of things that I cannot tolerate since the surgery, such as, red meat, bread, pasta, sugar and oily foods. These are the items I lived on previously. In this time I have lost almost 180 lbs and feel wonderful. My doctor advised me to quit one month prior to the surgery so there would be a chance of less complications. Little did I know that I would quit forever!! Good luck on your journey to new good health!! Janie
   — Janie C.

June 25, 2002
I just quit on Friday night and I truly feel I'm over it (20 plus years at it). I have never been this calm before and determined. This WLS is a life-changing event for me and I determined that it's not fair to my family and my doctor to continue to smoke. It's not fair for my family to have to fret over any complications and it's not fair to my doctor to have my problems count in his statistics because I made a bad decision. Then I felt that I had to quit because it's not fair to others seeking WLS that truly will live a good life after surgery that don't smoke but here I am waltzing right through the procedure while doing something bad for my health. Bottom line, this is an ENTIRE health issue. Please, please quit. You can e-mail me and I'll be your non-smoking pal. (P.S. I really loved to smoke too!!! and am the last person on Earth anyone would say would quit!)
   — Nell C.

June 25, 2002
I am an expert on quitting smoking. I am just REALLY bad at being a non-smoker. : ) I have quit smoking so many times I cant count. Every time I have started again. I have gone without for as little as 30 days to over a year. Always going back. (inhale, blows out smoke) Anyhow, from the various methods I have tried, the patch made it the easiest, followed by cold turkey. The latter you need to be careful with, be prepared to bite the heads off anyone close to you for any or no reason at all. I quit smoking 30 days before my surgery, and started again 3 days after I got home. I posted in another similar post earlier. Ive had many surgerys, this one is the only one i quit smoking for and there was no difference to me in my breating or recovery time. Some people feel differently, but for me, no different.
   — RebeccaP

June 25, 2002
hello. I'm glad you posted on this subject Pam. I am only 22, but smoked since i was 13 :( anyway, I smoked my last cigarette 2 days before my surgery LAP RNY (which was over 3 weeks ago). I don't want to scare you at all, but i would like to tell you my experience. it wasn't thaaat bad, but i would quit now and give your lungs 4 weeks to heal while they can! I was in the hospital for over 48 hours for my gastric bypass which was not long at all, actually very short! but the whole time I was hooked up to oxygen because I did smoke, and as i said, I am very young. They didn't let me take it out till i left, but all the other RNY patients didn't have to have theirs the whole time. I coughed up blood the whole time which scared me, although i heard it is quite normal b/c of the tube they stick down your throat from the surgery. I also had the nurses the whole time, honest to god, telling me every 5 minutes to breathe heavier because I had such shallow breathing. It may be different for other smokers, may not. I only smoked 1/2 pack a day. and up until a few days ago, i have had a deep heaviness in my chest that wouldn't go away, i had gone to my surgeon and the ER to check it out, no one knew what it was. i'm fine now though, and down over 30 pounds! But i don't want to smoke anymore! after 9 years, and it feels great!! i used to love to smoke-after a great meal, with a glass of wine, now i don't! goodluck to you, and if you can, i would try and quit now definatey! It will make your recovery so much better!
   — Lezlie Y.

June 25, 2002
I had surgery on 06/12/02. I was not a heavy smoker, but I found the closer I got to surgery the more anxious I got and I would have one cigarette here, one there. finally two days before.. no cigarettes. I knew about the complications. I would say if you can quit now do so. I practiced breathing all along. Also as soon as I woke up I asked for a pillow so that I could begin coughing. Later that night I asked for my spirometer so that I could use that. I literally slept with a pillow on my tummy and the spirometer in my hands...no joke. I did not have any complications, but I think everyone is different. I also found that after the surgery the last thing I wanted was a cigarette, I have a funny taste in my mouth and cigarettes don't really help. Good luck to you.
   — gloria M.

June 25, 2002
Pam I totally agree with Rebecca as far as being an expert smoker and found myself rolling on the floor laughing my butt off as she (exhaled) I think she is pure MEAN lol. I quit smoking today wooooooooo hoooooooo 1 whole day with out a cig after 11 years and a pack and a half a day I have to say this is my hardest day yet. I have quit so many different time and for so many different reasons, I really dont know why its so hard to quit this time. I know it will be beneficial and that the whole process of breathing, anesthisia, and my lungs will be better. It is just REALLY hard. I want a cig so bad I could eat it (literally) lol. Anyway I guess what I am trying to get at is we are doing this to better ourselves. I am not saying that once i have the surgery I wont go back to smoking (Im not saying I will either) however, lets just give us the best possible shot at being sucessful. My surgery is July 16 the day before yours, lets be email buddies, and try and keep each other motivated to quit. Try to have your stop day be ASAP I know its hard but believe in yourself, and make sure you let everyone know you ARENT PMSin (it'll be worse) but that you quit smoking. Encouragement is key, and so are MEGA packs of gum and for me LEMONHEAD SOUR SUCKERS. I even do the same routine I just do it with a sucker instead of a ciggarette. Good Luck Huggers ~Ang~ [email protected]
   — angel_wls

June 26, 2002
I guess its different for everyone. I starting cutting down before surgery to a few ultralights a day, but I still smoke the NIGHT before because I was so nervous. I did a lot of breathing exercises before and while I was in the hospital and I had no complications or problems.
   — emilyfink