Question:
smoking oops
ok, my doctor requires 3 months no smoking. I quit first of march, april 20th i slipped and smoked a cigar, april 24th another freaking cigar. I have not had a cigg, do not want one, just feel so scared that i will not be able to keep my middle of june date due to these cigars showing up in the pre op tests. I do not know if they will show up, I do not plan on having another oops. I consider myself a quitter, even ciggs small makes me feel sick. I just do not know if i should postpone my date and testing due to this. I really want this and feel so bad that I messed up. please let me know if you know anything to help or anything about the pre op testing. Gosh i feel so freaking dumb. those cigars were so not worth it. — Shelly M. (posted on April 25, 2006)
April 25, 2006
well, one of the things your doctor could ask or tell you is do u really
want WLS. From everything I read all doctors make people stop smoking.
From what u stated in your email, i also would question whether you are
prepared to have surgery, and if you are, are u doing it for the right
reasons. you have not listed much about you other than you must smoke.
— Steve Cohen
April 25, 2006
Actually I have been working on this for a long time. saying that I must
smoke is not accurate. I am proud of my progress thus far and everyone
makes mistakes. I do not smoke ciggs anymore and thats more than alot of
people on here can do, no offence. I did not want to go into alot of
details about everything else cause I am prepared for those things, thus
the reason i am asking a question. I went from smoking 2 packs a day to
none and do not ever plan on picking up a cigg again. i have learned my
lessons. This is supposed to be a site where we help each other, not put
each other down. Ask the other pre ops if they messed up at all before
wls. ask the post ops too. I am proud of my progress not just with the
not smoking but with the whole journey to better health thus far. I am
sorry that you have to be so negative.
— Shelly M.
April 25, 2006
Okay, first of all we would not be human if we did not make mistakes. We
take our experiences and learn from them. Having a slip here and there
does not make you a failure, or dumb. You have done a great thing by
quitting smoking and you will benefit from it. The lab tests will not be
messed up from having these little set backs. Just focus from this point
forward on not smoking again, even after surgery. The doctor has
instructed you to quit 3 months in advance in order to allow your body to
be in the best possible state to tolerate surgery and to heal afterwards.
Smoking puts people at risk for poor circulatory issues such as blood clots
and poor healing and having surgery will compound these risks if you
continue to smoke. Go forward with your scheduled surgery date and take
one day at a time with the changes that you are facing. You are doing a
great job with trying to improve your health. Good luck. Shelly
— scharlier
April 25, 2006
Hi Spazzle, Well unfortunately we seem to get a few that would rather be
negative towards people than help them find a solution. I just wanted to
say that I think you are doing a great job..And yes we all make mistakes at
some point. I have even read some postings where they did not quit at all
like they were suppose to. I personally am not a smoker but after watching
my mother suffer from having to quit (b/c she had emphysema) I trully
understand how hard it is for people. I also understand it is not cigs but
cigars. Just hang in there and keep on trying. You will be fine. Just
remember keep your head up and remember why you are doing this. I'll be
praying for you..Hugs to you.. :)
— drunyan
April 25, 2006
Hi Spazzle, Well unfortunately we seem to get a few that would rather be
negative towards people than help them find a solution. I just wanted to
say that I think you are doing a great job..And yes we all make mistakes at
some point. I have even read some postings where they did not quit at all
like they were suppose to. I personally am not a smoker but after watching
my mother suffer from having to quit (b/c she had emphysema) I trully
understand how hard it is for people. I also understand it is not cigs but
cigars. Just hang in there and keep on trying. You will be fine. Just
remember keep your head up and remember why you are doing this. I'll be
praying for you..Hugs to you.. :)
— drunyan
April 25, 2006
~HELLO
first let me say "don't be discouraged by a negative response"
you are truely doing your best to stop your habit i know first hand. I was
a smoker for approx 17-18 years and was smoking 2 packs per day when i was
also told i had to quit 10 weeks prior to surgery(this was mid july of 05')
i tried and failed for 1.5 months before i finally got it to stick. I quit
sept. 05' and am now 20 days post-op. I used the patch and chewed plenty of
sugarfree gum, however snacking became an issue and i did gain 15 lbs prior
to surgery. But i will tell you it is an extremely powerful feeling to know
you have achieved such a great success. We all believe in you...so believe
in yourself !!!! You will do awesome. I wish you the best in your journey
— tiffany E.
April 25, 2006
Spazz Hun No ones perfect OK... now stop smoking or the doc will not do the
surgery. They can tell by the Oxygen levels when they first prepare for the
surgery and if the levels don't read to suit the doctor he will tell them
to wake you up and send you home... That is not what you want Spazz... just
know this now. and good luck with the surgery...
— Flo
April 25, 2006
Apparently, the person who chastised you is perfect! Didnt know those
people were out there!! Gee, sure am glad he is not my "support"
group leader! You, go get 'em!! Mistakes are bound to happen! But, with
what you have accomplished, it will make all the difference in the world
with how you recover after the surgery. You have reduced your risk of
having breathing problems while under and your healing time will lessen. I
just quit smoking the end of January. I have slipped a few times - but,
perfection is not required. Only a sincere effort to make change! Best of
luck on your journey!!
— MissKimberly
April 26, 2006
Hey Spazzle, Every Doc is different. I never realized that I was supposed
to quit although I had cut down quite a bit - knowing that the general
anesthetic would be difficult to come out of. I made sure I told the pre-op
nurse because I wanted them to watch my oxygen levels and she said Dr. Nohr
doesn't operate on smokers. Howver, she said she wouldn't say anything. I
came through it alright and now I am a non-smoker! (Hopefully you never
inhaled the cigars!) You may want to call and find out....Good luck and
congrats on quitting.
— massage_diva
April 26, 2006
My guess is the first response (the negative one) was from a non-smoker.
Like the others, I think the purpose is to give you the best chance of
success during and following the surgery. If you managed to go 2 months
with only 2 cigars (and I don't think you really inhale them, do you?)
you're doing great. I was lucky because I was forced to quit in Nov 99
after smoking for 40 years and was up to 3 packs a day. I had a bad asthma
attack, was in the hospital for a week, and told I almost died. Since your
"reason" is ahead of you, it makes it hard. We're all behind
you, but I believe it would be in your best interests to tell your doctor
about the 2 cigars and see if he wants you to postpone it another month.
He may tell you that's fine as long as you don't do it again. And you've
made it plain that you're done with it. After all, you have every reason
to want to come out of this on top. Good luck.
— dinky
April 26, 2006
I won't dare preach due to enough people in your life already doing that
(most likely) but I will ask you - 'How bad do you want this surgery?' Give
it anther try to stop smoking - you can do it! So you slipped it's not the
end of the world...yet
Hang in there and keep trying.
Robert - [email protected]
— RobertMiller
April 30, 2006
I'm not a smoker, but I do have an addictive personality, I think it is so
negative for people to say "How bad do you want this?" You are
doing amazing to give up smoking for these two months, the cigars....well,
people slip. I'm dissappointed with the other oh members, we all have
issues with food and overeating and if someone came up to them and said
"so you want to be thin? why don't you just diet? If you can't then
clearly you don't want it enough." You'd think people at oh would
understand the most. I think we all need to be more supportive of each
other, as for cigars all I can say is try try try and stay away from them,
this is for your health. Good luck with everything. I hope you are
incredibly successful.
— PiperBL9480
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