Question:
How many people quit smoking for surgery and restarted afterwards?
how many of the post-ops went back to smoking after the surgery? — tracyr (posted on July 14, 2001)
July 14, 2001
Tracy ~ I started smoking again 3 weeks after surgery. It was difficult for
me to quit before, and I went back and forth before I finally quit, 3 weeks
before surgery. I was lucky, All went well and there were no
complications.... On another note, it really irritates me when people post
annonymous after they talk a load of crap. I think every smoker out there
knows of the risks to their body, but I hardly think they are sabotoging
it... Really, if you are going to be so strongly opinionated, please state
your name.
— Kim B.
July 14, 2001
I'm sorry for the previous response from anon, but, I too smoked
before surgery and stopped two weeks before. After surgery I didn't
smoke for about four weeks. I have recently started smoking again
but I know that I can quit when I want to. This is a trying time
for us all and I decided that smoking is the least of my problems
at this time.
— [Anonymous]
July 14, 2001
What the last post said is not true. Most doctors ask you to stop because
of complications that can arise. Also they say that it decreases your
healing time. I had surgery 4 months ago and just started again. I don't
smoke everyday or all day just when I feel like I need it. I have a friend
that started up as soon as she was out of the hospital and she is fine. It
really upsets me when people don't sign there name, I guess they are just
to chicken to speake there minds and stand by there own words. Heather
— Heather C.
July 14, 2001
to anonymous...why do u hide behind a generic term? if u have something to
say why r u afraid to say it & put ur name to it? it makes me think u
have something to hide. or r u the type who feels...do what i say not as i
do? people who smoke r well aware of what the effect of cigarettes has on
their bodies. just as we INCLUDING YOU r aware of what the effect of morbid
obesity has on our health. now i think its safe to assume that u R morbidly
obese otherwise u would not be a member of this site, right? so...my
question is this...arent U sabotaging ur body by being morbidly obese?
whats that u say? u cant control ur weight because ur obesity is
hereditary? well, knowing u carry a hereditary gene arent u sabotaging ur
body every time u put food in ur mouth? my point in all of this is to
say...people who live in glass houses should not throw stones & then to
make matters worse, run like the devil in the hopes that no one will find
out who the stone thrower is! some of us enjoy smoking some of us dont.
some of us have the will power to quit(& even then its not easy) &
some of us dont. ALL of us r addicted to cigarettes in one way or another.
there r times i enjoy my smoke, other times i hate it. most of the time i
do it because i am addicted to it.
now let me set u straight on why most drs wont operate on a smoker. and its
NOT because we r sabotaging our bodies!!!!! its because the effects of
smoking affect what happens to a body while under anesthesia & then
during recovery & recuperation. in all instances it is a choice a
smoker makes. it is not for U to judge ANYONE & stick a label to them.
i too will stop smoking well before my surgery. i hope & pray i will
never go back to smoking afterwards. BUT, that will be MY CHOICE & ur
label will not influence me one way or another. i assume u r a non smoker.
all non smokers have a holier than thou attitude. maybe u like to drink
occasionally. well i dont. ever. should i condemn u for the choices u make?
& if i did, i would let u know who i am, not put on a mask.
— sheryl titone
July 14, 2001
I smoked a cig on the way to the hosp. the morn. of my surgery, I needed a
stress relivier. I did have some problems with breathing afterwards in the
hosp. but I think that might have been due to the blood clot that I
developed more than anything. When I got home I thought I would never smoke
again and I threw out all my packs of cigs. I did fine for about 5 weeks,
but now I find that I am hungry alot and/or thinking about food all the
time. So I have started smoking again, its that or constantly eat all the
time. I don't know what is going on but I want to eat all the time. It is
not a good trade off but right now I don't know what else to do. My only
consoltation is that I smoke ultra light cigs. that are a lot easier on a
person than regulars. Hope this helps.
— cheryl B.
July 14, 2001
Enough of the mud slinging. I am a non-smoker and I am not holier than
thou. I have enough of my own problem to keep me busy. No need to judge
others. My surgeon has stated that smoking increases the chances of
developing ulcers post op. I have not seen anyone in that situation on
this board but you may want to consider that. In general, smokers do have
more problems with wound healing and also associated breathing issues. I
am probably the minority but I would rather see you smoking than
over-eating and harming your pouch.
— Shannon S.
July 14, 2001
I had my last cigarette 4 hours before my surgery and havent smoked again.
I am 7 1/2 weeks out now. today I was tempted to smoke but otherwise i
didnt even have the urge.
— C. L.
July 14, 2001
I'm not even going to dignify the first anonymous responder with a comment.
Not worth it. Just wanted to say that I'm struggling with my own smoking
issues. Damnit, sometimes I like having a cigarette, cause it relaxes me
(even though logically I know it doesn't, really). I will not smoke
tomorrow (Sunday), and my surgery is scheduled for Monday. Of course I did
make sure to tell them that I should be considered a smoker, even though I
have seriously decreased my daily number of cigarettes in anticipation of
my surgery. I plan on staying off them as long as possible so I can heal
better.
— Dee P.
July 14, 2001
Shannon, Thanks for your wise words. I'm 38 days from surgery and I quit
smoking a week ago. Unfortunately, since then I'm eating myself out of
house and home. I'm constantly hungry and eat so often I feel sick. I'm not
sure if I can continue to be hungry like this. I don't know which is
worse...the possible complications from smoking or the overeating now.
I find myself wanting to make myself throw up because I feel like I ate too
much. I'm not used to having this kind of relationship with food. Is this
normal when you quit smoking? Does it get better?
— talan73
July 15, 2001
I had my surgery 3/19/01. My DR did advise me to quit smoking before
surgery because of the added complications. I quit 2 months before surgery
& haven't had a cigg since,but let me tell you it's not easy. There are
times when I would like to have one, but there's that little voice that
that keeps telling me that I had this surgery to get healthier.
— socco58
July 15, 2001
I was supposed to quit smoking before my lap RNY, notice I said supposed
to. I ended up not being able to, it is a very hard habit to break. I
have not restared my bad habit, the cravings are still there though. Just
keep telling yourself that you have made it this far and that you can do
it, be positive. Good luck.
— Shawna B.
July 15, 2001
I quit smoking on 3-24-01, shortly before I heard about WLS. I am so glad I
did because I know the power of those little buggers and there would be no
way I could have quit knowing surgery was coming up. Just too much stress.
Fortunatley, I was over the majority of my craving, thanks to the patch,
before I immersed myself in the thought of WLS. It is so weird though, the
second thought I had when my insurance person gave me the approval was,
"I gotta get a cigarette". Luckily, I didn't but I was so nervous
and happy and scared that all I could think of was, Give me a smoke!"
— Karen R.
July 17, 2001
I quit smoking in July of 2000. My surgery was May 1st, 2001. I was
staying very sick, throwing up, couldnt eat or drink, just plain miserable.
Guess what, stupid me started smoking, like I have never quit. I ended up
having to have an endoscopy done, I dont get sick anymore, but still
smoking. I say everyday, this is it, but....
— Christy J.
August 29, 2001
All I have to say is......RIGHT ON SHERYL TITONE!!! YOU GO GIRLFRIEND!
— Jana F.
August 29, 2001
For all of us out there who do smoke yes it is better for us to stop
smoking before surgery, but it is our choice. Most of us are educated
enough to know the damage we are doing to our bodies. i have been though
two neck surgeries and smoked before and after. I had no complications at
all. But it also is not so easy to stop smoking as a non smoker might
think. All I have to say is we are all on this site for incouragement, not
to be judged, we all have already been judged our whole life because we are
obese. As for all the people who throw stones and don't have the guts to
put your name on it your a chicken .....
— kim L.
August 30, 2001
Ah. smoking -- I just gotta have another cigarette... I quit twenty years
ago, and I was an addict, not just a smoker (three+ packs/day). I was
asked to list when/where I smoked and I replied that the only place I
didn't smoke was in the shower. I feel you have to practice quitting
smoking, and then one time it works. My father and my oldest sister died
of emphysema, so I had a real motivation. But I can emphathize with those
who are trying -- one day it will work.. Nina
— [Deactivated Member]
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