GinaBeana

I had quit smoking a month before my surgery and then started back up 3 wks after surgery. I know that I am NOT supposed to be smoking and when my Dr. finds out he is going to chew me a new one and good. I don't want to smoke but there has been so many changes in my life since my 11/19/10 surgery. People say "eat carrot sticks, raw veggies (they dont understand I can eat that stuff)...etc...but right now being 6 wks post op I cant do any of that and next thing I know I'm buying cigs again. I know complications can develope from smoking and my sleeve and this scares me but I don't know what to do. Before surgery the Dr didn't even want me to do the patch so cold turkey it was. I went about nuts too. So if anyone out there has faced this issue please help me. I want to quit but having a hard time doing so. Any suggestions are welcome.

Thank you all. Quitting smoking is NOT an easy thing thats for sure. I've tried Wellbutrin and I'm not kidding when I say this....I started smoking more! Needless to say I went off of that. I'm scared with being only 6 wks out I'm going to develope ulcers. I know all this but I just cant quit and I'm really getting mad at myself. The island with cabana boys would really do wonders for me.....it would surely keep me occupied! Give me a bottle of Captain Morgan, a few hot cabana boys..........life would be good! lol!! Oh wait, I cant drink yet! Will life ever be normal again? I know a few months down the road I'll look back and say "it wasn't all that bad" but right now it just seems like it will never end. I cant go to the gym yet, I do walk a lot and I'm down a total of 56 lbs (26 before surgery o 11/19/10). I don't like this phase I'm in right now tho. Oh well, this to shall pass.

I had my surgery done on 11/19/10 so I'm now 6 wks post op with my 6 wk appt tomorrow. I have a very hard time drinking protein shakes for some reason and have tried numerous kinds with no luck. What I do use now to get extra protein to my soft/mashed foods is adding plain greek yogurt to my foods, which tastes basically like sour cream. There are different kinds of greek yogurt out there with different amounts of protein but what I found best to use is Athenos Greek Strained nonfat yogurt. It has 140 cal for one cup, 0 fat and 23 grams of protein. I try to add it to whatever I can (some foods of course don't work). I'll have a baked potatoe with about 1/4 cup of it on it with some reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese. I'll make smoothies and add it to those as well. Scrambled egg, I'll add a dab if it to that. I've made white bean chicken chili (ground up chicken) and include it in there too. There are also times I will try to eat just the yogurt and some sliced peaches to it or mix it with cottage cheese. Of course there are those days I just have a hard time eating anything so I've been eating a lot of egg drop soup.. That goes down really well plus its some protein and fluids at the same time. I always add the yogurt to potatoe soup too. I make things from scratch so I can control the sodium in but have also gone to a chinese restuarant for egg drop soup for a "quick" meal. Back in the nasty pureed days I didn't think I would ever be able to eat normal food again but its getting better and better with each day. I have lost a total of 56 lbs (26 lbs pre op) and I walk a lot. Good luck to you! It does get better.