kbingo

Friend request sent.I would love to join!!!! MY surgery date is November 9th.

@queencity, where are you having surgery? Who is your surgeon?My surgery is 11/09 at CMC--Mercy with Dr Kuwada from Carolina Weight Management.

Sounds like we are in a similar boat!!! Except...I know my PCP will not want to give me the okay! He believes that everyone can lose weight by just becoming a vegetarian!!! I'm pretty sure he will NOT want to give me clearance for WLS,luckily I don't believe my insurance requires PCP approval, only medical clearance. My PCP is in the same network as the surgeon I want to use for surgery so my surgeon can already see all my medical records because it's all one record. I have an appointment to meet my surgeon for the 1st time first of August and (routine followup) at the end of August with my PCP so please update this post on how things go with your PCP!! I may need some tips on how to get around a uncooperative PCP!!! Good Luck!

@ MrsSugarbabe, who did your surgery? Which hospital? and what is pleural effusion complications???? I'm hoping for a October/November surgery in Charlotte with Carolina Weight Management at CMC-Mercy.

UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Welp, I went and did it!!!!! Yep, that's right... after 25 years...I quit smoking July 1st!!! Whooohooo!!!! I started taking Chantix 06/15/15, picked my quit date of 7/01/15 and did it!!!! Whoohooo.... one step closer to getting WLS!!!!! Ugggggggggghhhhhhhh , Now to start drinking water!!!! This might be harder than quitting smoking!!!!

Welp, I went and did it!!!!! Yep, that's right... after 26 years...I quit smoking July 1st!!! Whooohooo!!!! I started taking Chantix 06/15/15, picked my quit date of 7/01/15 and did it!!!! Whoohooo.... one step closer to getting WLS!!!!!

congrats tstarkey704!!!!!!!!!!! I am on chantix and I am 11 days smoke free! so far i've had no negative side effects from stopping smoking. YAY!

@ AllisonK1986, today is day 7 of being smoke free for me!!! and after I eat is a really hard time. For over 26 years I have lit up after practically every meal!Heck I want to smoke right now from just talking about it but imma just soldier thru the urge! Also Chantix really helped!!! I'm starting week 4 tomorrow and yes i've missed a few doses here and there but never a whole day. I have not had any crazy withdrawal symptoms so far "YAY" so i've been lucky!

my first appt with surgeon is August 6th, I hope o do nut & psych appointment, endoscopy, and echo cardiogram (sp) completed by September 30th and surgery sometime after October 1st! I'm excited!!!

Thanks ya'll!!!! I'll try the vapor without nicotine!!! I think that's what i'm missing, the feeling of having something in my hand!!! This is really hard but I'm doing this because I want this surgery!!!

Thank you to everyone that responded!!!! This is really hard, that's why I'm trying to quit now. I hope to have surgery in October or November and the deal I made with myself was... if you really want this surgery, you have to give up the smoking before your first appointment with surgeon on August 6th! I thought about vaping, I've got an rechargeable vapor but I don't want the nicotine so that's not an option!!! I've been chewing regular gum the past two days and that has helped some.Oh I forgot to add, I've been smoking for 26 years!!!!

Okay so... I've been smoke free for almost 3 days and so far it's not been bad (Chantix has really helped!) but now it's getting REAL!!!! Are there any former smokers out there that have any suggestions for getting past the urge to light up!!! All encouragement is welcome but please, NO "you need to quit smoking" comments. Thanks!! sn: I've made up my mind that i'm quitting smoking, I just need suggestions for getting past the urges!!

Hey Ya'll!!!!!!!!!!!! I live in Shelby, work in Gastonia , hope to have surgery in Charlotte. I went to a seminar earlier this month. I have 1st appointment with Dr. Kuwada (Carolina Weight Mangement in Charlotte)August 6th!! I'm going with Dr Kuwada vs Dr Gersin because Kuwada did my seminar and I was really impressed by him!!! I hope to have surgery in November 2015 after my insurance year has restarted in October. Besides, I need the extra time to change some bad habits (not exercising, not drinking Water, drinking a 2 liter of Pepsi a day and smoking) before I have surgery! It's really good to find people that are in NC!! Karen