Smoking And Healing After Abdominoplasty

[Karen12345 61]

Okay, so I had the surgery 4 weeks ago and I still have a drain in. My incisions have healed beautifully and the Fluid is pretty clear with no odor. I went back to work after a week and I've been way too active since day one (moving around, getting up and down, driving, shopping, etc). I keep trying to quit but I can't. I get nuts. My mother died recently and my grown son isn't speaking to me and I'm feeling very depressed. I cry a lot and I'm not a cryer. I just don't feel mentally strong enough to go thru the nicotine withdrawal. The doctor is blaming me still having the tube on my smoking. I think it's more my moving around too much. Is 4 weeks really a long time? Has anyone smoked thru this and how was it for you. If you want to tell me all the dangers of smoking, please save it. I can assure you that my doctor, friends and coworkers haven't missed any of the horror stories.

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[Skinny_Jill 36]

Hi Karen,

I am so sorry about all of the issues you are dealing with. I quit smoking 2 weeks before my surgery and my surgery was just 4 days ago. I was told that smoking would slow down the healing process but I don't know if that is related to your drain.

I hope things ease up for you. Take it easy for a few days and pamper yourself. You deserve it.

[SageTracey 608]

I'm not a smoker, never have been, and haven't had abdominoplasty - maybe down the track.

However, sounds to me like you have been through a really rough time emotionally with your Mom and your son, plus the stress of major surgery, so I just wanted to reach out and wish you all the best.

I hope you can find some support in real life as well as on here and that your physical and emotional recovery progresses quickly.

[Karen12345 61]

Thanks Jill and Tracey! Yeah, I have never had a problem with depression until now. I have this tube in me and I have to wear the compression garment 24 hours a day. I came to this site because others here understand all of this. It's really helped a lot reading what others are going thru and occasionally whining and venting. I'm used to exercising every day and I can't do that now. I know that as soon as I can go for my regular 3 mile walk, that I'm gonna be back to my normal happy self. Jill that's great you were ble to quit. How are you doing?

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[Skinny_Jill 36]

I am doing well. I know what you mean about the compression garment. It is not comfortable but at this point but I would be more uncomfortable without it.

I quit cold turkey. The surgery seemed so scary I didn't want to do anything to mess it up. I just hope I don't start back. I wasn't a real heavy smoker but I did smoke everyday. It was hard to quit.

Good luck!

[Electrawoman 5]

Have you thought about using an e-cig? Electronic cigarettes...safe...feels just like smoking. Pm me if you want some more info or just google it. I've been using mine for 3 years.

[Skinny_Jill 36]

One of my nurses used an e cigarette and it really helped her quit. She pulled it out and took a puff right in the office.

[Karen12345 61]

I am doing well. I know what you mean about the compression garment. It is not comfortable but at this point but I would be more uncomfortable without it.

I quit cold turkey. The surgery seemed so scary I didn't want to do anything to mess it up. I just hope I don't start back. I wasn't a real heavy smoker but I did smoke everyday. It was hard to quit.

Good luck!

I tried cold turkey and I couldn't do it. Then they gave me Chantix and that was a nightmare. The doctor gave me Xanax to try to alleviate the side effects of the Chantix and that was horrible. I'm off both now and on Wellbutrin and I'm actually hating the cigarettes... I have a couple left and if I don't smoke them, I'm gonna throw me away tomorrow. Yeah, the compression garment does make it feel better in the beginning. Now I'm not hurting anymore, I'm just wearing a freaking tight girdle 24 hours a day! It's been a month. It won't be much longer for me. I really am starting to feel a little more hopeful.

Keep us updated on how you are doing. Where are you?

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[Jachut 487]

Hang in there. I had a bit of a rough time last year with depression after cancer, got on top of it partly due to hormone treatment and backslid a ling way after my Tummy Tuck which was over three months ago. Its been awful and has taken a long time. Its pretty normal to one degree or another.

My drains were only in three days so yes, four weeks is a long time. But youre only human and dont need something else to stress about!!

[Skinny_Jill 36]

I really hope the wellbutrin helps. My doctor gave me Xanax and told me to take one every night for the first week to help me sleep and it is great. It really calms me down and knocks me out.

I live in Richmond but I am basically in Sugar Land. What part of Houston do you live?

[leda 0]

I have one drain left in and its been 6 weeks. Next week he will take it out. He said he wants to make sure everything is drained out do I heal right. Smoking I went back after quitting for a month before surgery. Who knows if it really delays your healing time.

[jflo 40]

I have not had this done, I will be banded on July 2nd. However, I would like to tell you that you made your mind up to have surgery and did the things necessary to help change to healthier eating habbits and I know you can stop smoking. I am on the third day of my pre op diet and by far this is a heck of a lot harder than it was for me to stop smoking...lol Here are a few quirks I can give you to try and help.

First of all I smoked for 14 years and was up tp 2 packs a day, I always thought I would be a smoker forever, but when I saw a lady that was my sunday school teacher carrying around an oxygen tank in public, it shocked me because I never knew she ever smoked. My grandmother quit at age 76 because she was knocking on severe emphysemas door. I had tried everything under the sun, but my aunt told me to try the lozenges. So, I decided to have my last cigarette on January 3, 2010, I wanted to quit on a Monday, so I had work to occupy my time and weekends was when I smoked the most. I started the lozenges on the 4th and really only struggled the first day. You are told to use one every 30 minutes, but I just would suck on one when I wanted a cigarette and it worked amazingly. I used the lozenges for two weeks and have not smoked since then. After the initial two weeks its all downhill! You will still feel out of habit to pick up one, but then your mind tells you no you are not a smoker anymore. You will feel so much better! No coughing or wheezing, no nasty smell on your clothes or house. I would take the first step by not smoking in your house or vehicle if you do that way it will slow it down and then when you are determined to quit get the lozenges. You don't have to worry about gaining weight because you are banded, so you can do it, I know. Don't let the new healthier you get brought down by smoking later on in your life.

[Sojourner 2,446]

Okay, so I had the surgery 4 weeks ago and I still have a drain in. My incisions have healed beautifully and the Fluid is pretty clear with no odor. I went back to work after a week and I've been way too active since day one (moving around, getting up and down, driving, shopping, etc). I keep trying to quit but I can't. I get nuts. My mother died recently and my grown son isn't speaking to me and I'm feeling very depressed. I cry a lot and I'm not a cryer. I just don't feel mentally strong enough to go thru the nicotine withdrawal. The doctor is blaming me still having the tube on my smoking. I think it's more my moving around too much. Is 4 weeks really a long time? Has anyone smoked thru this and how was it for you. If you want to tell me all the dangers of smoking, please save it. I can assure you that my doctor, friends and coworkers haven't missed any of the horror stories.

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Karen,

From what you have written that you are experiencing depression, and it would be helpful for you to speak with a therapist about what is going on in your life. Depression does not always resolve on it's own without proper interventions.

I would like to share that one of my sons is an endodontist, and he has told me that there are a number of oral surgeries which they will refuse to do on a patient who is a smoker. Smoking definitely does slow the healing processes of the body down, because it is putting toxins into the tissues.

You may feel better about stopping smoking if you had some emotional support from a therapist, and could address smoking cessation issues along with your depression.

Best wishes, and I hope you feel better soon. I can't help but feel that you will get better faster in both physical and psychological areas if you empower yourself to take some positive actions to help yourself!

[Karen12345 61]

So okay y'all, thank you so much for the encouragement. I quit smoking 2 days ago and got that final drain out today. My doctor had been so frustrated with my smoking, as she was pulling it out she was describing the horrors that would happen if I smoked a cigarette. As quickly as the Fluid went away when I stopped smoking, it would come back if I picked it back up and without a drai, it would be bad.

So I'm not smoking! Feeling a little nuts but she assures me it's just the nicotine withdrawal. I am so happy to be drain free!

Thanks again!

Karen

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[Karen12345 61]

I really hope the wellbutrin helps. My doctor gave me Xanax and told me to take one every night for the first week to help me sleep and it is great. It really calms me down and knocks me out.

I live in Richmond but I am basically in Sugar Land. What part of Houston do you live?

I am currently in the heights but moving to spring branch for about a year to live with my brother and be able to save money for getting my legs and arms done by dr quiroz. Where did you have your surgery?

Karen

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