Really Struggling To Stop Smoking!

[Jlewis229 191]

Iv been smoking for 20 yrs and as soon as they said we need u to stop smoking 2months before surgery I was like how am I going to do that ?? I did it I just stopped nothing is going to keep me from this sleeve when I'm having a urge I walk or drink Water

I'm trying hard! I find myself going for food though :-/ its more mental than anything, it's not having something in my hand or mouth. The cravings aren't that bad bc I'm taking the chantix, it's the damn mental part of it!

Wish I had never started at 16!

[Back~To~Amy 307]

Hi Johnathan. I quit smoking 6 1/2 years ago and it is easy at first. It does get easier though. Hang in there. Once you get far enough out, you will feel so free over the control cigarettes had on you. Best of luck to you. YOU CAN DO THIS!

[phillygirl8133 74]

I'm trying hard! I find myself going for food though :-/ its more mental than anything' date=' it's not having something in my hand or mouth. The cravings aren't that bad bc I'm taking the chantix, it's the damn mental part of it!

Wish I had never started at 16![/quote']

Well you could always buy the electric cigs that help you quit thats what my doc recommended for his patients

[JenniJune 79]

I quit smoking about 51/2 years ago and it was certainly one of the hardest things I have ever done. Phillip Morris has a web site that helped me tramendously. It's called Quit Assist and it is a wealth of information and support. My advice - throw any and all cigarettes and lighters away. Just get rid of them all. If they're not there, they can't tempt you. I know, it sounds harsh and hard, but quitting is even harder when they're in front of you. But you CAN do it.

Do activities that don't require smoking around them: something that sounds so silly, but was an amazing therapy for me was coloring in a coloring book. Stay with me here, LOL. When I would get a craving, I would just start coloring. Sometimes I would end up scribbling all over the page, but eventually the craving went away. Something else I did a lot of was cleaning. They were piddly things, but it kept me doing something else with my hands.

This is going to be one of the hardest things ever, even today over 5 years later, I still have a craving once in a while. But eventually, your life is going to change so much not just from quitting, but from undergoing this amazing transformation you are about to undergo. It's going to be amazing.

You can do it!!

[LizEac 32]

Early on in this process, my surgeon told me that he would not operate on me if I was still a smoker, so my PCP put me on welbutrin to help with the cravings, it sucked at first...I mean really sucked. I was ready to suck the smoke out of the lungs of complete strangers that I saw smoking outside of bars. Luckily, I have great friends who helped me see.straight. it's been nearly seven months since I've had any nicotine, it's still really hard, but manageable. Some things that I found helpful were using an electronic cigarette while the welbutrin built up in my system, and then after quitting, I cut up celery sticks and held them like cigarettes. Then I would occupy my hands by pulling off the strings and eating the celery sticks, I did this particularly at night after dinner.< /p>

I hope this helps, but just look forward to how much better you'll feel after surgery!

[Jlewis229 191]

Early on in this process' date=' my surgeon told me that he would not operate on me if I was still a smoker, so my PCP put me on welbutrin to help with the cravings, it sucked at first...I mean really sucked. I was ready to suck the smoke out of the lungs of complete strangers that I saw smoking outside of bars. Luckily, I have great friends who helped me see.straight. it's been nearly seven months since I've had any nicotine, it's still really hard, but manageable. Some things that I found helpful were using an electronic cigarette while the welbutrin built up in my system, and then after quitting, I cut up celery sticks and held them like cigarettes. Then I would occupy my hands by pulling off the strings and eating the celery sticks, I did this particularly at night after dinner.

I hope this helps, but just look forward to how much better you'll feel after surgery! [/quote']

Ok that was hilarious about sucking the smoke out of strangers lungs haha

So I haven't had a cigarette in almost 24 hours and I'm feeling ok. I think it's just mainly mental bc I'm not having bad cravings, it's more of not having one in my Hand and after I eat I feel like I want one bc it's what I've always done. I've been sucking on cough drops after I eat and that helps the craving go away and I've been keeping a pen in my hand some last night just so I have something there. I absolutely hate celery otherwise that's a great idea lol

I'm gonna look for some of the peppermint sticks at the store when I go in a little while.

Thanks everyone for the support and the Ideas!

Johnathan

[Jlewis229 191]

Hi Johnathan...wish I had some really helpful advice for your pre-op because I know how that urge to smoke feels like since I was a former smoker who loved the menthols and clove ones. I used to carry around sugar-free peppermint sticks and then have that when my urges happened. Gum didn't work for me because I really missed holding the cigarette in my hand so the peppermint sticks helped me better. My dad was a smoker since he was in his teens' date=' had 2 heart attacks, and got to be smoke-free for about 5 years after that. Later on we found out he became a closet smoker and smoked on breaks at work and kept mints in his pocket thinking my mom wouldn't be able to tell. He died in 1996 after suffering his 3rd heart attack. I keep this in mind whenever I try to even think about having a smoke. I hope you hang in there and keep remembering your own reasons for having the surgery. Stay strong![/quote']

I got some peppermint sticks, thanks for the tip. I am holding a pen in my hand which seems to help too!

Thanks you!

Johnathan

[ebonisekim 1,713]

I'm an ex smoker I stopped in March this year when I decide I wanted the sleeve cold turkey and I want the sleeve and to be healthy so bad that was enough for me I hope things get better for u and I think they will the thing I missed about smoking was the inhale and exhale part ... My friends use to say why do u smoke cus I wouldnt hold it in long enough ... But I will tell u it could be done ... Good luck to u and I will be following you to see how it goes