Don't take my head off please!

[amylynn41 1]

My sleeve surgery is in two weeks and I'm still smoking although it's less than half of what I use too I'm still struggling to totally give them up. Anyone else smoke with the surgery?

[*Lexie* 1,486]

Off with your head!!

Luckily I quit a few years before surgery. I know how hard it is and I remember thinking that I was so thankful I didn't have to quit while trying to do a pre-op diet and the stress of an upcoming surgery. Lives may have been lost if I had.

[sharonintx 1,275]

I did. I had no problems.

[Babbs 14,681]

I quit a couple months before my surgery using the vapor cigarettes. I vaped and slowly cut my nicotine down until I was down to no nicotine in the vape at all. Then one day, I didn't even think about vaping. That's when I knew I had it licked!

That being said, I had my head taken off about a year ago over this same issue on this very site. I had asked the same question. I know my husband continued to smoke up to his surgery and beyond and had no issues. I know the doctors would prefer you don't because of the healing factor.

I was trying to justify continuing smoking, and I realize that now. But after some deep thought and reflection, I thought if I'm having the surgery to be healthier and live longer, why would I continue smoking?? That's when I decided to quit. Now I'm celebrating almost 1 year smoke free.

I'm now training for a 5K. I know I could NEVER have run 3.1 miles if I was still a smoker (let alone 3 feet!) I honestly think I'm more proud of quitting smoking than having the surgery. I know it's damn hard to quit and stay quit.

I know it's hard to quit. I smoked for 22 years. But really it's kind of counter productive to continue when ultimately the goal is to become healthier, eh?

[LivingFree! 478]

Some surgeons will not do the surgery if your blood tests show nicotine in your system. Better check if yours is one of them...

[CanyonBaby 1,852]

I'm with Babbs on this....why do all this just to endanger your life with smoking? I am a little sensitive on this issue as the smoking is what killed my mother at age 64, from emphysema. The nurses said it was the worst way to die, as there is no way to comfort, no way to ease the suffering, especially at the end. And OH! The end was the absolute WORST. Especially for my father, who could only watch and cry.

I was blessed by having an allergy to cigarette smoke, so I have never "smoked", other than suffering through 18 years of my mother's smoke. But remember WHY your doing WLS. I assume it is for your health, among other things. So maybe for MY mom, if not for yourself, please reconsider continuing smoking. You are a very valuable person!

[judyoz 240]

I was going to say the same thing, my surgeon checked for nicotine prior to surgery. He Would not do surgery if it was positive. I quit in 2013 after smoking 37 years. I have had surgeries while I smoked and it was awful waking up and coughing. Surgeries while not smoking was great, It hurts to cough after surgery.

Best of Luck. I used the Patches and it worked well.