Smokers Beware! - I have an ulcer

[kranky813 477]

Surgery in August 2015. Down 70 pounds and life was great! Surgery was a success and I was feeling 100% fantastic... until....

I quit smoking for surgery like I was supposed to. It was hard at first but I kicked that nasty habit. Then life happened. Just a quick recap - horrible custody battle for my 15 year old daughter (step daughter) - she is getting into a lot of trouble at her mom's house and mom doesn't seem to care. Then during our custody battle my daughter who is 9 - her biological father decided that he wanted to sign away his rights to her. It was and has been such a stressful time that I bummed a cigarette off of one of my friends and the next thing I knew I was buying my own. Yes, I know how bad it is and I know that I should be doing it. But I also thought - oh it's ok. I will only smoke until all of the court stuff is over and then I will quit again... I will be fine. I by no means am using this as an excuse. Just wanted to give you my mind-frame.

Anyway fast forward a few months.. still dealing with the custody stuff. But yesterday I started to not feel well. I was getting these sharp pains in my stomach that wouldn't go away. I ended up in the ER last night due to all of the pain. After a huge array of tests they determined that I have an ulcer in my sleeve. This is due to all of the stress I am under and smoking. This is 100% my fault and I am not blaming anyone else. I have to go in for a scope on Tuesday to see how bad the ulcer is and if surgery is needed to fix it.

The reason that I am posting this is to warn the smokers out there. You think that ulcers will not happen to you. You think that it's just one cigarette... It's not. I didn't think that I would get an ulcer but I did and let me tell you it is one of the most painful things I have ever experienced and now I have to deal with the pain until it heals. I am also going to have to go through withdrawals of smoking because I was stupid enough to start again.

On top of that, my surgeon put me on liquids again. Remember how bad just having liquids was... yep, I get liquids again.

Please use me as an example and don't start again... it's so not worth it.

[Bufflehead 6,358]

Thank you for posting this. It sounds like you have a great attitude moving forward and your doctors are taking excellent care of you -- I hope everything gets resolved quickly for you.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Gee, I'm so sorry.

I also "liked" your post, but only in sympathy.

I really, really hope you get this fixed up and it heals fast and well.

(hugs!)

[cdsjjotn 516]

Thank you so much for posting this.. I really hope you are feeling better soon .. I too was a smoker before the surgery, it's been 3 months and now I struggle with it everyday..for some reason it was easier in the beginning.. I have thoughts everyday of just having one.. I know it would lead to more, now you have given me another reason to say to myself no way.. Hope you are getting better and the court stuff gets settled

[FrankyG 1,450]

It is never "just one smoke" is it?

I'm so very sorry you are going through all of this. I hope things work out both with your kids and with your health. BIG hugs, and stay strong!!

(and I also liked your post in sympathy)

I freaking loved smoking and was really depressed about having to quit for surgery, but I managed to do so about three months out. I've had some pretty awful things happen since, and felt drawn to smoke many times, but somehow resisted.

I realized that I'm healthier now than I have ever been in my life, and despite still occasionally missing the whole smoking thing (I even loved the smell - so gross, but I think that is why the vape thing never appealed to me so that's a blessing anyway) I never want to go back... only forward, and having a cigarette would be a huge step backwards.

Edited March 18, 2016 by FrankiesGirl

[JamieLogical 8,723]

Thank you for this post! I am sorry you have had to endure all of this, but it is awesome that you shared it. Hopefully it can spare others the same pain you are experiencing now.

[NoMoBand 278]

Thank you for your honesty. I needed to hear this! I started having one here and there and here and there more frequently. I lost a good friend to pneumonia just last week and for my own good and in her honor, I quit. I'm doing really well, but, this only verified what I needed to do before it got out of hand.

Do you mind me asking how many cigarettes you had per day? Thank you for posting. jake

[mollybz 1]

Quit 2 yrs ago. I will never touch them again.

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[GSleeve822 394]

Thank you so much for posting this.. I really hope you are feeling better soon .. I too was a smoker before the surgery, it's been 3 months and now I struggle with it everyday..for some reason it was easier in the beginning.. I have thoughts everyday of just having one.. I know it would lead to more, now you have given me another reason to say to myself no way.. Hope you are getting better and the court stuff gets settled

I quit last week... the first few days were a piece of cake compared to now. I've quit before and I remember waking up every morning basically in tears because I wanted to smoke . that was for 6 mos until ĺ eventually gave in. it's incredibly difficult and I keep thinking of how I'm gunna smoke for my birthday in 6 months and all these crazy thoughts. I dream of it every night. All I know is that every time I've quit and returned to use, I've wished I hadn't.. and that's what I really try to focus on.. but it's the hardest thing. it's as addictive as heroin, so I'd say we're doing a pretty good job!.. just for today!

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[Leesa926 72]

Thanks for posting this. I unfortunately started again and even made a comment to my regular doctor that I'm out of the woods as I'm healed (I know this isn't true just my excuse making) needed to hear this as I know I'm just hurting myself. Best of luck!

[kranky813 477]

Thanks everyone for your kind words. I was a little worried about the reaction I would get. I have been down and out for quite some time due to the pain. I had a scope yesterday and just as everyone figured I have several ulcers. I am now taking 8 medications every morning to try and combat them. Trust me when I tell you they are VERY painful.

My doctor put it very simply for me yesterday: You can continue to smoke and live every day of your life in pain or you can quit and be just fine, the choice is yours.

Obviously I am choosing to quit. The difficult thing however is that I can't use Patches, gum, e-cigarettes... nothing that has nicotine in it because the nicotine is what causes the ulcers. I was put on Welbutrin and will see how that goes.

[Thecloude1 342]

Sorry you are going through this....I feel for smokers going through WLS...Not only do they have to give up the comfort of food but also cigarettes....oh and if you are a social drinker...triple whammy! I'm fortunate in that I neither drink nor smoke....never have [emoji3]

[CowgirlJane 14,260]

So sorry you are going through this! I am glad you shared, I had no idea nicotine caused ulcers. It is great when we can educate others because I would have not made the connection.

Hope you heal up quickly and life stresses calm down. My boys are in their 20s, but I remember how stressful the teen and tween years could be at times!

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[missvee 28]

Thank you for sharing, I'm still 4 months until surgery and struggling to completely stop. Still having 1-2 cigs a day and feeling completely guilty about it

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[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

So it's the nicotine that causes the problem re stomach ulcers, eh?

That means vaping nicotine wouldn't help at all. And that vapers run the same risks as cigarette smokers in developing stomach ulcers.

Very good to know this.