Smoking...

OK guy, I have finally been approved for RNY and am scheduled for Aug. 27.  My problem is smoking.  I have been smoking 2 packs a day for about 20 years.  Besides my addiction to good food, my days flow along with coffee and smoking.  I have not been deserted on an island for the past 30 years, I do know all the bad health risks of smoking, but I cant seem to quit.  I know I have to prior to surgery and not smoke after.  Have any of you guys had the same addiction?  How did you cut them out if you did?  Please tell me your method.  I do not want to try the Chantix due to my work and wife, some one would get hurt, and it would be me.  I have 24 days untill surgery and want to be nicotine free at least 2 weeks before going in.  HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jay

Wow that only give you 10 days to quit.  I have never been a smoker, but I know I had to cold turkey some of the foods that my doc wouldn't approve of after surgery.  Thinks like Beer and Cola beverages.  That is such a short period of time, it's going to be pretty intense for you.

I really just wanted to wish you luck.

Scott

Jay.  Congrats on your approval.  I used to be a very heavy smoker.  3 to 5 packs a day.  I got to the point that I couldnt hardly breathe.  I quit 10 years ago on August 10 this year with the help of my doc.  He prescribed for me Zantec.  It worked great for me.  Took away all the weird sid-afects I had in prior attempts, like the shakes, and water blistering from the nerves.  I havent smoked since.  My Brother, also tried it, but it didnt work for him.
Hope you aquire all your goals.
kevin

Jay,

I was 2 to 2.5 packs a day for the last 18 years.  I quit with the Chantix ( i did not have any side affects with it)  I took the pills for about  2 months and i started that 5 months ago. 

The main reason i did the Chantix was my first choice for Dr would not tuch you till you were 4 months smoke free.. 2 weeks prior to surgery she did a hair test, from you arm.. and the nicotine shows up for 4 months..

Well i had to switch drs at the last minutes due to getting laid off and had to move up the surgery, but it was the best thing i have ever done, i am walking 2 miles a day, and i can breath.....

Good luck

Scott

Chantix- I took the beginning pilss the first week while smoking and the second week up the dosage to the second week pills and didn't smoke. Quit last Nov in 9 days and haven't had one since. Smoked for 20 years 1 1/2 a day. No side affects ,  just healthy breathing. My WLs is second  to quit smoking. Close second, but still second. good luck. Ken

Now I quit smoking in 1991, but then last winter did the addiction transfer thing and started smoking again. A pack lasts me 2 or 3 days but I want to quit now before it gets worse, but I'm afraid of the addiction transfer again.  Have any of you been able to break these cycles with the professional help of a therapist?  I have heward that it hasn't helped at all to people who have been honest with me that I know.  We were addicted to food, using that as a crutch to suppress emotions or whatnot and now we tend to transfer that to another vice.  Can we be cured with therapy?  I actually quit everything about 8 years ago and became addicted to working out and exercising.  Believe it or not, that was hazardous to my health as well, as I tore both of my achilles tendons and was laid up for over a year, and went back to food and other things.  Vicious circle.

Best of luck quitting smoking and with your surgery.  We can figure this all out perhaps if we put our minds together.

I stopped a year ago. I used Chantix and did not have any side affects. I smoked for the first week and a half and have not wanted to smoke after that. Good luck with stopping and your surgery.

I only smoked when I was 16 and quit when my Dad caught me. It was one habit I never picked up one. I hear those patches work. All I can say is one day at atime and keep trying. We're for you.

Wow I guess I'm the only with balls enough to go cold turkey! I smoked a pack a day for 3 years and decided I didn't want to go down that road so one day (actually 2 years ago this past July 25th) I just up and quit. Had my last cigarette that afternoon and put em down for good. Yeah it sucked. Yes I wanted to smoke every single fu**ing day but I just kept on thinking of better health and better breathing. Now of course you can't quit smoking and it all be hunky dory. I gained about 50 good pounds after that. Lost 40 of it or so and then gained a total of about 80 back. That's when I decided to have weight loss surgery. If one thing doesn't kill you another one will!! But good luck to you and I think you can quit cold turkey...the thing is you have to want to bad enough. Good luck.

Lance I quit cold turkey in 1991.  I was about a pack and a half back then.  And with the exception of about 3 relapses over the years, it has never been a problem for me to quit.  And I can quit right now cold turkey easy since I am smoking about a half pack a day.  So yeah, I got the balls and you can't stop them, you can only hope to contain them, haha.  The thing I'm worried about is quitting smoking again and then picking up another habit.  How do we break that cycle? 

Some of you macho dudes can blow smoke up other peoples asses all day long and say that you never had any underlying emotional issue that caused you to overeat and gain weight.  Yeah, yeah, we heard it all before, you just loved food, and that is why you ate so much that your blood turned to gravy.  B.S.  Some of it may be hereditary and some of it may be the way we were raised around food in our families, some had a nasty relative that did unthinkable things to them (not me :D), some had medications or immobility cause weight gain.  Everyone has their own story. 

My story?  I admit that move from one vice to another, I never do anything half-assed.