Last cig was last night at 11pm at restaurant with DH. Woke up this morning and medicated with food instead of cig. Once I see NUT and get pre-op diet I won't be able to do that,  but thankfully I could today.

It was actually a lovely day so far. Spent time on the patio by the pool, floating around, relaxing, feeling incredibly calm and content.

I remember when I quit when my band was scheduled, that I calmed down also too. It's hard to remember at times that nicotine is a stimulant. I remember being suprised at how much calmer and less anxious I was after I quit. 

I stayed quit for 2 yrs, until DH lit up in front of me once and I thought, "What would it hurt to just have one?" That was it for me. And for the past 2 years smoking between 2-4 packs a day, depending on how much time i'm in a smoking zone.

I did it cold turkey then too. It's really the only successful way for me to do it. The other ways just keep feeding my addiction.

Wondering how long it will be before I can get in the pool after my surgery. It's a huge coping tool for me when all others fail.

Congratulations on quitting.  I know first hand how hard it is.  I quit for my first WLS the day I met my surgeon.  I stayed quit for about 6 months and started again.  I don't think I seriously quit after that.  My surgeon told me to before my revision but it was scheduled so fast that I didn't have time.  I finally quit a few months after and stayed quit for 9 months and then, like you, picked it up again.  I just quit again a little over 2 months ago.  I sincerely hope this is the last time.  Truthfully, I didn't quit for health reasons.  I did not have one smoking related issue.  But damn, I cannot afford hundreds a month to smoke.  Using drugs would be cheaper.  

Good for you.  I'm jealous of the pool.  I have snow here.

Usually they say you can get back in the pool as soon as your incisions heal up all the way.  Which could take a couple weeks or could take longer.  It's funny, when I had my RNY one of my incisions took forever to heal but when I had my gall bladder surgery mine were all healed in about two weeks.

Congratulations...everytime you quit is one more step closer. April will be a year for me since my last cigarette. I told my self since I was consering weight loss surgery for my self and my kids...I couldn't walk into it with a habit that was surely killing me as much as the food was. So while I had no co-morbidities (YET) from the weight, I knew it need to come off. While I didn't have any side effects from smoking...I knew I needed to quit.

You can do it. I miss smoking all the time...it was my only vice and I LOVED IT. Now I just sigh...shake my head and move on!! I think once I accepted I would always miss it, but not CRAVE it...I was okay.

I wish you luck, but most importantly, I wish you the realization of self importance. YOU (your God given life, your time here on Earth, the things you do) YOU are worth the battle of quitting smoking AND losing the weight. Accomplishing these two things will give YOU more time...thats priceless.

(sorry for such a novel & serious tone...but being one year PAST quitting...it provides amazing hindsight you feel that you have to share!!)

 I am a veteran of the smoking wars. I quit for hopefully the last time 9/7/99. I had to stop with the "just having one" syndrome.
I will share wtih you the one thing that helped me more than anything. When we smoke we take deep breaths. Sometimes when you want a cigarette what your body is really craving is those long deep breaths. That is one of the reasons hypnosis is so successful for stopping smoking.
So when I wanted a cigarette I took deep from the belly breaths. I still do when I'm feeling anxious.
It works!
Good luck..it's the single most important thing you can do before surgery.
Deb T.

good idea seattledeb..thats good advice.  i am about 9 1/2 years out from my last cig.  i swear to you i was one of those that thought it would never ever happen to me.  But i made up my mind and i walked away.  I did use the patch and i think that and attitue helps a lot.  One thing i can't lie to you about is that there is always always cravings.  Even this far out i crave a cigerette from time to time.  My husband also quit with me but i found out a few months ago that about about year 5 he started again.  I was very upset with him when i found out.  It took him 4 years to tell me.  He claims he was afraid i would get upset with him enough to want to start again and i can guarantee you i thought about it.  As far as i know he has quit cold turkey too a and said that it was one of those things that "just one" won't hurt.  He didn't smoke anything like he did 10 years ago though as i never ever suspected and my sense of smell is SOOOO good now that i don't smoke that i am sure i would have caught on a long time ago.  He said he would buy a pack and nurse it for a couple weeks. 

I feel so better now not smoking.  But it took many times quitting to finally just do it.  I have never ever been at the weight i am...or any weight over 120 lbs...where i didn't smoke.  My lungs work so well now with the weiight coming off i am sure thats why i feel so good.  All my life i have either been fat or a smoker or BOTH. 

So you can do it.  Take those deep breaths.  Remember that a craving only lasts a few minutes and try to do something that will take a few minutes to do.  If you feel a craving come on, go throw a load of clothes in the washer, or get a drink of water, or go to the bathroom, or go turn the tv on or just about anything..just don't pick up that smoke.  You will pat yourself on the back a million times once your in control and not your smokes.  And good luck!!