Quitting smoking before surgery

[Hollyett]

Hello all!

My surgery is coming up in a little less than two weekes now. (aortic valave replacement) And I was told to quit at least 2 weeks before the surgery. Although, I have cut down quite a bit..I am having a REAL hard time quitting.

I wa just wondering if anyone here had been smokers when they were told they had to have surgery, and what they did to help them quit.
It just seems like I am going through a lot more stress lately than normal especially with surgery coming up and normally smoking has helped in a sense with the stress. I beleive thats why it has been so hard.
..well one of the reasons anyways.

So, if anyone here had smoked, what helped you to quit? How long before the surgery did you quit if at all?

Any insight or help is greatly appreciated!
Thank you!!

 

[PamO]

While my husband is the valve recipient, I'm the smoker! When I've quit in the past (and yes, don't yell everyone, but started up again), I had a script from my doctor for the Zyban. Not sure if you can take it, but it was amazing how it worked. You need to get your CO levels down before surgery. Talk to your doctor about it.

 

[Georgia]

I was smoking a small amount before I was diagnosed. I was hospitalized for congestive heart failure for four days, then sent home. I never thought about smoking when I was in the hospital and never wanted one prior to surgery. I think fear totally took over and I just decided it was not available to me again. Period.

Having smoked off and on for years, I sure know what you're going through. But you need to throw them out and decide that you can't have any more. The nicotine narrows your blood vessels and puts a lot of strain on your heart, and presurgery is NOT the time you want any more strain on your heart than already exists.

Best of luck, and believe me, I sympathize. You can do this. I agree you may need some help with stress; at this point, you're much better off getting chemical help and chew on licorice and Big Red gum than to smoke.

 

[geebee]

I smoked about a pack a day when I was told by my cardio to stop smoking or I would die. His bluntness hit me really hard as I was only 25 and still thought I was going to live forever.

I quit the same day and haven't smoked since. I went to pick up a cigarette a couple of times and saw myself in a coffin. Since I am claustrophobic, I managed to get past any urges very quickly.

That was 28 years ago and I haven't smoked since.

 

[Blanche]

Hollyette:
I understand what you are going through. I had simple outpatient laproscopic surgery for ovarian cysts in June. I was told to quit and I could not. Too much stress. And, my surgery was so minor in comparison to that which you face. I did quit after the surgery, which was June 20, last year.
I quit because the anastesiologist was not going to approve me for surgery because of my smokers' breathing. They gave me treatments, surgery progressed, but they had a tough time waking me up. My family thought I might be in real trouble.

There were several things that helped me very much. First and foremost, cinnamon helped me greatly. My dentist recommended it. I chewed cinnamon gum and took cinnamon hard candies. I also drank cinnamon tea and put it on my toast and in my meals. It really did help and I highly recommend it. Water and walking also helped a great deal. I was never without water for the first 6 months. When the cravings got bad, I would just walk out the door and walk about for a while. I also took Zyban (Welburtin SR) but the side effects for me were just awful. Most people do well on Zyban and it is a great help. If your doctor agrees, you should try it.
There are all sorts of other little things that can help take your mind off smoking, like snapping a rubber band on your wrist and the like. I would also recommend visiting some of the smoking cessation support sites on the net.

Stopping smoking is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I am glad I did it and I feel so much better and the quality of my life has improved beyond belief.....yet, I still think about it. You have my very best wishes for success in a most difficult endeavor.

Kind regards,
Blanche

 

[geebee]

Oops - forgot a trick. Jolly Rancher candies.

 

[Rich]

I was a smoker back then also, and I did use it as a stress reliever.
I received a letter from the surgeon's office, and was told to quit thirty days before my surgery.
Ironically the letter arrived exactly thirty days before my surgery.
They went in the trash that day.
It wasn't easy but after thinking about it, I realized smoking would just put me at higher risk for the surgery.
That thought scared me enough to pitch them out.
It will be tough but you can do it, in fact you absolutely MUST do it.
Best of luck,
Rich

 

[carista]

I quit about 7 months before my surgery and it was hard, especially because of the extra stress of learning about my heart condition. I took Zyban also and chewed gum constantly. Everytime I wanted to give in and smoke a cigarette I would think about what my doctor had told me. I also tried to stay away from the triggers that always made me want a cigarette. I was always a coffee drinker and quit drinking it when I was quitting since that was one of my triggers. Zyban worked great for me though, it made cigarettes so tasteless to me that they were gross. Good luck, you can do it!

Carista

 

[PamO]

The Zyban really worked for me also. Before my spinal surgery, I was told to quit, got the Zyban, took it for two weeks while smoking and then you quit. You have to build it up in your system. You set a date and then quit. I was amazed at how I didn't even think about smoking after that date (but started up again - it's a crutch for stress).

Definitely ask your doctor about it.

 

[kingpeta]

I too was a smoker before surgery. I quit about 3 weeks prior to it. It was/is hard but you must think about after the surgery. Do you want to be coughing extra due to the smoke? In my case the fear made it easier to quit. There just isn't any excuse to keep it up. Do whatever you have to to quit now. You'll feel better and be glad you did. Yeah, i still want one now & then but those cravings pass and get fewer and farther apart. Good luck!

 

[hpuehler]

I just had surgery on Jan 4. I quite smoking Dec.11 because I knew what the cardio would say. I'm a nurse and a professional quiter. I did not smoke for two years before that and had done the same two times previously. Still would like to smoke, but the urge passes. I see it as not even an option now. I took Zyban SR everytime I quit. I only take the 150 mg once a day instead of the prescribed twice a day. I have less side effects this way. Since you have such a short time until surgery, I would ask the Dr. for xanax and wellbutrin that way the xanax can cover the anxiety while the Zyban kicks in. I ways on the zyban until day before surgery and resumed 2 days post-op. My pc took me off because my BP was a little high after surgery, needless to say I now feel anxious, want to smoke and eat. I called the cardio and he said start it back up. YEA!

Heather

 

[imhayley]

daydreaming bout smokin

daydreaming bout smokin

HI there and Oh does a lil puffaroo sound soooo yummy. I smoked for 20 yrs. and then was told quit smoking NOW! Here is what worked for me. I had a feeling I was headed towards surgery based on the cardio's input. I tried to quit and it was impossible as Im a HIGH stressed little person and nicotine was my drug. I started cutting down and not smoking in the house or car. This worked well as long as I stuck to it. (YOU CAN DO THIS!) Then I only had one cigarette per hour. Then every 3 hours. I then had one cigarette in the am and one after dinner. Finally it was time to meet the surgeon and this was only about one week later. I was down to a puff off of ANYONE'S cigarette who would share one and craving more like a fiend. I met the surgeon on a Wed. and two days later went into surgery. I have not had ONE SINGLE PUFF OR CIGARETTE since that day and that was June 24th. 2005. I still cant watch people smoke. I have to turn the channel on the tv too if I see them smoking. However now I notice how much they stink...its so freaking discusting that I cant believe I use to smell that gross and what it must have smelt like with my perfume on top....gross! Okay so Im 20 pounds heavier and thats been the biggest and hardest thing to accept. I walk 2 miles a day now and cant believe Im a non smoker. I will NEVER put another one of those things in my mouth even as a joke after going through surgery..NO WAY! I dont think you will want to smoke but whos to say. I will pray for you though and please know no matter if you stop or not its okay your only human. You will want to protect your new self and I truly believe you wont care too much about smoking as you do know. GOod luck to you!!!!!

 

[aussigal]

Oh YES!...

this was me 3 or so weeks ago...I tried quitting for about 8 days in a row after I was told by my Cardio that my surgeon would NOT operate on a smoker...and yeah...still took a few days for it to sink in properly...

so I just quit everyday...and kept telling myself I had quit...but of course I didnt think I was getting anywhere cos I only had less than 1 day of smoklessness under my belt...not so much to lose ! ha ha ha
then eventually on the 26th January I decided today was the day I was throwing those suckers out and handed em over to hubby...and havent had a puff since...I now hate the smell of smoke and rarely even want a ciggy...and if I do the urge passes really quickly...
I swapped my smokes for bottles of water, and walking...cos I needed to hurry-up and get my lungs healthy so I could have my OP same as you ! .

I have already had a few small-time Ops where they found it hard to wake me...bit scary so I was also petrified I wouldnt wake from the big-one!...I have 3 sons and I want to be their mum forever, dont want them to have just 1 parent like i did...( my dad died of heart-related disease when I was 8) and although my mum did a fabulous job of raising my sister and I ...I thought why should I do this to myself and the boys almost on purpose when I know I can quit if I really want to...

the first 3 or 4 days were the absolute hardest...Now 3-4 weeks later its prety-easy I hardly ever crave a ciggy and the craving passes relly quickly if it comes...

I did it cold-turkey...oh OK...I got valium as well but I usually have Valium as an "extra-pill" for stress and stuff anyway...and yes I was extrememly stressed and was having daily mega-arguments with hubby and I was determined to stay QUIT!...and I have...

I am now looking forward to my OP with my nice clean lungs!

feel free to PM me for some encouragement...or even just to keep you busy and away from the ciggies or for some further tips to quit right NOW!
we will cheer you on every-minute if we have to..

it IS really hard at first but SO WORTH IT and it gets easier everyday even if you are stressed-out to the MAX!
I am so proud of my achievement and so are my doctors! and family!

 

[lovejoy]

I'm not going to advocate your continued smoking, However, I am a smoker. I had my AVR March 29 last year. I too was told to quit. I said sure, no problem. haha I had no intention of stopping when I told them that. I have always been a very strong minded person (from missouri, what else could I be) but my impending surgery rocked my world. I could no more have quit than I could fly. I walked to the door of the hospital, tossed down my smoke and popped in a mint. I had absolutely no problems. Surgery on Tues, home on Sat. And sadly, I'm still a smoker. But at 46 yrs, 5'7" and 130 lbs, I'm a person in good physical shape who just happens to smoke. Did I need to quit? Absolutely, and I think about quitting often, I just don't have the guts to do it. But I go for my one year check up next month, so we'll see.
Best of luck to you.