Trying to be healthy pre - op?

OK Ladies, I'm the dumba*s that has smoked for 25 years. My surgery is 8/5 and today is my third smokeless day. All I got to say it is not easy, but I know this has to be done to help breathing under anesthesia and quicker healing. I am using a losenge nicotine replacement when things get super bad, but keeping that to a minimum too.

I am also curbing alcohol and trying to eat well, exercise and so forth up to the day before.

Ya'll got any other tips to help prepare yourself for good healing?

This has been a concern of mine also. I don't have a date set yet but probably will by this Thurs.

I smoke also. I've quit many times over the years and started back about two years ago. I drink too. *sigh*

I know I need to quit so I can heal properly but dang, I don't want to. My nerves are shot right now. Some people take valium/xanax to calm them. I'd rather have a few beers and smoke a few cigs to calm me honestly. Valium makes me groggy/foggy headed. And I get very agitated at the world if I don't take them daily. For me, the withdrawal symptoms are worse than beer or cigs.

Once I have the date set, I'll quit..........it will be difficult with the smoking. I know all too well how hard it is to stop.

But, the only way I've ever been successful at quitting is to just quit. Throw away all cigs and don't buy anymore. Cutting down doesn't work.

You are making a very good decision about your health.

Stick to it and keep us updated.

Thanks Mileena!

You can do it and I know how miserably difficult it is. I've tried everything but the patch and have always had success when I really put my mind to it. The nicotine losenges work the best for me and it does get easier after the initial 3 days.

As for my beer - that is harder, yes, my one or two in the evening def help me relax. AND I work for a craft brewer, so my access to some of the best beer in the world makes it even harder to turn it down. Especially when tasting and enjoying is part of the job.

I just keep focusing on the fact that I will heal faster this way. I think this is giving me the motivation. I hope this helps a little for the group of us trying to quit the bad habits prior to surgery.

You have my dream job !

OMG !!

I think my problem is I'm not ready to quit smoking so that's what makes it hard for me. I have to WANT to quit in order to quit. That's the way I've done it for so many years. Once I make up my mind, its not quite as difficult. I'm now being forced to quit and its definitely going to be harder.

I do remember after about 2-4 days, the cravings get a lot better.

I see myself being bored at week 2, post op and want to fire one up and drink some beer. lololol

Hang in there. You are doing better than me right now

*hugs*

I luckily quit smoking before I found out I needed a hyster. I am about 8 and 1/2 months without a cig, and it's still hard sometimes. And I've stopped drinking about a week ago, because I wanted to give my body the best chance at healing well that I could. But I told a friend that when I get home from the hospital to set a pain pill away from me about a foot farther each day, and after week two, set it next to a glass of wine or beer... lol It sucks, but doing this is the best thing all of us can do for ourselves. Good luck to all of you.

Congrats Chelsea Rose! Excellent on the quitting. Yep, I quit for 6 years once, and still had cravings. My mother, who is 80 still gets cravings after 40 years!

Hang in there ladies - we can do it!

	Quote:
Originally Posted by Larsvernon Congrats Chelsea Rose! Excellent on the quitting. Yep, I quit for 6 years once, and still had cravings. My mother, who is 80 still gets cravings after 40 years! Hang in there ladies - we can do it!

Thank you. I know that it is the best thing I can do for me, but these past couple weeks have been really difficult not smoking. But I figure if I can not smoke through this, I can not smoke through just about anything else.