Re: Taboo subject....smoking :-(

March 8, 2004

Hey, Lori.

I am a reformed smoker (for good this time said with fingers crossed). I had

quit each time I was pregnant with my other 3 children and managed to stay

quit while I breast-fed and even a few months past that every time. This time I

had already been quit for about 3 years so I didn't have to wrestle with the

demon for this pregnancy.

I'll share with you how I was able to quit when I got pregnant. Pure and

simple, I knew that it was doing damage to my baby and while I was willing to

accept the damage I was doing to ME, I was not willing to accept the damage it

could do to THE BABY. I imagined a tiny baby in a shoe box with somebody

blowing smoke in on them and the baby coughing and choking and I just had NO

desire

for a cigarette after that point. I threw them away and never picked them

back up. (during the pregnancy anyway)! Good luck with getting the monkey off

of your back and I hope things go smoothly for you. You just need to remember

that quitting is not an option, it's a necessity and you can always have

another cigarette if you so choose AFTER it's just YOUR body you're affecting.

Take care,

Mandi in Concord, NC

March 8, 2004

Hi Lori, i too was a smoker of many years and LOVED it. I got pregnant after

years of infertilty with twins and I still could not and did not quit smoking

and I wanted them babies ssoooo bad too. I know what you are going thru is

hard, it is an addiction. You body needs to cleanse itself of all that nicotine

before it gets easier. When my twins were 2 1/2 I was lying in bed one night

and had such horrible chest pains, I thought was a heart attack but I have had

so many anxiety attacks i did not know if I was doing it to myself, anyways, I

prayed to God and asked him to please make my chest pains go away and to let

me live long enought or raise my children and I promised God I would NEVER

smoke again. I woke up the next morning a nd broke every cigarette I had and I

was

a very long hard road to quit those nasty things but my promise to God made

me get through it. It got ssooo much easier as time went on and now today 6 1/2

years later a cigarette gags me, I cannot stand the smell on people when they

have just smoked a cig. I think you will just have to be forceful with

yourself and tell yourself every day will get better and pray for help. i wish

you

the best of luck with this, I know it will hard but it can be done.

God Bless,

Robin, NorthEastern, NY

EDD- July 27th, 2004

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!

Mommy to:

&

(twin boys 7 1/2),

Madison, daughter, 5 years and

Wife to Pup 15 years (October 31, 1988)

Gastric Bypass Surgery-

October 18th 2002

Start-378, current- 246(pregnant)

goal 170 after baby

March 8, 2004

Hi,

Found the article you recently replied to and noticed you are a nurse I think. I

keep trying to get an answer on this but no one seems to have a good one for me.

In your opinion what is the best form of contraception for Weight Loss Patients.

Do our bodies absorb things faster where the pill, patch, shots would not be as

effective. Have researched alot about Mirena (IUD) and it seems to suit most

women just fine. Was wondering what was your thinking on this subject. Thanks

March 8, 2004

Lori, I won't even go into the medical reasons for quitting 'cause

I'm sure you know all of them already. On an emotional side it

sounds like quitting would help you get rid of your guilt and shame

and that alone is worth it.

I quit smoking July of 2002 because I knew that if I were serious

about regaining my health through WLS that included no more smoking.

I was having surgery, in part, to save my life and continuing to

smoke would only help to kill me faster. I saw no point in it.

I know its not an easy thing to quit. And because I wanted to

cleanse my system of nicotine completely, I avoided the patch and

gums and lozenges. I cut up straws (which are about the same

circumfrance a cigarettes) the length of my cigarettes and put 20 of

them into an empty cig pack. Every time I had a trigger to smoke,

work breaks, on the phone, driving, after meals, first thing in the

morning, etc., I went through the whole routine of tapping out

a " cigarette " , " lighting " it and going through the motions of smoking

it... inhaling, exhaling, ashing, etc. Only with my straws I was

inhaling clean air. This helped me continue with the oral habit

while my body was getting rid of the nic additction. Pretty soon I

didn't need my straw cigs at all.

I won't lie, its been a toughie sometimes, but its a craving and

addiction I now have a handle on. I'm not sure I'll ever fully get

rid of my WANT for a cigarette, mostly the oral gratification, but in

the past year and a half my NEED for one has all but disappeared.

Good luck and here's a prayer for success.

Toi

March 8, 2004

Good luck, my friend. I know how hard it is to break an addiction.

I've been clean for 3 years, 3 months and 6 days from a 14-year

battle with drugs. I wish you the best of success. I know you know

how bad it is for you and your baby, and I have faith you'll be able

to do what's best. Take it an hour at a time, if you have to.

Kari Hanson

RNY 1/8/03

EDD 3/26/04 (2 weeks, 3 days, but who's counting!?!)

> Ok....I have been avoiding this question for a while because I

feel

> SOOOO gulity and so ashamed...But, I need HELP! When I found out I

> was pregnant with my first child (over 4 yrs ago) I quit smoking

> immediatly. It wasnt even an issue. Unfortunatly, I started

smoking

> again after she was born. I had my weight loss surgery in July 02,

> and the smoking seemed to increase after that. I guess I replaced

> alot of my food demons with smoking demons! Anyway, I am now 12

weeks

> pregnant and when I first found out, I pretty much quit smoking

again

> (cut WAY down) but now I find myself letting more cigarettes creep

> back in each day. It is unconceivable to me as to why I am letting

> this continue. I fight with myself every minute of every day, but

> still continue to do it! I feel such an intense feeling of guilt,

but

> for some reason it isnt enough to make me stop. I told myself that

as

> of today, I was just not going to buy anymore cigs. Please pass on

> any helpful info...I have read about all of the horrible stories

> related to smoking while pregnant. God knows I would never be able

to

> live with myself if something terrible happens because of my

> selfishness and lack of self control. My doc said to use the

patch,

> but to me, that is just as bad for my baby. Help!!!

> Thank you, Lori D.

March 8, 2004

Toi,

Your " straw " cigs is a great idea! I do something similar when I get a real bad

craving. I breathe as if I am smoking, I just don't have a " cig " in my hand or

mouth. I breathe as if I'm taking a drag, take it in, hold my breath and then

blow it out, all as if I were really smoking. I find this helps a little, it at

least helps me get through the moment when its really bad. I got pretty good

advice from my OB when I went in for my first appointment and he asked me if I

had quit. He told me that I just have to realize that I can't ever smoke again,

not even cheat, because cheating for me will lead me right back into my smoking

habit. I noticed that, for those of us who watch Dr. Phil and the advice he has

for people on the weight loss challenge, he says a similar thing. You can't eat

food thats bad for you if it isn't in the house. I took this theory and applied

it to cigarettes, I know if I have them around the house I WILL smoke them, but

if I'm having a weak moment and the cigs aren't around I won't get dressed, get

in the car, and go to the store to get them. I found that this helped me

tremendously, along with the breathing. Hopefully all of us who are struggling

with this will make it through. This bad habit has truly taught me what an

addiction is, even more than my food addiction that caused me to need WLS! Ugh!

Give us strength!!

Axelrod