Today I am eight weeks not smoking. I smoked of over ten years. I quit smoking after I learned what the cigarette's where helping to destroy my spine and disks. I wonder if I had not smoked for all those years if my back would not have been so bad. I know I have scoliosis and would have had/have problems from it. I just wonder if I would have need a fusion now or in ten years? All I know if I even get a craving for one, I just think of bone fusion and what I have been going through. I know one thing, I will NEVER smoke again. I am proud of myself today, no smoking for two months!

Rose

Hi Rose,
YEAH!!!!!that is a MAJOR accomplishment, give yourself a great big pat on the back, no wait you can't twist hehe, how about a cyber pat ((((((((((patpat)))))))))) . Fusion surgery is a piece of cake compared to quitting smoking. I quit 20 yrs ago (45 now) and still have back problems so don't beat yourself up too hard. I think if it's gonna be it's gonna be.


Good Luck

God Bless

Carol

Rose,

Grats on your not smoking. I also had my last smoke on 09/13/06. Had my fusion on 11/08/06. Was told I had to quit smoking at least 4 weeks before my fusion, smoking would increase the chance of a failed fusion. This was a double wake up call for me. I was floored when my Dr told me my smoking could have been making my back problems worse, I had no clue. I quit that day.

/hugs Niki

Mamakitkat - Thank you so much for the congratulations:) I will take the pat's happily! Don't worry, there is no twisting here:D . Just like my back one day at a time ( breathing ). :wave:
Nikirae - That is so AWESOME you are about 4 months not smoking, high five!:blob_fire ! ( wish I could jump up and down like that ). Like you when my neuro told me what my smoking helped do, eye's wide open!!! Just sorry it took that to get me to really quit. Better than never though!!! Now all I can think about is fusion:) . :wave:

Rose

Congratulations!

Congratulations Rose. I never smoked but the rest of my family did and some still do. I know it's hard. My problem is weight. I think of it as the same way. Trying to keep the weight off. It's all a struggle. I have alot of medical problems and the first question from all doctors are "Do you smoke". Congratulations. Keep up the good work.

Thank you Ollie and Hessie on congratulations! Really makes me feel good!

Rose

Any tips on the quitting? As I am getting ready for fusion myself and have to quit. I am most afraid of weight gain, as I have already gained ten lbs in the last year due to not working and excersizng. Congratulations on your quitting. I have been wanting and needing to quit anyway.

Here's a tip ! Throw them away . When you go in for your surgery throw them away , I used to dip snuff for years and I tried to quit, my Dr. said dipping is harder to quit than smoking , but I threw it out that day before surgery, being in the hospital for 6 days without a dip wasn't hard , so I knew if I could get past the first few days I could stop..You can do it !

It's a nasty smelly habbit. Plus its no good for ya :) Any tips on the quitting? As I am getting ready for fusion myself and have to quit. I am most afraid of weight gain, as I have already gained ten lbs in the last year due to not working and excersizng. Congratulations on your quitting. I have been wanting and needing to quit anyway.

Hi Yvette,
The physical part of quitting (withdrawals, craving, etc.) is hard, but really the biggest battle is the mental one. If you really WANT to quit, for yourself, not because someone else told you to or even "for the kids" (although that's a good reason), but have really reached the point of wanting to quit, you can do it without any help at all. You don't need the patches or tapering off cigs. Like Shawley said, you can just throw them away. Don't buy any more. Once you can make that decision, YOU CAN DO IT!

Gaining weight is definitely a hazard of quitting. That's because you'll find that food suddenly tastes a lot better! If you like food now, you'll LOVE it once you quit. Just be careful. Serve up your meals with the same portion sizes you've been used to, then use carrot sticks and popcorn to fill you if you want more.

I don't mean to minimize how hard it is to quit. But once you get past the mental part, it really gets so much easier! Yes, you'll have cravings for a while, but after 6 weeks, the chemicals will be out of your system and the cravings will not be a problem.

Good luck! You're only doing good for yourself by quitting. It will be so worth it!

Take care,
Emily

Well thinking about what cigarettes had helped do to my back was the big motivator to quit, and after surgery I want to heal the best I could. I want fusion more than anything. I also went to my GP and talk to her, she gave me chantix to take. Then I picked a day and quit. It was hard at first, but I just kept myself busy ( like read a book, computer, craft, music... ) then of course having the surgery I could not have smoked at the hospital, even if I had wanted too. I am not around them ( since I can't go anywhere ). Some of my good friends smoke, but they do not smoke around me. I do have days where I want one, but I want fusion more. The urge is fainter and fainter everyday. I believe quitting is one of the best things I have ever done. I know you can do it!!!!:)

Rose

Congrats to all that have kicked the habit!;) I too smoked for many years. When I was told that the sucess rates for fusion were lower for those who smoked, I quit! Cold Turkey! My wife said she would quit too, but...she is still smoking. All I ask is that she not smoke in front of me, not that I want one, but now that I have quit, the smell really bothers me. I dont ever want to start that crap again :nono:. It was a difficult habit to stop for sure. I dont know if going cold turkey is the best way, but it worked for me, plus the thought of a failed fusion because of smoking helped me break the habit as well.

Cheers to those that have successfully quit smoking!:angel:

I like you quit smoking but now for 5 years. You have to be mentally ready to do it or the job will be harder. But I was never told that smoking made your back worse. All I was told that smokers come out of the anastetic twice as bad as a non smoker. So you live and learn all the time as I had no idea about that. And I will pass it on. By the way well done on the quitting of this habit. I used these tablets called Ziban and you were supposed to be on the until the packet ran out, which would of been a couple of months. But my wife and I only took them for (me) 6 day and (her) 7 days. And we have not touched one since. So I suppose we were really ready to quit in our minds. Which I think is more to the point of this habit. Before quitting and I was a smoker, I was due to have surgery and I smoked up until I reached the doors of the hospital. And I stopped smoking for over 6 weeks and this is when I could feel the pain come back so took it up again. But that was many years ago now as my last operation was done now for over 10 years ago. I still have got pain but thats another story.