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elizsue

Hello, I am 51 overweight and am having a hard time not smoking :confused: I have known I needed surgery since Nov of last year the doctor keeps putting me off due to weight and cigs. I can't drop weight because I have CHF and my weight can change 10lbs in 2 days. The longer the doctor waits the more stressed I get and the more I want to smoke, I have cut down to between 1 and 5 a day. I will be having my accending aortic aneursym and aortic valve replaced. Has anyone gone through the surgery with my problem and done well. Please say yes.
 
Yeap, been there and done that. Do your best to trash the cigs. It can make for a long time on the ventilator if you don't. The CHF will be handled while your there, so no need to worry about that. As I see it, smoking is the issue to overcome. Many people have gone before you and have done just fine. Be thankful that you live in a world today where this is no longer a death sentence, but can be fixed with minimal risks.
While this surgery is terrifying, it's doable. The pain isn't anything like your imagining it will be either. I'll let some others add there remarks.

Welcome to our humble home!
 
Just wanted to say Welcome! I agree with Ross - smoking is probably the area that you should be concentrating the hardest on. The 10 lb fluctuation in your weight probably has to do more with CHF than anything else. So try hard to eliminate salt from your diet (added and that already in food). I know it's very hard, but try and do what you need to do to get that surgery scheduled. After your recovery you can begin working on the long-term issues because you will be feeling better. Best wishes!
 
Welcome to the website! Ross is right, the surgery isn't nearly as painful as I thought it would be. My mother had surgery for colon cancer and was in a lot more pain than I had. Although I didn't smoke or have CHF, I had my ascending aorta replaced with a graft and my arotic valve replaced. It won't be fun but we'll be praying for you and here to talk to throughout the process. This site is great for answering questions. I wish you the best!! :)
 
Welcome to the VR community. Glad you found us.

I can't say my situation was the same as yours but hopefully somebody with similar circumstances will come by with their insights and experience.

However, I can tell you that OHS at age 51 was not nearly as bad as my worse fears imagined. It was over before I knew it and the meds controled any pain. I have no regrets and if I had to do it all over again, I would without hesitation. The medical staff really know their stuff and I was amazed at just how routine OHS is to them. I was at a fairly large hospital and was surprised at how many OHS they perform each week. The patients I saw were quite diverse....young and old, and all shapes and sizes.

I quit smoking many years ago and I know it's tough to quit smoking but you have a specific goal to achieve as the cigs are what's standing between you and a new lease on life post-OHS. My advice...BE DETERMINED, and focus on the important reasons why you need to do this. Good luck and best wishes.
 
Weight loss experience

Weight loss experience

Hi there

I am another new member, now 1.5 weeks from surgery to repair ascending aortic aneurysm and maybe the aortic valve. While I can't speak to the smoking issue as I have never been a smoker, I can share some weight loss experience.

I have just completed a session with an outfit called HMR, or Health Management Resources. They are sort of a 'court of last resort' for people that have tried most other diet plans and failed. Most people do end up failing when they attempt weight loss. It's hard to do.

I dropped 40 lbs in about 3 months...from mid January to mid March. Their most aggressive program has you on a 500 calorie a day diet of their products. For those of us who have medical problems or have a BMI > 30 you are required to be medically supervised, which means blood gets drawn every two weeks to ensure your blood chemistry is OK. In most cases the programs are run in conjunction with a local hospital.

An integral part of their program is a weight management class that will teach you the tools you need to maintain a healthy weight. Frankly, losing the weight is the easiest thing in the world with this program. But maintaining an ideal weight is not.

Conventional wisdom and many people will tell you that it is unhealthy to lose more than 2 lbs a week. If the diet is medically supervised and you get all the nutrients you need, it is not unhealthy.

HMR has been in business for > 20 years. Here is a link to their main site.
http://www.healthysuccessonline.com/

Take a look and see if it could help you. I'm sure that my surgery and recovery will be easier without the extra 40 pounds

Ed "Fast Eddie" Friedman
 
Hi there Elizsue,

A big healthy, welcome to you. I had my aortic and pulmonary valves replaced. So, I can relate to the reassurances you are looking for.

It's an odd experience going through this. Often you can feel like you are alone and no one understands you... Well, we understand you here at VR.com!

Best wishes as you pursue the right information to help you through this time period. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.

Cheers,

Adam
 
You are not alone. I was 49 (two months from bing 50) over weight and a smoker when I had my AVR on 2-21-06. I think I was on the vent longer because of my cigs but I made it through just fine.

I have quit the cigs and the weight is dropping (eating right and walking). I guess I figured it was time to take care of myself. About time:D .

I welcome you and wish you well. The surgery is not near as bad as I thought it would be and am sure it will be the same for you!

Cooker
 
Thanks for your support

Thanks for your support

I see the doctor today. If he will set a date for surgery I will not smoke and stay on my diet, but the more he puts me off the harder it is to stay focused. I wonder sometimes if I am trying to sabatage the whole thing. Pray for me please and pray the doctor will set a date.

Thanks again for all of you support. I will let you know what he says:p
 
elizsue said:
I see the doctor today. If he will set a date for surgery I will not smoke and stay on my diet, but the more he puts me off the harder it is to stay focused. I wonder sometimes if I am trying to sabatage the whole thing. Pray for me please and pray the doctor will set a date.

Thanks again for all of you support. I will let you know what he says:p
Click to expand...


Do yourself a big favor and dont diet and stop smoking at the same time. I could be harmful to the ones you love:D ;) :D
 
Just wanted to say WELCOME and glad that you found us. This is a great site and you'll find lots of wisdom and support. Keep us up to speed about how you're doing and how your doctor's appointment goes today. We care. LINDA
 
Good luck with everything, hope you get a date really soon, i can relate to the waiting part sometimes drives you mad:D
 
elizsue said:
I see the doctor today. If he will set a date for surgery I will not smoke and stay on my diet, but the more he puts me off the harder it is to stay focused. I wonder sometimes if I am trying to sabatage the whole thing. Pray for me please and pray the doctor will set a date.

Thanks again for all of you support. I will let you know what he says:p
Click to expand...

Just do what you must. I smoked and had an emergency surgery. I ended up on the vent for a couple of weeks following surgery. I'm not saying that it will be the same for you, but it is definately harder to be weened from the vent if your a smoker, plus your lungs need the stamina to cough the junk out with your chest being just cracked open. It hurts, but take the pain over pneumonia anyday!
 
Hi,
I have never smoked but I have friends & family members who have had to quit and so I know it's tough. I live in your area - channel 4 had an interesting health segment the other day about a new drug for quitting smoking (Chantix) that looked promising. They featured a man in his 50's or 60's who had smoked since he was a pre-teen. This drug worked like a charm for him. Maybe someone on this forum has some experience with it. Here's a link the the article:
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/myfox/pages...n=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.1.1

Good luck with your upcoming surgery. I just went through OHS in February and found it went pretty smoothly.
 
I don't usually do this but I'm just going to quickly jump to the end of the thread and make a comment without reading all the prior posts first...

I have read that it isn't a good idea to lose vast amounts of weight prior to a major surgery such as OHS. You may want to research this yourself.

But kicking the tobacco addiction is the much bigger priority for you right now. You can succeed! And you'll feel so much better for it, and in so many ways!

Glad you found the site; and welcome! Take care and post again.
 
Howdy neighbor! Welcome to VR.com. Glad you found us.

I quit smoking years ago following emergency appendectomy - one of the smartest decisions I've ever made (other smart decisions include marrying my sweetheart:D ).

I was age 46, about 70 lbs overweight, and out of shape going into AVR. My results are nothing short of spectacular except for still carrying too much weight (which I'm still working on).

Wishing you well. PM me if you are interested in talking.
 
new member wanting reasurance

new member wanting reasurance

Hi,
I had the same operation back in 2004, but I had the aorta valve replaced first and than two months later the AAA removed. Both of them was not as bad as I thought they would be. I was 65 years old then and was a smoker then, and I quit smoking the day I went into the hospital. Good Luck.
 
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Elizsue,
I quit smoking many years ago, and when it came time for valve replacement, I was very happy that I had. If you're smoking, you will cough more (which hurts!) and it might be harder to wean you off the vent. I hope you're able to stop completely before you have surgery, but if you're not, I'm sure you will still do well.

I'm glad you've joined the forum, and it's nice to see someone from Cleburne. That's a town I'd like to visit.
 
I have been off the cigs for 4 years now and know just hard it is to quit them. I used an herbal product called Smoke Away and after three days of solo time in the bathroom ( not to get too graphic) I had no desire for a cig and to this day cannot stand the smell of one.

As for the weigth----I weighed 289 on the morning of my Ross procedure (Feb 22). I had major complications but none of my docs think the weight caused them. But they all say lose it and I am slowly working on it. This morning my weight was 270. I have changed my eating entirely. I have not started much walking yet but am working toward that. I am back to work now and do park in the spot furthest from the door everyday and get a good walk going to and from my truck.

Do not beat yourself up. Your health needs your top priority. You said if surgeon would give you a date you would quit----Let me be a little rough here. I work alot with addicts and know that excuse. The doc is not the problem. Sorry hear but it is you. Not trying to be mean, just honest.

PM me if I can help you any at all. I have been there, got the t-shirt, outgrew it and am finally on the road to total recovery.

Peace of Christ,
Don
 
Hi Elizsue

I was 51 when my heart first started complaining, and luckily I found VR.

You'll get lots of wisdom and shared experiences here, which I am sure will be of help to you - and great support after you've come through your operation.

Feel free to ask any questions that you want to.

Best Wishes

George Montgomery
 
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