I just received a phone call from my surgeon's office. The PA told me my insurance approval had been received and they were ready to schedule my surgery date. I WAS SHOCKED!! I didn't even know they had submitted to insurance yet. Ok, a little back story since I haven't posted in a while. I have BCBS NC which prior to July 1, 2014, required a 6 month diet plan. As of 7/1/14, they eliminated that requirement clearing the way for me to have surgery sooner rather than later. The only hiccup, I was a smoker. My surgeon's office required 3 nicotine test to be negative at 30 day intervals. I started Chantix in August and have been nicotine free since 8/12/14. I thought the surgeon's office was going to wait till all three nicotine test were done before submitting. What a wonderful surprise to get today!!!! So, I am scheduled for surgery on 11/19/14!!!!!

I am a smoker and I know I need to stop like now but I need some major help. How did Chantix work for you? Obviously it worked but how does it make you feel? I wish I could quit on my own because I know what I have to look forward to but having been a smoker since I was 14 I cannot completely stop. I am down to just two packs a week and you would think I could just kick it but alas I cannot.

Many Congrats on your upcoming surgery date! Cant wait to be in the same boat!!

Good Luck!!!!!! am on deck tmrw...NERVES are everywhere....

I am a smoker and I know I need to stop like now but I need some major help. How did Chantix work for you? Obviously it worked but how does it make you feel? I wish I could quit on my own because I know what I have to look forward to but having been a smoker since I was 14 I cannot completely stop. I am down to just two packs a week and you would think I could just kick it but alas I cannot.

Many Congrats on your upcoming surgery date! Cant wait to be in the same boat!!

IT'S A MIRACLE DRUG!!! Seriously! I tried the Patches, the lozenges, and cold turkey. Tried them all many times. And I could never get past the first 3-4 days. I knew I needed some serious help. Chantix has a 44% success rate vs. 7% with the patches. I know they list a lot of bad side effects, but with stats like that, it's worth taking a chance. The first week I continued to smoke as instructed. By the end of the first week, I felt so...weird smoking. Nothing particularly wrong. Kind of a tightness in my chest, maybe a not so right in the stomach feeling. You are supposed to set your quit day and just stop smoking on that day. I set mine for the day I would run out of cigarettes. I ran out that morning (had 3 left when I woke up). Smoked all 3 before work and i remember being bummed when I realized I had already smoked the last one. For the first week, I would go most of the day and not even realize I hadn't smoked. Sometimes I got almost a panicky feeling. Again, a tightness in my chest. Like I was missing something and didn't know what it was. I just took deep breaths and the feeling passed. The weekend after I quit (quit on a tuesday) I had an actual nicotine craving for the first time. It was bad, I won't lie. BUT, it was NOTHING compared to what I went through on the patches before. This one I could overcome easy. Well, not easy, but definitely doable. I actually took up crochet because I couldn't sit still any more. Seriously, after work I couldn't relax because I was so used to having something to do with my hands. That helped. The first two weeks of no smoking was mostly a mental challenge. I kept having to remind myself I don't smoke anymore. I'd get in the car and think "Time to smoke", then remember that's not me anymore. Same with all the other habits we associate smoking with. Just kept reminding myself till the thoughts no longer popped into my head at those times. I'm 6 weeks nicotine free tomorrow and to be honest, I still feel a slight craving. It's nothing I can't get through. Just remember to follow the directions. ALWAYS eat something when you take it. You will be very sick on your stomach if you don't. You will have vivid dreams (I've had some pretty great ones ) So far I haven't tried to kill anyone, or thought suicidal thoughts or anything like that. I have had a case of paranoia that I didn't have before. Just something I have to deal with because I watched too many scary movies as a kid. Other than that, this is a miracle drug. It's given me back my freedom from nicotine. No more fortune spent on cartons of cigarettes or making my budget every month to afford them. And I've spent plenty of time around other smokers in the last few weeks too and i've been able to easily get through any craving that might have caused. I think about smoking now sometimes. How I miss it. Then it dawns on me I'm dreaming about inhaling SMOKE and CRAP into my lungs and I am so thankful to be victorious in this battle. Anyway, that's my rambling about Chantix. I hope you find a way to quit that works for you. I don't know that I would have ever quit without this medication.

Congratulations and good luck. My surgery is November 11. I too didn't know my surgeon's office submitted my paperwork. I got a letter from BCBS saying i was APPROVED. They approved it the same day they received it.

OMG I'M APPROVED! AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY SUBMITTED

@@chubbychunkythickplump

as far as surprises go - thats a beaut!!!

you must be dancing on the ceiling (too young for that song? )

nicotene free these past 5 weeks!!!! thats terrific!!!

i have heard smoking is very hard to kick

now kicking the overeating addiction too

gonna be a hard road for you - but i see the determination in your eyes that you will be a winner as you are losing

good luck in november

welcome newbie

kathy

Edited September 22, 201411 yr by proudgrammy