:help::help:So I have my surgery scheduled for July 2, and my surgeon said to stop smoking one month prior to surgery. So for the past week and a half I have cut way down. On Monday, I smoked 2 cigarettes, on Tuesday, I smoked 1, and haven't had another since, BUT I WANT ONE SO BADLY:faint:.

Why, I don't know. I'm trying to figure it out. I'm petrafied that he will do a blood test and see nicotine in my system and cancel surgery, and that is what has held me back so far, but it's getting harder every day. I'm trying to research information on how long nicotine stays in the system, and read about body cleanses to do before drug tests. Am I crazy!!!!!!!! I feel unhuman right now. It doesn't help that my husband smokes and there is a pack of cigaretes sitting about 10 FEET from me as I type:angry.

So my question is, a lot of smokers used the nicorete gum to stop smoking, but this puts nicotine into your system also, so if a Dr. was to do a drug test, how would they know if you were smoking or chewing the gum:confused:? I want to buy the gum today, but don't want the nicotine to screw up my surgery date, and of course it's Saturday and the Dr's office is closed until Monday. I'm not sure they'll think it's that big of an emergency like I do:eek:.

Anyone else been through this, and am I crazy for even thinking about cheating my way through a drug test. If I can get the gum and chew it, maybe I won't want the cigarette anymore.

HELP ME!!!!!!!:help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help:

:help::help:So I have my surgery scheduled for July 2, and my surgeon said to stop smoking one month prior to surgery. So for the past week and a half I have cut way down. On Monday, I smoked 2 cigarettes, on Tuesday, I smoked 1, and haven't had another since, BUT I WANT ONE SO BADLY:faint:.

Why, I don't know. I'm trying to figure it out. I'm petrafied that he will do a blood test and see nicotine in my system and cancel surgery, and that is what has held me back so far, but it's getting harder every day. I'm trying to research information on how long nicotine stays in the system, and read about body cleanses to do before drug tests. Am I crazy!!!!!!!! I feel unhuman right now. It doesn't help that my husband smokes and there is a pack of cigaretes sitting about 10 FEET from me as I type:angry.

So my question is, a lot of smokers used the nicorete gum to stop smoking, but this puts nicotine into your system also, so if a Dr. was to do a drug test, how would they know if you were smoking or chewing the gum:confused:? I want to buy the gum today, but don't want the nicotine to screw up my surgery date, and of course it's Saturday and the Dr's office is closed until Monday. I'm not sure they'll think it's that big of an emergency like I do:eek:.

Anyone else been through this, and am I crazy for even thinking about cheating my way through a drug test. If I can get the gum and chew it, maybe I won't want the cigarette anymore.

HELP ME!!!!!!!:help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help:

I really don't know how nicotine gum will affect your drug test, but I can say that it really helped me quit smoking. I have to tell you, in my opinion quitting smoking is more important than getting the lap band. As I see it, it really doesn't matter what other health measures you take if you are still smoking cigarettes.

Since you did not ask for my opinion, I'll give it anyway. I would stop worrying about your surgery date. I would focus on quitting smoking. Once you are at least a couple months away from smoking, then start to think about scheduling surgery. I think this is important to do because quitting smoking is much harder than people realize. And for some reason, lap band Doctors seem to encourage this view that quitting is relatively easy by saying things like "go ahead and quit smoking a month before the surgery." That encourages the view that quitting smoking is some sort of minor detail that a person can take care of on the way to lap band surgery. I just don't think that is true.

You say you are trying to figure out why you still want a cigarette. I think the reason you want a cigarette because nicotine is more addictive than heroin. (Did you know that?) That might have something to do with why you want a cigarette.

And as for getting the gum, personally, I could never have quit without the gum. I think that if you are avoiding getting the gum because you want to pass your lap band drug test, you are setting yourself up for failure in the quitting smoking. It is SO HARD to do cold turkey. Some people can do it. But not many. In my experience, the gum really helps.

By the way, here is a definition of nicotine that I just found in the dictionary:

"nicotine: a colorless, oily, water-soluble, highly toxic, liquid alkaloid, C10H14N2, found in tobacco and valued as an insecticide." Lovely. I guess we are all cockroaches to the tobacco industry.

And, beyond that, nicotine is only one of hundreds of other toxic chemicals in cigarettes.

You've got a long way to go before you can say you have "quit" smoking. If I were you, I would get the gum, or patch, or whatever, and focus totally on quitting smoking before setting a date for surgery. I would stop worrying about your lap band drug test, and just focus on quitting smoking. If it is as easy as the doctor says to quit, then great, you can reschedule your surgery with just a minor delay.

That's just my opinion. Good luck getting it sorted out.

Thanks for your input. What dissapoints me even more is that I did quit, cold turkey, on August 8, 2005. I was smoke free for a year, 4 months, and 13 days, and fell off the band wagon. Stress got the beter of me, and yes, I was in a social situation with others smoking, and I lost the motivation. I'm still kicking myself in the ass for it, but I have to let it go. And it was easy for me to quit cold turkey, then. I think I'm having such a hard time because everyone I know acts like I'm going to be able to do it again with no problems. I just don't feel so strong now.

I don't want to push the date back of surgery. I do think it's the only thing keeping me from smoking. I know I will not smoke after surgery, because I'm self pay, and could lose the band to smoking and erosion and other problems. I guess what's different is before when I quit, I guess in the back of head I knew I could go back to it, but didn't want to. Now, I know I can't go back to it, so I think I'm mourning it, probably like I will the food after surgery.

In honesty, I know I can do it without the gum, or any other meds.

It's just been hard with this time.

See if you can get your doctor to give to a prescription for Chantix (or whatever it is) to help you quit. From what I've heard, it makes it very unpleasant to smoke.

My insurance won't cover it and the cheapest I can find it is $118 for a month supply. I'm self paying for the band, so that leaves me with little to spend on this problem. I have friends at work who have used it and it works for them. In fact, my DH has a perscription for it right here from his Dr. and never had it filled.

I'm doing this on my own now, I just have to keep strong, and push it out of my mind.

Thanks!!!