Hi Everyone! I am very early on in the process and just attended my orientation this week. My surgeon stated that he will do nicotine blood and urine screenings prior to giving me the referral for nutrition and psychology which i understand. When i asked him how long i needed to be smoke free he said "Try three months and then come test." Heres where im having my dilemma, does anyone know if it really takes the entire three months to clear my system? Ive been a pack a day menthol smoker for years and stopped cold turkey two days ago.It might not seem like much but for me its a BIG victory. Ive been drinking TONS of water. Do I wait the three months and delay my surgery and position on the wait list or should i go for labs sooner??

Hi Everyone! I am very early on in the process and just attended my orientation this week. My surgeon stated that he will do nicotine blood and urine screenings prior to giving me the referral for nutrition and psychology which i understand. When i asked him how long i needed to be smoke free he said "Try three months and then come test." Heres where im having my dilemma, does anyone know if it really takes the entire three months to clear my system? Ive been a pack a day menthol smoker for years and stopped cold turkey two days ago.It might not seem like much but for me its a BIG victory. Ive been drinking TONS of Water. Do I wait the three months and delay my surgery and position on the wait list or should i go for labs sooner??

Congrats on your big victory! I don’t think the doctor is looking for the nicotine to have cleared in 3 months so much as he’s wanting you to have had a handle on your smoking addiction for three months. You’re about to go through some big changes in your life and he wants to make sure you can handle that kind of stress without wanting to reach for a cigarette to cope.