Hey, @Kimberbee! So great that you posted here instead of lighting up. Good call.
I used NRT (gum, patches, lozenges) quite a bit - as a substitute for smoking in times past, and more recently as a bridge to quitting altogether. I'm now 9 months smoke-free and nicotine-free, but sometimes my longing to smoke is still very intense. So I can relate to the feeling of "can't get enough" that you describe. I don't give in to it, though, because I can see some things clearly now that I couldn't see before:
There is no such thing as "satisfying" a craving for nicotine. As @Doreensfree said, the only thing that nicotine - in any form - does is make me want more nicotine. Quitting is hard, but it's profoundly freeing to be off that hamster wheel of always chasing fulfillment that never arrives. It diminished me in ways I couldn't even begin to describe at the time.
If I'm feeling anxious, sad or angry about something, those feelings deserve my recognition and attention. Instead, I was trying to drown them in poison. (i.e. nicotine) Not only was that disrespectful, it never worked. Smoking never fixed anything.
You used the word "addiction" and it's a good one - nicotine addictions are truly powerful, no matter the form they take. But they can be beaten... and it's better on the other side.
In the meantime, I really hope your surgery and recovery go well. Take good care, and let us know how you fare!