Not too late

[rgross298]

Day 417

Blood work for insurance came back with good news.

After 402 days quit, I was bumped from "Choice Non-smoker" to "Preferred Non-smoker", meaning: I was a customer whose business they won't refuse, and now I'm one whose business they will work to keep.

That's because I am, to a scientific certainty, that much healthier than I used to be.

Are you quit?

That is great news, congrats!

Also, good to know that the Death Panel at the Insurance Companies are starting to look at you profitably and favorably.

[Scowick65]

Day 417

Blood work for insurance came back with good news.

After 402 days quit, I was bumped from "Choice Non-smoker" to "Preferred Non-smoker", meaning: I was a customer whose business they won't refuse, and now I'm one whose business they will work to keep.

That's because I am, to a scientific certainty, that much healthier than I used to be.

Are you quit?

:)

[Souliman]

Congrats bud. The world is validating your decision!

I quit with you today.

[ninereasons]

Day 417

Blood work for insurance came back with good news.

After 402 days quit, I was bumped from "Choice Non-smoker" to "Preferred Non-smoker", meaning: I was a customer whose business they won't refuse, and now I'm one whose business they will work to keep.

That's because I am, to a scientific certainty, that much healthier than I used to be.

Are you quit?

[Tiburonbob]

Nine, I'm sorry to hear about your friend. I can relate to your health concerns. 28 teeth is what we start with. I am down to 27 and will be losing one more pretty soon. I can drive a Mack truck between my teeth and gums. I hate myself for what I have done to my mouth. My taste buds are ruined. My gums are so sensitive to texture that most foods feel too strange to eat. After 2 beers my mouth becomes so bitter to taste Im done. This is what I have done to myself. A month ago I wrote out my HOF speech explaining all this but it got so bitter of a speech I never posted it. I am quit with you. Today and tomorrow.

[30yraddict]

Nine....

This morning when I found out a sadness came over me...a friend, a brother had fallen in this battle. As you point out, it reminds us of our vulnerability, and that scares us. Causes us to be more vigilant. And in a weird way that failure fuels our success.

As we near the time that taps is sounded for 3 November 2011, you and I won yet another victory. We fought today against our addiction, and we have been awarded a decisive victory. Congratulations my friend, we live to fight another day.

I will see you tomorrow at roll, Lord willing.

Dale

[ninereasons]

One of my favorite can killers surrendered today, which naturally reawakens the question of if that might happen to me.

Not having chew in my mouth as I used to for every waking moment of most of my life makes me more keenly aware of what I'm missing. I poke the gaps on the plug-side of my mouth, where once I had teeth. I brush literally a half-dozen times a day - as though I'm trying to undo the damage. I miss sleeping on my left side, which hasn't been comfortable for years now because of the damage done to my esophagus. I do miss those things.

I no longer have the headaches and edginess that would come around every time that I didn't put tobacco in my face first thing in the morning. I'm no longer digging in the couch or in my wife's purse or a piggy bank to find quarters as I used to when I unexpectedly ran short of cash for a can. It's been hundreds of days since I snapped at my kids for digging through my jacket pockets to find car keys (where I had left a pouch of Redman that I didn't want them to know about). I don't have chew in my life anymore, but at least I have countless memories like that to comfort me.

Tough decision. Aaargh ... so hard! But, uh ... all things considered, I quit again today. As hard as it's going to be, I'll just have to get used to what I'm missing.

Day 262

[ninereasons]

Damn you Reese's peanut butter Cup.  Why do you have to be so delicious?

Mule has a support group for this....I sugest you contact him ASAP.

Good idea.

[bigbamadan]

Damn you Reese's peanut butter Cup. Why do you have to be so delicious?

Mule has a support group for this....I sugest you contact him ASAP.

[ninereasons]

Congrats on your accomplishment - just read the thread and your journey. I'm a 21 year dipper, on day 9 quit now. I like reading the stories of others to put a little more fire in my gut to motivate me and yours was a good one.

Thanks. It doesn't really come across in those early posts how scared I was that I would fail and that there was nothing I could do about it.

[AgLawyer]

Congrats on your accomplishment - just read the thread and your journey. I'm a 21 year dipper, on day 9 quit now. I like reading the stories of others to put a little more fire in my gut to motivate me and yours was a good one.

[ninereasons]

Day 171

I was working out faithfully for months after I quit dipping, but my weight continued to climb. Then my achilles' tendon started to swell. I had to knock off running. I feel huge.

Damn you Reese's peanut butter Cup. Why do you have to be so delicious?

[per034]

Your experience gives me hope. thanks Nine.

[ninereasons]

Good stuff there nine. Freedom is becoming more free...

I've paid a great price in the service of chew. I've always known that. But it's only as the weight lifts off me that I really get a measure of what a tremendous burden I'd been carrying, of physical and psychological strain, and the load on my conscience too.

[30yraddict]

Good stuff there nine. Freedom is becoming more free...