Kybo

[kybo]

DAY 2228

I lost another childhood friend last week to a massive heart attack.  He wasn't a tobacco user and overall he lived a pretty healthy lifestyle.  It appears he was just an unlucky victim of genetics.  One can only wonder how young he might have gone if he had been a heavy tobacco user.   

Did you know that 3-6 years after quitting tobacco use your risk of coronary heart disease drops by roughly 50%?  After 15 years of being quit your risk of coronary heart disease is close to that of someone who never used tobacco.  I'm beyond that 6 year mark and I definitely feel healthier now than I did 10 years ago.  Making the decision to quit was difficult, but it was definitely the right decision.  I only wish I had done it sooner.

If you are here thinking about quitting, I highly recommend you give quitting a try.  What do you really have to lose if you quit?  You say you enjoy it?  You say it makes you feel good?  The addict in me used to make me use those same excuses.  But here I am 2228 days later and I can honestly admit to myself and everyone else that it wasn't really me spewing all those excuses.  It was the addict in me that was doing everything it could to keep me feeding the addiction that had taken on a life of it's own.  I realize that now.   

Oh sure, that first week of trying to quit sucked big time.  Headaches, insomnia, rapid heart beat, etc.  It took about 30 days before I actually started to think I had it beat.  After about 4 months I was sure I had made the right decision.  And now here I am over 6 years later with absolutely zero regrets about quitting.  The cravings have been completely gone for years.  The only battle I have left is to remind myself daily that I am an addict and I cannot give in to complacency.  I know I am incapable of having just one dip. 

By my calculations I have saved over $10,000 just from not buying tobacco over the last six years.  God only knows how much money I have saved from reduced health care expenses over that time frame or how many years I have added to my life.  The benefits are too great to calculate.

I feel good and I am starting to think that I might actually live to see retirement.  My wife and I bought 40 secluded acres of rolling hills and woods a couple weeks ago.  When I took her out to see the property for the first time before we bought it we walked up over a ridge and she saw a flock of about 50 turkeys running on the ridge across the valley from where we were standing.  I could tell just looking at her face in that precise moment that I wasn't going to have give her a sales pitch to convince her we should buy the property.  It was a done deal as soon as she walked over that ridge.  I couldn't have paid those turkeys to put on a better show for my bride.  It was meant to be.  And I know exactly where I am going to build the house.

I have lost a few friends over the last handful of years.  I have another friend that was lucky to survive a series of strokes in his forties, but he is now in his early fifties and resides in an assisted living facility.  My only sibling died at the ripe old age of 51.  The older you get the more you look around and realize that you don't get to live forever.  That roller coaster we call life is going to come to a stop one day.  It stops for everybody eventually.  So, make the most of it.  Raise your hands in the sky and scream with joy as loud as you can every chance you get.  Take the time to look around and enjoy the view when you get to the top of those hills.  And give a hand up to the other riders whenever you can.

Kybo       

[Athan]

DAY 1908

1908 seems like such a huge number.  But, when I think about it in terms of how long I have actually been quit, it really doesn't feel like it has been that long. 

778 days is the number of days I have left before I could retire from my day job with my full pension.  That seems like a huge and daunting number until I compare it to the 1908 days I have been quit.  I don't plan on retiring in 778 days, but it sure will feel good to know that I will have that option in a little more than 2 years.

I'm hoping the acreage won't seem a chore once I'm retired and the time is mine. We'll see. Better figure something out as I can't see myself in a condo.

[Stranger999]

DAY 1908

1908 seems like such a huge number.  But, when I think about it in terms of how long I have actually been quit, it really doesn't feel like it has been that long. 

778 days is the number of days I have left before I could retire from my day job with my full pension.  That seems like a huge and daunting number until I compare it to the 1908 days I have been quit.  I don't plan on retiring in 778 days, but it sure will feel good to know that I will have that option in a little more than 2 years.

Just don't retire from quitting.   

As we stack up the days, nicotine gets further and further back in the rear-view mirror.  But keep your guard up because you never know when a craving will come.

[kybo]

DAY 1908

1908 seems like such a huge number.  But, when I think about it in terms of how long I have actually been quit, it really doesn't feel like it has been that long. 

778 days is the number of days I have left before I could retire from my day job with my full pension.  That seems like a huge and daunting number until I compare it to the 1908 days I have been quit.  I don't plan on retiring in 778 days, but it sure will feel good to know that I will have that option in a little more than 2 years.

[kybo]

DAY 1865

Life is Good. 
Embrace it. 
Seize the day.
Wake up tomorrow and do it again.   

[Athan]

Day 1700

Been a rough week.  My 16 year old labrador had a seizure and I had to put her down on Tuesday.  One of our supervisory employees turned in a two week notice on Monday.  And our Controller screwed up and none of our employees got paid today.

But, I am still quit.  I got that going for me. And I only have 986 more days until I can retire on a full pension.  Yes, I am officially counting the days until I have the option of retirement.  I am that many days old now.

Life happens. Quitters stay quit. The lucky ones have you in their corner. STILL enjoying the ride.

[Keith0617]

Day 1700

Been a rough week.  My 16 year old labrador had a seizure and I had to put her down on Tuesday.  One of our supervisory employees turned in a two week notice on Monday.  And our Controller screwed up and none of our employees got paid today.

But, I am still quit.  I got that going for me. And I only have 986 more days until I can retire on a full pension.  Yes, I am officially counting the days until I have the option of retirement.  I am that many days old now.

So sorry about your dog. I can relate well. Life happens but I am proud to be quit with you today.

[kybo]

Day 1700

Been a rough week.  My 16 year old labrador had a seizure and I had to put her down on Tuesday.  One of our supervisory employees turned in a two week notice on Monday.  And our Controller screwed up and none of our employees got paid today.

But, I am still quit.  I got that going for me. And I only have 986 more days until I can retire on a full pension.  Yes, I am officially counting the days until I have the option of retirement.  I am that many days old now.

[Skolvikings]

16 floors bro... get on keepin on... way to go Kybo!!!!

[CTF]

Day 1462

Four years ago today I was sitting on my couch watching television.  My wife and kids left to go shopping for the day and I decided to pop in a chew as soon as they left.  I flipped through the channels and settled on a documentary about Stevie Ray Vaughan.  There was an interview with Stevie in the documentary where he was talking about his battle with addiction.  He said, ""I thought I could stay at the party forever, it don't work that way, cause that shit will kill ya."

That quote just resonated with me.  I had been "trying" to quit tobacco for months by gradually reducing the size of my chews and making an effort to chew less and less each week.  In reality, all I was doing up to that day was prolonging my withdraw symptoms and losing the battle with addiction each and every day.  But what Stevie said in that interview somehow spoke to me.  In that instant I knew that I had been at the party way too long.  It was time for me to quit.

I got up off the couch and spit my chew out.  That was my last chew.  Four years ago today.  I have won my battle with addiction 1,462 days in a row since that fateful day.

Proud to quit with you brother. Congrats on 4 years @kybo

That's a great story. Congrats on 4 years.

[Keith0617]

Day 1462

Four years ago today I was sitting on my couch watching television.  My wife and kids left to go shopping for the day and I decided to pop in a chew as soon as they left.  I flipped through the channels and settled on a documentary about Stevie Ray Vaughan.  There was an interview with Stevie in the documentary where he was talking about his battle with addiction.  He said, ""I thought I could stay at the party forever, it don't work that way, cause that shit will kill ya."

That quote just resonated with me.  I had been "trying" to quit tobacco for months by gradually reducing the size of my chews and making an effort to chew less and less each week.  In reality, all I was doing up to that day was prolonging my withdraw symptoms and losing the battle with addiction each and every day.  But what Stevie said in that interview somehow spoke to me.  In that instant I knew that I had been at the party way too long.  It was time for me to quit.

I got up off the couch and spit my chew out.  That was my last chew.  Four years ago today.  I have won my battle with addiction 1,462 days in a row since that fateful day.

Proud to quit with you brother. Congrats on 4 years @kybo 

[kybo]

Day 1462

Four years ago today I was sitting on my couch watching television.  My wife and kids left to go shopping for the day and I decided to pop in a chew as soon as they left.  I flipped through the channels and settled on a documentary about Stevie Ray Vaughan.  There was an interview with Stevie in the documentary where he was talking about his battle with addiction.  He said, ""I thought I could stay at the party forever, it don't work that way, cause that shit will kill ya."

That quote just resonated with me.  I had been "trying" to quit tobacco for months by gradually reducing the size of my chews and making an effort to chew less and less each week.  In reality, all I was doing up to that day was prolonging my withdraw symptoms and losing the battle with addiction each and every day.  But what Stevie said in that interview somehow spoke to me.  In that instant I knew that I had been at the party way too long.  It was time for me to quit.

I got up off the couch and spit my chew out.  That was my last chew.  Four years ago today.  I have won my battle with addiction 1,462 days in a row since that fateful day. 

[Keith0617]

... making sure that I don't get complacent and forget that I am an addict.  That is the main reason why I still post roll every damn day.  I don't ever want to forget where I have been because I don't ever want to go back. 

nailed it

@NukeEngineer learn something

[Athan]

... making sure that I don't get complacent and forget that I am an addict.  That is the main reason why I still post roll every damn day.  I don't ever want to forget where I have been because I don't ever want to go back. 

nailed it

[kybo]

https://www.deltadental.com/us/en/protect-my-smile/overall-health/smokeless-tobacco.html


I have posted the above link before.  I think there is some good info on there for people that are thinking about quitting and for the people that are struggling early on in their quit. 

In my opinion, the best piece of advice on that page for quitters is to "CHANGE YOUR DAILY ROUTINES."  It may sound stupid, but changing any pattern or behavior that you associated with dipping can and will make a difference.  Those patterns and behaviors from your past are all triggers. 

If you used to start every morning having a cup of coffee and then sitting in your La-Z-Boy and having a 20 minute chew, try changing up your routine as much as possible.  Change your brand of coffee, change your mug, sit on the couch instead of the chair, don't drink coffee until you get to work, give up coffee entirely, take your dog for a walk after your coffee, post your roll to KTC, hop in the shower with your wife, etc, etc.  Do whatever you can to just change up that routine and eliminate the trigger.  Then rinse and repeat on your next trigger. 

Trust me, it definitely gets easier.  I get asked quite often exactly how long it takes to actually "get easy."  Well, everybody is different.  So, all I can do is tell you my experience.  And in my experience I noticed a huge improvement somewhere around 150 days quit, give or take.  It still continued to get easier after 150 days, but there was definitely some kind of significant change for me around that time frame.  There have been a few ups and downs along the way since then.  But, as I am now approaching 4 years quit, I can honestly say that my life has become about as normal as it can be.  I haven't had any kind of craving in years.  Tobacco and/or chewing rarely even enters my mind anymore outside of posting my roll every morning. 

The challenge that I face now is making sure that I don't get complacent and forget that I am an addict.  That is the main reason why I still post roll every damn day.  I don't ever want to forget where I have been because I don't ever want to go back. 

There is no such thing as "just one dip" for an addict.

Stay frosty, my friends.