Welcome.
First of all - we don't use Nicorette, or patches, or nicotine lozenges here. We quit cold turkey. Think about it this way - you aren't addicted to tobacco, you are addicted to nicotine. To switch from tobacco to Nicorette is just switching drug carriers, not quitting. So, dump, flush everything that you have.
Second - It's honorable to want to quit because you don't want to go through the same medical issues that your brother is, and you don't want to be a bad example for your kids. Those can't be the reason that you quit. You have to quit because you are sick and tired of the crap. Because you don't want to use anymore, you have to quit for you only. Everything else is a side benefit.
Here's my advice - read up on the threads at the
Welcome Center, specifically how to
Post Roll. Then find your December '17
Quit Group.
Post roll early every morning. That's what holds us accountable. It sounds strange to be held accountable to a bunch of internet strangers, but before long guys in your quit group will be like a seconds set of brothers.
As for your road trips - a lot of guys use fake dip, which I never did. But you can order it on-line or buy at Wal-mart. Maybe somebody else will have better information on fake. I used sugar free gum. Others use hard candy, seeds, shredded beef jerky. There are lots of things to satisfy the oral part of the addiction.
As for the chemical (nicotine) part of the addiction - quitting sucks. Bad. There's really no way or reason to sugar coat it. The first three days are the worst, then things slowly get better. There are thousands of us here who have been through it. It can be done, and the freedom on the other side is so worth the misery.
I'm proud to quit with you. I'm going to send my digits via Private Message. Look at the upper right hand corner of your screen. Hit me up if you need to.
