I started chewing Kodiak wintergreen back when I was 15 years old and it became a daily part of my regular life for the next 24 years. My wife and I had a baby son a few months ago and I took a real hard look in the mirror about the kind of father I wanted to be. I didn't want my son growing up to be a chewer, or to see his daddy spitting brown shit in a can all the time. I knew I needed to quit, and had every reason to quit. Still, make no mistake...I really enjoyed chewing tobacco and had really come to believe it was part of my identity and all that I was about. It was my thing. Something I could depend upon to rescue me from boredom, anger, pain, stress, hunger...you name it.
I decided on January 10th to quit, as I was scheduled to take a life insurance physical later that week that would be able to tell if I had nicotine in my blood. If it showed-up, I would be denied for the insurance, so I sucked it up and quit for a few days, gutting it out and trying like mad to just hang on until the tests were done. After I got through the tests and one really horrible week, I asked myself "Why go back now? You've made it a week." I am now on day 16 of being completely nicotine free. Damn, I still miss it and think about it often, but I just can't justify a reason for going back through the gates of hell by slipping back into it. It's been hard. The mood swings. The extra weight (from eating to control urges). The foggy-headedness and ADD at work (which I hate the most). But I'm surviving...one day at a time.
This site was like an oasis in the desert for me. There are so many resources out there for smokers, but not much for chewers. I was very glad to find it and to read everyone's posts, along with advice and tips from people who have been through this, too. I'll be checking back here often.