Done with the dip

[Phxshadow]

My dog died last night, and I tested positive for Covid today. What a fucked up 18 hours it's been. I mean, just damn damn damn.

Our dog Hunter was an old soul. He would have been 13 this December. I know that's old for any dog, especially a sporting dog. In his day, before he came to live with us, he was a damn fine retriever on the duck pond and the dove field. We adopted him about 5 years ago when his original family moved away and couldn't take a dog his size with them. My son took to Hunter immediately, and vice versa. Hunter was a good dog - loving, gentle, well mannered, smart, goofy. He was puny yesterday, and last night his breathing became very labored. Bless his heart, he wanted to be with us. We'd set him up on the couch, but he stumbled into our bedroom and collapsed on the floor. I lay with him, and when I saw his breathing get really shallow I told my wife to go get the kids. We surrounded him, rubbing him and talking to him until he took his final breath. He died knowing his humans loved him.

And after I got into bed, the chills and fever hit. They passed through the night, but after an exhausting morning of digging a grave big enough to accommodate a full grown black lab and his bed, I was shot, and the chills and fever came back. So, I called my wife, she made some calls, and I went to get tested. The positive result came back pretty damn fast. I came home, and I've pretty much moved upstairs for the next two weeks, if this shit doesn't get really bad. I'm praying it won't, and I'd appreciate your prayers, too.

No, I'm not vaccinated. I made a choice, and I will deal with the consequences. No vax would have made me 'Rona bulletproof anyway. I'm more concerned about my kids' health than my own right now. My wife is vaccinated, so she's got some protection, and I'm going to stay away from them.

Man, 527 days ago I would have been more worried about how I was going to stay stocked up on Grizzly for two weeks than I would have been worried about actually dealing with this virus. Thankfully, that is no longer a concern of mine. I will beat this virus like I daily beat nicotine. Fuck 'em both.

I'm sorry you're going through all of this, but man I laughed at that last paragraph. Funny just how true it is. One less thing to worry about, at least. You got this. If you can quit dip, there's not much you can't do.

I am praying for a speedy recovery @GS9502 and I am very sorry to hear of your loss. Our pets truly are great companions in life. God speed mate!

Sorry to hear of your loss. That is tough stuff. I will be praying for a speedy recovery and protection for you and your family.

[CTF]

My dog died last night, and I tested positive for Covid today. What a fucked up 18 hours it's been. I mean, just damn damn damn.

Our dog Hunter was an old soul. He would have been 13 this December. I know that's old for any dog, especially a sporting dog. In his day, before he came to live with us, he was a damn fine retriever on the duck pond and the dove field. We adopted him about 5 years ago when his original family moved away and couldn't take a dog his size with them. My son took to Hunter immediately, and vice versa. Hunter was a good dog - loving, gentle, well mannered, smart, goofy. He was puny yesterday, and last night his breathing became very labored. Bless his heart, he wanted to be with us. We'd set him up on the couch, but he stumbled into our bedroom and collapsed on the floor. I lay with him, and when I saw his breathing get really shallow I told my wife to go get the kids. We surrounded him, rubbing him and talking to him until he took his final breath. He died knowing his humans loved him.

And after I got into bed, the chills and fever hit. They passed through the night, but after an exhausting morning of digging a grave big enough to accommodate a full grown black lab and his bed, I was shot, and the chills and fever came back. So, I called my wife, she made some calls, and I went to get tested. The positive result came back pretty damn fast. I came home, and I've pretty much moved upstairs for the next two weeks, if this shit doesn't get really bad. I'm praying it won't, and I'd appreciate your prayers, too.

No, I'm not vaccinated. I made a choice, and I will deal with the consequences. No vax would have made me 'Rona bulletproof anyway. I'm more concerned about my kids' health than my own right now. My wife is vaccinated, so she's got some protection, and I'm going to stay away from them.

Man, 527 days ago I would have been more worried about how I was going to stay stocked up on Grizzly for two weeks than I would have been worried about actually dealing with this virus. Thankfully, that is no longer a concern of mine. I will beat this virus like I daily beat nicotine. Fuck 'em both.

I'm sorry you're going through all of this, but man I laughed at that last paragraph. Funny just how true it is. One less thing to worry about, at least. You got this. If you can quit dip, there's not much you can't do.

I am praying for a speedy recovery @GS9502 and I am very sorry to hear of your loss. Our pets truly are great companions in life. God speed mate!

[Zombo Funk]

My dog died last night, and I tested positive for Covid today. What a fucked up 18 hours it's been. I mean, just damn damn damn.

Our dog Hunter was an old soul. He would have been 13 this December. I know that's old for any dog, especially a sporting dog. In his day, before he came to live with us, he was a damn fine retriever on the duck pond and the dove field. We adopted him about 5 years ago when his original family moved away and couldn't take a dog his size with them. My son took to Hunter immediately, and vice versa. Hunter was a good dog - loving, gentle, well mannered, smart, goofy. He was puny yesterday, and last night his breathing became very labored. Bless his heart, he wanted to be with us. We'd set him up on the couch, but he stumbled into our bedroom and collapsed on the floor. I lay with him, and when I saw his breathing get really shallow I told my wife to go get the kids. We surrounded him, rubbing him and talking to him until he took his final breath. He died knowing his humans loved him.

And after I got into bed, the chills and fever hit. They passed through the night, but after an exhausting morning of digging a grave big enough to accommodate a full grown black lab and his bed, I was shot, and the chills and fever came back. So, I called my wife, she made some calls, and I went to get tested. The positive result came back pretty damn fast. I came home, and I've pretty much moved upstairs for the next two weeks, if this shit doesn't get really bad. I'm praying it won't, and I'd appreciate your prayers, too.

No, I'm not vaccinated. I made a choice, and I will deal with the consequences. No vax would have made me 'Rona bulletproof anyway. I'm more concerned about my kids' health than my own right now. My wife is vaccinated, so she's got some protection, and I'm going to stay away from them.

Man, 527 days ago I would have been more worried about how I was going to stay stocked up on Grizzly for two weeks than I would have been worried about actually dealing with this virus. Thankfully, that is no longer a concern of mine. I will beat this virus like I daily beat nicotine. Fuck 'em both.

I'm sorry you're going through all of this, but man I laughed at that last paragraph. Funny just how true it is. One less thing to worry about, at least. You got this. If you can quit dip, there's not much you can't do.

[GS9502]

My dog died last night, and I tested positive for Covid today. What a fucked up 18 hours it's been. I mean, just damn damn damn.

Our dog Hunter was an old soul. He would have been 13 this December. I know that's old for any dog, especially a sporting dog. In his day, before he came to live with us, he was a damn fine retriever on the duck pond and the dove field. We adopted him about 5 years ago when his original family moved away and couldn't take a dog his size with them. My son took to Hunter immediately, and vice versa. Hunter was a good dog - loving, gentle, well mannered, smart, goofy. He was puny yesterday, and last night his breathing became very labored. Bless his heart, he wanted to be with us. We'd set him up on the couch, but he stumbled into our bedroom and collapsed on the floor. I lay with him, and when I saw his breathing get really shallow I told my wife to go get the kids. We surrounded him, rubbing him and talking to him until he took his final breath. He died knowing his humans loved him.

And after I got into bed, the chills and fever hit. They passed through the night, but after an exhausting morning of digging a grave big enough to accommodate a full grown black lab and his bed, I was shot, and the chills and fever came back. So, I called my wife, she made some calls, and I went to get tested. The positive result came back pretty damn fast. I came home, and I've pretty much moved upstairs for the next two weeks, if this shit doesn't get really bad. I'm praying it won't, and I'd appreciate your prayers, too.

No, I'm not vaccinated. I made a choice, and I will deal with the consequences. No vax would have made me 'Rona bulletproof anyway. I'm more concerned about my kids' health than my own right now. My wife is vaccinated, so she's got some protection, and I'm going to stay away from them.

Man, 527 days ago I would have been more worried about how I was going to stay stocked up on Grizzly for two weeks than I would have been worried about actually dealing with this virus. Thankfully, that is no longer a concern of mine. I will beat this virus like I daily beat nicotine. Fuck 'em both.

[GS9502]

This morning I was scrolling through the Facebook as I drank my coffee, and I came to a post by my friend Scott Rigsby. Today is the 35th anniversary of the accident that changed his life. The summer after his senior year in high school, he was working for the City of Camilla. Riding on the back of a truck that afternoon 35 years ago today, he fell from the truck when it was hit by another vehicle. He was dragged under a trailer the truck was pulling. Long story short, he suffered horrific injuries including traumatic brain injury and the loss of one of his legs. He other leg was badly mangled, and he eventually chose to have it amputated as well.

After many trials, personal challenges, much rehab, an opioid addiction, and redefining his faith in God, Scott decided to do something Unthinkable (the title of his book, by the way). He began training to be an Ironman. In 2007 Scott became the first double amputee to compete in AND complete the Kona, Hawaii, Ironman Triathlon, what many say is the most difficult of the Triathlon events.

To me he is the embodiment of the scripture in Proverbs 27:17: "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpen another." If you want to check out his story, visit his website or read his book. He is Ironman.

I say all of that to say this: If you are a new quitter, or you are thinking about quitting, and you think you can't do this, let me tell you something:

THAT IS BULLSHIT.

You can quit. You can reclaim your life. As Scott says, his limbs aren't his life. That can of dip is not yours. As a matter of fact, it's taking your life one dip at a time. The great thing, though, is that you can take it back one day at a time. Dig deep within you. Grit your teeth. Pray. Believe. Exert your will over the nicodemon. And do what it tells you is Unthinkable - QUIT.

[GS9502]

Congrats on 500.

I'm not even 3% of half a dangle. I don't even know what a dangle is other than....

But if you ever need one more, pm me, text or call. I should reach my half dangle around when you full dangle, but on that day I expect dangle to be added to "The Quitionary".

Thanks, brother! Okay, so a "dangle" is best defined as a description of 1,000. The three zeros are dangling after the comma.

[zav3nd]

Congrats on 500.

I'm not even 3% of half a dangle. I don't even know what a dangle is other than....

But if you ever need one more, pm me, text or call. I should reach my half dangle around when you full dangle, but on that day I expect dangle to be added to "The Quitionary".

[GS9502]

I stepped onto the 5th floor today. Yep. 500 days. Five Zero Zero. Half a Dangle.

I feel as though I just graduated from middle school and moved up to the high school. Definitely an achievement, but one that I keep in check by posting support in groups with quitters in the thousands. That reminds me that although I may be in "high school" now, I'm still just a freshman, low man on the totem pole.

And that's perfectly okay with me. It's okay because I know how I got to my 500 is exactly how FLLip got to 1816 today. It's how JDFree got to 2306 today. And how my man Stillbrewing got to 585 today. It's how every one of you got to the day count you posted today.

One Day At A Time.

That's how I'm going to make it to 501. One Day At A Time. I made a promise this morning. It's the same promise I've made every day of my life for the past 500 days. No Nic Today. Quit For Life. Never Again For Any Reason. Quit Like A Motherfucker Every Damn Day.  Proud To Be Quit With You. Those aren't just words. They mean something to me. I want my word to mean something to each of you. When I say I'm quit for a day, you can damn well count on it to be true.

Thanks for having my back for the last 500, brothers and sisters in quit. Bring on 501. I'm good for it.

GS9502/500 days nic free, bitches!

[Zombo Funk]

I need to post more. For myself and for anyone who may be interested in what I have to say.

I know that because there's a warning in red above the text box that says I haven't posted here in at least 120 days. That's true. It's actually been a lot more than that. I posted at Day 365, and I posted my Day 495 this morning.

What brought me back to my Intro post was a feeling I got this past weekend. It was July 4th weekend, the WEEKEND OF FREEDOM. But the fucking Nic Bitch let me know I wasn't free, at least not free from the urge. For the first time in a long time I had a craving, a real temptation, to dip. My brother-in-law had two sleeves of shit on the counter at their place on a lake where we hung out this weekend. I watched him pack his lip several times. A couple of times, particularly while we were enjoying some adult beverages, I caught myself thinking about what it would be like to put that shit back in my mouth.

What stopped me? YOU. My brothers and sisters at KTC. No, I didn't call anyone or text anyone. I didn't really have to. Just the thought of having to post a Day 1 and explain my failure to any and all of you was enough.

What also popped in my mind was the number 500. I know we do things ODAAT here, but that floor, that half a dangle, it's a goal for me - A SHORT-TERM GOAL. The long-term goal is ONE MORE DAY, and I set that goal each day when I WUPP.

I am hellbent and determined to beat the Nicodemon every single day. I'll take a temporary urge that I conquered over death any day. Fuck nicotine.

Thanks for all you do here. Fortunately I wasn't around any nicotine on the 4th, but I've been there before (and had the same thoughts) and like you, knowing I'd have to post a day 1 keeps me quit. I know there's no such thing as just 1, as do you.

[GS9502]

I need to post more. For myself and for anyone who may be interested in what I have to say.

I know that because there's a warning in red above the text box that says I haven't posted here in at least 120 days. That's true. It's actually been a lot more than that. I posted at Day 365, and I posted my Day 495 this morning.

What brought me back to my Intro post was a feeling I got this past weekend. It was July 4th weekend, the WEEKEND OF FREEDOM. But the fucking Nic Bitch let me know I wasn't free, at least not free from the urge. For the first time in a long time I had a craving, a real temptation, to dip. My brother-in-law had two sleeves of shit on the counter at their place on a lake where we hung out this weekend. I watched him pack his lip several times. A couple of times, particularly while we were enjoying some adult beverages, I caught myself thinking about what it would be like to put that shit back in my mouth.

What stopped me? YOU. My brothers and sisters at KTC. No, I didn't call anyone or text anyone. I didn't really have to. Just the thought of having to post a Day 1 and explain my failure to any and all of you was enough.

What also popped in my mind was the number 500. I know we do things ODAAT here, but that floor, that half a dangle, it's a goal for me - A SHORT-TERM GOAL. The long-term goal is ONE MORE DAY, and I set that goal each day when I WUPP.

I am hellbent and determined to beat the Nicodemon every single day. I'll take a temporary urge that I conquered over death any day. Fuck nicotine.

[EXBEARHAG]

I posted my introduction here and my first roll post on the June 2020 Renegade roster 365 days ago today. I'm one year into a quit I never thought would happen. I never wanted it to happen...until the day I thought my future with my wife and children was in jeopardy because of a bump on my gum. The look I saw when I told my wife, the fear in her eyes, that flash of worry - that was all it took.

My dentist pointed me to KTC, and I will be forever grateful to her for that. It was only through the power of God and the support of my fellow quitters here that I've made it this far. The journey hasn't always been easy, but compared to what I've read from new quitters since, I have made it these 365 days with few troubles. Yes, I still have some craves. I still have some foggy days. I still have a short temper. I still have dip dreams, although some of mine have been about smoking (I smoked for years before I started dipping).

What I don't have is that lump on my gum. What I don't have is spit bottles and cups all over the house, in my office, and in my truck, stinking up everything. What I don't have is a reason for my wife not to kiss me full on the lips. What I don't have is a nervous breakdown while sitting through a long meeting or church thinking about wanting a dip. What I don't have is stains on the bedsheets where I fell asleep with a dip in and drooled nasty spit.

What I do have is pride that I have made it 365 days without nicotine. I know I did it ODAAT. I know I have my Renegade brothers and sister to thank for the daily support. I know I have vet quitters like MuleMan, BigDiesel90, Stillbrewing, Athan, Zeus, and so many others that have my Quit 6 each and every day. This place is more to me than a daily check-in and promise. I've made friends here, friends I've never met (except 1, so far), but I hope to meet one day, so I can thank them in person for helping me stay quit. Going cold turkey is hard. Going cold turkey alone would have fucking sucked. I'm glad I didn't have to.

If you're a new quitter or a lurker who's thinking about quitting, quit thinking and just do it. Put the can down. Walk away from it. It is not your friend. It is not your savior. It is a crutch. It is a drain on your wallet. And you better believe me when I tell you, IT IS KILLING YOU. Life will be rough for a while. It's life, and it's rough anyway, ain't it? Nic never solved anything for me. It never made anything better for me. 1 Problem + Nicotine = 2 Problems. My regret is that it took me almost 30 years to realize that. At least I did, though. You can, too. It's not too late.

I'm one year in. The scales of Quit are still tilted heavy toward the Years Using side, but ODAAT I'm shifting that balance in the other direction.

GS9502  365 and QLAMF EDD

Read this those of you in the Guest Section, This Man here now has a serious back problem from carrying around those Dangling dandies between his legs. 1 year of Quittin is some FREAKING WORK! CONGRATS GS!

Amazing stuff from an amazing quitter. Ask him about his tattoo!

Quit gold right there boys

Congrats on hitting the 1 year mark. Great accomplishment!!

Powerful post GS.  Reading it, like reading most posts here, reminded me that you are me...I'm you...we have had similar experiences and certainly similar thoughts and worries.  That's why this place is so important.  We all have the same addiction, the same aches, pains, worries, anxieties, etc.  Many HERE have been THERE before I even step in that direction...and can tell me how they felt, what to expect, what to avoid, who to look to for advice/help.  INVALUABLE!!

It's my distinct honor and pleasure to be quit with you my friend.

~HAG

[Keith0617]

I posted my introduction here and my first roll post on the June 2020 Renegade roster 365 days ago today. I'm one year into a quit I never thought would happen. I never wanted it to happen...until the day I thought my future with my wife and children was in jeopardy because of a bump on my gum. The look I saw when I told my wife, the fear in her eyes, that flash of worry - that was all it took.

My dentist pointed me to KTC, and I will be forever grateful to her for that. It was only through the power of God and the support of my fellow quitters here that I've made it this far. The journey hasn't always been easy, but compared to what I've read from new quitters since, I have made it these 365 days with few troubles. Yes, I still have some craves. I still have some foggy days. I still have a short temper. I still have dip dreams, although some of mine have been about smoking (I smoked for years before I started dipping).

What I don't have is that lump on my gum. What I don't have is spit bottles and cups all over the house, in my office, and in my truck, stinking up everything. What I don't have is a reason for my wife not to kiss me full on the lips. What I don't have is a nervous breakdown while sitting through a long meeting or church thinking about wanting a dip. What I don't have is stains on the bedsheets where I fell asleep with a dip in and drooled nasty spit.

What I do have is pride that I have made it 365 days without nicotine. I know I did it ODAAT. I know I have my Renegade brothers and sister to thank for the daily support. I know I have vet quitters like MuleMan, BigDiesel90, Stillbrewing, Athan, Zeus, and so many others that have my Quit 6 each and every day. This place is more to me than a daily check-in and promise. I've made friends here, friends I've never met (except 1, so far), but I hope to meet one day, so I can thank them in person for helping me stay quit. Going cold turkey is hard. Going cold turkey alone would have fucking sucked. I'm glad I didn't have to.

If you're a new quitter or a lurker who's thinking about quitting, quit thinking and just do it. Put the can down. Walk away from it. It is not your friend. It is not your savior. It is a crutch. It is a drain on your wallet. And you better believe me when I tell you, IT IS KILLING YOU. Life will be rough for a while. It's life, and it's rough anyway, ain't it? Nic never solved anything for me. It never made anything better for me. 1 Problem + Nicotine = 2 Problems. My regret is that it took me almost 30 years to realize that. At least I did, though. You can, too. It's not too late.

I'm one year in. The scales of Quit are still tilted heavy toward the Years Using side, but ODAAT I'm shifting that balance in the other direction.

GS9502  365 and QLAMF EDD

Read this those of you in the Guest Section, This Man here now has a serious back problem from carrying around those Dangling dandies between his legs. 1 year of Quittin is some FREAKING WORK! CONGRATS GS!

Amazing stuff from an amazing quitter. Ask him about his tattoo!

Quit gold right there boys

Congrats on hitting the 1 year mark. Great accomplishment!!

[Athan]

I posted my introduction here and my first roll post on the June 2020 Renegade roster 365 days ago today. I'm one year into a quit I never thought would happen. I never wanted it to happen...until the day I thought my future with my wife and children was in jeopardy because of a bump on my gum. The look I saw when I told my wife, the fear in her eyes, that flash of worry - that was all it took.

My dentist pointed me to KTC, and I will be forever grateful to her for that. It was only through the power of God and the support of my fellow quitters here that I've made it this far. The journey hasn't always been easy, but compared to what I've read from new quitters since, I have made it these 365 days with few troubles. Yes, I still have some craves. I still have some foggy days. I still have a short temper. I still have dip dreams, although some of mine have been about smoking (I smoked for years before I started dipping).

What I don't have is that lump on my gum. What I don't have is spit bottles and cups all over the house, in my office, and in my truck, stinking up everything. What I don't have is a reason for my wife not to kiss me full on the lips. What I don't have is a nervous breakdown while sitting through a long meeting or church thinking about wanting a dip. What I don't have is stains on the bedsheets where I fell asleep with a dip in and drooled nasty spit.

What I do have is pride that I have made it 365 days without nicotine. I know I did it ODAAT. I know I have my Renegade brothers and sister to thank for the daily support. I know I have vet quitters like MuleMan, BigDiesel90, Stillbrewing, Athan, Zeus, and so many others that have my Quit 6 each and every day. This place is more to me than a daily check-in and promise. I've made friends here, friends I've never met (except 1, so far), but I hope to meet one day, so I can thank them in person for helping me stay quit. Going cold turkey is hard. Going cold turkey alone would have fucking sucked. I'm glad I didn't have to.

If you're a new quitter or a lurker who's thinking about quitting, quit thinking and just do it. Put the can down. Walk away from it. It is not your friend. It is not your savior. It is a crutch. It is a drain on your wallet. And you better believe me when I tell you, IT IS KILLING YOU. Life will be rough for a while. It's life, and it's rough anyway, ain't it? Nic never solved anything for me. It never made anything better for me. 1 Problem + Nicotine = 2 Problems. My regret is that it took me almost 30 years to realize that. At least I did, though. You can, too. It's not too late.

I'm one year in. The scales of Quit are still tilted heavy toward the Years Using side, but ODAAT I'm shifting that balance in the other direction.

GS9502  365 and QLAMF EDD

Read this those of you in the Guest Section, This Man here now has a serious back problem from carrying around those Dangling dandies between his legs. 1 year of Quittin is some FREAKING WORK! CONGRATS GS!

Amazing stuff from an amazing quitter. Ask him about his tattoo!

Quit gold right there boys

[69franx]

I posted my introduction here and my first roll post on the June 2020 Renegade roster 365 days ago today. I'm one year into a quit I never thought would happen. I never wanted it to happen...until the day I thought my future with my wife and children was in jeopardy because of a bump on my gum. The look I saw when I told my wife, the fear in her eyes, that flash of worry - that was all it took.

My dentist pointed me to KTC, and I will be forever grateful to her for that. It was only through the power of God and the support of my fellow quitters here that I've made it this far. The journey hasn't always been easy, but compared to what I've read from new quitters since, I have made it these 365 days with few troubles. Yes, I still have some craves. I still have some foggy days. I still have a short temper. I still have dip dreams, although some of mine have been about smoking (I smoked for years before I started dipping).

What I don't have is that lump on my gum. What I don't have is spit bottles and cups all over the house, in my office, and in my truck, stinking up everything. What I don't have is a reason for my wife not to kiss me full on the lips. What I don't have is a nervous breakdown while sitting through a long meeting or church thinking about wanting a dip. What I don't have is stains on the bedsheets where I fell asleep with a dip in and drooled nasty spit.

What I do have is pride that I have made it 365 days without nicotine. I know I did it ODAAT. I know I have my Renegade brothers and sister to thank for the daily support. I know I have vet quitters like MuleMan, BigDiesel90, Stillbrewing, Athan, Zeus, and so many others that have my Quit 6 each and every day. This place is more to me than a daily check-in and promise. I've made friends here, friends I've never met (except 1, so far), but I hope to meet one day, so I can thank them in person for helping me stay quit. Going cold turkey is hard. Going cold turkey alone would have fucking sucked. I'm glad I didn't have to.

If you're a new quitter or a lurker who's thinking about quitting, quit thinking and just do it. Put the can down. Walk away from it. It is not your friend. It is not your savior. It is a crutch. It is a drain on your wallet. And you better believe me when I tell you, IT IS KILLING YOU. Life will be rough for a while. It's life, and it's rough anyway, ain't it? Nic never solved anything for me. It never made anything better for me. 1 Problem + Nicotine = 2 Problems. My regret is that it took me almost 30 years to realize that. At least I did, though. You can, too. It's not too late.

I'm one year in. The scales of Quit are still tilted heavy toward the Years Using side, but ODAAT I'm shifting that balance in the other direction.

GS9502  365 and QLAMF EDD

Read this those of you in the Guest Section, This Man here now has a serious back problem from carrying around those Dangling dandies between his legs. 1 year of Quittin is some FREAKING WORK! CONGRATS GS!

Amazing stuff from an amazing quitter. Ask him about his tattoo!

[nick-Otine Free]

I posted my introduction here and my first roll post on the June 2020 Renegade roster 365 days ago today. I'm one year into a quit I never thought would happen. I never wanted it to happen...until the day I thought my future with my wife and children was in jeopardy because of a bump on my gum. The look I saw when I told my wife, the fear in her eyes, that flash of worry - that was all it took.

My dentist pointed me to KTC, and I will be forever grateful to her for that. It was only through the power of God and the support of my fellow quitters here that I've made it this far. The journey hasn't always been easy, but compared to what I've read from new quitters since, I have made it these 365 days with few troubles. Yes, I still have some craves. I still have some foggy days. I still have a short temper. I still have dip dreams, although some of mine have been about smoking (I smoked for years before I started dipping).

What I don't have is that lump on my gum. What I don't have is spit bottles and cups all over the house, in my office, and in my truck, stinking up everything. What I don't have is a reason for my wife not to kiss me full on the lips. What I don't have is a nervous breakdown while sitting through a long meeting or church thinking about wanting a dip. What I don't have is stains on the bedsheets where I fell asleep with a dip in and drooled nasty spit.

What I do have is pride that I have made it 365 days without nicotine. I know I did it ODAAT. I know I have my Renegade brothers and sister to thank for the daily support. I know I have vet quitters like MuleMan, BigDiesel90, Stillbrewing, Athan, Zeus, and so many others that have my Quit 6 each and every day. This place is more to me than a daily check-in and promise. I've made friends here, friends I've never met (except 1, so far), but I hope to meet one day, so I can thank them in person for helping me stay quit. Going cold turkey is hard. Going cold turkey alone would have fucking sucked. I'm glad I didn't have to.

If you're a new quitter or a lurker who's thinking about quitting, quit thinking and just do it. Put the can down. Walk away from it. It is not your friend. It is not your savior. It is a crutch. It is a drain on your wallet. And you better believe me when I tell you, IT IS KILLING YOU. Life will be rough for a while. It's life, and it's rough anyway, ain't it? Nic never solved anything for me. It never made anything better for me. 1 Problem + Nicotine = 2 Problems. My regret is that it took me almost 30 years to realize that. At least I did, though. You can, too. It's not too late.

I'm one year in. The scales of Quit are still tilted heavy toward the Years Using side, but ODAAT I'm shifting that balance in the other direction.

GS9502  365 and QLAMF EDD

Read this those of you in the Guest Section, This Man here now has a serious back problem from carrying around those Dangling dandies between his legs. 1 year of Quittin is some FREAKING WORK! CONGRATS GS!