First Week

[DWEIRICK]

Day 250

Some numbers today!
250/255/24.6

250 days without nicotine today and man it feels good. I’ve built the connections and confidence this time so here’s to a lifetime kicking this shitty addiction. Thank you to my brothers and sisters at KTC without your support I couldn’t do this. To my wife Lindsey who’s been an absolute legend through this thank you! No ones cheered or pushed me as far as you did and continue to do!

255 days sober today! I decided prior to my quitting dip journey that I would also give up this garbage as well. Although since I’ve meet Lindsey and built my life back up alcohol was never really a struggle too much these days, but it was in the past and to be honest it doesn’t line up with the healthy and better Dustin.

24.6 is the amount of weight I’ve dropped since getting back into the gym and getting on a GLP1 thanks again to my wife! Without her push to get to the doctors and get an evaluation I wouldn’t have discovered some concerning health issues and now I’m on a better path!

[DWEIRICK]

Day 248

Talked to my Pops on the phone yesterday before work. Got confirmation he’s losing a toe at minimum. That’s where we’re at right now.

I’m heading up Friday to see him — gonna put my foot in his ass (with love) and try to talk some sense into him about kicking this addiction before it kills him. I’m hoping this scares him enough to make a real change.

But y’all know how these old fellas are… stubborn as hell.

[DWEIRICK]

Day 245

Got a call from my mom last night. Pops was admitted to the hospital for an issue with his foot.

He’s diabetic. And if I’m being honest, he’s been noncompliant for years. Still chews a pouch of America’s Best a day, even after watching both his sons quit. We’ve begged him. Pleaded. Tried everything. But we all know he has to be the one to make that choice.

Now he has an infection in his foot, and doctors believe it’s spread to the bone. There’s a real chance he’s going to lose that foot.

All because he refuses to get his blood sugar under control.
All because he chooses to stay chained to the poison.
All because nicotine still has a stranglehold on him — and he won’t cut it off.

I’m angry. I’m scared. I’m frustrated. But more than anything, I’m reminded why I quit.

NAFAR

[DWEIRICK]

Day 243

KTC lost an amazing friend, supporter and quitter. Rest easy Gonzomedic as you deserve to finally rest and be at peace.

https://www.thebarbertongazette.com/2026/02/12/thomas-gustafson-61/

We will continue this fight in your honor! Godspeed Brother...

[DWEIRICK]

Day 234

Had a weigh in yesterday and I was 235.5 I am now down almost 20lbs with the help of some GLP1, gym and a whole diet change! Quitting nicotine and alcohol has really allowed me to focus on myself and my health for once. I'm who I truly want and need to be without both those toxic things in my life.

An old quit pal from 2015 went into hospice and is currently in the hospital and his outlook is not good. It scares me to death as I like many others here played chicken with cancer/death for years and years. It just further proves that this bitch nicotine does not care who you are, how many kids you have, the life you leave behind or anything for that matter. She is selfish and her only desire is to keep you enslaved. Never surrender to her under any circumstances. NAFAR. I will keep you and your family in my thoughts Gonzomedic....

[DWEIRICK]

Day 220

The Cost of a Cave

One of the biggest lies people tell themselves is that when they cave, they only hurt themselves. That’s bullshit.

When you cave, you don’t just give up on your quit—you give up on every single person in your quit month. You give up on the vets who showed up, posted with you, encouraged you, and put their time and heart into helping you stay quit. Day 1 or Day 10,000 makes no difference. The damage is the same.

A cave isn’t a mistake. It’s a decision to break your word.

And the worst part? It’s a price every single one of us can avoid by doing one simple thing: honoring our promise to stay quit.

I don’t say this from some high horse—I’m a retread. That’s a title I earned, not one I’m proud of. I threw away a comma quit and burned bridges doing it. I had reasons, excuses, justifications—every one of them was complete bullshit. It took time and humility to admit that the truth wasn’t that life was too hard, it was that I chose the easy way out.

What finally killed my excuses was seeing people who had it far worse than I ever did—real loss, real pain, real chaos—who stayed quit anyway. At that point, I had nowhere left to hide. No excuse survives that comparison.

So what’s the cost of a cave?

It’s regret. It’s shame. It’s knowing you built something solid and then destroyed it with your own hands. It’s carrying the knowledge that you let people down who believed in you.

And that’s a price not worth paying.

Build your quit. Protect it. Defend it.
Because throwing it away will be one of the biggest regrets you ever earn.

[DWEIRICK]

Day 200

I would not be here today posting up a 200 without the support of this place. I learned a valuable lesson the hard way and I do not intend on repeating those mistakes that led me to where I was before I came crawling back to KTC. So many bad ass quitters could have turned their backs on me for my past actions, but they did not, they still went against the odds and betted on me, betted on my success and without that I would not have made it! Thank you to everyone who has pushed me on these last 200 days, thank you for supporting me on the days I felt like I couldn't push through. All of you are the reason so many lives are sparred from this deadly addiction! Thank you!

[DWEIRICK]

Day 187

4th shift back on nights and my sleep schedule is finally in a good place. Between quitting nicotine and alcohol, relaxing and unwinding this time around has been way easier. I honestly missed night tour—the dark, the calm, no management around, and fewer people bothering us with stupid things.

Got a new crew, which is always a challenge. One of them is solid and doesn’t need much watching, the other definitely does—but we’ll get there.

Things are a lot better with our eldest daughter too. She’s doing better, actually working her recovery and making the right choices. That’s taken a huge weight off my soul.

Through all the struggles so far, there’s no way I would’ve stayed quit on my own. KTC has been the cornerstone for me. Just more proof that I always needed this place and its brotherhood to carry me through.

[DWEIRICK]

Day 178

It’s official — I’ve accepted a promotion as one of the night shift supervisors at my 9-1-1 center! I start midnights on the 15th of this month. Because of that, my posting times will shift from daytime to nighttime ops. Crazy to think I left one center as a supervisor with no intention of doing it again, but the money is right and it's the best move for my family given the current situation with our teenage daughter. Going to be a big adjustment going back to nights after almost 8 years back on daylight.

[Keith0617]

Day 163

My wife and I decided yesterday that sending our daughter to drug and alcohol rehab wasn’t actually what she needed. Instead, we’re getting her into a program where a counselor will come to the house to work with her. We’re also switching her medication and moving her to a trauma therapist instead of the one she’s been seeing. Hopefully this will help her heal from her past, or at least give her the tools to navigate it better.

This whole situation has been rough on all of us and has been an incredible—yet very unwanted—test of my quit. But it’s also taught me a valuable lesson: no matter the trials or challenges I face, I can get through them without nicotine and without cancer in my lip.

Staying nic-free through all of this has shown me a strength I didn’t know I had. Here’s to continuing forward, one day at a time. Here is to hoping we get our daughter on the right path and to healing.

Sounds great. Your daughter sounds very lucky to have you and your wife in her life. Just make sure you have a network to reach to in a time of need. Happy to exchange digits if you want.

[DWEIRICK]

Day 163

My wife and I decided yesterday that sending our daughter to drug and alcohol rehab wasn’t actually what she needed. Instead, we’re getting her into a program where a counselor will come to the house to work with her. We’re also switching her medication and moving her to a trauma therapist instead of the one she’s been seeing. Hopefully this will help her heal from her past, or at least give her the tools to navigate it better.

This whole situation has been rough on all of us and has been an incredible—yet very unwanted—test of my quit. But it’s also taught me a valuable lesson: no matter the trials or challenges I face, I can get through them without nicotine and without cancer in my lip.

Staying nic-free through all of this has shown me a strength I didn’t know I had. Here’s to continuing forward, one day at a time. Here is to hoping we get our daughter on the right path and to healing.

[MN_Engineer]

Day 157

Today I made the difficult decision to reach out for some help and start therapy again. Things have gotten heavy lately, to the point where I’ve been struggling just to feel present, and those feelings have been getting stronger each day. I’ve dealt with mental-health challenges for a long time, and as you can imagine, working in 9-1-1 and public safety takes a real toll on your mind and overall well-being.

Quitting nicotine has also brought some old wounds back to the surface—things I had been numbing instead of healing. And if I want to keep moving forward and become the person I know I can be, it’s time to work through those things with real support.

Admitting that I needed help wasn’t easy. But I spent some time talking with BRD, and he gave me the push I desperately needed. Thank you, brother. I appreciate you more than you know.

Here’s to doing the hard work and taking care of myself—one day at a time.

Proud of you for recognizing the need and taking that step to seek help. I leverage mental help resources myself and it's nothing to be ashamed about. Proud to be quit with you today!

[DWEIRICK]

Day 157

Today I made the difficult decision to reach out for some help and start therapy again. Things have gotten heavy lately, to the point where I’ve been struggling just to feel present, and those feelings have been getting stronger each day. I’ve dealt with mental-health challenges for a long time, and as you can imagine, working in 9-1-1 and public safety takes a real toll on your mind and overall well-being.

Quitting nicotine has also brought some old wounds back to the surface—things I had been numbing instead of healing. And if I want to keep moving forward and become the person I know I can be, it’s time to work through those things with real support.

Admitting that I needed help wasn’t easy. But I spent some time talking with BRD, and he gave me the push I desperately needed. Thank you, brother. I appreciate you more than you know.

Here’s to doing the hard work and taking care of myself—one day at a time.

[DWEIRICK]

Day 156

THE COST OF COMPLACENCY

At some point in your quit, you’re going to feel invincible—like you’ve finally crushed the cravings, buried the addiction, and walked away from the weak version of yourself that used to cave. But here’s the truth you better not forget that nic-bitch never left. She’s been lurking in the shadows the entire time.

While you were relaxing, she was training.
While you were feeling “safe,” she was sharpening her tactics.
While you were letting your guard down, she was studying your patterns, waiting for the exact moment you stop paying attention.

She watches you slack off.
She watches you post less.
She sees you skipping days, acting like you’re untouchable.

And that’s exactly when she moves in—quiet, calculated, patient—waiting for the tiniest crack in your armor so she can slam her way back into your life.

So how do you destroy her?

You beat her by doing the one thing she can’t handle:
Keeping your promise—24 hours at a time—no excuses, no negotiations.

When you stay alert, when you expect her games, when you plan for her ambushes, she’s powerless. She hates your vigilance. She knows she can’t break someone who refuses to get comfortable.

This fight never ends—not for an addict.
Complacency is the doorway she crawls through.
No matter your day count, no matter how strong you feel—
she is waiting. And she will strike the moment you stop fighting.

So don’t stop.
Don’t slack.
Don’t give her an inch.

You stay ready, or you pay the price.

[DWEIRICK]

Day 150

Due to recent events with our daughter, my wife and I had to make the tough decision to switch shifts. I’ll be moving to nights so that there’s always an adult at home with no gaps. It’s not an easy change — I worked hard to get back to daylight — but right now, this is what’s best for our family.

The move does come with a $3 an hour raise, which is nice, but honestly, it’s about more than that. It’s about doing what needs to be done. I don’t plan on this being a permanent shift, but for now, it’s the right call.

Through all of this, my quit remains solid. Navigating my daughter’s struggles with drugs and alcohol without leaning on nicotine has been a huge eye-opener. It’s shown me that if I can make it through this without caving, there’s nothing that can derail my quit.

That doesn’t mean I’m “safe” or “cured” — far from it. I know better than to take this for granted. I’ll keep showing up, one day at a time, until I can’t type the day count anymore.