Hello all,
My name is Tony, I'm 28, and today is the day I've decided to throw down the can for good! No more bullshit excuses, "relapses", etc-NONE of it! For the last 11 years my habit consisted of 1 can of Skoal Fine cut every day, and now I'm starting to pay the price for it with my health.
About 2 weeks ago I had a huge scare and I ultimately ended up in the emergency room because of chest pains and trouble breathing. During that whole ordeal, the doctor basically told me that I had no other choice than to quit. Despite the fact that my blood pressure was dangerously high. it turned out to be nothing cardiac, so they sent me home. Chest pains were apparently caused by an anxiety attack related to stress.
About 2 days later, I followed up with my normal doctor, and he did a full physical exam. As he was looking into my mouth, he noticed white patches starting to form on my lower gums, inner lip and under the right side of my tongue. The doctor told me he didnt believe that I was in any imminent danger of having mouth cancer, but reinforced the fact that I was to quit dipping immediately.
So, here I am. I found this website by doing a Google search, and it seems like a great support network. I think with a little time, hard candy, nicotine patches, and plenty of support from my friends, family, and of course, folks on this website-I can beat this habit down. Due to the fact that I've had an intense fear of the dentist the last several years (thanks to the dip habit), my oral health has probably gone to the shitter. Within the next few weeks, I plan to see a dentist and get a professional deep cleaning and oral cancer evaluation.