My day 1...I don't even have the words...

[worktowin]

Congrats on 200 Hando! You are there killing it every day. Best of luck today as you celebrate 200 days of freedom and the birth of your daughter. Proud to be quit with you.

CJ

Proud to quit with you today, sir! Enjoy, as it keeps getting better!

[ChristopherJ]

Congrats on 200 Hando! You are there killing it every day. Best of luck today as you celebrate 200 days of freedom and the birth of your daughter. Proud to be quit with you.

CJ

[Brentz]

Century club. Congrats Bro on the 100 days. Keep it up.

[Mike from AB]

Congrats on HoF!!

[ChickDip]

Hando, my Jackal brother, proud to be quit with you!
Congratulations on this milestone , here's to +1's

[ChristopherJ]

Hando - congrats on reaching the hall! This is a huge victory in the long battle and you have really shown yourself to be an exceptional quitter. Celebrate today for what it means to you and your family. Proud to be quit with you! CJ

[worktowin]

HALL OF FAME!!!

Dude congratulations on the first milestone of many that you can celebrate, one day at a time. It is an honor to quit with you today, and as good as today feels - there is s lot more greatness ahead.

You are winning big time, and winning is sweet. Enjoy today, and see you at 101!

[Mike from AB]

Congratulations on 60 days!

Hammer down Hando.
Great intro working here.
Quit is strong with this one!

Ps Reflex thing went away with me also. More water.. More exercise.
Rawls 201
Wow 2 months. Awesome work!

[Rawls]

Congratulations on 60 days!

Hammer down Hando.
Great intro working here.
Quit is strong with this one!

Ps Reflex thing went away with me also. More water.. More exercise.
Rawls 201

[worktowin]

Congratulations on 60 days!

[cbird65]

I've had the chance to experience a lot of "firsts" lately, along with the rest of you. First NFL draft without dip, first time fishing without a dip in, first morning dump without Copenhagen facilitation...etc etc.

None so important as yesterday's though - the first time I have celebrated a wedding anniversary nicotine-free. It also happened to be our 10th. I couldn't think of any other group that would appreciate this notion more than the KTC quitters. Despite my addiction, my bride stuck with me and has never faltered in being my biggest supporter. Today, we should count ourselves as lucky for having strong women in our lives that had greater hope in us than we did in ourselves while living in bondage to nicotine.

(http://./imageproxy.php%3Furl=http:%252F%252Fi1237.photobucket.com%252Falbums%252Fff462%252Fpierrehan%252F13050A45-BA17-496A-861E-3BA98367DF86.png)

Today and always, I quit for my wife, and promise to remain clean the rest of my life. Who knows how many years and anniversaries KTC has preserved. Just wanted to drop another waypoint here along my quit journey.

Pierre, Congrats on your 10 yr anniversary and thanks for sharing the picture! All those firsts are the glimpses of freedom that we all begin to see on a daily basis. I have to admit that I am a little concerned about the last sentence of your post, and I will chalk it up to you getting caught up in the moment of your anniversary. As I know you have read here, it is vitally important that you are quitting for yourself. Not anyone else, no matter how much you love them. Of course those close to you will share many of the benefits of your quit and that is a huge motivation for me. But as addicts, this is our personal quit that we own. Yes we promise every day to ourselves and our brothers and sisters here that we will not use nicotine in any form for the day. That's the KTC way. If we also promise our parents, or spouses, or children or friends that's another layer. Others can probably explain it better than me, but I couldn't let your statement hang out there Pierre - because I want you to succeed!

Quit with you EDD.

CJ

CJ - your response exemplifies true accountability, and its exactly why the KTC fellowship is so vitally important. You are absolutely right - I did/am caught up in the moment and I greatly appreciate the reminder. Reflecting upon what you said, I think there could be great risk in making seemingly harmless statements (even to myself) about quitting for others. If left unaddressed, who knows, perhaps I'd errantly start to believe my own propaganda and find myself vulnerable when the 'quit for others' isn't enough.

For all the newbies that read this (and the vets that appreciate reminders), it is these inflection points that could throw us off course, and its good dudes like CJ that jump in to right this ship. Thank you, man...for today and for having my back since Day 1.

Iron sharpens iron...

own it again today... just for today - we're not granted tomorrow

[hando]

I've had the chance to experience a lot of "firsts" lately, along with the rest of you. First NFL draft without dip, first time fishing without a dip in, first morning dump without Copenhagen facilitation...etc etc.

None so important as yesterday's though - the first time I have celebrated a wedding anniversary nicotine-free. It also happened to be our 10th. I couldn't think of any other group that would appreciate this notion more than the KTC quitters. Despite my addiction, my bride stuck with me and has never faltered in being my biggest supporter. Today, we should count ourselves as lucky for having strong women in our lives that had greater hope in us than we did in ourselves while living in bondage to nicotine.

(http://./imageproxy.php%3Furl=http:%252F%252Fi1237.photobucket.com%252Falbums%252Fff462%252Fpierrehan%252F13050A45-BA17-496A-861E-3BA98367DF86.png)

Today and always, I quit for my wife, and promise to remain clean the rest of my life. Who knows how many years and anniversaries KTC has preserved. Just wanted to drop another waypoint here along my quit journey.

Pierre, Congrats on your 10 yr anniversary and thanks for sharing the picture! All those firsts are the glimpses of freedom that we all begin to see on a daily basis. I have to admit that I am a little concerned about the last sentence of your post, and I will chalk it up to you getting caught up in the moment of your anniversary. As I know you have read here, it is vitally important that you are quitting for yourself. Not anyone else, no matter how much you love them. Of course those close to you will share many of the benefits of your quit and that is a huge motivation for me. But as addicts, this is our personal quit that we own. Yes we promise every day to ourselves and our brothers and sisters here that we will not use nicotine in any form for the day. That's the KTC way. If we also promise our parents, or spouses, or children or friends that's another layer. Others can probably explain it better than me, but I couldn't let your statement hang out there Pierre - because I want you to succeed!

Quit with you EDD.

CJ

CJ - your response exemplifies true accountability, and its exactly why the KTC fellowship is so vitally important. You are absolutely right - I did/am caught up in the moment and I greatly appreciate the reminder. Reflecting upon what you said, I think there could be great risk in making seemingly harmless statements (even to myself) about quitting for others. If left unaddressed, who knows, perhaps I'd errantly start to believe my own propaganda and find myself vulnerable when the 'quit for others' isn't enough.

For all the newbies that read this (and the vets that appreciate reminders), it is these inflection points that could throw us off course, and its good dudes like CJ that jump in to right this ship. Thank you, man...for today and for having my back since Day 1.

[ChristopherJ]

I've had the chance to experience a lot of "firsts" lately, along with the rest of you. First NFL draft without dip, first time fishing without a dip in, first morning dump without Copenhagen facilitation...etc etc.

None so important as yesterday's though - the first time I have celebrated a wedding anniversary nicotine-free. It also happened to be our 10th. I couldn't think of any other group that would appreciate this notion more than the KTC quitters. Despite my addiction, my bride stuck with me and has never faltered in being my biggest supporter. Today, we should count ourselves as lucky for having strong women in our lives that had greater hope in us than we did in ourselves while living in bondage to nicotine.

(http://./imageproxy.php%3Furl=http:%252F%252Fi1237.photobucket.com%252Falbums%252Fff462%252Fpierrehan%252F13050A45-BA17-496A-861E-3BA98367DF86.png)

Today and always, I quit for my wife, and promise to remain clean the rest of my life. Who knows how many years and anniversaries KTC has preserved. Just wanted to drop another waypoint here along my quit journey.

Pierre, Congrats on your 10 yr anniversary and thanks for sharing the picture! All those firsts are the glimpses of freedom that we all begin to see on a daily basis. I have to admit that I am a little concerned about the last sentence of your post, and I will chalk it up to you getting caught up in the moment of your anniversary. As I know you have read here, it is vitally important that you are quitting for yourself. Not anyone else, no matter how much you love them. Of course those close to you will share many of the benefits of your quit and that is a huge motivation for me. But as addicts, this is our personal quit that we own. Yes we promise every day to ourselves and our brothers and sisters here that we will not use nicotine in any form for the day. That's the KTC way. If we also promise our parents, or spouses, or children or friends that's another layer. Others can probably explain it better than me, but I couldn't let your statement hang out there Pierre - because I want you to succeed!

Quit with you EDD.

CJ

[hando]

I've had the chance to experience a lot of "firsts" lately, along with the rest of you. First NFL draft without dip, first time fishing without a dip in, first morning dump without Copenhagen facilitation...etc etc.

None so important as yesterday's though - the first time I have celebrated a wedding anniversary nicotine-free. It also happened to be our 10th. I couldn't think of any other group that would appreciate this notion more than the KTC quitters. Despite my addiction, my bride stuck with me and has never faltered in being my biggest supporter. Today, we should count ourselves as lucky for having strong women in our lives that had greater hope in us than we did in ourselves while living in bondage to nicotine.


(http://./imageproxy.php%3Furl=http:%252F%252Fi1237.photobucket.com%252Falbums%252Fff462%252Fpierrehan%252F13050A45-BA17-496A-861E-3BA98367DF86.png)

Today and always, I quit for my wife myself, and promise to remain clean the rest of my life. Who knows how many years and anniversaries KTC has preserved. Just wanted to drop another waypoint here along my quit journey.

[worktowin]

How about an update Hando. How are you feeling about this journey so far?

Thanks for asking rdad...I'm making it. I've never been one to chronicle a journey like some of you all on here. I'm just not as diligent or disciplined, but here's a rundown of my quit so far...

Craves: I average 3 to 5 major craves a day (after meals, post workout, extended periods at my desk). As for minor craves, they come and go like passing thoughts now.

Sleep: Days 1-4, slept like I would if my bed were a bouncehouse with a kindergarten class jumping in it. Days 5-13: Slept like my 5 year old - some of the best in my life. Last few days? I've woken up each of the last 3 days between 2am and 3:30am, wide awake, for no apparent reason.

Rage: It's completely subsided. One of my main objectives in the quit was to eliminate the morning anger episodes. Pre-quit, I was a ticking time bomb when I got out of bed in the morning. My wife had to figure out the puzzle every morning: would I snap at her, kiss her, or just remain silent. As some of know, the day 1-4 rage was almost more than she could handle; that's over now. My mornings are now consistently 'neutral', which is great because I've never been a morning person.

Weight gain: As of last night, I've packed on 11lbs since my quit. I'm 170lbs, so pretty significant gain. Yes, I'm shoveling all kinds of crap into my mouth all day long to fight craves, and even lost a filling to hard candy...perfect time for a visit to the dentist.

My wife: She's so proud of me; and not in the "oh honey, great HR in the softball game" proud. No, she is legit proud of me. It's an awful thing, but my wife didn't believe in me at the start of this quit. I don't blame her; I've broken that promise so many times before.

Day 17 overall SITREP: I feel great...I really do. I've got such good dudes pinging me all day, everyday via text. We all know that the best way to hold oneself accountable is to lead, so I'm trying to be an example to others. I know it's early, but it's for my sake more than it is newer newbies. My craves remind me of the dangers of complacency - even when nic is not an option, my mind is still making strange connections in my head that there is something fundamentally missing...I can't explain it any other way. Like Satan, nic is always stirring and conspiring.

Nice Jackal.

I'm day 6 today, so the clouds are starting to part and glimmers of sunshine are beginning to peek through. Thanks for your update and sharing with us noobs what's just around the corner.

Oh, and I'm getting FAAAAAT, too. Gonna have to get that in check now that the sucks are passing.

I'm quit with you today

Another key update to share/educate. Just got back from the ER. I had killer chest pain for an hour or so before I decided to go in. EKG and other results came back negative, and doc thinks my stomach is producing some new 'stuff' in response to the quit (enzymes, acids, etc). This whole quit experience has been a trip, and as if the mind games weren't enough, now I have some sort of reflux or indigestion that makes my heart feel like it's stuck in a spikey vise...

...and through it all, I am thankful and happy. I'll take temporary brutal chest pain and fog over a missing jaw or my kids' fatherless childhoods. I don't have to be a slave to any substance.

I'm no doctor but I believe it's all part of healing. The main thing is you have a great attitude and are a man of your word.

Rdad should be a doctor.

Quitting is not for the weak. The weak fall away like crumbs from the table. But the rewards and benefits are amazing. There is a greatness ahead that you are really going to appreciate. Keep pushing forward, and these intro updates will be a terrific way for you to monitor your journey. Ups and downs, but generally ups from here. Get well soon.