Etxaggie’s HOF Speech – I Deserve Better

I dipped for 15 years. I tried quitting a couple of times before…..you know how it goes. I would stop for a month to PROVE that nicotine wasn’t a problem for me……then I would stuff my face & go right back to it. Or, I would sabotage the quit……& my wife would go buy me a can because I was such a dick.

This time is different. Truthfully, I realized that I was becoming a shell of a person. My addiction was getting worse. I either had to feed my nicotine addiction or I was withdrawing from it around the clock. I was literally living my life around Copenhagen Long Cut………how sad is that? A damn weed! My wife deserves better, my kids deserve better, & I deserve better.

Couple of my fears:
1) I thought I would swell up like a tick if I quit……Actually, I have lost 10 lbs because I started working out.
2) I thought I would go crazy w/o my Cope………this is debatable, but I think I’m okay so far.
3) I thought I would fail…………quitting is simple, but hard. One day at a time & sometimes one minute at a time.

Couple results of my young quit so far:
1) My blood pressure before I quit (135/88)……my blood pressure now (118/80)
2) Resting heart rate before I quit (74)……my resting heart rate now (62)
3) I am lifting more weight in the gym then I ever have before.

These are the metrics that are easy to document, but my quit is about more than just quitting nicotine. You see, now I have the mindset that if I can quit nicotine, I can do almost anything. My quit is still young, but it just keeps getting better & better.

A big THANK YOU to all of those that have helped to guide & support me in my quit. Here are a few…..

Resolute Bastards of April 2014 (the whole group)
December Quit Army of 2013 (the whole group)
Gdubya, Asowles, Cochise, Doc Chewfree, Dmross, Fuggy, Airbuspilot, & many others.

Thanks KTC!

David (Etxaggie)

NOTE: This piece written by KillTheCan.org forum member Etxaggie