Merry Cystmas and a Happy Chew-Free Year – Kill the Can Podcast (Episode 57)

Transcript — KillTheCan Podcast Episode 57

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Kill the Can podcast.

It has been quite some time, and I apologize for that. I can’t even tell you the last time I recorded a podcast. There really is no excuse other than I’ve been busy, which, if I’m being honest, is a terrible excuse. The last podcast I recorded was in August of 2025, and as I’m sitting here recording this, it is January 30th of 2026. That is far too long to go between podcasts.

I do have quite a few ideas and topics that I’d like to cover. I want to commit to you, the podcast listeners and the members of the Kill the Can community, that I’m going to go out of my way to get back to a posting and recording schedule.

I would love to do episodes once a week. That would be awesome. If I’m being honest, that’s probably not realistic. At the very least, it will be once every other week, and most likely it will be once a month. But I’m committing to you now that in this new year, I’m going to work toward a regular cadence for the Kill the Can podcast.

I enjoy doing it. I get feedback from the community that people like listening to it, and I’ve seen quite a few social shares and comments. So at the beginning of this episode, that’s my commitment to you — more regular episodes moving forward in 2026. Thank you for your patience, and thank you for the continued questions and, honestly, the prodding to get this back on track.

So what’s been going on since August that’s kept me so busy? Life. Nothing really specific. What I did want to share today was a bit about my holiday season, because I had every intention of recording during that time.

Thanksgiving is my favorite day of the year. It always has been. After losing my dad a couple of years ago to cancer, my family has taken over hosting Thanksgiving. I still really enjoy that day. This year in Cleveland, we had about eight inches of snow on Thanksgiving Day, which made prep work and travel a little more difficult.

We always do multiple turkeys. This year, I did a 22-pound turkey in the oven and a 16-pound turkey in the fryer outside, which is where the weather really comes into play. It was cold, rainy, and then it turned to snow. We also did fried Oreos, which, if you’ve never had them, are absolutely worth it. I’m not a big sweets guy, but I did have one.

This is relevant to Kill the Can because I can remember so many Thanksgivings throughout my life when I would be outside keeping an eye on the fryer with a dip in. I remember making excuses to step away from the celebration — running to the store, checking on something outside — anything that gave me an excuse to get away from my family so I could feed my addiction.

This year, standing there in the snow, I reflected on that. I don’t really think about my quit all that often anymore. Aside from engaging with the Kill the Can community, it’s just not something that occupies my mind. I’ve been quit for 19 years. I don’t crave. I don’t have dip dreams. It’s been years since I’ve had one.

But on Thanksgiving Day this year, I thought back to those moments and felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. I was thankful that I don’t deal with that anymore — that I can just be present, enjoy the day, enjoy my family, and not worry about being an addict. It was really special, and I wanted to share that.

The other thing I wanted to talk about is why I didn’t end up recording during the holidays, even though I had time off. Around December 10th or 11th, I had a small cyst removed from my back. It was benign and something I’d had for years. I ended up with about 11 or 12 stitches, and we had a vacation planned for the New Year in Mexico.

The surgery itself went fine. It was outpatient, localized anesthetic, no big deal. I was managing the pain with over-the-counter meds. My stitches were scheduled to come out around the 22nd. Up until then, everything seemed fine.

The night before I went in to have the stitches removed, I had a terrible night. I couldn’t sleep, and the pain ramped up significantly. When I went in the next day, the wound was badly infected. The nurse took one look at it and said it was really infected. Taking out the stitches in that condition was extremely painful, and they couldn’t get the bleeding and drainage to stop.

She went to get the doctor and left me sitting there for about 25 minutes. During that time, I could actually feel fluid running down my back. When the doctor came in, she confirmed it was infected and put me on antibiotics and bandaged it up.

I asked whether I could still travel. Flying wasn’t an issue, but I wouldn’t be able to go in the water unless it was fully covered. That was disappointing, but it was what it was.

For the next couple of weeks — even after we got back from Mexico — I was incredibly sick. I genuinely believe my immune system was fighting the infection. I had a horrible cough, likely bronchitis or pneumonia, maybe even a touch of COVID. I skipped church on Christmas Eve and barely stopped by family gatherings just to say hello before heading home.

This is why I didn’t record in December. I had planned to knock out a couple of episodes during my break, but I just didn’t have it in me. I did manage to take the trip to Mexico, and while I wasn’t feeling great, there are worse places to recover.

I also got to watch my Indiana Hoosiers play on New Year’s Day. They won, and since then went on to win the national championship — something I never thought I’d see as an alum. It’s been a magical ride.

But to bring all of this back to quitting, from Thanksgiving Day through the time I got back home, I never thought about dip once. Not during surgery. Not while I was sick. I didn’t crave it. I didn’t miss it. I didn’t have dip dreams. I posted roll every single day. I never missed a day.

I don’t say that to pat myself on the back. I say it to give you hope. If you’re struggling and wondering when it gets better, the answer is yes — it does. I am living proof of that, and so are thousands of members of the Kill the Can community.

Going through stressful times without leaning on nicotine validates everything I’ve told people over the years. It really does get better, and it really is worth it.

If you’re struggling and you’ve come across this podcast, I hope hearing this helps. I’m honored to be quit with every single one of you. I’m back on the podcast, and I’m going to do my best to get more episodes out for you.

Thank you for listening. Thank you for subscribing. Thank you for the comments and questions. I’ll be doing some upcoming episodes where I answer questions I’ve received through email, TikTok, and YouTube.

You are a massive part of the Kill the Can community. You are a massive part of my quit. I’m honored to be quit with you today.

Cheers, quitters. We’ll talk to you soon.