I was born in 1964. Both of my parents smoked, which was not unusual at that time. I remember going to the hospital when I was little, and my father was smoking in the waiting room, along with several other people. On my first airline ride smoking was still permitted, with little tiny ashtrays in the arms of the seats. With both my parents smoking it was not difficult for me to start. I started smoking when I was 9, stealing cigarettes from my mother. I didn't smoke habitually until I was 15 years old, however. I was able to keep my smoking a secret until I was 16 when my mother discovered I was smoking, something other than cigarettes (I forgot a pack of Zags in my jeans along with a half smoked joint). This resulted in a search of my room looking for my stash. She found a pack of Camels, but no weed. Oddly enough, they were more disappointed in the cigarettes than they were about the weed. They both had quit smoking by then, my dad before my mother. You know how ex-smokers can be.
I did, however, continue to smoke cigarettes. All total I smoked for 38 years, 2½ packs a day for over 25 of those years.
I became a father at the age of 17. My son was born on November 5, 1982, 3 days before my own birthday. My son was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when he was several months old. The strain on our relationship caused my sons mother to break up with me during that time. We were really young, and still just kids ourselves. My son died on August 24, 1984. I was devastated.
I blamed myself for not being able to provide better care for my son, and I attempted suicide on Labor Day 1984. My own parents found me hanging in my bedroom, and called the paramedics. I was taken to the trauma center in the Harbor UCLA Medical center where they worked on me for 7 hours to keep me alive. My heart stopped, and my lungs collapsed; I was clinically dead. The doctors used the defibrillator on me to restart my heart, twice. I was in bad shape to say the least. When I finally woke up 6 days later I was on a ventilator, in restraints, I had a hole in my throat, and a hole in my chest. I was also blind as a bat. My eyesight returned within 2 days. I never really understood why I had that 2 day period of blindness, I was just glad I could see again. That was the longest period I went without cigarettes since the day I started smoking. When the psychiatrists cleared me, and I was released from the hospital, the first thing I wanted was a cigarette.
I went to work as an inspector trainee at an aerospace parts manufacturer that specialized in rubber products, seal assemblies, and fasteners. I went to college, and got a bachelors degree in business. I worked my way up to QC Manager. I was then promoted to the position of purchasing agent, then Manager of Purchasing and Materials Control. Career wise I was doing very well, I was happy with the way things were finally going.
At age 27 I got married to a lady tamed Tammy that I loved to distraction. She was a nurse who worked with HIV hospice patients. In 1989 she was accidentally pricked with a contaminated needle when a patient had a seizure while she was attempting to give him an IV. She tested negative for HIV three times over 6 months, but still came down with HIV & AIDS, and died of pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in 1994. I was diagnosed HIV positive in 1995, which floored me because I thought men couldn’t be infected from women. I, along with a lot of people, was wrong about that.
I started having lung problems in 1998, after having my own bout with pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, the same thing that killed my wife. Around 1999 I started coming down with acute bronchitis every year, and was using a rescue inhaler by 2000. By 2005 I was using the rescue inhaler, and a nebulizer. I was taking a handful of prescription meds a day, and sucking down cigarettes like there was no tomorrow.
In 2008 I lost all of my teeth due to smoking, and HIV related osteoporosis, but it was mostly from smoking. I know – yuck!!
I tried to quit several times. I tried the patch, the gum, the lozenges, the inhaler, Zyban, Chantix, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and various combinations of them all. Oh yeah,and will power. Nothing worked; NOTHING! Every time I tried to quit I turned into asinine fool from withdrawals. It was intense.
By 2010 my doctor told me that if I didn’t quit smoking I would have emphysema within 5 years, probably less. By that time I was using my ever ready Combivent inhaler, DuoNeb in my nebulizer, and a daily dose of Advair discus so that I could breathe, along with all the other meds that I had to take. Every morning I would cough and hack, sometimes until I would vomit up black goop that tasted like a combination of an ash tray and the previous night’s meal. This was getting out of hand, fast now.
I tried quitting again, but failed, as usual.
In November of 2011 I bought an e-cigarette (cig-a-like) from the convenience store across the street from my apartment. It didn’t do enough for me, but I was really intrigued by it. It was almost enough! At least I was smoking less, but I wanted to quit. I asked the salesperson at the smoke shop where I bought my cigarettes if there was a better e-cigarette. He introduced me to a 510 CE2 Starter Kit, and tobacco flavored e-liquid on December 8, 2011. EURIKA!!!
I haven’t picked up a cigarette since that day, and I haven’t smoked for over 3 years now. I no longer use the CE2, but I still have it however. Now I have multiple types of tanks, and drippers and mods out the gazoo. The big thing is that I love vaping, I don't smoke, and I no longer have to have assistance to be able to breathe!! Success!
I no longer take the Advair, and my last rescue inhaler expired before I ever had to use it. My nebulizer is sitting in my closet collecting dust, and I haven’t had bronchitis in over a year. The best part is that the coughing and hacking have disappeared (along with the black goop). Every now and then I will cough in the morning, but it is just a cough. The hacking and vomiting are history – thank God!
I still keep an inhaler, but now it just sits there.
I breathe easier, food tastes better, and my clothes no longer have holes in them. My apartment no longer stinks and there is no longer a sticky orange tint on the walls due to excessive smoking.
I never thought I would see a time when I didn’t smoke!
Vaping can help people. I was just a few months away from an oxygen tank. Now I breath just fine!
I did, however, continue to smoke cigarettes. All total I smoked for 38 years, 2½ packs a day for over 25 of those years.
I became a father at the age of 17. My son was born on November 5, 1982, 3 days before my own birthday. My son was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when he was several months old. The strain on our relationship caused my sons mother to break up with me during that time. We were really young, and still just kids ourselves. My son died on August 24, 1984. I was devastated.
I blamed myself for not being able to provide better care for my son, and I attempted suicide on Labor Day 1984. My own parents found me hanging in my bedroom, and called the paramedics. I was taken to the trauma center in the Harbor UCLA Medical center where they worked on me for 7 hours to keep me alive. My heart stopped, and my lungs collapsed; I was clinically dead. The doctors used the defibrillator on me to restart my heart, twice. I was in bad shape to say the least. When I finally woke up 6 days later I was on a ventilator, in restraints, I had a hole in my throat, and a hole in my chest. I was also blind as a bat. My eyesight returned within 2 days. I never really understood why I had that 2 day period of blindness, I was just glad I could see again. That was the longest period I went without cigarettes since the day I started smoking. When the psychiatrists cleared me, and I was released from the hospital, the first thing I wanted was a cigarette.
I went to work as an inspector trainee at an aerospace parts manufacturer that specialized in rubber products, seal assemblies, and fasteners. I went to college, and got a bachelors degree in business. I worked my way up to QC Manager. I was then promoted to the position of purchasing agent, then Manager of Purchasing and Materials Control. Career wise I was doing very well, I was happy with the way things were finally going.
At age 27 I got married to a lady tamed Tammy that I loved to distraction. She was a nurse who worked with HIV hospice patients. In 1989 she was accidentally pricked with a contaminated needle when a patient had a seizure while she was attempting to give him an IV. She tested negative for HIV three times over 6 months, but still came down with HIV & AIDS, and died of pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in 1994. I was diagnosed HIV positive in 1995, which floored me because I thought men couldn’t be infected from women. I, along with a lot of people, was wrong about that.
I started having lung problems in 1998, after having my own bout with pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, the same thing that killed my wife. Around 1999 I started coming down with acute bronchitis every year, and was using a rescue inhaler by 2000. By 2005 I was using the rescue inhaler, and a nebulizer. I was taking a handful of prescription meds a day, and sucking down cigarettes like there was no tomorrow.
In 2008 I lost all of my teeth due to smoking, and HIV related osteoporosis, but it was mostly from smoking. I know – yuck!!
I tried to quit several times. I tried the patch, the gum, the lozenges, the inhaler, Zyban, Chantix, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and various combinations of them all. Oh yeah,and will power. Nothing worked; NOTHING! Every time I tried to quit I turned into asinine fool from withdrawals. It was intense.
By 2010 my doctor told me that if I didn’t quit smoking I would have emphysema within 5 years, probably less. By that time I was using my ever ready Combivent inhaler, DuoNeb in my nebulizer, and a daily dose of Advair discus so that I could breathe, along with all the other meds that I had to take. Every morning I would cough and hack, sometimes until I would vomit up black goop that tasted like a combination of an ash tray and the previous night’s meal. This was getting out of hand, fast now.
I tried quitting again, but failed, as usual.
In November of 2011 I bought an e-cigarette (cig-a-like) from the convenience store across the street from my apartment. It didn’t do enough for me, but I was really intrigued by it. It was almost enough! At least I was smoking less, but I wanted to quit. I asked the salesperson at the smoke shop where I bought my cigarettes if there was a better e-cigarette. He introduced me to a 510 CE2 Starter Kit, and tobacco flavored e-liquid on December 8, 2011. EURIKA!!!
I haven’t picked up a cigarette since that day, and I haven’t smoked for over 3 years now. I no longer use the CE2, but I still have it however. Now I have multiple types of tanks, and drippers and mods out the gazoo. The big thing is that I love vaping, I don't smoke, and I no longer have to have assistance to be able to breathe!! Success!
I no longer take the Advair, and my last rescue inhaler expired before I ever had to use it. My nebulizer is sitting in my closet collecting dust, and I haven’t had bronchitis in over a year. The best part is that the coughing and hacking have disappeared (along with the black goop). Every now and then I will cough in the morning, but it is just a cough. The hacking and vomiting are history – thank God!
I still keep an inhaler, but now it just sits there.
I breathe easier, food tastes better, and my clothes no longer have holes in them. My apartment no longer stinks and there is no longer a sticky orange tint on the walls due to excessive smoking.
I never thought I would see a time when I didn’t smoke!
Vaping can help people. I was just a few months away from an oxygen tank. Now I breath just fine!
To you, JSB! To vaping!!
