So I began "vaping" in the fall of 2011. My wife and I were out running errands when she pointed out a sign in a gas station window. She, being my wife and a surgeon, always had her reservations with my smoking, but she allowed me to make my own decisions; one of which lasted far longer than it should have. At that point in my life, I was smoking about a pack a day, living a sedentary lifestyle as an independent consultant, and eating extremely poorly. Not to mention I was on Kamel Red Lights, which as some may know are some of the more expensive cigarettes at roughly $7.00 a pack. With great hesitation to attempt to replace something I desperately needed when I first woke up, after any meal, and throughout the day, I decided to give it a try.
I ended up buying a disposable e-cig from the brand Square; it was the first one I saw to be honest. I made the purchase, walked back to the car and hopped in. My wife had an anxious look on her face as I fiddled with the packaging. I held the device to my mouth, and pressed the button. After the first "toot" as Grimm has so eloquently coined, I knew that I was now a part of my own revolution. I'm not being overly dramatic here. As I'm sure some can contest, the first "vape" can be an overwhelming sensation. That moment of "Finally! I may actually be able to get rid of those nasty things!" As I took another draw on it, a wave of relief washed over me.
Fast forward a few months. By this time I've purchased the starter kit from V2Cigs, and was loving it. The flexibility of multiple batteries and different flavors were opening up a new world to me...a smoke free world...that was becoming rather amusing. During the spring of 2012, I had gone nearly a half a year without a cigarette, and my lungs were feeling fantastic! I could smell, I could taste...and my wife said I didn't smell and kissing me didn't taste like an ash tray. Things were going great in the non-smoking department...but I was still very out of shape. It didn't really hit me until my wife and I were playing on her departments co-op softball team. We were playing a game, and I went after a fly ball. I should point out that I played baseball for 12 years...I know what I'm doing. However, this pop fly proved to me that my body was no longer able to handle the activity needed to run it down. As I sluggishly chased the ball, I tripped over my own feet and landed on my shoulder. It got seperated...not dislocated...seperated. It was the worst pain I've ever felt. I felt instantly faint, my wife said I was pale, and most importantly, I felt utter defeated as my wife, who grew up watching me play ball, witnessed my confidence shattered.
Fast forward to now, over two years since I quit smoking. I've lost 40 pounds and am in the best shape since high school. I run everyday, do P90X, and none of my old clothes fit! Had it not been for the initial e-cig, followed by that tumble playing co-op softball, chances are I'd be on the road to diabetes, heart disease, and probably cancer. Now, I'm not entirely sure as to what holds for us in the future with vaping, but I do know that I'm feeling better now than I have in over a decade. I'm confident, full of energy and motivation, I can breathe and I don't smell like a trash can (honestly that what it smells like when someone smokes...I may not have noticed it...but I now know). My wife looks at me once again with admiration rather than disappointment. I can honestly say that none of this would have been possible without that first e-cig. Whether or not they are all we are hoping they will be, I know they have allowed me to revolutionize my life. I love vaping, and I love my life.
Time to go train for my very first marathon coming up in a few weeks. Yeah...it's like that!
I ended up buying a disposable e-cig from the brand Square; it was the first one I saw to be honest. I made the purchase, walked back to the car and hopped in. My wife had an anxious look on her face as I fiddled with the packaging. I held the device to my mouth, and pressed the button. After the first "toot" as Grimm has so eloquently coined, I knew that I was now a part of my own revolution. I'm not being overly dramatic here. As I'm sure some can contest, the first "vape" can be an overwhelming sensation. That moment of "Finally! I may actually be able to get rid of those nasty things!" As I took another draw on it, a wave of relief washed over me.
Fast forward a few months. By this time I've purchased the starter kit from V2Cigs, and was loving it. The flexibility of multiple batteries and different flavors were opening up a new world to me...a smoke free world...that was becoming rather amusing. During the spring of 2012, I had gone nearly a half a year without a cigarette, and my lungs were feeling fantastic! I could smell, I could taste...and my wife said I didn't smell and kissing me didn't taste like an ash tray. Things were going great in the non-smoking department...but I was still very out of shape. It didn't really hit me until my wife and I were playing on her departments co-op softball team. We were playing a game, and I went after a fly ball. I should point out that I played baseball for 12 years...I know what I'm doing. However, this pop fly proved to me that my body was no longer able to handle the activity needed to run it down. As I sluggishly chased the ball, I tripped over my own feet and landed on my shoulder. It got seperated...not dislocated...seperated. It was the worst pain I've ever felt. I felt instantly faint, my wife said I was pale, and most importantly, I felt utter defeated as my wife, who grew up watching me play ball, witnessed my confidence shattered.
Fast forward to now, over two years since I quit smoking. I've lost 40 pounds and am in the best shape since high school. I run everyday, do P90X, and none of my old clothes fit! Had it not been for the initial e-cig, followed by that tumble playing co-op softball, chances are I'd be on the road to diabetes, heart disease, and probably cancer. Now, I'm not entirely sure as to what holds for us in the future with vaping, but I do know that I'm feeling better now than I have in over a decade. I'm confident, full of energy and motivation, I can breathe and I don't smell like a trash can (honestly that what it smells like when someone smokes...I may not have noticed it...but I now know). My wife looks at me once again with admiration rather than disappointment. I can honestly say that none of this would have been possible without that first e-cig. Whether or not they are all we are hoping they will be, I know they have allowed me to revolutionize my life. I love vaping, and I love my life.
Time to go train for my very first marathon coming up in a few weeks. Yeah...it's like that!
