Another 1-year anniversary!

Status
Not open for further replies.
I just passed one year without analogs last week. I smoked for 36 years, 1 to 2 PAD and handrolled my own for the last 10 years. I found this site (right after buying a mall cig, of course), purchased an eGo, and quit analogs 3 days later. Funny thing was I just wanted to cut down for health and cost reasons, not quit completely. I've since purchased a 510, SB, REO, and recently a eGo mega setup. The REO is my everyday unit. I do vape a lot, but have not had an analog or even craved one for a year. Several of my friends still smoke, and while the smell doesn't gag me, it certainly isn't attractive.
I have not posted much here, but have read a ton of posts and have gotten a lot of insight from the reviews and trials and tribulations of other forum members. I just wanted to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU! You are a wonderful group of people, and sharing your experiences here has certainly made my path to becoming a non-smoker much less rocky.
 

jackoboy82

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jan 10, 2011
152
1
Wrexham, UK
well your sharing of your experience has just given me a great boost. i stumbled upon vaping from a stray junk email i opened by accident. i'd never even heard of them before. i ended up buying a super about 6 weeks ago thinking that it would help with it looking like a real cig. but it wasn't the best, vapour and throat hit was random to say the least and carts very small. i then began to search the net and found so much information and stuff about vaping. just before xmas i ordered the riva 510 and 901 because i couldnt decide between them. due to weather and post delays i had to wait until jan for them...............but the wait was so worth it!

I like yourself havent started using them to quit, just merely to cut down. i'm 28 and started smoking aged 8. until i was 14 it was a novelty but at 14 the habbit began to take a grip on me. i was smoking 10 a day. by 16 i was on 20 a day and fighting to keep it at that level. i spent 9 or 10 years fighting the 20 a day, as i refused to go beyond that point, for health and money issues. the last few years or so i've rolled my own, much more economical. but i coudnt say what i smoked a day on those, i'd say i averaged 25 but i never kept track like i did with cigarettes. though i rolled thick as well, i common thing other rollers would comment on (same size as normal cigarettes i guess).

i started using my rivas properly on the 7th, and from day one i was down to 2 cigs a day (morning and before bed), worst day being last wed (my day off work) i had 4, but that was down to the misses going out all day having her fix and we'd be in a convo and i would just go out and have one to keep it going. anyways i noticed yesterday before i went to bed that i hadnt even had a cig all day....................yeah thats when it kicked in! These things work! Not only had i not had a cig i hadnt even had a craving. now i've gone more than a day before without a cig, but it would be killing me all day. i'd walk past smoke and that would triple the cravings. but with the riva i go outside with the smokers on my breaks at work and dont even have the slightest cravings. they thought it would be funny and tempting to offer me a cig and blow smoke at me to see if i cracked but i didnt.............in fact i find it quite horrid, but not sickly horrid, just not nice. i noticed my girlfriend go and double brush her teeth before bed because after the first brush we kissed goodnight and i never said anything but she could tell by my face that the taste was unpleasant as there was a lingering cigarette taste still there.

when driving home from work i had a go on my riva to see if it was suitable whilst driving and ended up dropping it. i had to wait until i hit a red light before i could get it. then the thought kicked in, should i just give in and have a real cig? easier when driving and smaller to hold.................i've been home about an hour and a half and havent had a cig but was thinking i might just go and try one to reassure myself that i dont really need one................then i saw your post! it gives me hope to see others doing so well. and although i said i didnt start this to quit, im sure as hell not going for the analogs any more, i have my rivas and a community that supports people and has a wealth of knowledge and experience to support me if i become weak!

thanks for sharing and sorry for waffling on :)
 
Jack:
I can well relate to your story. I remember clearly the day I quit. I had run out of rolling papers the night before, but I was using the eGo, so I wasn't having any cravings. As I left the house to go to work, I issued myself a mental challenge-leave the tobacco pouch and lighter at home, and just take the e-cig to work. I remember walking out the door feeling absolutely naked without my smoking articles that had been my friends for years. Well, one day morphed into the next, and the next, and here I am a year later. So hang in there. Every analog not smoked is a step ahead, even if you don't quit completely right away. One thing I didn't realize was the burden of guilt I had been carrying around due to smoking. It was suddenly lifted, and what a relief! So hang in there. Reading about other's experiences here certainly helped to realize my commitment. It's almost eerie how similar our experiences, fears, and feelings are-things that those who have never been addicted to cigarettes could never understand.
 

jackoboy82

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jan 10, 2011
152
1
Wrexham, UK
well i made a point of the fact i wasn't quitting, maybe just a psychological thing to stop the mind games, but to justify the cost of the 2 rivas from day 1 i only took them to work with me. and without noticing i was smoking less. when i noticed i was smoking a massive amount less i was like "oh it's just the novelty of it", i mean i have played with it a fair bit. but then the sudden realisation of not having craving and the fact i wasn't even bothered i never had any yesterday has lead to me thinking let's give this a real go. one of my smoking facebook work friends asked me today why i was in the smoking area outside on my lunch, "thought you weren't smoking?", i just smiled proudly and held up my riva. "oh what's that?" so i explained and got a look of disgust off her, but another manager stuck up for me and said "well it's keeping him off these things, so good on him!" i'm trying to keep my daily routine as similar as before, so i still go outside to smoking area on breaks. only major difference is that i vape indoors and not outside like when smoking. i feel this has helped more than i may know. and to be fair i've always found smokers more sociable, so like the banter on breaks :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Users who are viewing this thread