[bloggish] taptaptap is this thing on?

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wizard10000

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Figured I'd introduce myself - man, this paying your dues in a new forum is both a blessing and a curse at the same time ;)

I generally go by wizard or just plain old wiz - still in my first week vaping and have made just about every n00b mistake possible, but I'm getting better. I really like this place so far and wish I'd started reading before I got started - but I've got things mostly straightened out and if the spousal unit doesn't try to murder me when I spend another $60 or $70 getting things perfect I think we'll be just fine.

A little backstory. I have mild-to-moderate COPD and adult-onset asthma - issues for me started about two years ago when I started to run out of steam fairly easily. About a year and a half ago I went to my primary care doc who sent me in for a pulmonary function test and a cardiac stress test, diagnosed me with COPD, started me on Advair and told me to quit smoking.

Yeah, right. Except for one 15-month break I've been smoking for 38 years but we'll try. Over the next year and a half I tried to quit smoking probably ten times with almost no success. Chantix worked but turned me into an ax murderer (my doc had never heard of anybody having problems with mood swings on Chantix and now it's all over the TV) and it finally got to the point where I had to go off the meds or get a divorce. Yeah, it was that bad.

Anyway, about nine months ago I was still getting worse and my primary care doc said she'd done all she could do and referred me to a pulmonologist - who's actually a pretty great guy. He prescribed Nicotrol inhalers and I still have a couple thousand inhaler cartridges laying around the house - maybe some of you know they just ain't the same. He also switched me from Advair to Symbicort. The lung doc said he doesn't care if I have nicotine, he just doesn't want me smoking. I try to quit a few more times.

About four months ago my lungs take a dump on me and I end up in the ER where they seriously considered keeping me for awhile but I got them to send me home after a couple breathing treatments, a shot of steroids and scripts for oral steroids and antibiotics.

Fast forward to ten days ago - I have another episode and decide to try the local urgent care place instead of the ER. The urgent care place takes good care of me and the doc asks me if this has happened to me before. When I told him it had he asked me what I needed to get better - I tell him and he gives me a couple breathing treatments, a chest x-ray, some IM steroids and scripts for oral steroids and antibiotics.

Okay. Now I'm convinced this stuff's gonna kill me if I don't quit.

I look around the web, find a site that has e-cigs that look like analogs for a good price, read a lot of fake reviews and give them a credit card number. Toldja I made a lot of noob mistakes :D

So last Thursday around noon the mail comes with the n00b e-cig kit and I haven't had an analog since, even though the batteries don't last, I end up drilling a couple of the carts that they say can be refilled (but can't) and dripping through them even though the juice tastes like unwashed anus.

I find this forum the same day. Where were you guys before I ordered? :D

So I read and read and read. The very next day I log onto madvapes and put my own kit together with a couple of long 510 batteries, a box of cartomizers, a new 2 amp wall wart and two USB chargers plus a 30ml bottle of Dekang 555.

The stuff from madvapes came today and I was vaping with the new stuff ten minutes after I got the box open. Finally I understand what this is all about. This kit just *works* and I'm a heck of a lot happier than I was when I started this.

I still haven't got it completely right, though - as eGO batteries would have been the way to go but I'm a heck of a lot happier and I still haven't had an analog since I started vaping. Things are looking better, my lungs are beginning to function better and although I still get a bit of a twinge for an analog once in awhile vaping is working really well for me right now.

Well, that's about it. Sorry for being so wordy but it's goodtomeetcha all.

cheers -

-- wiz
 
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5cardstud

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Welcome and congrats on quitting the stinkies. I smoked for around 50 yr. so I know what you mean. I figured I'd die with a smoke in my hand. When my throat doc did my check up he thought I quit smoking from the looks of my bronchial tubes.. I told him I was using e-cigs and he was surprised. Anyway you should check on getting a passthrough then you won't need batteries while your at home. Good luck.
 

swedishfish

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Welcome Wiz!

My mom has COPD and smoked about 100 years. Maybe not that many :laugh:but she's vaping and feels so much better! I think mentally she also feels better. It's pretty depressing to keep doing something that you know is slowly killing you but you can't do anything about it. She just couldn't quit. I couldn't either and tried everything too.

She feels great, her health has really improved and she loves vaping! I vaped as her moral support and I quit too.

Best of luck to you and hang in there! We all didn't figure everything out on our first day. My mom is on her 4th kit. But she's not smoking- that's what counts.
 

36tinybells

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Welcome! 30+ for me, no real belief I could quit and stumbled in here. Well, I am now happily addicted to vaping, no urge to smoke at all. We all make noob mistakes, even if we get here first. I could have save some $$$ if I registered and asked questions before starting, but hey, no matter- now I can't stand cigarette smoke, it burns my eyes! Who knew it could be this easy!!!
 

AtomNeely

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Welcome to the boards! I'm glad you found this place, God knows its helped me alot. Depending on how much you vape those 510 mega batts aren't to bad. My GF used them and got about a day of useage out of them. Don't ask me how, but she did. Now she uses my old ego batts and can get two days easy from them.

I would reccomend getting some ego batteries when you are ready for the next purchase. I also started out with Cartomizers and I thought they were the bee's knees till I tried dripping, and now I hate them haha. If you were a multi-pack smoker a day I would recommend trying a LR atty (either a joye 510 or cisco 306), they give a killer hit that is super satisfying.

Again, welcome and read through everything on here. This place is a gold mine of knowledge and good people!
 

wizard10000

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Thanks, everybody - I'm generally not that wordy, honest :D

@5cardstud - I have considered a passthrough and am still thinking about it. The spousal unit still smokes analogs and she doesn't smoke in the house, so in addition to indoors I vape in the garage when she heads out there to keep her company. Think I'm gonna wait a little bit and gain a little more experience before I do much more.

@AtomNeely - oh, I'm gonna gut one of these cartomizers and try dripping through it to see which works better for me. Got a couple of nice little 10ml bottles that look like they'd be just the ticket, plus I wouldn't have to worry about leaks ;)
 

Hoosier

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Well I can't call ya' Wiz, since The Wiz has been around here since before Donbaddaboom authored the Welcome to the Wonderful World of Vaping that was so helpful to me when I was starting on this journey. So, I'll call you Wizard.

Welcome Wizard! Very glad you found us! Sounds like you are making pretty good progress at a fairly good clip. Obviously you have a great mindset to make the switch. Unfortunately it is because of serious health issues. But, that issue is true for many of us. I know I figured that tobacco would be on, or about, my person when I died.

I couldn't make the switch while vaping the unwashed anus, as you did, as I had to find a flavor that "worked". Of course it was the last flavor I expected, and really made my switch possible.

So here's a wish that you soon find a flavor that makes you say WOW outloud and cements the switch forever in your mind.

Welcome to our journey. May your path be a rewarding one.
 
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cindycated

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So glad you found out about e-cigs in time, and that you found your way here. Now if we can just get your wife to start vaping too...

I had been lurking around here since before I started vaping in May, and it's a wonderful forum, full of wonderful people. I've learned so much, and continue to learn new things every day I'm here.
 

XYZ

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I've only skimmed this thread because I was getting too teary to keep reading.

My father died just over a year ago at the age of 63 related to COPD.

If I can point any COPD patients to a resource I'd suggest the American Lung Association Better Breathers Club:
Better Breathers Clubs - American Lung Association

Very good support and information and there's a good chance there's already a support group near where you live.
 

wizard10000

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Thanks again, guys - this stuff is already working.

I'm supposed to take inhaled meds every 12 hours and last night was the second time in three days I've completely forgotten to take them where normally I'm hitting a rescue inhaler several times a week. When I went to bed last night I noticed my wife smelled of soap and analogs - my sense of smell is returning and that's pretty cool as well. Being able to breathe is the best part, though :D
 

wizard10000

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I've only skimmed this thread because I was getting too teary to keep reading.

My father died just over a year ago at the age of 63 related to COPD.

If I can point any COPD patients to a resource I'd suggest the American Lung Association Better Breathers Club:
Better Breathers Clubs - American Lung Association

Very good support and information and there's a good chance there's already a support group near where you live.

I am so sorry for your loss. Blessings to you and to your family.

Thanks for the link - I've bookmarked it.
 

moonsbabe

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Congrats!! I love this forum and all the information. Just be sure to drink lots and lots of water! I have found since I started vaping in April that I have cut way down on the diet dr pepper wannabes because water just hits the spot better. Every where on this forum they tell you to drink water...just do it!! Vaping dries you out something fierce! My husband started about 3 weeks to a month after me. We both just love the echo-e cartomizers on an ego battery. Holds about 2ml of liquid and an all day battery. Vaping is so much better than smoking. My mother lets me vape in her house. She quit smoking 4 years ago. My father died of lung cancer that had spread about 5 years ago. So I feel the vaping is saving my life. Congrats again to you! Hope you can convince your wife to give it a try!! All the favors beat the heck outta analogs!!
 

wizard10000

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Thanks again, all -

It's only been five days and my body feels like somebody's rolled the clock back five years.

I think that I'm gonna tell the spousal unit that I should be able to spend as much on vaping as she does on smoking.

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