Doctor's Office

[Aryadna]

I went to see my doctor the other day, and had my e-cig with me. I didn't think anything about it. I just started puffing in the waiting room because I was nervous. A few of the patrons gave me dirty looks (probably jealous) and did the whisper about me thing thinking I couldn't hear them.

But, when I went back into the exam room, I started vaping again, and the nurse said my e-cig was the coolest thing she'd seen in a while. She said that if that was what it took to keep me from smoking the real, nasty things, then she wished all her patients that smoked would start vaping.

The doctor seemed impressed with it, too. I had to take my e-cig apart and refill it for her to inspect it, and she said almost the same thing the nurse did.

On a different visit to my surgeon in a different town, he said that he wished I was off of nicotine altogether, but he said he'd rather see me smoking the e-cig than puffing on a Camel. So, he didn't like it, but he accepts it. I'm quite excited about that!

 

[adeline]

Awesome experience! So nice to hear of doctors that are approving of these little gadgets (maybe not publicly, but approving at all is one step in the right direction!!). I can sort-of understand where the surgeon is coming from.. I think nicotine is similar to caffeine in that it will restrict your arteries/blood flow in general, making surgeries a tad more dangerous. But still 1 billion times better than a cigarette!! Congrats!

 

[Aryadna]

Thanks! I was excited that he doesn't want me to completely stop vaping before my surgery. I'm getting a gastric bypass, so I'm on a strict diet. It wouldn't be tolerable if I didn't have -some- form of nicotine to keep my cravings down. And with all of the sweet flavors of juice, I'm able to sate my cravings for just about anything that I crave, just by puffing on my e-cig!

I can't wait until I can try it at an airport... That will be the best experience ever.

I've also gone into wal-mart with it. I've had people stop me in the aisles to ask me what I was doing, and ask for information on how to get them. I've even had the general manager of one wal-mart ask me for the information on the e-cig so that he could get one for his wife to see if that could get her to quit smoking. It sure is a head stopper! Mine has a blue LED, so no one's accused me of smoking, they're just amazed at the gadget and the clouds of vapor that I exhale as I'm walking down the aisles to shop! I love being a head-turner!

 

[Jenn1181]

I've also gone into wal-mart with it.

I've always wanted to take a few stealth toots off my PV in Wal-Mart, but I live in an area so rife with anti-smoking sentiment and some pretty restrictive public smoking bans (although I don't think there are necessarily legal restrictions against using PVs in public places where cigarettes are prohibited) so I was worried I'd be kicked out of the store. I did use it in Ingles late one night, but no one seemed to pay any mind.

 

[Aryadna]

I'm lucky enough to live in a very liberal area. Don't get me wrong, I live smack dab in the middle of Bible Central, but no one seems to care about me using my PV in public. They're more fascinated by it than anything and always ask me questions.

 

[adeline]

I really love my blue LED for this reason. I'd almost want no LED just for movie theatres, cars and other dark scenarios, but at least it's not glowing like an ember. Also in CA you can't use (or even HOLD) your cell phone without risking a ticket. Kudos! I stealthed in the airport and no one really noticed.

 

[Aryadna]

I don't even bother stealthing anywhere. I just puff-n-go. I vape in front of store clerks, in front of policemen at my bank (did this today) and did it again in Wal-Mart today. I had to give at least six people information on my kit before they'd leave me alone. Its too funny!

 

[adeline]

I've had to do this so often I'll probably (eventually) pre-print some info. Or give them a link to my FB post.. I gave a testimonial, plus a link to this site, my suppliers of choice, MistressNomad's videos, and a link to a specific thread here (60 something pages of "the little things in life that change when you vape instead of smoke" or something like that). So much quicker than writing it all down. I really do love spreading the word.. it's a life-changer!

 

[Aryadna]

Pre-printing info is a great idea. Vistaprint.com has 250 business cards for free with $6.95 shipping, so I might just make some business cards to pass out to people. Though, since I spent all my available money on my new kits, it will have to wait until next month. LOL

 

[hairball]

I got my doctor to switch over. I never knew she smoked until I stopped and could smell her. Boy, I let into her over it since she ripped me for years. I got her onto ecigs. She is still using it and loves it. Much like me, we're weaning off nic all together.

I was at a stoplight, had a cop sitting beside me smoking. I rolled the window down and yelled you need to get one of these. He followed me to wal-mart and asked about it. I gave him some websites, including ECF, on where to get them. I had a new cart with some juice in it and let him try it. He said he was going to get a set for him and his wife. He was very impressed with it. He smoked 3 packs a day just out of bordem.

If people don't actually see someone using them, they will never take the leap. I don't hide mine. In fact, I usually get onto people about smoking and then go into the speech about ecigs. I have managed to get 14 people to switch over.

Kudo's to you. Keep it up.

 

[TxMagic]

Pre-printed ECF business cards are available from the ECF Store at link below. They already include most of the info mentioned and are only $3.00 for shipping. Great quality, well laid out, arrive promptly and are very shiney. Or you can download the image and use to print or design your own.

ECF Store!, E-Cigarette-Forum.com Swag store!

Easiest way I've found to quickly share with passing strangers who want more info. My experience is that it's the total strangers who seem most enthusiastic, accepting and looking for alternatives to smoking.

 

[Aryadna]

Congrats, Hairball, on getting so many people to convert! Its a wonderful thing, and I hope you get many more!

TxMagic, I saw the business cards on the store and thanks for the link! I just like going to the other place because you get 250 instead of just 50 per month like in the ECF store. It saves on shipping that way, I think. $3 shipping times 5 sets of 50 is $15. Whereas, if you go the route I go, its only $6.95 per 250. I'm broke, so I try to save all the money I can.

 

[Ciego]

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but here's my opinion for what it's worth. I don't think it's appropriate to vape in your doctor's office waiting room. Yes, it's great that your doc and her nurse approve, but think of it this way: Maybe someone in the waiting room is suffering from a respiratory ailment. Maybe someone else recently lost a loved one to lung cancer. People don't yet know about vaping, and if your e-cig looks like a cigarette, it can cause others some distress. Secondly, smoking hasn't been permitted in doctors' waiting rooms in the U.S. since the early 1960's; in other words, legal or not, the social custom of smoking doesn't take place in health care settings, even before bans and Clean Indoor Air legislation.
As far as the airport goes... I vaped while riding one of those electric carts right down the concourse. Nobody hassled me, but I am quite sure I got some stink-eye from the rabid Neo-Minn-nazi Anti-Smoking League types.

 

[YoshiMum]

Golly,
SORRY..
I love to vape and I too can take credit for converting many folks off of analogs. I think most vapers can.
BUT....
I am always respectful of my surroundings. I recommend exercising as much self restraint as possible. It's the use of poor judgement that results in the banning and bad rep that vaping is subject to.
Geez, when you smoked you wouldn't light up in a office so why in the world would you vape in a situation like that? Come on people, how about promoting acceptable practices and use of your pv's rather than immature gloating and calling attention to a good thing in a bad way. I LOVE to vape. When it's not appropriate I am tickled that a trip to the potty behind a closed door can serve as place for me get my nic-fix undetected.
I'm disappointed in folks that set vapers up to be frowned upon by the general public. Grow up please.

 

[Aryadna]

I'm sorry that both of you think that I am immature and selfish, but I'm not going to stop vaping in public places just because you two have a conviction against certain places. If you don't want to vape in those areas, then don't. I will continue to do so, because I have the conviction to do so. Get off your high horses and save your nerd-rage for where it is deserved.

 

[SimpleSins]

From a medical standpoint, though, I don't really feel a doctor's office is the place to be vaping. There have been no studies yet on most of the chemicals in the flavorings- and those that we do are known to be respiratory irritants and/or toxins- so to subject people that may already have compromised pulmonary function to your vape is not really very respectful. Gawd knows there was nobody more addicted than I to the hand-mouth motion of cigarettes, but even I was able to sit through a doctor's appointment or a movie or a shopping trip without smoking, and vaping seems like a step backwards on the addiction platform if suddenly we cannot go any length of time without our chemical fix.

 

[AlmightyGod]

I'm sorry that both of you think that I am immature and selfish, but I'm not going to stop vaping in public places just because you two have a conviction against certain places. If you don't want to vape in those areas, then don't. I will continue to do so, because I have the conviction to do so. Get off your high horses and save your nerd-rage for where it is deserved.

And some would call me harsh...

I think there is a time and place for everything...
It isn't always the time or the place...IMO

 

[Aryadna]

To each their own. As I said, if you don't have the conviction to vape in certain areas, then don't. I will continue to vape where I please, when I please, as that is -my- conviction.

 

[Ciego]

Whoa! I didn't call you immature, lady. I simply suggested that maybe you might be a bit more respectful of others' feelings, especially if you consider the place you're vaping. Do you honestly think that somebody who is ignorant of vaping and who is concerned about his/her own health issue would welcome your activity? I don't know what grand social effect on vapers' rights this has, or whether or not it is "right," or whether or not you are mature or not. I do suggest that maybe a little empathy and self-restraint might be in order. Secondly, "nerd rage?" LOL I'm not enraged. I think it's pretty cool to vape in most situations, particularly where cig smoking was only recently banned (bars, etc.).

 

[texastumbleweed]

i quit smoking analogs a month before surgery and tapered down to low or zero nicotine two weeks before surgery, and i asked my anesthesia provider what my endotracheal tube looked like when i was extubated-he said it was clean-no mucous, no tar. i had no coughing fits in the recovery room and my oxygen saturation levels were 99% on room air. it is important to cut down the nicotine level you are vaping if you are fixin to have surgery. vaping 0 nic would be ideal. this is important for microcirculation and also optimal wound healing.