Don't For A Minute Forget Why We Vape

[Bigflyrodder]

I know none of us need more reasons to vape and the vast majority of us made the switch to get off the cigs but just as a reminder thought I'd share with the group a little.

I started vaping Jan 19th this year. I tell myself I wasn't looking for a way to actually quit smoking, was more just because I was curious and thought it would be a good alternative for when I couldn't smoke like in hotel rooms and such as I travel a lot for work. Looking back, at least subconsciously, I imagine the fact that one of my uncles died of lung cancer three weeks earlier must have at least played a part.

Here I am almost a year later wondering sometimes if it really makes a difference, found out last night that another uncle has just been diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer which has actually traveled to his brain which is the next place it goes I guess. Terrible news for the family but fortifies my resolve that vaping may indeed be saving my life.

Working on getting my sister to make the switch, bought her a basic set up a few weeks ago and encouraging her to keep at it. Will work on her husband next.

For me vaping has become a hobby and I know for many of us that is the case. Just wanted to share this short story as a reminder to all that the alternative, i.e. smoking, is unacceptable.

If you have it in you please keep my father in your thoughts as he will have lost both of his brothers to cancer possibly within a year of each other.

Thanks for reading, thanks in advance for your support, and vape on my brothers and sisters!

 

[Talons001]

I am sorry for you're uncles. Hopefully you and your family will be able to work through it together. I hope that you will be able to get your sister to continue vaping and hopefully move her husband towards it as well. Stay strong and vape on, my friend.

 

[Bigflyrodder]

Thanks Talons, just felt the need for a brief PSA on this.

 

[Madaz]

I know none of us need more reasons to vape and the vast majority of us made the switch to get off the cigs but just as a reminder thought I'd share with the group a little.

I started vaping Jan 19th this year. I tell myself I wasn't looking for a way to actually quit smoking, was more just because I was curious and thought it would be a good alternative for when I couldn't smoke like in hotel rooms and such as I travel a lot for work. Looking back, at least subconsciously, I imagine the fact that one of my uncles died of lung cancer three weeks earlier must have at least played a part.

Here I am almost a year later wondering sometimes if it really makes a difference, found out last night that another uncle has just been diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer which has actually traveled to his brain which is the next place it goes I guess. Terrible news for the family but fortifies my resolve that vaping may indeed be saving my life.

Working on getting my sister to make the switch, bought her a basic set up a few weeks ago and encouraging her to keep at it. Will work on her husband next.

For me vaping has become a hobby and I know for many of us that is the case. Just wanted to share this short story as a reminder to all that the alternative, i.e. smoking, is unacceptable.

If you have it in you please keep my father in your thoughts as he will have lost both of his brothers to cancer possibly within a year of each other.

Thanks for reading, thanks in advance for your support, and vape on my brothers and sisters!

Hi Bigflyrodder

sorry to hear about your uncles that's hard

hat off to you though for your successful time off the stinkies and even more so for buying your sister a starter kit

 

[mountaingal]

Bigflyrodder, I am sorry about your uncles. That is tough. I wish your family well. Were the uncles smokers?
It is so hard to quit,The warning label should really read ""What are you, stupid?" This product is fatal to your health."
I, too, thought I would just use the ecig for those times when it was inconvient to smoke. Then, it was so much better then smoking ever was, and now I am "hooked" on vaping.
I have "paid it forward", just like you. My sis, though, has not competely quit. She had tyroidectomy with cancer. So, she should have quit altogether. She says she just can't go without a cig for very long. She does use the ecig about half the time. So, I was only half successful. I wish you better luck with your family.
Congratulations on your quitting! Live long and vape on!

 

[DFYLR]

Thank you for the reminder. My sympathies are with your family, and anyone else who may be going through anything similar.

 

[Traijan]

I lost my grandfather to lung cancer when I was just a wee lad. Grandma came into our room (my brother and I) and simply told us that Grandpa needed to go to New York on business. Her desire was that as young as we were, we'd eventually forget about Grandpa when he didn't return. The reality of it was that we both loved our grandfather possibly even more than our mother and father and so we asked her constantly when Grandfather would be coming home from his business trip. That went on for years until somebody told us that he'll never come back, don't be stupid, can't you see that they either were divorced or he went off to die, so we came home from school that day and asked and she told us the terrible truth.

In any event he died of lung cancer and didn't want the grand children to see him waste away.

Then I lost my father, a long time and heavy smoker to a heart attack that they told us was brought on by emphysema, which they told us was from his long time smoking coupled with that he had just had a car accident that broke his leg but they told us it was primarily the emphysema that played a big role in his having the heart attack. He was a lifelong smoker, started at like 16 and continued up until 3 days before his heart attack.

The strange thing was that even though I lost two of my family to it, about 4 or 5 years after my father died I took up smoking tobacco cigarettes and continued to do it for 31 years. The thing that made me stop was simply that my wife and I want as much time with each other as we can have before we are put in the ground. The added bonuses though like being able to have family over to the new house and it doesn't stink like an old dirty ashtray and our clothes smelling fresh all the time are nice, but primarily neither of us wants to leave the other prematurely so we're trying to extend our lives as much as possible with quiting smoking being just one of the steps.

My sympathies go to the OP and anybody else that has lost a loved one, it's a terrible feeling which can leave a terribly large hole in your heart for months or years to come but eventually as somebody told me, "tears turn into smiles" and you forget the pain of no longer physically seeing that person and start to remember all the great times you had with them.

 

[Bigflyrodder]

Thanks to all for the well wishes, love this crazy family here at ECF.

To answer Mountaingal yes, both uncles were lifelong smokers, the one that died earlier this year had COPD from it for a while before the cancer set it. Even COPD wasn't enough to make him stop. My sister is showing early signs of COPD as well sadly, there just isn't a way to outfun the terrible things that smoking brings for ever.

My message may not have come off sound like it but really wanted to congratulate every here on moving away from cigs through vaping, also wanted to remind everyone that sharing stories could be what helps the next ex-smoker quit!

Thanks again to all, you're the best.

 

[FlamingoTutu]

Can't even imagine what your father is going through. My sympathies to you and your extended family and thank you for posting. Yes, it may make a difference to a fence sitter or someone wavering in their commitment to stay off the cigarettes.

 

[M3CH M0D M4DN355]

Bigflyrodder I am deeply sorry to hear about the devastation that tobacco has brought upon your family, I lost 2 grandparents due to smoking related illness.
You and your family have my heartfelt sympathy. I hope you are successful in helping your sister and brother in law make the switch.

 

[Kloudz]

I'm sorry for your loss and hope you stay ahead of your game and wish you many years of happiness.

 

[The Cloud Minder]

Is it ... to make real pretty clouds?

Did I win?

Do I at least get some Rice-o-roni or Turtle Wax?

 

[M3CH M0D M4DN355]

Is it ... to make real pretty clouds?

Did I win?

Do I at least get some Rice-o-roni or Turtle Wax?

Wow, what a tasteless post. Did you even read the subject matter of this thread?

 

[The Cloud Minder]

Wow, what a tasteless post. Did you even read the subject matter of this thread?

Yeah, it was very sad, so I was hoping to make the OP laugh, even if it is at me. You can deal with sadness by getting all maudlin, I try to laugh it away.

 

[Rotowoman]

My sincere condolences on losing your uncles. I lost my mother 8 years ago, and she smoked like a fiend. Yes, I remember why I started vaping. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[M3CH M0D M4DN355]

Yeah, it was very sad, so I was hoping to make the OP laugh, even if it is at me. You can deal with sadness by getting all maudlin, I try to laugh it away.

I cant speak on the op's behalf but to me it came across as insensitive. I like a joke as much as anyone else but I think in this thread it was inappropriate at best.

 

[Bigflyrodder]

Thanks to one and all and Clould Miner, don't sweat it at all. I took it in the humor it was meant and it did make me laugh.

You guys really are the best, I honestly wasn't fishing for sympathy but appreciate all the well wishes. I needed to remind myself and thought others might benefit as well, cigs absolutely will kill you one way or the other in the end and none of us should ever forget that.

We all deserve a pat on the back for making it this far, let's all stay on track and help convert more to the wonderful world of vaping!

Thanks again all, love ya

 

[freeatlast!]

I too am sorry for your family's losses, Bigflyrodder. My brother-in-law and husband both are lung cancer survivors and my sis-in-law died of COPD. It took me another 10-12 yrs. after my husband's terrible time with cancer tx, to quit smoking myself. But now that I have, whenever I have wished I could smoke again, I recall why I quit....Good of you to remind us all!!

 

[WulfenBlade]

That's actually what catalyzed my vape-beginnings. Found out early this week the doc found cancer in three more places in my grandpa, after going through chemo the last 6mos(and yes, he started smoking when he was 9 years old, quit when his first wife died when he was 68). Ive only just begun, but so far I am 4 days analog free. So I feel you. Good luck Bigfly. Hope things get better for you and your family.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

BigFlyRodder, my condolences. I am not in the world to judge what other people's motives are, I never walked in their shoes. I do have belief that a heart feels, but the mouth may not express it the best way.

I do lose sight at times about my smoking addiction and your PSA helps keep me focused on my primary purpose for vaping. It has been 11 months now. I just happened to go to the doctor yesterday and he listened to my lungs. He said they sounded good. I know his stethoscope isn't the most perfect of tools, but it made me feel good that I was walking a better path.

I, to, have had relations pass from, probably, smoking. I like to think that they were teaching me something. Thanks for posting, it helps me to stay on track.

Again, my condolences.