My mistake. I lost my RH index finger in a tragic lawnmower accident and it has caused me much embarrassment.
for all new vapors Giving up smoking
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Yep, and probably the most important thing I learned in my recovery is *cravings won't kill you* ! That has helped me a lot this time, vaping thru the cravings, knowing they would pass, knowing I wouldn't die from them or anything.
The first xmas I was sober, I had to turn down an invite to my uncle's lake house, to sit and around and socialize with some immediate-extended family. I knew when I went in that house, as always, the first thing I would want was a beer. And I knew I wouldn't drink one, but I couldn't know in advance what that abstention would do to my mood/attitude. So I chose to simply not go. After turning down the invite, I hung up the phone and ran into my bedroom, flung myself down on the bed, and cried my heart out, poor me, poor me, pour me another...
But after about 20 minutes, it gradually dawned on me: this is just stupid. None of my tears changed the fact of my biology and addiction, nor my resolve to not drink. So I dried my eyes and sat up and got on with the rest of the evening, and my life. It was never ever that bad again, and that experience has been a rock to lean on, in this latest "quit adventure." But without the vaping, this adventure would never have started at all. 
Nicotine is definitely addictive, but then so is caffeine -- try going cold turkey on that, and see how your head feels! But, for me at least, at least 90% of my cigarette addiction was just the mental habit; I'm replacing maybe 1/2-2/3 of the nicotine I got from cigarettes, so that part doesn't really bother me, but initially, breaking some of the smoking habits was very difficult -- I'd leap up from my chair as I always used to, to go... well just where the hell am I going? I don't smoke anymore... guess I'll go to the bathroom, and then make another cup of tea! And in the first few weeks, I'd wander around aimlessly in here in the kitchen, trying to cook a meal... but just so spacy and unfocused, it's a miracle I didn't burn the house down.
But compared to all the other times I tried to quit? Cold turkey, the patch twice? This was a piece of cake, compared to that.
Andria
let me look around your on the west side of the bay there is a place rite in Easton but wrong side of the bay for you. I love the area down that way I work on some equipment down in Hollywood. I also love the drive from Baltimore, beautiful countryside. I'll send any info I find to your PM.
Andrea I have had those odd jump up to smoke times. I was so used to getting up and going outside to do it I would end up out there searching my pockets for the pack, realize what I was doing then look around and hope no one saw the mad man riffling his pockets and cursing thinking I forgot them in the house. So many times I tried to quit and failed. Then I would hear folks say every time you try and fail its 10 times harder the next attempt. I was about to give up and accept I was gonna die from smoking. Of all the things 3 war engagements shot up and still here, a simple little stupid cigarette was gonna claim my life. After 2 heart attacks and told I have a year at best if I keep smoking I was still unable to kick the habit. I'm happy I quit finally, and I'm using my first Grandchild as my something to look forward to reward.
Thanks for this post epicdoom. I've been smoking analogs for 44 years...started around 1 pad, eventually over the years increased to 2, now less than one with cutting down and trying the disposable Blu e-cig, hoping I can transition over 100%. Got the go ahead from Dr the other day too, which was great. I have the Blu kit with cartridges, but haven't used it yet. Also have a eGo kit my sis sent me.
A couple weeks ago on a Friday night I thought to heck with this...we are going out and I'm going to use the e-cig. I coughed and got so congested!! I don't want to get MORE congested...I have a chronic cough the way it is! I think my Dr tried scaring me into quitting two visits ago by saying I had COPD. This last visit I said "how bad is the COPD?" and she said it was minor and showed me xray. I wondered why if I had COPD she wasn't giving me anything to treat it!
I don't know what to do. The other night I decided to try again...not inhaling because of coughing so much. I just took in mouth and blew out nose to get nicotine. I ended up with a headache in sinus's. I'm really not looking for excuses not to quit.....I want to do this. But I want something that doesn't make me feel worse! I think I can handle the cravings...and the letting go of analog (I prefer the taste of Blu e-cig over analogs!!) but having headaches, etc., then it makes me a little nervous that this won't work for me :-(.
I"m not giving up yet. I'm going to try the eGo and 50/50 juice. Hopefully I can find something I can actually inhale!! Thanks for your beginners hints!
A couple weeks ago on a Friday night I thought to heck with this...we are going out and I'm going to use the e-cig. I coughed and got so congested!! I don't want to get MORE congested...I have a chronic cough the way it is! I think my Dr tried scaring me into quitting two visits ago by saying I had COPD. This last visit I said "how bad is the COPD?" and she said it was minor and showed me xray. I wondered why if I had COPD she wasn't giving me anything to treat it!
I don't know what to do. The other night I decided to try again...not inhaling because of coughing so much. I just took in mouth and blew out nose to get nicotine. I ended up with a headache in sinus's. I'm really not looking for excuses not to quit.....I want to do this. But I want something that doesn't make me feel worse! I think I can handle the cravings...and the letting go of analog (I prefer the taste of Blu e-cig over analogs!!) but having headaches, etc., then it makes me a little nervous that this won't work for me :-(.
I"m not giving up yet. I'm going to try the eGo and 50/50 juice. Hopefully I can find something I can actually inhale!! Thanks for your beginners hints!
Great story! I have been smoke free for almost 4 years (July will be 4 years) but recently had the urge to smoke, I took up vaping about a week ago (0-6Mg) and it really curbs the feeling.
Ann keep at it love there is a winner inside you screaming to be released. Take some comfort in knowing I was unable to inhale the Blu ecig also, it would cause me to cough rite away. Many folks I know had the same issue with it. I would take the vapor in my mouth let it set there a few seconds and blow it out. It was the only way I could use it without coughing. After a couple days I was able to inhale small drags from it, some I'd still cough out but most I was able to hold down and release. I got to where I could handle a full drag and found it wasn't enough vapor for me, so I gave up and went back on cigs. My first real vapor device was an eGo kit on exactly 50/50 juice. I chose my favorite flavor, Peach. I was completely able to inhale it no problem big hits would cause me to cough but a good normal hit was doing the trick most of the time. When it wouldn't I'd hit it hard on a lung hit that caused me to get a good throat hit and I was good to go till my vape session. I started on high Nicotine 24mg tried 18mg after a week and was ok on it. After another week I dropped to 12mg. I'm good there but sometimes I need to hit that 24Mg tank maybe 3-4 times a week. No matter as its all better then smoking IMO. I think I'll hold at 12mg till I no longer need the 24mg, then Ill drop another step and use the 18Mg as my fall back. I wish you the best and we are here for you as you go through getting your life back.
I had a heck of a time making any[/]progress until I was willing to forgo that first cigarette of the day.
If your at the beginning stages of COPD there is a chance you can reverse it. My brother was told this by his doctor and he has reversed it! As for the headaches ,be prepared as this is part of making the switch, I had headaches but they only lasted a couple weeks. Just take some Tylenol and it will soon pass. When switching from analogs to vaping your body goes through almost if not all of the withdrawal symptoms that you get when quitting cold turkey. The difference the craving are none to less harsh as if you had quit without your PV.
Re the headache issues: I was the opposite!! I had been considering e-cigs for awhile but never took any action on the thought. I was driving by a local e-cig store that had opened in our area and stopped in. Fortunately I found a good one with an owner that took the time to talk to me and throughly explain the concept. I purchased a basic set (Kanger batt and top coil clearo and some juice). Took it home, fired it up and found that I enjoyed it. I had smoked cigars like cigs for about 12 years (cigs prior to that). For the first two days I smoked both, finding that I was relying on the cigars less and less. The third day I started with the juice and used it most of the day. In the late afternoon I tried a cigar. It gave me an instant headache! I have been on e-cigs for a little over two weeks now. The other day I was cleaning out the van and found a cigar; it is still there and I have no desire to open it up!
Since starting I have improved my e-cig experience by finding some "better" equipment. I now have a VV batt, which I find makes it more enjoyable. I start with a low voltage in the morning and by afternoon have gone up (start at 3.2-3.4 by afternoon typically up to around 4.2). Yesterday I picked up a Kanger Protank 2. Makes for a much easier draw and more favor. My next move will be toward a mod with VV and VW, plus the extra battery life.
Good luck and keep plugging away!
Michael
Since starting I have improved my e-cig experience by finding some "better" equipment. I now have a VV batt, which I find makes it more enjoyable. I start with a low voltage in the morning and by afternoon have gone up (start at 3.2-3.4 by afternoon typically up to around 4.2). Yesterday I picked up a Kanger Protank 2. Makes for a much easier draw and more favor. My next move will be toward a mod with VV and VW, plus the extra battery life.
Good luck and keep plugging away!
Michael
I thought I'd have a hard time with that first smoke of the day. Usually before I even get fully out of bed I was lighting up. I'd burn that thing in 5 drags and fire up another. If I had to choose my worst part of the day, it would be the after supper smoke. I really want one after a big meal. Being Italian our meals are large, getting through a whole meal without burning one is tuff. Food and smoking go well together. At that time of day I make all my vaping big hits and I hold the vapor in my lungs longer, after 6-7 good hits I'm good to go usually till near bed time.
If you do have COPD, you may not be able to handle that much VG (50%) -- I have asthma, and if I do anything over 25% VG, I feel like I have a hairball in my chest that I can't cough up -- walk around making all those gross smoker sounds, trying to move it or cough it up, and it just sits there in my chest like a lead weight. The ejuice I normally use is 85% PG -- if you're not used to PG, if you haven't already gotten accustomed via using inhalers, it might irritate your throat a little, but that's better than a hairball you can't cough up!
I've used an inhaler for 30 yrs, so PG is nothing new to me, and I have zero issues with a 85% PG ejuice, although it *is* very dehydrating, which I knew already from the inhalers, so I have to force myself to drink water constantly, but it sure it easier on the lungs than VG, if you already have lung issues.
Andria
For me the PG makes me cough, I guess different strokes for different folks. I usually always have my juice no less then 60 VG /40 PG. I can tolerate the PG at 50% in some juice, soft flavors like coconut, anything citrus, spearmint, peppermint and the like Its like I swallowed dust. Those type flavors I have made in 70-75 VG.
Nearly 4 years without a cig for me. My doc says vaping is soooo much better for me. No desire to give up nicotine personally, it keeps me from strangling idiots
Nearly 4 years without a cig for me. My doc says vaping is soooo much better for me. No desire to give up nicotine personally, it keeps me from strangling idiots
LMAO I am a road service tech, So I have many idiots to deal with while driving and when at the customer. I feel you 100% there bro. Congratz on 4 years, I am going a day at a time. I went today and got my favorite juice in 6mg every week I been dropping my Mg by 6 tomorrow will be 4 weeks smoke free for me.
This past Thursday was 7 wks since my last smoke, and Friday, 7 wks smoke free, so I'm heading for 2 months at a nice steady trot.
I guess the inhalers must have irritated my throat when I first started using them in 1985, but after *finally* being diagnosed with adult-onset asthma and getting the proper medicine for it, bronchodilators, I was so thrilled to have something that could kick that bloody elephant off my chest, I never really noticed any irritation, and coughing became pretty much a constant fact of my life, with the adult-onset asthma. In fact, if you're an asthmatic, coughing is one of the best things you can do, if it's a "wet" cough; getting the phlegm out of there is the best possible thing you can do. However I have always wondered why quitting the albuterol pills didn't relieve me of my leg cramps, and now I know -- it was the PG all along! But the taste/effect of PG is now more or less like water to me, just not a thing at all. I'm just glad that it's possible for an asthmatic to vape at all, and if all there was, was VG, I wouldn't be able to do it. About 10 yrs ago I asked my doc about the Nicotrol inhaler, figuring that since I'm accustomed to medicine from an inhaler, it would really work well for me -- but get this -- my doc said he couldn't prescribe it to an asthmatic. I said, you mean it would be worse for my lungs than SMOKING? He said no, but legally he couldn't prescribe it to an asthmatic. Is that stupid or what!?!?! I guess the ANTZ figure that if an asthmatic is stupid enough to smoke, they should just go on smoking until they die of it.
Andria
I guess the inhalers must have irritated my throat when I first started using them in 1985, but after *finally* being diagnosed with adult-onset asthma and getting the proper medicine for it, bronchodilators, I was so thrilled to have something that could kick that bloody elephant off my chest, I never really noticed any irritation, and coughing became pretty much a constant fact of my life, with the adult-onset asthma. In fact, if you're an asthmatic, coughing is one of the best things you can do, if it's a "wet" cough; getting the phlegm out of there is the best possible thing you can do. However I have always wondered why quitting the albuterol pills didn't relieve me of my leg cramps, and now I know -- it was the PG all along! But the taste/effect of PG is now more or less like water to me, just not a thing at all. I'm just glad that it's possible for an asthmatic to vape at all, and if all there was, was VG, I wouldn't be able to do it. About 10 yrs ago I asked my doc about the Nicotrol inhaler, figuring that since I'm accustomed to medicine from an inhaler, it would really work well for me -- but get this -- my doc said he couldn't prescribe it to an asthmatic. I said, you mean it would be worse for my lungs than SMOKING? He said no, but legally he couldn't prescribe it to an asthmatic. Is that stupid or what!?!?! I guess the ANTZ figure that if an asthmatic is stupid enough to smoke, they should just go on smoking until they die of it.
Andria
Andria,
Very true statements. I have been vaping for 5 weeks now with no "Stinkies". I knew the next day after buying my first setup that this is it. I feel it go in and come out. Just like analogs. I have never truly been that motivated to quit, just knew I should and wish I could. I vape way more than the same amount of "puffs" from a cig. Worried...no. Still having fun with a new toy. I now can be a part of life again. Don't stink, stand outside, looked at with distain by "Nons". Will I quit vaping? I would like to some day, just not today. I will never go back to cigs again. If I have no e-cig and crave...I will chew on a rock or broken glass first. I feel that I could resist till I can vape again. Never been this smoke free for this long. Life changing to say the least. I'm with you 100%...."Oh by the way...which ones Pink?"
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