Is it just me, or does this experience change QUICKLY?

[RickMc]

Ok...reality is a shifty thing when it comes to this whole experience.

1. I smoked 1.5 packs a day of analogs for over 35 years.
2. I got encouraged to try a cheap (not in terms of cost, in terms of quality) 808
3. I thought "This actually works, and could replace cigarettes. I'm betting if I do some research, I can find a really good one that produces more 'smoke', because that's the only thing this seems to be lacking."
4. Decided I wanted something that looked and behaved like an analog because I knew quitting the real thing was hard.
5. I read, searched, found ECF and a million other sites "reviewing" e-cigs.
6. Realized there was a disconnect between review sites and suspected folks were "reviewing" their own products. Figured I was better off believing the preponderance of views on a free user community site.
7. Selected Volt 808's because they passed the tests in 3, 4, and 6 (huge props to Volt for their good products!).
8. Bought a kit and selected the closest cartos to my "cowboy lights" analogs.
9. Got it fast, liked everything I found when I got home from work at 6 PM, was very impressed by the amount of vaor and the experience, and was astonished that suddenly I was fine with no analogs (first night).
10. (now we're on DAY FOUR). Took analogs to work because no freaking way I was done smoking, even though my first night had no cravings.
11. Killed a carto in the smoking section, knew I had more in my office but decided to have an analog rather than walk back and get another carto.
12. Decided an analog was not a bit better than the pv and a Hell of a lot more expensive. Was blown away by same. Who knew?!?
13. Got up the next morning and did my normal "coffee, patio, smoke" routine, 'cept with the pv. Wondered why I wasn't missing an analog. Smoked an analog (Hell, I had 3/4 of an open pack, plus 3/4 of a carton more). See #12. Was even more blown away.
14. Continued to vape next few days at work, while I waited for some sample flavor packs to arrive.
15. Tried various flavors and decided the non-tobacco were a nice break in between tobacco flavors (ser the RY4 thread) but too sweet for regular use-give me my analog taste!
16. Found myself liking non-tobacco flavors more and more, just in between tobacco flavors. Cofee and chocolate particularly appealed. IN LIMITED DOSES.
17. Found myself liking tobacco flavors less and less, although I do still want a good TH.
18. Was baffled by my change in tastes and the speed of same.
19. Ordered 5ml bottles of juice from everyone on Earth.
20. Started saving empty cartos to refill.
21. Hated the fact that none of my juices are here yet, which takes us to tonight.

See the signature for the timeline. Jeez...is this typical?!?!?

All that said...I'm having a ton of fun, and loving the fact that I don't smell like an ashtray. Neither does my car. My girlfriend is a VERY happy camper.

 

[VapingTums]

Awesome you've had this experience. I haven't been so lucky, first tried ecigs back in 2009 and still battling to quit the few analogues a day I still smoke. This journey has been fun though, albeit expensive!

 

[Ladypixel]

My version of this:

1) Smoked 1.5 packs of analogs a day for about 25 years.
2) Young-adult daughter threw temper tantrum about smelling like smoke after riding in the car with me (we don't smoke at home).
3) Husband picked up cheapie Chinese knock-off ecig for me, and 21st Century ecig for himself, just for "in car use".
4) Concluded personal temper tantrum about having to switch for car use, discovered ECF, went 'oh, what the hell, I'll try it' while lurking here.
5) Jump forward one week, ordered eGo-T and juice from two vendors, had gone down to eight cigs a day.
6) Jump forward another week, had ordered juice from two more vendors, was in love with my eGo-T, was babbling to people about how I was smoking (on average) 2-3 cigarettes a day.
7) Jump forward a third week (so we're up to a month now), was wondering why I was still smoking 2 cigarettes a day.
8) Jump forward a fourth week, was no longer smoking, was in love with bakery flavors (to my own surprise), as well as caramel apple flavor...

Etc, etc. Now, I'm over 2 weeks free of the analogs, my husband ordered a VV mod today, I have some lower-nic juice en-route as well as some zero-nic juice for my friends who have become quite curious about me vaping cheesecake, have discovered that vaping these bakery flavors reduces my snacking urges and thus am doing surprisingly well on my diet (which, well, I've been on since the beginning of the year), and am wondering why I didn't do this sooner.

Now, keep in mind, I did NOT intend to quit smoking at the start of this all. In fact, I was vehemently against quitting smoking, because I enjoyed the acts/rituals of smoking. I now have the acts/rituals of smoking (sans fire, admittedly) in a much healthier format, and it tastes better, and I don't reek, and my teeth are actually starting to become whiter after years of drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes, and I can breathe.

It changes just that fast for some of us, yes. And I'm loving it, and probably will vape 0mg long after I stop vaping nicotine, just because, well, I do still enjoy the assorted and sundry rituals of the smoker.

 

[ardelleg]

Sounds about right to me..... and I just passed 14 months without a cigarette.....

To King Belly: I would been happy with a few a day, it has to be better than it was, right?

 

[RickMc]

I'd wish everyone the same experience I had, mate. The few you're still smoking is a lot less than before, I'd bet. Progress is progress. Each thing in its time, huh?

 

[Iusedtoanalog]

Well Rick, I guess I have walked those same steps as you friend. Eventually it turns into kinda a run..... away from analogs...lol... I don't even fully remember what an analog tastes like anymore. And I definately dont miss it. I still smell them, just about everywhere I go. Thankfully Theres tons of non-analog flavors available for us to vape. Well to answer you original question My personal answer is YES! It is normal, For many of us. For some its not quite so easy. I do wish everyone could find their sweet spot, great vape or whatever other "just right" that they are missing. But iI'm happy to see you have found your stride on this journey. Good Luck. Happy Vaping.

 

[RickMc]

Now, keep in mind, I did NOT intend to quit smoking at the start of this all. In fact, I was vehemently against quitting smoking, because I enjoyed the acts/rituals of smoking. I now have the acts/rituals of smoking (sans fire, admittedly) in a much healthier format, and it tastes better, and I don't reek, and my teeth are actually starting to become whiter after years of drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes, and I can breathe

That's it EXACTLY. I managed to keep alll the rituals. Closest I ever came to quitting was on nicotine inhalers because it kinda-sorta replicated the ritual. Not close enough, though (twice)!

 

[RickMc]

But iI'm happy to see you have found your stride on this journey. Good Luck. Happy Vaping.

Thanks, man...back at ya!

 

[sailorman]

I followed pretty much the same route as far as losing my taste for tobacco. I never use tobacco flavored juice anymore.

Other than that, the only difference was that I quit analogs the very day I got my first ecig, a Joye 510.
That was a 2-3 PAD 35 year habit and I wasn't really intending to quit at all. I just started vaping one afternoon, looked at the clock and realized it was midnight and I hadn't smoked a single cigarette.

Next morning, I vaped like an animal and never bothered lighting up. It got easier after that. In a week, I never even thought about analogs. A few months later I gave away 2 lbs of gourmet tobacco, a rolling machine and 4 cartons of filtered cigarette tubes to a smoking friend who is too scared to try ecigs. That was 22 months ago and I never went through one second of wanting an analog.

 

[Iusedtoanalog]

Not a problem Rick, I have been vaping now over a year and I still hang around the new members area. This way I can help where I can, Give a Boost where its needed, And a Congrats when they are due.

 

[Deblym]

It's been changing at light speed for me too....ok ok vets, your right, I'm not totally satisfied with my 808 lol....I'm discovering the diff between a fully charged batt and one that's dying...the difference between a good vape and a bad one....and all the other subtleties i fear I'm headed for the whole 'need a more consistent, longer lasting' experience. I accidentally bought an echo a week ago (long story) but now I'm very happy with it ... However i still can't bring myself to use it in public.... I'm not quite at that stage ......YET lol.

 

[Oriana871]

Sounds so inspiring. I wasn't planning on quitting either, but I'm so excited to vape and stop smoking cigs. I'm wondering though, since I can't smoke inside, do you vape more than you ever smoked? I can see myself sitting inside vaping away, all day, all night. Oh well I guess it doesn't really matter....

 

[KaitLynnHt]

I still have my "rituals". I take my Volt out when I walk the dog (which was my smoking time), but I'm able to supplement my vaping during other times inside as well. As well if the dog finishes his business first, he doesn't have to wait for me to go back inside (especially if its raining).

I have only had one analog since I started and it was the last one in my pack. Refuse to buy anymore and I haven't really had to fight myself on that point.

I'm only a few days in, so I haven't tried too many other flavors. Besides my tobacco menthol, I do have a chocolate and peppermint which I enjoy, but also in limited doses because I don't get a good hit from them. Good flavor but I don't feel anything when I drag on it, no matter how much I take in.

And to echo Ladypixel, I too have no intention of every giving up vaping even if I ever work my way down to 0mg. I showed my PV to my grandparents and they were adamant about the fact that I needed to get rid of the nicotine and stop all together. But the whole reason why smoking was so hard for me to give up was that I GREATLY enjoy it so much. The physical act of smoking and the routines that surround it.

Now I just need to figure out what to do with my collection of lighters. >.>

 

[VapingTums]

Sounds about right to me..... and I just passed 14 months without a cigarette.....

To King Belly: I would been happy with a few a day, it has to be better than it was, right?

Definetely, although I was never a heavy smoker (smoked about 10 smokes a day previously), I have asthma so I feel like a two pack a day smoker, constant shortness of breath etc. Now I am down to approx 2 a day, but that jumps up when im out at a pub or something. Am determined to quite totally and vape even when im out. Confident I'll get their with the right WTA juice and equipment

 

[aikid19]

Same story here--1 p.a.d. /35 years. First e-cig day was last analog day. 4 weeks tomorrow. Not missing anything (except the bigger batteries which are on their way).

 

[Vadim]

Rick,

Find some LR 2.0ohm cartos and your 808d-1 will make tons of vapor, remember that different e-juices produce different amounts of vapor.
Your expirience is fine, the more sweet\fruity flavors you vape the more analogs will smell badly & you will want them less & less. My self, it only took two weeks to hang in and I started to hate the analogs, but I was vaping all sweet juices.

Hope this helps.

 

[RaRvn]

I don't know if your experience is "typical", but it's very similar to mine. 35+ year smoker, tried a million ways to quit, picked up an e-cig from a gas station, and quickly realized vaping (though I did not yet know it's name) could get me off analogs. A mere 5 days later, I now have an eGo 1100, 10 or 12 e-juice flavors, have moved from cartos to a Vision Clearomizer, have PG, VG, nic, and flavors on order to start DIY juicing. I know you've had a few analogs since, but I haven't smoked one since I bought that first gas station model (a Mistic). I have never been able to go a day, much less 5 days, without a cigarette in the last 35 years. Yet here I am, 5 days later, still not smoking and not wanting to smoke. I'm having trouble wrapping my head around it actually.

After years of gum and patches and inhalers and lozenges and smoking cessation groups I have stumbled upon something that actually works. I had long ago abandoned confidence I could ever quit. But here I am. Quitting almost without effort. And I still doubted, even after co-workers starting showing up in the smoke area with e-cigs and telling me how easy it was to switch. I still thought *I* was different and that e-cigs would never work for me. But they are working. I am truly proud of myself and if I go crazy with flavors and mods and DIY projects for awhile, more power to me. I don't know at what point I can officially call myself an "ex-smoker", but I already feel like one. For the first time in 35 years.

 

[ChinMullet]

Jeez...is this typical?!?!?

That almost matches my experience perfectly. Next, I bought a Silver Bullet and a bunch of 510 stuff. It's convenient - less charging and filling - but I still prefer my Volt.

Oh, and I light a real cig every couple of weeks to remind myself that they taste like a cat's ..., to help reassure me that I'm not missing anything by not smoking cigs.

My biggest surprise so far, other than vaping has made quitting cigs so easy, is that APPLES ARE THE MOST DELICIOUS THING ON EARTH. I had no idea! I eat 2 or 3 each day now. I prob went 15 years without eating an apple.

 

[KaitLynnHt]

Definetely, although I was never a heavy smoker (smoked about 10 smokes a day previously), I have asthma so I feel like a two pack a day smoker, constant shortness of breath etc. Now I am down to approx 2 a day, but that jumps up when im out at a pub or something. Am determined to quite totally and vape even when im out. Confident I'll get their with the right WTA juice and equipment

Nice to see I'm not the only person who smoked with asthma. I was at 7 smokes a day, and people asked me how I could smoke with asthma. It just didn't bother me (at least to the point of not bringing on an attack) but I was starting to feel like I was putting away a pack or two. That's the main reason why I decided to try electronic cigarettes. I always said that if I got to the point that I needed the cig but not wanted it, I was done. I would get so tired and have so much trouble breathing after a cig and I just couldn't do it anymore.

I have completely dropped the smokes and in only a few days I seem to be breathing a bit easier.

I see people who smoke 2 or more packs a day (or even one) and I can't see how they do it. Heck, at my worst (years ago), I would try to hold myself to one every 2 hours, though I would chain in the car or at my computer and even then I wasn't up to a full pack per day.

 

[RaRvn]

Nice to see I'm not the only person who smoked with asthma. I was at 7 smokes a day, and people asked me how I could smoke with asthma. It just didn't bother me (at least to the point of not bringing on an attack) but I was starting to feel like I was putting away a pack or two. That's the main reason why I decided to try electronic cigarettes. I always said that if I got to the point that I needed the cig but not wanted it, I was done. I would get so tired and have so much trouble breathing after a cig and I just couldn't do it anymore.

I have completely dropped the smokes and in only a few days I seem to be breathing a bit easier.

I see people who smoke 2 or more packs a day (or even one) and I can't see how they do it. Heck, at my worst (years ago), I would try to hold myself to one every 2 hours, though I would chain in the car or at my computer and even then I wasn't up to a full pack per day.

Gosh KaitLynn, I am so glad to read you dropped the smokes. In the ER, the only thing that terrifies me more than heart attack is asthma attack. Witnessing someone in the midst of a serious asthma attack is one of the most alarming situations I've come across, and I imagine it must be terrifying for the patient. I'm so glad you've chosen to lower your risk for frequent, serious asthma attacks. Good for you.

Also, I had to smile when I saw your location. Though I live in SC now, I grew up in Columbus, OH and remember many fun weekends at Buckeye Lake when I was growing up. Thank you for making me smile about that.