Journey Journal of Coastie

[Coastie3202]

Still here and still going. I got my order of blank cartos and my 30ml bottle of Desert Joe 18mg juice. I like the Desert Joe, but I will think my favorite so far is the Ice Menthol that came in the strong sample pack. Still funny to me since I never liked menthol analogs.

I realized that I was defeating myself by going at this too aggressively as all I did was think about the analogs, so I have backed off a little bit, but am still down from 1 PAD to 0.5 PAD. I think I will just stay there for awhile until it is very comfortable then drop down incrementally. I would rather smoke less than risk sabotaging my efforts by pushing too hard.

I actually killed a battery in less than a day for the first time. Glad I bought the kit with two 78mm batts as I had the manual batt as a backup, so no problem.

I think I also figured out last night how to load my cartos without making a mess. I also think I figured out how many drops to put into a dry blank. I dripped in 20 drops and will pull on that today to see if I got the amount correct.

So, the journey continues. My biggest challenge will come next week as I have to travel out of town for 3 days. 3 days in a hotel room will challenge me as I hate staying in hotels and have entirely too much time on my hands in the evening. I will really have to practice self control. Wish me luck.

I am learning that all of this just takes patience and determination, and I think I have plenty of both. So.....ONWARD & UPWARD.

 

[Renolizzie]

Yes, you have another milestone in - filling the cartos.

 

[SuperLuckyLady]

Hey Coastie! Just wanted to say that a 78mm battery only lasts me a few hours, so was surprised to hear that yours has been lasting you a whole day. I count myself a medium vaper - go through 2-3ml of juice or so a day. Perhaps you need to vape more? As I said the other day, it takes a longer time to get the same amount of nicotine from vaping than it does from smoking.

Onward and upward!

 

[BikerBob]

Coworker has 2 PVs at his desk (small 'wetbox' style), one with menthol one with regular, and he switches between them all day long--a few puffs on one, then a few puffs on the other. Since you have 2 batteries, have you thought of having one of them set up with the Ice Menthol, the other with the Desert Joe? A puff or 2 on one, then a puff or 2 on the other, then decide if you really want the analog?

Each time I see you mention your two flavors, its making me want to try them. A Google search for 'Desert Joe' gets me to smokelessimage. Is that where you got yours?

 

[Coastie3202]

Thanks for the advice Morgan. I am using the PV as a smoking cessation device (Shhhhhhh) so I keep the vaping to a minimum to take the edge off of decreasing the intake from analogs. Since I have already cut my analog intake in half I think the amount of vaping I am doing is sufficient. The last thing I want to do is switch one habit for another. Although I will say that vaping is enjoyable.

My work does not allow me to sit in my office vaping. I work at a school for special needs children and do not want people even thinking that I am smoking in my office, especially since I am the one who is responsible for developing and enforcing policies. So my vaping is usually walking to the restroom and stealing a quick hit or two throughout the day. I will say however that I pull on this thing much more at night when I am at home. That is when it is most enjoyable.

 

[Coastie3202]

Coworker has 2 PVs at his desk (small 'wetbox' style), one with menthol one with regular, and he switches between them all day long--a few puffs on one, then a few puffs on the other. Since you have 2 batteries, have you thought of having one of them set up with the Ice Menthol, the other with the Desert Joe? A puff or 2 on one, then a puff or 2 on the other, then decide if you really want the analog?

Each time I see you mention your two flavors, its making me want to try them. A Google search for 'Desert Joe' gets me to smokelessimage. Is that where you got yours?

Yes, smokelessimage is the source for Desert Joe. Today is my first time using it and I find it very enjoyable. Has a nice turkish tobacco flavor with a medium throat hit. Smooth. I have two batts, one loaded with Desert Joe and one with 555. I am going to order some Ice Menthol and two as you suggested, one with tobacco flavor and one menthol and switch back and forth.

 

[Alpha Orionis]

Yep, the mind is a funny thing indeed.

I keep wanting an analog, but its not a craving... more like a bad idea I can just reject.

I like the tobacco flavors, in my case I don't want to be told I can't have it. But it really might be good to try something completely different.

If you like desert joe, try casablanca from back woods brew. Don't tell Don over at BWB, but mixing the two is nirvana. Anyway, suddenly I am all interested in flavor. I'm trying lots of stuff. For me its part of the new thing.

Love your posts... the excitement, the sense of hope, the frustration. I'm rootin' for ya. You'll find your way. Keep moving forward!

 

[kiwivap]

Glad to hear you like the Desert Joe. And yes, 20 drops in an empty carto is about right. I do 20.

 

[vsummer1]

It sounds to me like you have a few things going wrong for you. 1) not enough vaping to overcome the urge for a cigarette and 2) an inadequate battery not giving you the power you need and 3) too low nicotine to overcome the need for a cigarette.

I know this why? Because you are me a month ago. Now that I got the eGo T I can go longer with a charge, I can adjust it for a "hotter" vape if I need to, and one lasts me hours. I was sucking the batteries you have down in an hour, and chain vaping because I didn't have enough nicotine. I upped the nicotine to the next level and was finally able to put the thing down without wanting a cigarette. The change meant the difference between smoking cigarettes to get through and not needing one.

Also, may I suggest you use the condom method for filling the cartos? They come with those rubbers on either end, you simply take them both off and fill one half way. Slowly put the threaded end of the carto into the juice in the condom and it soaks it up. Repeat until the top is "juicy". I then slide the condom off and gently blow out the atty from the mouth end so the drops go back in the condom. Wipe off the threads, and put back on the drip tip or whatever is on your mouth end. MUCH easier, more efficient and faster because the juice doesn't have to soak down to the atty, but up through the filler from the atty end. You can view videos of this on youtube if I haven't explained it well.

ETA: I also would suggest that you stop having the mindset of "using it at the minimum" and start having the mindset of using it as often as necessary to stop smoking. Use it as soon as you crave a cigarette. Worry about weaning down later since it isn't working for you. 18 mg isn't enough nicotine, you need more per hit to overcome the cravings. I speak from experience, I am not a long time vaper, but have been through it and managed to completely be off cigarettes once I had the right battery and nicotine. These small changes were amazing!

 

[SuziesMom]

You can also stealth vape...just take a hit and hold it in for a few seconds, and nothing comes out. It still might not be good for your office, but it's a handy skill to have.

I agree with PP- stronger juice, and bigger batteries. Smoke when you want to smoke, and don't beat yourself up over it. Every cigarette less is a victory.

 

[BikerBob]

I started with the 'vape when I want, smoke when I want' method. Vape was starting to taste real good. Batteries were constantly being charged. Once I switched to only vaping, I anticipated needing more batteries to keep up with demand.(and no, they didn't have to look like a cigarette). I had them on hand once I knew the existing ones wouldn't keep up. My current 'main' battery is 2100 mAh, compare to 360mAh for the 78mm ones (at least mine had that rating). This lasts me *almost* one day. That would be 6 charges of the smaller ones.

5 1/2 weeks so far for me, and getting less cravings for analogs every day.

 

[kiwivap]

If you want a bigger batt just get a Volt X2 - 650, 900 or 1300 mah. I think the 1300 is a bit big - well for me anyway. The 900 is a nice size, lasts hours. I use 900s mainly in the weekends at home.

 

[JENerationX]

Flavor rotation will keep you interested in the vape. I would suggest having 2 cartos loaded with different juices.

I use the Volt X2s, manual 650 mah. I could have got a 1300 and it would get me through the day just as well, but I prefer to rotate flavors. I have 4 batteries, 2 in use, 2 charging. I use contrasting flavors on the 2 in use. Right now I have rootbeer in one, ice cream in the other.

Also, what Vsummer said:

ETA: I also would suggest that you stop having the mindset of "using it at the minimum" and start having the mindset of using it as often as necessary to stop smoking. Use it as soon as you crave a cigarette. Worry about weaning down later since it isn't working for you. 18 mg isn't enough nicotine, you need more per hit to overcome the cravings. I speak from experience, I am not a long time vaper, but have been through it and managed to completely be off cigarettes once I had the right battery and nicotine. These small changes were amazing!

You may or may not need more nicotine. I ended up at 12, 8, even 6 but I sit here and chain vape. Be willing to experiment with the levels until you find what works. That's an individual thing. DEFINITELY stop minimizing your use though. Absorption of basically steam is different than smoke. We don't know exactly what it is. 30%-50% has been tossed around depending on whether you're a new vaper or someone that's learned how to inhale, how long to hold it for, exhaling through nose and mouth for maximum absorption etc. Even if we take absorption at 50%, then you would need to vape twice as much to get the same effect as smoking. If you're trying to vape at the same rate as you smoked or less than you smoked..... you're setting yourself up to not be able to put down the smokes.

 

[Algerhugz]

Hi Coastie and welcome to the wide huge world of Vaping. I just found this thread today and started reading thru it. Congrats on your wanting to give up all the nasty stuff in an analog. This is a great forum full of helpful people. Just wanted to wish you the best of luck and look forward to reading more of your posts

 

[DC2]

Your approach of keeping the vaping to a minimum is the opposite of what anyone here would recommend to you.
Perhaps you could elaborate a little more on why you are taking this approach?

 

[kia2]

I think my head hurts. I could have sworn this thread grew 8 pages in 2 minutes...

Thanks for keeping us up to date, Coastie.

I think Jen and some others are right that you may want to increase your nicotine content a little. Often times it turns out to be the "just what was needed" turning point. Bigger batteries aren't necessarily the answer, but if you go to experiment that way, I'd say try the X2 650 mAh before going out and buying a brand new setup. You've made it obvious you're wanting to quit smoking - and eventually vaping, too - so running out for more and bigger gear isn't the way to go really.

Smoking is a habit that took a bit of time to get you to the levels you were. Give vaping a little bit of that time to help you get back out. They say 21 days make a habit, but it's a shaky one. Give yourself the time you need. You don't have to let vaping take over as the next habit, as many of us have, but you can ween yourself at a pace needed just for you to make that final break. I am down to 6mg mostly right now. However, I still have some 12mg on hand. I also have a lot of 0mg liquids. I find myself vaping like a fiend in some situations, and some days I hardly vape at all. Mostly, I'm down overall to when I began. (I stopped smoking tobacco cigarettes immediately, the vaping was the "do it or die" for me.) Maybe I'm taking a little longer than I would have liked originally as I want to stop vaping eventually too, but I'm also letting my body get rid of the as much of the physical build up as well as the mental in the tobacco purge.

My real advice at this point is to ask you to meet with your doctor about losing the cigarettes. Cutting down is great, and eventually you will start to see some big changes physically as you let go of tobacco cigarettes for good. Your doctor can let you know what to expect. My doctor spent a full 20 minutes with me (unheard of these days) talking about it and explaining some things to me when he found out I quit smoking. Vaping did not phase him at all. He was only ecstatic that I was no longer smoking.

Hang in there, Coastie. We'll all help wherever we can as your unofficial support group.

 

[vsummer1]

I think my head hurts. I could have sworn this thread grew 8 pages in 2 minutes...

That's what She said.

 

[JENerationX]

Hey Coastie...... how ya doin?

 

[klynnn]

I think you should throw caution to the wind -vape as much as you need to keep the cravings away they will eventually end. If you want to quit it will be easier from the ecig than regular tobacco.

 

[Linden]

Just read the first post, I see I have several pages to catch up on but I am excited to read about your journey!