Older Folks and Vaping Front Porch - Part Three

[clnire]

Today is my 2 year vapeaversary! After 40 years of smoking, the last 20 years struggling to quit, 2 years ago I decided to try an ecig. I bought a Blu from a drugstore and thought "this could work!". At the time I was only smoking about 1/2 PAD but it was 1/2 PAD too much. Google is my friend. I joined ECF and spent literally hours reading. I purchased a VV ego kit and never looked back. I now have several mods from Vamos to MVPs to iSticks and more. I use mostly EVOD/protank style clearos that I rebuild. I tinker with some DIY and have a lot of tobaccos I have extracted. I subscribe to several threads I actively participate in. have seen this thread before but just never got involved. Tonight as I read I decided to join this wonderful group of vapers who continue to help and support each other. I look forward to reading your posts and participating where I can.

vape long and prosper. Peace and long vape.

 

[MikeE3]

I'm a relative newbie to the Vapor World, (about 3 mos) but I do qualify in the "older folks" category. Heh heh. I smoked for 43 flipping years!! I'm struggling right now, but I'm hanging in there. I'm so weary of being a slave to cigarettes.

Welcome to the porch. Always nice to have new folks join the porch crowd. Don't feel like a loner. I too, didn't let go of my habit easily. Each day, some days each hour the 1st few months I had to stay committed to making the change. Right now, be thankful for the cigs you don't smoke and don't beat yourself up about it, if you're still smoking and vaping. Set the goal to be done w/ smoking and do it on your timeline. The lucky ones quit the day they get there 1st e-cig - the rest of us have to stay committed in the beginning.

What kind of PV and topper(s) are you using?

 

[Iffy]

Not my original intro, but here is an updated version:


Being 67, here's my lil' story fer ya'll:

Started smoking full time as an 18 yo in basic training ('65)... mostly 1.5 to 2+ PaDs ever since.

Eighteen years ago I quit cold turkey by my own choosing. Day-um, I was miserable. After four weeks I told my bride that I was thinking about starting smoking again. She encouraged, "Give it a while longer." Well, six weeks later, after gaining 27 pounds and making life miserable for everyone around me; family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances AND strangers, I told my bride that I was gonna start smoking again. Her response, "Please do!"

My three daughters, young teens at that time, have since then told me that those ten weeks were the worst in their lives. WHOA! Well, I knew I HAD to quit but didn't want to put anyone through my misery again. HOT DAY-UM, found the ECF site back in '11 and made a few well informed purchases, thanx to the wonderful folk here. The eGo batt and eGo Mega dual coil cartomizers did the job. Granted, I’m beyond the eGo combo, but that’s ‘nother story!

Here I am after 46 years of my ol' smoking habit, 43 months in on a freakin' fantastic journey; tobacco free, no stomped kittens, no road rage AND no being a b*tch with balls! And I'm one of the lucky vapers in that my first vape was the absolute end to my 'bakky habit.

As for my e-cig health benefits:
- Lower blood pressure - 15 pt drop in both systolic & diastolic
- Higher O2 absorption - 92% to 99%
- 'Clean' chest x-ray after a past indication of emphysema
- Healthier gums/whiter teeth - as per dentist
- No more nose soot/lung wads in the AM
- No longer having the occasional mild night time anxiety episode due to breathing difficulties
- No longer a mouth breather, although I still have a deviated septum and narrow nasal passages
- No mo’ colds. Used to get 'em at least once a year that hung on with major coughing and chest congestion. For da past two years, I've had a runny nose twice for four or five days... no cold. Prior to vaping, that would have developed into a major chest cold.
- Higher sensitivity to the salt in processed foods. And to think I would add salt in my 'bakky days.
- Higher IQ - hey, I did quit smoking!

 

[MikeE3]

Today is my 2 year vapeaversary! After 40 years of smoking, the last 20 years struggling to quit, 2 years ago I decided to try an ecig. I bought a Blu from a drugstore and thought "this could work!". At the time I was only smoking about 1/2 PAD but it was 1/2 PAD too much. Google is my friend. I joined ECF and spent literally hours reading. I purchased a VV ego kit and never looked back. I now have several mods from Vamos to MVPs to iSticks and more. I use mostly EVOD/protank style clearos that I rebuild. I tinker with some DIY and have a lot of tobaccos I have extracted. I subscribe to several threads I actively participate in. have seen this thread before but just never got involved. Tonight as I read I decided to join this wonderful group of vapers who continue to help and support each other. I look forward to reading your posts and participating where I can.

Vape long and prosper. Peace and long vape.

Whoohoo! Welcome to the porch and a big CONGATS on your 2 year VapeVersay! Ain't it a great feeling. I smoked 2+ PPD for 45 years with only 1 break for about a year. Never thought I'd be smoke free again. Now I've just past my 3 years smoke free. Love it.

 

[3mg Meniere]

My first post 3/25/13.

I am 63-- had to quit all nicotine suddenly 45 days ago because it was affecting my inner ears. Vaping 0mg is definitely a good substitute in such a situation. Don't know how long I will be dependent on e-cig, so don't want to invest much.

Bought a new battery yesterday before I discovered what a spinner is for. LOL.

There are two stores around here which sell a wider range of cig lookalikes. One is likely to get deeper into it, until then I am mostly dependent on mail order. My chocolate flavor cartridges are wimpy tasting, will have to start filling my own. Right now I have to restrain myself on looking at new flavors.

The taste of dry burn is almost as bad as a real cigarette. Gonna have to stop tolerating that, hoping to get just a bit more sweetness out of a cartridge.

The people started asking me questions and I ran away for a while to Voltville. The welcome was overwhelming. My anxiety issues were immense, and prevented me from quitting smoking for years. Against all common sense.

The taste of a dry hit almost as bad as a cig?????? OMG-- cigs were bad, weren't they?

 

[Semiretired]

Welcome to Rotowoman and all the other new posters. Pull up a chair where we share. Or pull up a rocker and get comfortable for awhile.

 

[Semiretired]

Mike, I just want to let you know that you brought a tear to my eye with your opening of the new thread and it takes a lot for that to happen to me...

 

[3mg Meniere]

Remember molli, rockymtnrobin, flintlock, danidoo, moishesmom, bacsibob, and flight engineer? Do any of them post any more?

 

[Frenchfry1942]

I just sat and read the restart posts. I started with the second porch. Nice to see it has been refurbished. I can see some momentos hung for those that have passed on. I am grateful for a comfortable place to sit in a rocker. Today is day 365 and I feel good.

I'm only 52, but deployed a lot of times. Just came back from Afghanistan. I kept up...but, soaked my feet a few times.

Anyway, its a great hobby and my doctor said, "good".

Hope to be there...

 

[amoret]

My first two posts, since the full intro was coaxed out of me for the second one:

01-17-2014

I've been lurking around this thread and finally decided to join in. I'm 62and had been smoking for over 40 years. I had quit trying to quit. Then I ended up disabled and pretty much stuck in the recliner all day. I'd been down to about a pack a day from two or more when I was younger, but it turned out that a lot of that reduction was from not being able to smoke at work. Next thing I know I'm over a pack and a half and heading back toward two. And since we're now both home all day it's starting to really bother my husband.

So I knew all of the quitting methods that hadn't worked, and I started checking around the web and next thing I knew I'd found this place. Got some great advice on a starting set-up that I could deal with physically and afford to buy. And here I am.

Anyhow, the whole point of the long introduction was to say that yep, I vape constantly. Way more than I smoked. But that's fine by me. I am saving some money (mostly because I can't afford all of the pretty toys I'd like to get) and my husband is happier. I have to admit that I still want to smoke, but since I don't get out and about much it's easier to order more vapemail than it is to go to town for cigarettes.

Thanks for the welcomes. Yeah, rural North Dakota in the winter is also not conducive to smoking outside, either. Now if we could talk our mail carrier into actually bringing packages to the house instead of making a game of seeing how tightly he can cram things into the box, life would be wonderful. (In another thread people were complaining about a supplier switching to FedEx, and I was all ready to switch to them just for that, but it turned out to be FedEx smartpost which just drops it off for the post office for the last leg-but I digress (frequently).)

Anyhow, as I said above I smoked for over 40 years, mostly about 2pad. Menthol, usually Salems, and had, after multiple quits, ended up at about a pack a day. Once I ended up stuck at home I was heading back up towards two pad.

When I found this place I asked for advice on what would work with bad hands. I also knew that I didn't want it to look or feel like cigarettes. So I ended up with an itaste vv and a unitank. I cracked the unitank by accidentally filling it with hot cinnamon juice. (Yes, I did know better, and also had a protank that I was supposed to put the cinnamon in.)

So at this point I have two itaste vvs, and an assortment of toppers, mostly bottom coil cleromizers since that's what I like best. With my hand problems I'm not going to be rebuilding coils or getting into diy juice. Since I chain vape and run the batteries down, I'm considering getting a third itaste vv or an MVP since with the vvs, phone, and my tablet I end up with charger cable spaghetti when I use the pass-through. I'm still waffling about which to get, though.
I'm still looking for Mr Goodjuice, though I've got a menthol tobacco flavor and an Earl Grey Tea that I like. I don't like sweet flavors. I've been trying some fruit flavors, but most of those seem awfully sweet to me. Just got some to try from Ahlussions(sp) but everyone says that they should steep, so I don't know yet if I'll like them. Juice is also complicated by the fact that I can't open childproof bottles, which rules out quite a few suppliers.

Don't mean to write a book, but you did ask.

Followed a week later by the classic:

So we had a bad chimney fire today, and the fire department wouldn't let us go back in, but they were super nice when they got our meds about also getting my pvs (and chargers) and juice. And, one who was a smoker had lots of questions about how it works, so I may have gained a convert. At least one positive out of the deal.

and all of the wonderful support from you guys through the whole fire aftermath.

 

[3mg Meniere]

Today is day 365 and I feel good.

I'm only 52, but deployed a lot of times. Just came back from Afghanistan.

Congratulations on a year!!!! And congratulations on your safe return home. All that can make you old before your time. You aren't going to do it again, are you?

 

[amoret]

I see that I did say "I'm not going to be rebuilding coils or getting into diy juice" but now I am making my own liquids. In large part due to the fact that I can't open the childproof bottles that pretty much everybody uses now. I'm still never going to be able to make my own coils, though, since I can't do any kind of fine hand work anymore.

 

[MikeE3]

Mike, I just want to let you know that you brought a tear to my eye with your opening of the new thread and it takes a lot for that to happen to me...

I put it off all day, 'cause I new I had to search up a picture of Tex. And I knew what memories that would bring back. I miss him like family and think of him often.

I didn't get close to Elbert, but dang, he's touched me w/ his honesty and connection to his culture and ancestry.

Remember molli, rockymtnrobin, flintlock, danidoo, moishesmom, bacsibob, and flight engineer? Do any of them post any more?

Yepper - some names from the past who where quite active when they were around, but haven't seen them in quite some time. Sure hope they're all doing fine.

I just sat and read the restart posts. I started with the second porch. Nice to see it has been refurbished. I can see some momentos hung for those that have passed on. I am grateful for a comfortable place to sit in a rocker. Today is day 365 and I feel good.

I'm only 52, but deployed a lot of times. Just came back from Afghanistan. I kept up...but, soaked my feet a few times.

Anyway, its a great hobby and my doctor said, "good".

Hope to be there...

Hey there - congrats on 365 and a sincere "thank you" for your service. That's a hard life (physically and mentally) on people 1/2 your age - you a tough dude!

 

[MattB101]

Ok let festivities commence I am here! Hello all.

 

[MikeE3]

Ok let festivities commence I am here! Hello all.

The new porch is a great place to show off your new DNA builds. We need us some pictures.

 

[Iffy]

I'm a relative newbie to the Vapor World, (about 3 mos) but I do qualify in the "older folks" category. Heh heh. I smoked for 43 flipping years!! I'm struggling right now, but I'm hanging in there. I'm so weary of being a slave to cigarettes.

Hot dang... our first new 3rd gen porch member! Welcome, pick out a rocker.and sit a spell.

Since mattiem graciously declined* the M16 mod/Kick combo 15,000th post prize, PM me your name & addy and I'll send you da combo.


*Mary has some of da same reservations of tube mods & mag switches as I; ergo da M16 should go to someone else to evaluate and hopefully enjoy.

 

[LittleBird]

My intro to the Porch was only just this morning - yet I feel as though I've known many of y'all forever . Such amazing people!

I didn't realize I was meant to introduce myself in any but the most cursory way. My apologies! At my age, I should know better! So, here goes.

I'm 52, but started counting backwards 3 years ago. My mom taught me about counting backwards. I miss her enormously; she'd be thrilled to know that I don't smoke anymore. It's been just a year (this time around), but I'm confident that this time is the forever time. I smoked for, maybe, 28 years; neither NRT nor Chantix were of any use. Much to my delight, however, vaping was - and is - of use. That first ecig wasn't much to write home about, but the eGo was a huge improvement, and the P2 (and now, P3) were the cat's meow! So is the Billet BoX, the Gi2, and my beloved mech, The Dark Knight/Sir Lancelot. (Fitting that Sir Lancelot is one of my rescuers.). As I said this morning, I'm pretty good at spending my own money, and quite talented at spending other's money

Probably TMI ... So, enough. Except one more thing. I am so grateful for each new day, no matter what the day brings. It is, after all, such a wonderful world.

 

[MikeE3]

and all of the wonderful support from you guys through the whole fire aftermath.

OMG! I remember getting up each morning and coming to the porch to see if you found the cat yet in the burned out house. Was so glad to hear you finally found her.

 

[MattB101]

The new porch is a great place to show off your new DNA builds. We need us some pictures.

In all honesty I screwed up the soldering and have to start over. Waiting on a new case from Fasttech. Will keep everyone informed. Didn't ruin the board but got some cold solder joints that have to be redone.

 

[Legolas]

I just sat and read the restart posts. I started with the second porch. Nice to see it has been refurbished. I can see some momentos hung for those that have passed on. I am grateful for a comfortable place to sit in a rocker. Today is day 365 and I feel good.

I'm only 52, but deployed a lot of times. Just came back from Afghanistan. I kept up...but, soaked my feet a few times.

Anyway, its a great hobby and my doctor said, "good".

Hope to be there...

Congrats frenchfry that's a great milestone.