Over 30 years and DONE with analogs!

[DroopyDogs]

I have been lurking around these forums for a few weeks now and finally decided to hop in. I would like to think my story is amazing, but after reading so many posts about people having success quitting, I wonder what took me so long to try vaping???
I have tried EVERYTHING, I mean EVERYTHING to quit the over 30 year smoking habit - patches, gum, lozenges, Chantix which made me insane and sick, Blu ecigarettes, and even hypnosis twice. Nothing worked for more than a few weeks if it worked at all. I guess in the last couple of years, I resigned myself to never being able to quit, and I was really feeling the effects of smoking for so long.

Feeling especially crappy on my way to work one afternoon, I bought a disposable cigarette from the gas station thinking I could try that at work and see what happened. I had the Blu cigarette years ago when they first came out, so I did not have much luck with them, but figured, what the heck. Well, my experiment failed that night at work. However, the next day I searched the internet for a better device and found this forum. The rest would be history.

After spending hours upon hours reading this forum, I decided to buy the Halo Triton starter kit and some samples of liquid. Worst case scenario, I just wasted yet more money on a quit smoking scheme, best case scenario - I could play around with some flavors and still smoke. I put no pressure on myself to quit smoking, i figured I was a lost cause anyway. Ordered the Halo, received it on Saturday 10/11 and took it to work with me. I only smoked three cigarettes that whole night. OK, pretty cool. The next day, I had a few with my coffee, and a few more scattered through the day, while also vaping. By 10/13/14, I lit one analog with my coffee, took three drags and thew it out. Tasted absolutely DISGUSTING. So my last cigarette was on 10/13 in the morning, that was 13 days ago. After smoking for over 30 years I am still amazed how easy this transition has been. I am having an absolute blast ordering flavors and looking at websites. I suppose the only downside so far is the mailman will be hating me very shortly for all the mail I have been receiving.

If my stupid silly story can convince just one person thinking about quitting smoking to give vaping a try, please do! I smoked for over 30 years, and am still amazed how painless this transition has been. Not to mention FUN!

I wanted to say THANK YOU to all of you posting in this forum, I am convinced without finding ECF, I would never have ventured into this arena. I look forward to hanging out with you all for a long time to come! Thanks again!

 

[Frenchfry1942]

CONGATS!!! and welcome to ECF. It is a helpful place. I think most were in the same boat. I didn't find this until a monthish after switching. Not smoking, and the people on this forum, are great!

Again, welcome to you!

 

[philoshop]

Thanks for joining, and welcome to ECF! Great story! Congratulations and best of luck to you.

 

[Maytwin]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum

 

[Susan~S]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum DroopyDogs. Glad to have you here!

 

[DingerCPA]

Droopster - this is awesome Congrats on dropping the cigs. I too tried a few times over the past four years after being introduced to cigalikes by a client of mine. Didn't really sink in until February/March. I'd finally gotten some decent equipment and resolved myself that I wasn't going to buy any more cigarettes (mostly because I'd already spent so much on vape stuff.) Now I keep finding that "one more thing"

I recently came down with my "typical fall cold", and for the first time in YEARS, it didn't transition into bronchitis. No more wheezing, hacking up a lung, etc. I'm glad I've made it this far, and I'm happy you've found the means as well.

Way to go! (and if you have any trouble trying to figure out how to spend your money, we'll be GLAD to help!)

 

[abpigdoc]

SO much like mine and many other's story. Very happy that you've found another, more permanent way of not smoking. Congratulations and be strong with the trials that this medium will throw at you, fussy ever-changing devices, something new to spend your money on, and what-in-the-heck am I going to vape? My devices have changed, my wick, my coils, my juice, my tastes...would have never guessed I would enjoy so many flavors when I only bought one brand of cigarette! Welcome to the forum!

 

[dice57]

Fraking right on. Was a 30 year smoker, meself. but when I had the first cig-a-like, I knew a way to not smoke was possible. that was about 1.5 years ago. Now I'm on of those crazy old men, that has the latest and greatest vape gear, and a "Casual Vape" weighs in at 40 watts.

yeah, did th hypnosis, gum, patch, even the collapsed lung technique, which worked the best, lasted 6 months, but cost me like 40k, fraking intensive care rates are just way over priced. imho.,

Glad you found us, welcome aboard.




Vape long and Prosper.!!!

 

[Alter]

Congrats on tossin the cigs, it was 35+ years for me to get tired of smoking.
I just happened across ECF while I was trying to investigate why this CE4 was giving me a bad taste. I began to read, read and then read some more, realizing that our kits were bottom of the barrel and there is WAY better out there, thus my vape journey began.
All I can say is that your vape experience is directly related to what gear you are using and how far your willing to wander down the unknown path and not always most expensive is best. I've been using protank 1&2's for eons now, rebuilding them with hemp and 30 gauge kanthal is the best vape asset I can have since those protanks have set the stage for me to rebuild almost any atty. I bought a kayfun clone several weeks ago and since then I have barely used my protanks since the kayfun is much superior atty, so much that I bought a authentic Russian and 2 more kayfuns from different manufactures to see how they all perform.
Vaping is a steep learning curve of should I buy this or maybe that, learn to build or use factory coils, many forks in the vape path but once you reach the plateau you will be able to sit back in vape nirvana like my wife and I have been doing for many months. She has no idea what a metallic, dry hit is since we tossed those old CE4 and ego kits into the bin.

 

[PennyLynn]

It's truly the most wonderful and enjoyable way to chuck a very bad habit. I smoked from my teens until last January. I'm 63 and I got nervous because I was planning some elective surgery. The doctor told me I would have to quit. I ordered a hypnosis CD from a guy who had helped me once before. I considered whether I really had to have the procedure. Then my neighbor came over with his e-cig and I tried it.
As of tomorrow it will have been 3/4 of a year! I love my vape and my family are so freaking happy I was able to get off the Kools.

 

[daleron]

Congratulations and welcome to ECF DD , make yourself at home

 

[alisa1970]

Congratulations, welcome, and thank you for sharing your story! Your story is similar to mine, except that I didn't want to quit, nor had I ever tried. I was a 30 year smoker as well. And while our stories aren't unique to ECF, they are still amazing to read, and I wish you the very best and continued revelations as you continue your smoke free journey!

 

[BigMak45]

Congratulations and Welcome! 37+ years for me. It's only been 3 weeks off analogs, yet I'm enjoying vaping so much and haven't even thought about a cig since vaping.

The people on this forum have been so helpful in answering any of my questions, and I think you'll find the same.

Find a setup you like, find some juice you like, and don't think you have to keep buying more and spending big bucks on this. You don't. You of course can, if you choose, but you don't have to. A lot of the more advanced, experienced vapers here have truly turned this into a hobby with some really cool high-tech devices. But for now just find a setup that works for you, and have fun with the myriad of flavors available. You'll know when the time comes if you want or need more.

 

[Richard JP]

Congratulations on kicking the cowboy killers, it's been 2 months now I've been icky stick free also after a 2+pack a day 35yr.habit.I feel so much better today and hope you do as well.Keep up the good work!

 

[PaulieD]

Took me 42 years at PAD...I am soooo grateful for ECF and vaping.

 

[Sthur]

Congratulation on quitting and welcome to the ECF family.

 

[DFYLR]

Congratulations, Droopy. While your story certainly isn't unique, it's just as amazing as all of the rest of us who tried everything else and nothing else worked.
Interesting how after all of the time, effort, and money put into other less effective "smoking cessation" products, the one that actually works is basically a lightbulb.

 

[Redruth]

Hi and welcome. Your story echoes mine too. I tried everything and some. I finally stopped try to stop. Then last Saturday at a friends party I met someone who was vaping on a Vamo v5. It was as if a light went on in my brain, I asked a few questions and as soon as I got home I ordered one. Played around with it for a few days and then when I got the hang of it just went for it. I still have a pack of opened stinky sticks but I love vaping so much that I haven't touched them. It's only been two days but I know I won't be needing those analogs anymore.
I was smoking 30 a day min; at a cost of £70 a week or more. So even the initial cost of setting myself up vaping is less than a weeks sticky sticks. And I'm pretty sure what I've got is going to last me more than a week before I need to spend again.

 

[DroopyDogs]

WOW!! You guys are all amazing, thanks so much for the welcomes, it really means a lot.
I'm good right now with my Triton, who knows what the future holds. I'm not much of a "tinkerer", so I don't envision myself building things but who knows. I'm happy where I am for now, but I sure am having a BLAST with flavors. My first order was tobacco flavors, thinking that would help get me off the cigs, but I ventured into Butter Pecan and some flavors and I find that I don't care much for the tobacco already. Who would've thunk? LOL
I can already tell I have a lot to learn to catch up! Not even wanting a stinkie is good for me right now.
Now, if I could only get the husband to give vaping a try.....................he's amazed how well it's worked for me. From smoking 1 1/2 packs a day to zero in a few days without being cranky at all is in itself amazing. I've offered my spare Triton to him but it's laying on the counter for now. He'll come around eventually I hope.

 

[jarchack]

Smoked for 35+ years. Could not have quit without e-cigs... and I've tried everything from patches to chantix to acupuncture.