Still smoking support and chat thread

[twgbonehead]

rangerRobin, Lox, and FQ,

Look, don't think of it as "backsliding" or "downward spirals". It doesn't have to be that way.

I still smoke, even after getting seriously into e-ciggs last October. But this is completely different than EVERY other time I've tried to quit.
Every other time, whether it be gum, patch, hypnosis, cold-turkey, whatever, it was always "One strike and you're out". I tried my hardest to resist smoking a cigarette, but as soon as I "broke" I was right back to a PAD or more.

With e-ciggs, I am able to say, at any point in time: I can choose to have a cigarette, or I can choose to vape. I choose to vape most of the time; I choose to have a cigarette sometimes. But I don't put a judgement on it, other than I am smoking one heck of a lot less than I used to. And I see it as a path to eventually always choosing to vape.

Take the pressure off yourself! For me that is the miracle of vaping. One smoke, 5 smokes, 10 smokes, it isn't that important. What is important is fewer smokes, and as a long-term average, not on a day-by-day basis.

I have never been able to quit smoking because I always tried to put too much pressure on myself to "quit and stay quit". That doesn't work for me, in particular every time I "Fell off the wagon" I fell off for good.

Rejoice in a gradual and non-linear progression away from the butts. You guys are great people, and you ARE succeeding whether you realize it or not!

 

[loxmythe]

Ack, sorry, I know the feeling!

My downward spiral started yesterday, after a juice swap arrived that I absolutely hated. I’ve not liked things before, but I was and am still very surprised at how negatively I responded to the 3 juices. I’ll swap them with someone and be done with it, jeez. Not sure why I had a conniption and proceeded to chain smoke the evening away?!

How was the juices I sent you? Can't remember but did I send you .... rum? Is it me or is it nasty?

 

[rangerrobin]

How was the juices I sent you? Can't remember but did I send you .... rum? Is it me or is it nasty?

Yes , lol, but all the others were good!
I thought you had created that one, and was proud, so I wasn't going to say anything.

 

[loxmythe]

Lol I can take criticism
My first attempt was dead on life savers butter rum. Same flavors and % but new bottle of flavoring. Either vendor changed flavoring (maybe last batch had diacetyl?) or it's a bad bottle.
Sorry about that

 

[Topdogie01]

Lox, contact the vendor? Might replace it for you. Or maybe the .... steeps out. Hah.

My grandpa stopped by yesterday and dropped off ALOT of money to "help" us with bills. Pretty much all of our monthly bills are now paid for the next 2 months. He won't let me decline the money. He had a child with similar health issues who didn't make it past 4 years old. So they always try to make sure we have money when we go to the hospital.

Im thinking I want one of the super Nintendo control mods.

 

[ShariR]

Hi everyone! Contractor is out of here until Monday so I have some peace and quiet, kinda, for a couple of days. Wow, have not been here in a while.

Top, so very happy to hear little one's surgery went well and you are all home again.

A big WELCOME to the new people here. Hang out with us and keep posting; this is the greatest support thread on ECF.

 

[ShariR]

And Jazz! Congratulations times 2!!!

 

[GtrSoloist]

Just dropping in to say hi... and welcome to all the new people. My best advice is to hang in there and remember it's usually the second mouse that gets the cheese...

Grats Jazz and Theya (one year woohoo.) Top, I'm glad your son is better and you are home now. Sorry about the mini-flood, try to look at the damp carpets as built-in humidifiers.

This must be the time for back sliding. After dealing with a perpetual sore throat I said forget it and have just been smoking around a pack a day for the last week. I would vape and still want more, so I'd up the nic and chain vape all the while still feeling unsatisfied. Which in turn led to the aforementioned sore and swollen throat. Oh well, Rome wasn't built in a day... (but I wonder how long it took to burn?)

Since I no longer sleep, I've found a few ways as a Vegas local to get free show tickets, so I've been going to one show after another. In the last couple of weeks I've seen: The Blue Man Group, Pin Up, Raiding the Rock Vault, Rose. Rabbit. Lie, and a bunch more that I'm drawing a blank on. Tomorrow night is: Evil Dead the Musical in 4D.

Have a great weekend.

 

[Claudia P]

Hi everyone, I'm still reading the thread every day just not posting much. Life has been pretty busy.

Those of you beating yourselves up over smoking please try to relax about it, the reason you can't quit is because you just aren't ready yet, when you are truly ready and want to quit for the right reasons it will happen. As long as you are trying to quit because someone else wants you to or tells you you should it just isn't going to happen, the only reason that will actually work is when YOU want to quit for YOU.

Until that time just praise yourself for cutting down considerably and reducing the risk of smoking. Believe me when I was ready to quit the taste of a cigarette nearly gagged me it tasted so awful, at that point I knew it was time to just stop smoking them and go through whatever withdrawals were to come while enjoying my vape.

When you are really really ready you will do it because YOU want to!

 

[darksparkle13]

ranger & FQ I have had a bad day today myself... but I am in good spirits!
I like waht lox said they are just speed bumps! no worries! Be proud of the ones your NOT smoking!!!!

 

[darksparkle13]

Whew - finally caught up after last week's vacation. 10 days is a struggle to catch up on

The family went to Moab, UT for our annual Jeep vacation with some close friends. The weather was pretty good, 80s a couple days, 90s another and 1 day of 100 degrees. We had a breeze the whole time, so it helped it not feel so hot.

I had a mishap in the Jeep on Saturday though, I was coming up an obstacle I've run multiple times before, and slipped off a rock tipping the Jeep on its side.

View attachment 348307

No injuries, and I was the only one in the Jeep, the wife and daughter were at the top of the hill watching. I dinged up a door, and was hanging from the seat belt for about 45 minutes while we were working to get it back on the wheels. I was pretty much chain smoking the whole time.

I'm so glad to see all of the success stories and the encouragement. I may not post all that much in this thread, but I certainly read each and every post. I'm so glad to have all of you for when I'm ready to pick up the pace again with 1 less analog a day. I've got the equipment, and I'm much closer to my ADV, so it'll only be a matter of time when I can turn my dual use into more vaping than smoking. I just know it.

Wow so glad you are safe and no major injuries!!!

 

[darksparkle13]

Just dropping in to say hi... and welcome to all the new people. My best advice is to hang in there and remember it's usually the second mouse that gets the cheese...

Grats Jazz and Theya (one year woohoo.) Top, I'm glad your son is better and you are home now. Sorry about the mini-flood, try to look at the damp carpets as built-in humidifiers.

This must be the time for back sliding. After dealing with a perpetual sore throat I said forget it and have just been smoking around a pack a day for the last week. I would vape and still want more, so I'd up the nic and chain vape all the while still feeling unsatisfied. Which in turn led to the aforementioned sore and swollen throat. Oh well, Rome wasn't built in a day... (but I wonder how long it took to burn?)

Since I no longer sleep, I've found a few ways as a Vegas local to get free show tickets, so I've been going to one show after another. In the last couple of weeks I've seen: The Blue Man Group, Pin Up, Raiding the Rock Vault, Rose. Rabbit. Lie, and a bunch more that I'm drawing a blank on. Tomorrow night is: Evil Dead the Musical in 4D.

Have a great weekend.

WHAT?!?!?!?! Evil dead the Musical In 4D How Fricking awesome!!!! What the **** was that, your sister has turned into a zombie, What the **** is that your girlfriend was a demon tooooo! HAHAH Love it!

 

[GtrSoloist]

I'm not stressing over smoking or vaping. It's counterproductive. I will be back down to a couple smokes a day in no time and eventually down to none. It will happen when it does and I'm fine with that.

Evil Dead the musical was awesome! Fun, hilarious, and just a good time all around. It turns out the show was the two year anniversary, and Bruce Campbell's birthday, so the crowd (which was hardcore) recorded him a nice message. The show has a large fan following with a Rocky Horror vibe, some of the people had seen the show so much they knew the dialogue and lyrics. It's the kind of show that you either love or hate. I had blast. The 4D part is a "Splatter Zone." When zombies gets killed (again?) the people in the splatter zone get sprayed with stage blood by the actors... it's pretty cool.

Off to get some shut eye so I can stare at the mostly naked women when I go see Crazy Girls later on tonight.

 

[darksparkle13]

I'm not stressing over smoking or vaping. It's counterproductive. I will be back down to a couple smokes a day in no time and eventually down to none. It will happen when it does and I'm fine with that.

Evil Dead the musical was awesome! Fun, hilarious, and just a good time all around. It turns out the show was the two year anniversary, and Bruce Campbell's birthday, so the crowd (which was hardcore) recorded him a nice message. The show has a large fan following with a Rocky Horror vibe, some of the people had seen the show so much they knew the dialogue and lyrics. It's the kind of show that you either love or hate. I had blast. The 4D part is a "Splatter Zone." When zombies gets killed (again?) the people in the splatter zone get sprayed with stage blood by the actors... it's pretty cool.

Off to get some shut eye so I can stare at the mostly naked women when I go see Crazy Girls later on tonight.

Oh def a hardcore following, every year around here they do evil dead with the splatter zone, last year we got front row and got covered in blood! My husband who is a pretty big dude was wearing his camo redneck shirt and looked like a serial killer after the show! Of course we went to eat AFTER the show all covered in blood, priceless!

 

[FinallyQuit]

Good Monday Morning everyone! Hope it's quiet in here because you all had a very busy and productive weekend. I had a bad case of the lazies, so coming to work today was a chore. But, I'm here with my game-face on, prepared to stick it out until the end of the day.

Come out and play!!!!!!!

 

[darksparkle13]

Good Monday Morning everyone! Hope it's quiet in here because you all had a very busy and productive weekend. I had a bad case of the lazies, so coming to work today was a chore. But, I'm here with my game-face on, prepared to stick it out until the end of the day.

Come out and play!!!!!!!

How did your Monday go? Mine kinda sucked lol. Hope you made it thru!

 

[FinallyQuit]

How did your Monday go? Mine kinda sucked lol. Hope you made it thru!

I was just coming in to talk to myself some more! I only smoked one cigarette yesterday, go me!! And even though it was Monday the day wasn't horrible. Hope your Tuesday is better Sparkle!

 

[darksparkle13]

I was just coming in to talk to myself some more! I only smoked one cigarette yesterday, go me!! And even though it was Monday the day wasn't horrible. Hope your Tuesday is better Sparkle!

Congrats on the one fq! I wish I was there but no pressure!
Tuesday was better, work is a pain in the ...., I found out yesterday that I am getting a new project, this is after I worked a project for eight months and it got given to two people to do, so I was stewing a bit about it.... Oh well still getting a paycheck, so can't complain... And hopefully a raise! Not much but hey!
Hope your Tuesday was good!

 

[Topdogie01]

Today was tiring. Girlfriends first day back to work. On an earlier shift.

Child has some fluid around right lung and have another appointment Thursday. Grr. Still gotta submit travel expenses for surgery

 

[Karen N Daytona]

Hey everybody! and Hello to all the new people here! Welcome!

Had a few health issues to deal with including another of my famous falls, Hip is not broken but I did a tiny hair fracture in upper thigh, I can still get from chair to be and a few steps but boy does that hurt
Had infection in a tooth that turned into a nightmare infection that was getting down to my heart, they doubled antibiotics and I am on the mend from that too.
Just another ..... in my armour. Going to the Dr July 1 st, have neurologist appointment July 10th trying to find out the rest of the stable of Dr's I am going to use so I can get the ball rolling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Had to take an HMO from Medicare after much research, I wouldn't have had any money to live on otherwise. I am still researching and can cancel up to June 30th if it is too restrictive. Still hate the whole Primary care physician thing.