UGH.. I quit the analogs but am getting tired of the "what ifs?" from hubby..

[Ameera]

I just don't get it, but then again, maybe I do... My husband has NEVER smoked in his life, but he grew up with both parents smoking. His father smoked 3 PAD and decided one day to quit, bought a pack.. and never even opened it. His mother still smokes but I doubt she is even a PAD smoker. I started stupidly back in high school.. ironically enough at one of my volleyball games. Athletic to this day, I have been smoking ever since and that was back in 1987. I was up to a PAD and decided I had had enough.. I was sick of it. Sick of the smell, sick of the heavy feeling in my chest, sick of coughing.. sick of spending $7.89 per pack.. per day... sick of being ashamed of being a smoker, shameful that my daughters had the only mom who smoked in their classes.. (probably only PARENT period in their whole school!!) and was done with smoking but just couldn't buy that pack and NOT open it.. telling myself I was DONE. Well, two weeks ago I started reading about vaping and decided I would give it a go, no harm right??

Friday afternoon after school shopping with the girls, I said I have one more stop to make.. and that was one of the local vape shops. I went in, told them I wanted to quit analogs, they hooked me up with an ego starter kit, three clearomizers and I picked out 3 e juices. The guy there mixed them to 18 MG for me and off I went. On the way home I explained to my daughters what that place was all about, and how I was going to quit smoking.. and the looks on their faces and their response was PRICELESS!!! They were soooo happy! So we decided to keep it a secret from my husband until we knew how it was going to turn out.

WELL.. long story short, I haven't had an analog since I walked out of that vape shop. My husband knew the girls and I were planning a big surprise for him.. and I thought it would be more like a month from now that we would share the good news, but I was tired of hiding my vaping from him so we broke the news that "Mommy has stopped SMOKING!!!" says my 9 YO !! He said he figured that was what this was all about.. So we tell him all about the process whereby I became a "non smoker!" and, don't get me wrong- he is very happy about THAT part, but now come the questions about whether or not I am actually adding another addiction/vice, why not just quit? How healthy is it really? What sense does it make if you aren't really smoking, to continue a costly vice just to get nicotine? What if you are upping your nicotine intake, and then you will just go right back to smoking.. I of course am quite defensive since this is a HUGE undertaking and feel like all that other banter is senseless at this point.. I just want to enjoy being smokefree, not being worried about WHEN I am going to quite vaping.. my god it has only been 2 days!!! I LIKED smoking, I just didn't like all that went with it.. so if I like vaping and it isn't a harmful process, much the opposite really.. then what...!!! Feeling guilty for something that changed my life is {MODERATED} ..... but I do get where my husband is coming from.. why can't I just quit??!! WELLLLLLL, I can't. I tried the drugs, made me want cigs less, but then I wanted to kill myself, and had the craziest of scariest of nightmares.. what sort of trade off is that??!

Sorry for the rant.. but I am feeling like it would almost be easier to just start smoking again.. Hubby and I aren't talking right now.. I am outside in my smoking chair feeling guilty for vaping..

 

[Ameera]

This probably doesn't even belong in the success stories.. I have no idea..

 

[Sdh]

Congratulations on the switch. Don't let the hubs get you down. Hang in there and arm yourself with knowledge.

 

[Racehorse]

Aw, you sound like a nice family and your kids support you and I think hubby does too but just doesn't understand yet, but I think he will come around.

Just level with him that you are still addicted to nicotine, but that you can drop your nic level down little by little, that you didn't want to quit smoking cold turkey, didn't think you could do that, and so you are vaping to start harm reduction and eventually quit that, too.

Just tell him you need his support and love to make a big change in your life.

I think he will come around, you know, non smokers really don't know what it's like to be a slave to cigs.....he just doesn't understand how this is a PROCESS for you.

 

[dejena]

I agree with Racehorse. You've taken the first step, which is quitting the 3,000 chemicals that they pump into those analog's, which is important.

You can do it!

 

[rob2655]

Congrats on making the switch!

A non-smoker will never understand how powerful the grip of cigarettes are. The best thing you can do is stay the course, keep off analogs, and do your research to help educate yourself AND your husband.

Here is a link to an artical about a recent study done by the Drexel University School of Public Health concerning ecigs and the effects on users and those nearby: prn.to/11P06MF

And here is an opinion article from The Daily Beast.

And here's a link to Clive Bates' blog. Clive is the former director of ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) and is a big proponent of ecigs: The counterfactual

This is an link to a great infographic on why you're making the right choice: E-Cigarette Forum - E-Cigarette Infographic

Here's a link to an article by the ISCD (Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs) that shows the true harm reduction of ecigs: ISCD ~ Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs

Lastly, join CASAA. CASAA (The Consumer Advocates for a Smoke-Free Alternatives Association) provides a wealth of knowledge on the subject and fights for your rights as well.

ECF is a great community. Stay involved and stay off tobacco!

 

[SASmith]

I agree with what everyone has said, hang in there and please don't start smoking again.....there's a really big what if....what if you never gave up smoking......what if you never tried to quit smoking. For now it's about harm reduction, I plan on slowly reducing my nicotine and when I get to zero then I will decide if I still need to vape.

I'm sure you and your husband will work it out, he was probably excited because he thought you had quit nicotine completely (non-smokers really don't understand how hard it is) and then disappointed because, he doesn't understand vaping and you were excited that you were finally not smoking and then disappointed that he wasn't more supportive. Hang in there and keep vaping

 

[Ameera]

Thank you everyone for the great advice and responses! I just felt really overwhelmed and this is a monumental accomplishment for me.. I thought I would try weaning myself off of the analogs but instead jumped in head first and then all the "what if's" were kind of driving me mad!! BUT on a lighter note, thanks to the wonderful reading material posted here I will be armed with the answers to hubby's many questions. He just really caught me off guard and I was taken aback by the barage I was hit with.

I really do not want to go back to analogs... that would be a bad move.

And on an even lighter note.. a lady that I bought my smokes from on a regular basis at the local gas station is also a PAD smoker.. Camel lights just like me, so I went in today and told her the good news, showed her my setup and she is going to head to the local vape shop to start her journey to becoming an ex smoker!! Spreading the news is so exciting!!

 

[xanalogbob]

It is so good to see your success! Thank you.

 

[Valhalla17]

I just don't get it, but then again, maybe I do... My husband has NEVER smoked in his life, but he grew up with both parents smoking. His father smoked 3 PAD and decided one day to quit, bought a pack.. and never even opened it. His mother still smokes but I doubt she is even a PAD smoker. I started stupidly back in high school.. ironically enough at one of my volleyball games. Athletic to this day, I have been smoking ever since and that was back in 1987. I was up to a PAD and decided I had had enough.. I was sick of it. Sick of the smell, sick of the heavy feeling in my chest, sick of coughing.. sick of spending $7.89 per pack.. per day... sick of being ashamed of being a smoker, shameful that my daughters had the only mom who smoked in their classes.. (probably only PARENT period in their whole school!!) and was done with smoking but just couldn't buy that pack and NOT open it.. telling myself I was DONE. Well, two weeks ago I started reading about vaping and decided I would give it a go, no harm right??

Friday afternoon after school shopping with the girls, I said I have one more stop to make.. and that was one of the local vape shops. I went in, told them I wanted to quit analogs, they hooked me up with an ego starter kit, three clearomizers and I picked out 3 e juices. The guy there mixed them to 18 MG for me and off I went. On the way home I explained to my daughters what that place was all about, and how I was going to quit smoking.. and the looks on their faces and their response was PRICELESS!!! They were soooo happy! So we decided to keep it a secret from my husband until we knew how it was going to turn out.

WELL.. long story short, I haven't had an analog since I walked out of that vape shop. My husband knew the girls and I were planning a big surprise for him.. and I thought it would be more like a month from now that we would share the good news, but I was tired of hiding my vaping from him so we broke the news that "Mommy has stopped SMOKING!!!" says my 9 YO !! He said he figured that was what this was all about.. So we tell him all about the process whereby I became a "non smoker!" and, don't get me wrong- he is very happy about THAT part, but now come the questions about whether or not I am actually adding another addiction/vice, why not just quit? How healthy is it really? What sense does it make if you aren't really smoking, to continue a costly vice just to get nicotine? What if you are upping your nicotine intake, and then you will just go right back to smoking.. I of course am quite defensive since this is a HUGE undertaking and feel like all that other banter is senseless at this point.. I just want to enjoy being smokefree, not being worried about WHEN I am going to quite vaping.. my god it has only been 2 days!!! I LIKED smoking, I just didn't like all that went with it.. so if I like vaping and it isn't a harmful process, much the opposite really.. then what...!!! Feeling guilty for something that changed my life is {MODERATED} ..... but I do get where my husband is coming from.. why can't I just quit??!! WELLLLLLL, I can't. I tried the drugs, made me want cigs less, but then I wanted to kill myself, and had the craziest of scariest of nightmares.. what sort of trade off is that??!

Sorry for the rant.. but I am feeling like it would almost be easier to just start smoking again.. Hubby and I aren't talking right now.. I am outside in my smoking chair feeling guilty for vaping..

You remind me of me lol. My heart wasnt into quitting smoking but my brain was. It has been a long accepted opinion that other than getting yourself addicted to hard drugs, smoking is the most unheathly thing that you can do to yourself. So don't let it discourage you or lessen your accomplishment that others don't quite understand the monumental accomplishment that it is to walk away from cigarettes. If a person never smoked then they cant really get it as to why you can't, or don't want to, walk away from it. For me, I didn't want to, and that is my business. People quit bugging me to quit smoking due to my standard response to them when they brought up the issue: "I didn't want to quit because smoking saves lives, right now its saving yours" lol. Joking aside, good luck on your journey, you have made a great accomplishment. Keep up the good work.

 

[Ameera]

It has been one week and 6 hours now since my last stinkie... sooooo YAYYYY!!!! I am an ex-smoker indeed!!!! Hubby has come around and isn't as pessimistic as before, I even had him taste one my of tasty flavors without inhaling of course, just so he could know what I was choosing to do rather than smoke. It is all good.... bought 3 more flavors today and this journey is soooo fun!! The funny thing is, I was afraid I would be vaping way more than I smoked. In one week I charge my 900mah batteries every two days, and have only gone through 9.5 ML of ejuice, I upped my MG to 20 today because I was feeling the urge for the first smoke of the day more so than any other.. so I want to not even feel that. All in all, I feel great and am thankful for all the support I get here!!!

 

[BardicDruid]

For me, even after 4 years of vaping, I still use as non sweet tobacco as I can find, first thing in the morning to keep the analog cravings away. After the first cup of coffee, any flavor will do, but I've got to have my baccy first thing in the morning.

 

[dejena]

Good for you! Vaping is different for everyone, which just makes it even more awesome. And you might even find your useage, taste, and urges shift or completely change in odd ways over time.

I'm also really glad your hubby came around, and isn't being such a debbie downer

 

[slackhouse]

You can do it!!!8

 

[Baldr]

This probably doesn't even belong in the success stories.. I have no idea..

Sure it does. Just because your husband hasn't figured it out doesn't change the basics. And when you throw away all the smoke and mirrors, down at the basic level, you've quit smoking.

Stick with it. It sounds like you've got the right level of nic, but if you find yourself really wanting a real cig, consider getting some juice with a higher level. After you've been off the cigs for a few months, you can start moving down in nic level fairly easy, a little at a time. I had to use 30 mg nic to get off the cigs, and now I'm vaping 0 nic juice.

Your husband isn't being supportive, and that's sad, but bottom line, you have quit smoking. It may take him awhile to recognize it, but he will eventually.

Good luck.

 

[joeybear]

Hang in there and don't let anyone discourage you enough that you quit vaping and become a closet smoker. I, too, loved to smoke, but wanted to quit. My wife has the same skepticism and had the same questions. I let her read some articles and she did some research of her own and finally admits its a great way to quit. She could never give up her coffee and fully admits a caffeine addiction. I call it even and continue to vape

 

[WarHawk-AVG]

I agree with Racehorse. You've taken the first step, which is quitting the 3,000 chemicals that they pump into those analog's, which is important.

You can do it!

It's not those trace chemicals you need to worry about...

And...congrats on the first steps on quitting

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-e-liquid-discussion/465485-its-not-nicotine.html

 

[Malavekio]

I can understand your frustration from a different point of view if you will. I'm here on the forums not because I am a vaper, but because my wife is. Its difficult for someone who has never smoked see someone so near and dear have a vice as such, as with anything we can't understand it due to us never having lived in those shoes. (and yes I have never smoked or vaped) It took me a while to accept that my wife smoked, and that vaping was a better alternative. Was I happy, yeah, yet I still saw her clinging onto something that seemed like a crutch she never needed. I see my wife as a strong, wonderful woman who can do anything she wants in life, and do it well. She can take adversity and change it for the better, yet she can't get beyond vaping now. Don't take it as a bad thing, just the reality of what my mind sees. Now though I accept it, took me a while, I'd say about a year or so before I decided I would help here rather than hinder whatever progress she had made (now I'm the one making her micro coils and thinking of getting her a Provari, just so she can be successful at vaping, if that's a thing). So, view it from this side, we don't understand and we may never understand it but truly it is a wonderful thing to see someone make strides to being smoke free, and in the end we at least try to accept it and love the people that truly matter to us. Give him time to adjust, his dream was smoke free, he just doesn't get it yet it will come.

 

[r77r7r]

Smack'em upside the head, why don't cha.

 

[Caye Carden-Sigman]

Thankfully, my husband is all for it (me vaping) no analogs in 3 wks. NOTHING, and I mean nothing could be as bad for you as cigs (analogs) ( still trying to get the lingo right). I totally agree & your hubby should too!! No stink, and now I'm smelling better than ever!! My house still smells new!! Hopefully, since he can't relate to the addiction of smoking, he will be more positive. (I know how it feels, you are doing something you know is better for you, but still getting grief) Keep up the good work, he will come around!!!!