Well, since I can't post anywhere else, I figured I'd introduce myself and give a brief background for my first post to ECF. For almost 18 years now I've been a smoker, about 1 to 1.5 PAD. I started when I was legal and it was very much a conscious decision.
I've tried quitting three times total. The first was cold turkey and wasn't very "cold" at all...it dragged on for many, miserable months until I finally gave up. The second, I tried switching to snus and while I was successful at first, it wasn't more than a couple months before the other issues from that started to bother me enough to go back to smokes. The third, I got on Chantix and was successful for the longest period yet, almost a year, before some rough patches in life annihilated my will and I went back.
Then, I lost my mom to cancer. She was a 40+ year, 2 PAD smoker and there's just no doubt what happened. When that happens in your mid-30's, it shakes you to your core. I can't say as I've acted urgently since then, but I'm definitely getting my strength back and had been revisiting the idea of getting off cigarettes again.
It was about 2 months ago that a friend raved about the e-cigs and said I should try them, they'd be perfect for me. I was deeply suspicious of the technology, I suppose because I knew nothing about them. On a whim one night, I started doing some "research" (pre-ECF) on the web and found a lot of people were recommending cig-alikes. (This was before I realized a lot of those "reviewers" are essentially paid schills.) I figured what the heck, it couldn't be worse than smoking, so I ordered in a few batteries and some cartos to try out. It was the day after I got them that I realized that cig-alikes weren't going to work for me. Between the spontaneous and immediate death of those batteries and sudden failure of cartos, I was buying smokes as a backup, which completely defeated the purpose for me. I almost gave up right then and there, but decided to let it marinate.
That led me to my local vape shop and eventually to ECF. After talking with the folks at the shop for an hour, I pulled the trigger on a respectable custom kit with eGo-T batteries with after market heads. I figured I'd get around to trying them out in a few days, but got it out that night for curiosity sake. Funny thing was, I never really established a plan to quit. It just sort of happened after I started puffing on that eGo. I'm 8 days free and feeling great. Even more surprising, I have ALWAYS been one to cheat, but with a decent setup, I haven't faltered even once.
With that unanticipated experience, I have decided that I absolutely need to set myself up for long term success. I've since purchased strategic backups for the backups and even a mod for at home use. Since I'm an experienced hobbyist, I've also got rebuilding supplies on order...and I absolutely see DIY liquid in my future. I'm really looking forward to the craft aspects of ecigs, something cigarettes never brought to the table. (I suppose I could have bought a tobacco farm...) Eventually, I have the desire to quit nicotine altogether, but for now, this has all ready improved my life ten fold from what it was.
I've spent night after night here on ECF seeking support, a path and knowledge...I've received all that, thanks to this great group. I seek to do the same for others, and thus why I've joined here and with CASAA. I bring to the table a fair bit of political experience, an occasional quick wit and hopefully quality, informed posts. I'll see you on the threads!
Cheers and vape on!
I've tried quitting three times total. The first was cold turkey and wasn't very "cold" at all...it dragged on for many, miserable months until I finally gave up. The second, I tried switching to snus and while I was successful at first, it wasn't more than a couple months before the other issues from that started to bother me enough to go back to smokes. The third, I got on Chantix and was successful for the longest period yet, almost a year, before some rough patches in life annihilated my will and I went back.
Then, I lost my mom to cancer. She was a 40+ year, 2 PAD smoker and there's just no doubt what happened. When that happens in your mid-30's, it shakes you to your core. I can't say as I've acted urgently since then, but I'm definitely getting my strength back and had been revisiting the idea of getting off cigarettes again.
It was about 2 months ago that a friend raved about the e-cigs and said I should try them, they'd be perfect for me. I was deeply suspicious of the technology, I suppose because I knew nothing about them. On a whim one night, I started doing some "research" (pre-ECF) on the web and found a lot of people were recommending cig-alikes. (This was before I realized a lot of those "reviewers" are essentially paid schills.) I figured what the heck, it couldn't be worse than smoking, so I ordered in a few batteries and some cartos to try out. It was the day after I got them that I realized that cig-alikes weren't going to work for me. Between the spontaneous and immediate death of those batteries and sudden failure of cartos, I was buying smokes as a backup, which completely defeated the purpose for me. I almost gave up right then and there, but decided to let it marinate.
That led me to my local vape shop and eventually to ECF. After talking with the folks at the shop for an hour, I pulled the trigger on a respectable custom kit with eGo-T batteries with after market heads. I figured I'd get around to trying them out in a few days, but got it out that night for curiosity sake. Funny thing was, I never really established a plan to quit. It just sort of happened after I started puffing on that eGo. I'm 8 days free and feeling great. Even more surprising, I have ALWAYS been one to cheat, but with a decent setup, I haven't faltered even once.
With that unanticipated experience, I have decided that I absolutely need to set myself up for long term success. I've since purchased strategic backups for the backups and even a mod for at home use. Since I'm an experienced hobbyist, I've also got rebuilding supplies on order...and I absolutely see DIY liquid in my future. I'm really looking forward to the craft aspects of ecigs, something cigarettes never brought to the table. (I suppose I could have bought a tobacco farm...) Eventually, I have the desire to quit nicotine altogether, but for now, this has all ready improved my life ten fold from what it was.
I've spent night after night here on ECF seeking support, a path and knowledge...I've received all that, thanks to this great group. I seek to do the same for others, and thus why I've joined here and with CASAA. I bring to the table a fair bit of political experience, an occasional quick wit and hopefully quality, informed posts. I'll see you on the threads!
Cheers and vape on!
