Unfortunately, I never really had anything make me come to the “last straw” conclusion to quit analogs, but felt compelled to tell my (long-winded) story when I saw this post. I came really close when I found out that my mom had pancreatic cancer, which the cancer doctor said was most often due to heavy smoking and/or drinking. She was a smoker her whole life (died at age 61) but had quit smoking 3 years prior to getting the cancer. I also had a couple of friends who had relatives or friends who died from cancer after quitting 3 years PRIOR to getting it! So, I asked my mothers doctor, if I quit, will it keep me from getting cancer or am I too going to be on a 3 year “time clock” if I do? He told me that if I had quit before 35 years old (I was 45 at the time), I could have possibly saved myself from getting some kind of cancer down the road; however, NOW, the groundwork has been laid and its just a matter of WHAT will “trigger” the cancer cells in my body. WELL, that just made up my mind that I might as well just do what I enjoyed doing and take my chances because I was damned if I quit and damned if I didn't! Today, at over 50 years old, I no longer enjoyed smoking analogs like I used to, the prices were skyrocketing, everywhere I was going I wasn't allowed to smoke (making me feel like I had some disease that was communicable!), my work went no smoking (a BAR!) and it was too damned cold to go out on the porch and smoke this year (I quit smoking in my house last year; repainted the whole place, shampooed all carpeting, washed EVERYTHING that could possibly have smoke smell in it...which was EVERYTHING!). A casual acquaintance stopped at my work and told me to try out her new e-cig. I did, and was mildly amused by it. For the next couple of days, that darned e-cig kept popping into my brain! I thought, that thing tasted pretty darned good and if I had something like that, I wouldn't have to stand out on the cold porch and smoke all the time! So, the following week I ordered myself a starter kit (V4L). I loved it from day one, and found myself not even wanting an analog by the third week...but not intentionally TRYING to quit. It just HAPPENED...LIKE MAGIC! My only dilemma now is that there isn't a day that passes that I don't think, “when that 3 year mark comes, can I expect to get cancer because I quit smoking cigarettes?” (I'll only be 58 then) But don't get me wrong...I don't plan to ever go back to analogs as I enjoy vaping SO MUCH MORE than I EVER did the nasty sticks, so I'll take my chances.
