Your ashtray says you've been up all night...

[Leita]

.. except I don't have an ashtray anymore. Hmmm...

I'm posting in New Members since I'm not a regular here by anyone's measure. But I've been huffing e-cigs daily since early June when I gave up analogs.

The reason for my post is this: a while back I started having breathing problems and hadn't been to a doctor since quitting. Yesterday, my doc started on the usual rant about the importance of not smoking and it was my great pleasure to cut him off mid-fillibuster and hand him a M401 I use when on the road.

"What is this?"

(insert the brief explanation of what an e-cig is and how I hadn't smoked an analog since June.)

After a chilly (why don't they warm those stethoscopes up?) check up and down my back and chest, Doc declared my lungs sounded like a non-smoker.. almost.

Here's the thing. He loves my e-cig. But many years of smoking analogs seem to have done quite a bit of damage to my chesticular windbags and I probably have a hearty case of COPD. I am only 49 years old but you can still get off my lawn, dammit.

On the plus side, Doc loves my e-cig and does not believe it will cause any more damage (PG or VG didn't matter to him since neither make my breathing any worse). My husband asked him directly: "She huffs them like a crack pipe hooked up to a USB port and it's not making things worse?"

"She's not smoking cigarettes. She's happy. Shut up." He did.

I'm not sure what the minus side will be at this time. I'm scheduled to drink some white crap and get my esophagus raped by a lookyloo-ometer in the near future to rule out other potential worrisomes. So, I'm back to the plus side and hanging onto it with great optimism.

Just thought some of you would like to know. Wish me luck!

 

[MacArthurBug]

snip: "She's not smoking cigarettes. She's happy. Shut up." Made me giggle like all get out! My hubs is happy as a clam that I quit smoking and is willling to give e-cigs a try. I hope it works for him- since it's generally hard for me to stay quit if he's not.

 

[Moleman]

Love that song. And it's good to hear that your doc is cool with the e-cig. I've quit smoking now for a week (a week of hell) and am investigating getting an e-cig. Good luck.

 

[jj2]

Great story.
I love the shutup part.

 

[tarkus]

Moleman if you have quit completely for a week god bless you. Please don't use the ecigs as an excuse to go back to nicotine, The addictive brain will find any excuse to go back to the drug. But if you do fall off the wagon than ecigs are the way to go.

 

[Redd]

Moleman if you have quit completely for a week god bless you. Please don't use the ecigs as an excuse to go back to nicotine, The addictive brain will find any excuse to go back to the drug. But if you do fall off the wagon than ecigs are the way to go.

I disagree. Quitting is very difficult, and if the lack of nicotine is making him irritable, or causing difficulty in daily life, then an e-cigg is just the ticket to stay off burning tobacco, and create that "balance" once again.

 

[pianoguy]

Great story, Leita - best of luck to you!

 

[Leita]

Heh, I forgot about posting this. Insomnia has me in its sights and aiming to make me crazy so I tend to ramble in the quiet hours. Thanks to all for the kind words and well-wishes.

Maybe I've drank too much of the e-cig koolaid but I don't believe nicotine is any worse than caffeine and it is not what made me smoke for 30+ years. Partly, yes. Entirely, no. Otherwise the gum, patches, etc. would've calmed the beast.

The only other time I quit smoking was about two decades ago. I cold turkey'd after my son was born, gnawing on nicotine gum and a whittling afghans with a crochet needle to keep my hands busy. I lasted 10 months without a cigarette until one day I just pulled up to a convenience store, bought a pack of butts and a lighter and started right back up.

(Today I look at what used to be that newborn son. He's all growed up! A Marine learning what it's like to be an adult.)

So, on the cusp of re-reaching that previously failed achievement, I feel pretty confident I won't be reliving the past and driving to the store for a pack and a lighter again. Many thanks to everyone posting here for helping me get there.

 

[Milano]

Good luck!!!

 

[Netjinx]

I LOVE your story! Good for you, keep it up & be proud