Life Changing Event

[Old Philosopher]

Just felt like I needed to share this.

A couple months ago, my son and his fiance came out for a visit, and my wife's BD.  The young lady was in the process of quitting smoking, as my wife would like to do. One thing led to another and my son's BD present to his mother was a vaporizer.
After a few days, and me continuing to chain smoke, DW asked me if I would be on board for quitting also, if we got me one of these newfangled gadgets, but only if I was serious, and not just because I'm a technofreak. I said sure.

Well...it's been 60 days now, and I have not touched a cigarette (or other tobacco product) since 2 days after I started vaping.  I don't have the slightest desire to ever fire up another cancer-stick again!  I transitioned from cigarettes (a 50 year habit with only one 6 month break) with apparent ease.  I traded cigarettes with their ~1,500 chemicals for just 3: propylene glycol, glycerine, and 2.5% nicotine.

The first thing I noticed after 5 days was that I woke up in the morning and could actually draw a full lung of air with the firs breath. No more taking short, measured breaths to inflate my lungs without hacking my guts out!
The next thing was less shortness of breath during a day's activities.
The third thing was more energy (which I ascribe to better oxygenation of my blood).

The other Pros I've discovered are:
1) No more tobacco stains on my fingers, or smell on my clothing.
2) No more ashes or tobacco flakes where ever I go.
3) No more cigarette burns on carpet, clothing, or other valuable articles that got in the way of a "lost cherry" from my smokes.
4) No more "2nd hand smoke" to freak out non-smokers, and those folks seem to be more curious than offended.

When I get into something new, I like to know as much as I can about it. I've done more research on "vaping", and learned more, than I ever imagined I would.
I had a 2-pack-a-day habit, and the only way I could afford it was to roll my own.  Actually, I had a machine that stuffed ready made tubes with filters with pipe-cut tobacco.  I was still sucking down chemical-laced tobacco along with the paper by-products.

This is the device I started out with, and my soon-to-be DIL didn't steer us wrong.  Technically it's called a sub-ohm carbonizer, which means it uses a very low resistance heating coil, which vaporizes the "e-juice" at lower temperatures and lower wattage, so the juice and heating coil last longer.



Switching from tobacco to vaping has dramatically changed my life.
I'm open to Q&A on the subject.

[PetrifiedWood]

I tried E-cigarettes about 8 years ago before they were as advanced as they are now. They didn't produce as much "smoke" back then, so I ended up using more than I would if I was smoking regular cigarettes. It make me pretty sick, so I went back to regular cigarettes. A few months after my daughter was born, I quit cold turkey. I carried around a full, unopened pack of smokes and my lighter in my pocket so I knew if the cravings ever got so bad I couldn't take it, I could just open the pack and light one up. I carried that pack around for about 6 weeks until I finally realized I wasn't going to need it.

It really helped knowing that relief was seconds away. I think the advice people give to throw all your cigarettes and lighters away is sometimes counter productive. It makes the cravings worse knowing that you will have to drive to the store and buy a pack.

[Trekster]

I am one of those people who Vapes for the most part (often zero nic now or only 1.5mg) and I also make my own juice using Veg. Glycerin USP from the pharmacy.

I often add CBD extract additive now (a little goes a long way, better used sublingually) and it calms me rather than amps me up. My smoking cessation program is self enforced because I believe that everything in life is willpower based and better done by demanding adherence from oneself.

I agree, Vapes are amazing. Gotta get a newer big decent device though. The cruddy pens and etc are not only unsafe but very much inefficient and expensive over the long haul.

Kudos to you! I still smoke once to three times per day or week depending upon severity of cravings but I avoid cancer sticks like the plague. I smoke a pipe or cigar and honestly prefer them for certain situations such as a cool evening wind down, morning wake up or campfire/stump sitting situation.

God bless you man it's tougher IMO to quit alcohol and or tobacco than it ever has been to quit pills or other even my horrid ass prescription meds (I'm back on another for now and it's really hard not to feel trapped but that's where a good peer group therapy etc helps me most.

[wsdstan]

Good for you OP, it is a step in the right direction.  Set a goal to get off the vaporizer within a few weeks and you will be home free.

Hope everyone else around you is having success too.   

[xj35s]

I have one question. If you quit cigarettes for a vape, can you ever quit the vape? Nicotine is the addictive chemical in cigarettes. So now you're receiving a more pure satisfaction to that addiction. Logic would seem much like heroine. You'll desire more and more.

Forgive me for being blunt or offensive. I just don't understand how this works. I give you many kudos for getting away from all the chems. I just see vaping growing to an alarming rate with specialty shops everywhere, and vape lounges too.

One more question. What will they say about this purer nicotine consumption in 15 years?

Wdstan, beat me to it.

[Old Philosopher]

I have one question. If you quit cigarettes for a vape, can you ever quit the vape? Nicotine is the addictive chemical in cigarettes. So now you're receiving a more pure satisfaction to that addiction. Logic would seem much like heroine. You'll desire more and more.

Forgive me for being blunt or offensive. I just don't understand how this works. I give you many kudos for getting away from all the chems. I just see vaping growing to an alarming rate with specialty shops everywhere, and vape lounges too.

One more question. What will they say about this purer nicotine consumption in 15 years?

Wdstan, beat me to it.

Okay...here's the deal.
Nicotine is the addictive drug. But tobacco companies add chemicals (I can look it up, or you can) which increase the nicotine absorption. So when you smoke a cigarette, you are getting dosed with an additional chemical that increased you dose of nicotine. 
I have looked at several lists of different brands of cigs regarding their tar and nicotine content. First of all, there is NO TAR in vaping.  Second, a cig has anywhere from 8mg to 24 mg nicotine in it.
One confusing part about vaping is the "juice" is marked either 2.4% or 24 mg.  It's the same thing. As Trek said, he's down to 1.5% (or 15mg) juice.

So...if you're smoking one of the stronger cigs (Winston or Marlboro or American) 100mm (even w/filter) you're around 24mg.  If you smoke 2 pks a day, that increases with every puff.
The rule of thumb is that if you have a 2 pk/day habit (like I did), you won't be satisfied with any vapor less that 2.4%.  That's why my craving for an actual cig disappeared...I started with 2.4% juice.

To answer your first question, yes you can quit the vaporizer.  Think of it as a step-down nicotine patch.  Trek as gone to 1.5% nicotine in his juice. I have some 1.2% I alternate with the 2.4%. 

Back to the nicotine addiction thing.  A number of limited studies indicate that a "vaper" is only getting about 35%-50% of the nicotine in the juice. So read that 2.4%=1.2%, 1.5%=.75%, etc.  Whereas cigs have that chemical in them that INCREASES the amount of addictive nicotine fed to your body.

I think a lot of people who have quit will agree, the hardest thing to over come is the HABIT  of the mechanics involved in smoking.  Besides the oral fixation, there is the "ceremony" of lighting up. You know, tap the cigs to pack the tobacco, light the fire (who isn't fixated with fire? LOL), etc., etc.  When I started vaping, I chain "smoked" the machine the same way I did cigarettes.  It was the first habit I had to break.  Since the vaporizer is about as different from cigarettes as chicken wings to beer steak, it wasn't that hard.

Regarding the addiction to nicotine, and the "crave more and more" aspect.  Nicotine is addictive, but it's main detrimental effect is raising blood pressure and may increase blood fat levels.  There are no definitive studies which conclude nicotine by itself is carcinogenic.  If you've ever notice a dirty ashtray, or pipe bowl, the real killer is the residual tar residue from the combustion of tobacco and all it's additives.

Someone mentioned the fad of vaping, and all the "smoke" generated.  The more vegetable glycerine in the juice, the more vapor is produced.  They even have competition now to see who can exhale the biggest "cloud".  Most of these folks are vaping straight veggie glycerine (VG), and 0% nicotine.  Yes, it's become a fad in this regard, but even our new Surgeon General has stated that "alternatives to tobacco" could be the greatest health benefit to come along in decades (considering the statistics on heart disease, lung cancer, COPD and even PAD).

Backing up a minute, I was smoking 2 pks of cigs/day. At 2.4% nicotine in e-juice, 2 ml (a full tank in the Pico vaporizer) is equal to 1 pk of cigs. I am now down to less than 2ml of juice per day, so instead of 2 pks of cigs, I'm down to the equivalent of less than 1 pk.

[Trekster]

It is true that vaping cannot be considered a 100% safe alternative to smoking, chawing, dipping, snusing, etc...

But in moderation and only when you're not already super chest congested etc it's a far cry safer comparatively.

This is not to suggest that one should increase nicotine consumption via vaping nor should nonsmokers simply take up vaping for no reason at all. Lol.

Truth to tell there are side effects and one major mistake people make is getting drunk and vaping together... it's already difficult to "dose" vapor since it's much less "finite" than, say, a cigarette, cigar, or bowl of pipe tobacco...there is a real risk of nic poisoning especially when you're already inebriated.

Also...avoid Propylene glycol heavy blends like the plague. 100% VG is thicker and this causes problems with the coils or cotton even in drippers/rebuild able atomizers but if you vape a VG heavy blends you will suffer less stomach problems due to vaping PG heavy ratios of juice since PG is known to cause diarrhea and stomach upset...if you're like me and already prone to a sour/disfunctional gut you will definitely appreciate "max VG" blends.

And yes if you're going to satisfy an oral fixation I find that clenching a bic pen in my mouth or chewing sugarfree mint gum (I may try blue spruce sap instead) will be a good alternative to smoking/chawing or vaping etc.

BTW I still think it's kinda goofy to consider smoking the nastiest habit ever... especially since there are so many worse ones. Like picking one's nose in public... scratching surreptitiously or blowing snot tickets/Hocking loogies everywhere.

[Old Philosopher]

....

Also...avoid Propylene glycol heavy blends like the plague. 100% VG is thicker and this causes problems with the coils or cotton even in drippers/rebuild able atomizers but if you vape a VG heavy blends you will suffer less stomach problems due to vaping PG heavy ratios of juice since PG is known to cause diarrhea and stomach upset...if you're like me and already prone to a sour/disfunctional gut you will definitely appreciate "max VG" blends.

...

I actually found out that even though there are few regulations on vaping juice right now, the FTA HAS prohibited mixtures that exceed 70% PG (propylene glycol), for health reasons.
When buying juice you need to know how the mfg is labeling their produce.  Some list PG first, and VG second (i.e., 30/70 would be the PG/VG percentages), where as 70/30 would be VG/PG.  The best clue is that any number over 50 should be the PG number.  Most companies are now making 50/50 juice just to stay out of trouble and avoid confusion.

[wsdstan]

BTW I still think it's kinda goofy to consider smoking the nastiest habit ever... especially since there are so many worse ones. Like picking one's nose in public... scratching surreptitiously or blowing snot tickets/Hocking loogies everywhere.

None of those disgusting habits will harm the health of your friends, your children, or anyone else you spend a lot of time with if you smoke.  I smoked from 16 years of age to 40 years of age and am sorry for every minute of it.

[Trekster]

And yes... tobacco is the working man's antidepressant because yes, nicotinic receptors in the brain are part of why it helps us block out nasty comments and ty coworkers/people in our lives. It also increases productivity in the workplace and provides camaraderie with some people. The nicotine ain't the only part of tobacco that's medicinal, either...but the tar and byproducts of combustion (of anything smokeable) is what kills ya in the long run and at the very least hurts your lung capacity/function. At least if inhaled. Even if not it's in your mouth which means at the very least stomach irritation if not mouth or esophageal cancer or etc. One thing to consider, however is that while tobacco (especially commercial cigs) are certainly carcenogenic, we all (every human being) have cancer cells within our bodies. The carcinogens we encounter in daily life anyhow no matter where or how we live are what activate those negative cell growth/mutations. Power of positivity and lack of constant struggle with worry over what we cannot control or change in our lives or in others is why Willie Nelson is still kicking. Ymmv. It's a mindset thing that everyone has to master or just become old and bitter and die miserably. Some of us are just better at it than others which is why many mentally disabled people are very happy, grateful and healthy people who don't struggle with overthinking things nor being doubting Thomases/negative nancies. Jmo. Happiness is often a choice and is where you find it. Some ways of finding it are just less healthy. But everything in life is a calculated risk. Hunkering in the bunker with 100 therapy cats isn't any less hazardous than, say, walking out your front door and getting hit by a bus.

[imnukensc]

Congrats to you, OP!  Quitting cigs is a tough row to hoe.

[Old Philosopher]

...... One thing to consider, however is that while tobacco (especially commercial cigs) are certainly carcenogenic, we all (every human being) have cancer cells within our bodies. The carcinogens we encounter in daily life anyhow no matter where or how we live are what activate those negative cell growth/mutations. Power of positivity and lack of constant struggle with worry over what we cannot control or change in our lives or in others is why Willie Nelson is still kicking. Ymmv. It's a mindset thing that everyone has to master or just become old and bitter and die miserably. Some of us are just better at it than others which is why many mentally disabled people are very happy, grateful and healthy people who don't struggle with overthinking things nor being doubting Thomases/negative nancies. Jmo. Happiness is often a choice and is where you find it. Some ways of finding it are just less healthy. But everything in life is a calculated risk. Hunkering in the bunker with 100 therapy cats isn't any less hazardous than, say, walking out your front door and getting hit by a bus.

Follow you, and agree 105%.  That's why it (whatever 'it' is) is called "dis-ease".

[Trekster]

Yes, OLP, I'm rooting for ya! Never give up! You can do it!

[Old Philosopher]

Yes, OLP, I'm rooting for ya! Never give up! You can do it!

Thanks! No sweat... Some might say I switched from a crutch to a cane, but I'm off tobacco forever....

[Old Philosopher]

Nicotine aside, I now have a new addiction: Black Licorice flavored e-juice. LOL!!

[Trekster]

Lol I guess you enjoy the taste of anise...nuknuknuk

[Trekster]

Interesting sidenote...so do bears. The old wco/game warden around here baited beartraps with "bear donuts" which he soaked with anise extract...he claimed that worked the best of anything he'd tried as bear lure.

[Old Philosopher]

Lol I guess you enjoy the taste of anise...nuknuknuk

Interesting sidenote...so do bears. The old wco/game warden around here baited beartraps with "bear donuts" which he soaked with anise extract...he claimed that worked the best of anything he'd tried as bear lure.

Not to laugh. The first trick I learned at 12 yoa when I started trapping (this from Fur, Fish & Game mag) was to deodorize my traps with anise oil.

[wsdstan]

The power of positive thinking is a great enabler.  It gets people through tough times and over disasters.  It makes people achieve better results than negative people.  However, when you have lung cancer you can be as positive as you want and it does no good. 

[wolfy]

GOOD FOR YOU, OL' P!        My dad smoked when I was a kid, but then quit when he was around 45 years old.  He got lung cancer and died at the age of 81.   I smoked in college......non-filtered Camels, as a matter of fact......that addiction lasted until I married Heather at the age of 40.  I don't really remember how I quit, but I did it!   I'm a 'goody-2-shoes,' now.     I haven't even had a drop of alcohol for over 7 years.......and you all thought I just HAD to be drunk to write the stuff I post here!

[Trekster]

Maybe this makes me a heathen but if I've got stage four lung  cancer I'm gonna load myself up with everything known to man that's enjoyable  or just get baked as heck every day  for the rest of my lifespan and ride it out like a champ in whatever way seems best to me.

Life is too short to be miserable the whole way through no matter which way you look at it and if stage four lung cancer means cancer + chemo or radiation treatment and a protracted more miserable death I'd rather just die quicker and more comfortably and to hell with legality or anyone else's opinions. I can't imagine God would smile on me being selfish enough to demand or expect to find a doctor with a fountain of youth in his back pocket any more than he'd smile on the snake oil doc who sells a miracle chemo pill or miserable juicing diet more likely to kill ya from too much vitamin A intake.

I mean, I could piss in a tea jug and put it on eBay and call it the elixer of life or something and some japanese businessman or other desperate oddball would buy it and probably drink half of it before realizing it's just my nasty ketonic urine but does that make me a professional? Bottom line is don't take life too seriously and don't fall down the rabbit hole of the weird part of the internet...


Oh wait, you're already here😂😂😂
Ymmv.


uotetan link=topic=13902.msg252285#msg252285 date=1496803582]
The power of positive thinking is a great enabler.  It gets people through tough times and over disasters.  It makes people achieve better results than negative people.  However, when you have lung cancer you can be as positive as you want and it does no good.
[/quote]

[wsdstan]

That is the path most would try to take Trek and God bless them for it.  When it is over it is over so you might as well go out laughing.   My point is that all the positive thinking and stupid ass things you can think of to do won't change the fact that if you smoke you have a greatly increased risk of checking out of the asylum early.  On the other hand you could quit smoking and six months later get hit by a truck.

Quitting smoking OP, is the smartest thing you could do for yourself and for your family. 

[Sarge]

Glad you were able quit, OP! 

[Unknown]

Thanks for telling that great story OP. Carry on.

[madmax]

'79 - Met my wife
'80 - We tried to quit smoking.  On.  Off.  On.  Off.
'81 - Got married and finally quit.

Years and years.  Decades even.  That first cup of coffee.  That beer.  That gin and tonic.  After eating.  In the dictionary under "cravings" that was me.  What a powerful addiction.

Way to go OP!

[Old Philosopher]

Well, I'm still addicted to nicotine, but I'm changing that, too.  For right now, 90% of the negative aspects of smoking cigarettes are behind me.

Short story:
My best friend went to the doctor and got a chest X-ray.  There were a couple small anomalous spots in his lung.
The next year, at his annual physical, they were a tiny bit bigger.
The next year, the doctor suggested a biopsy.  Tests came back positive for cancer.
He started a chemo regimen, followed by radiation treatment.
He was sicker than a dog.
The diagnosis worsened.
He went into the hospital for further, intensified treatment.
Part of one lung was removed.
While there, he contracted pneumonia. (Possibly from laying around in bed, and getting no exercise)
I talked to him on the phone, and as doped up as he was, he told me they would be discharging him in the next couple of days.
There was still some liquid in his intact lung, so the doctors wanted to drain it "just as a precaution".
I got a call from his son, telling me Richard had passed.
Apparently the draining of the one lung went wrong, and they collapsed his only good lung. He didn't have the strength to recover.
His last year of life was Hell. Half of it was spent in the hospital.
I often wonder how long he would have lived if he hadn't had "professional treatment"?  I know he would have been a lot happier, fiddling with his woodworking, and watching the deer from his deck at home.
(R.I.P., Richard -- age 84)
 

[Mannlicher]

I can't see that using one of those machines is the answer.  The nicotine is still there, the addiction is still there.
I smoked for about 25 years.  I was going through three packs of unfiltered Camels a day.   Finally got tired of it, and was getting ready to marry my third wife, and she encouraged me to quit.   I put them down, and never looked back.  I'll admit that there was no smoking alternative back then, but till,  It was important to me, to break the addiction.

[PetrifiedWood]

I can't see that using one of those machines is the answer.  The nicotine is still there, the addiction is still there.
I smoked for about 25 years.  I was going through three packs of unfiltered Camels a day.   Finally got tired of it, and was getting ready to marry my third wife, and she encouraged me to quit.   I put them down, and never looked back.  I'll admit that there was no smoking alternative back then, but till,  It was important to me, to break the addiction.

That's where I am at with it. I tried the vaping and it didn't lessen the addiction for me, it only changed the delivery mechanism to a less satisfying one.

The way to quit, is to simply decide that you aren't going to smoke anymore. Know that the cravings will gradually subside, and go for it. When those cravings come, tell yourself that you are not going to be a weakling who can't handle a little withdrawal. And in a few weeks it will be a lot easier. In a few months it will effortless. And in a few years it will be just a bad memory.

One of the more unexpected things about quitting is that you will be shocked at how the scent of smoke lingers on people, and it's a little embarrassing knowing that you smelled that way back when you were smoking. Oh, and food tastes better too.

[madmax]

Now and then I'll get passed on the highway by someone smoking and I can smell it.  Or stop at a light with the AC on and smell it from a car next to me.  I know that sounds like BS but it's verified by other people in the car.

I will say that smoke doesn't bother me as much anymore.  And I don't have cravings. 

[wolfy]

I know exactly what you're talking about, Tony.....and I have a theory about that.      It's my contention that former smokers (and I'm one of them) find the lingering odors of stale tobacco smoke in clothing, automobiles and people's houses that DO still smoke more abhorrent than do those people who don't smoke and never have. 

My old hunting pard (the one that broke the blade on my Buck 110) is a smoker and when he'd come into my driveway to pick me up in the pre-dawn darkness of November for a day of pheasant hunting, that foul odor was easily detectable before I got completely off the steps of the porch.....opening the door of the pickup was like getting hit by a train!

[wsdstan]

I smoked for about 25 years.  I was going through three packs of unfiltered Camels a day.   Finally got tired of it, and was getting ready to marry my third wife, and she encouraged me to quit.   I put them down, and never looked back.  I'll admit that there was no smoking alternative back then, but till,  It was important to me, to break the addiction.

That's where I am at with it. I tried the vaping and it didn't lessen the addiction for me, it only changed the delivery mechanism to a less satisfying one.

The way to quit, is to simply decide that you aren't going to smoke anymore. Know that the cravings will gradually subside, and go for it. When those cravings come, tell yourself that you are not going to be a weakling who can't handle a little withdrawal. And in a few weeks it will be a lot easier. In a few months it will effortless. And in a few years it will be just a bad memory.

One of the more unexpected things about quitting is that you will be shocked at how the scent of smoke lingers on people, and it's a little embarrassing knowing that you smelled that way back when you were smoking. Oh, and food tastes better too.

That is the way I quit too PW.  I used a nicotine patch for a month then threw it away.  The physical addiction doesn't last that long but the lifestyle does.  I, like most smokers, used cigarettes when I drank, socialized, relaxed, and so forth.  It was an activity habit.  It took me a few months to stop reaching in my shirt pocket for the pack that wasn't there anymore.  The urge to smoke lasted about six months in an ever decreasing frequency.  At first it was three times a week or so, then once a week, then a couple of times a month, then once in  long while, then never. 

One thing I did mentally was condition myself to feel that if I smoked then I was the lowest form of humanity.  A real blight on the world sort of thing.  I stunk up peoples lives, burned my clothing, my car was unfit to ride in, and so forth.  for me it worked.  At some point I was more concerned with failing and falling back into the cesspool than the physical addiction.  PW is right at how you suddenly regain a sense of smell and realize what you smelled like.  What your home smelled like and what your vehicle smelled like.  Food starts to taste a lot better.  I was racing motorcycles at the time and my lap times evened out during the whole race.  I was falling off after the halfway point big time and after quitting my endurance improved to where I went as fast the last lap as the first.  Great incentive for me.

No downside to quitting unless going from 165 pounds to 195 pounds in six months is a problem.   

[PetrifiedWood]

I know exactly what you're talking about, Tony.....and I have a theory about that.      It's my contention that former smokers (and I'm one of them) find the lingering odors of stale tobacco smoke in clothing, automobiles and people's houses that DO still smoke more abhorrent than do those people who don't smoke and never have. 

My old hunting pard (the one that broke the blade on my Buck 110) is a smoker and when he'd come into my driveway to pick me up in the pre-dawn darkness of November for a day of pheasant hunting, that foul odor was easily detectable before I got completely off the steps of the porch.....opening the door of the pickup was like getting hit by a train!

You aren't the only one. Years ago when I worked for a land surveyor, the owner of the company would sometimes go out in the field to do a job here and there. He was a former smoker, and he hated smelling it on people with a passion. I really think there is something that "clicks" to create an aversion where none would exist if you had never smoked before.

[PetrifiedWood]

That is the way I quit too PW.  I used a nicotine patch for a month then threw it away.  The physical addiction doesn't last that long but the lifestyle does.  I, like most smokers, used cigarettes when I drank, socialized, relaxed, and so forth.  It was an activity habit.  It took me a few months to stop reaching in my shirt pocket for the pack that wasn't there anymore.  The urge to smoke lasted about six months in an ever decreasing frequency.  At first it was three times a week or so, then once a week, then a couple of times a month, then once in  long while, then never. 

One thing I did mentally was condition myself to feel that if I smoked then I was the lowest form of humanity.  A real blight on the world sort of thing.  I stunk up peoples lives, burned my clothing, my car was unfit to ride in, and so forth.  for me it worked.  At some point I was more concerned with failing and falling back into the cesspool than the physical addiction.  PW is right at how you suddenly regain a sense of smell and realize what you smelled like.  What your home smelled like and what your vehicle smelled like.  Food starts to taste a lot better.  I was racing motorcycles at the time and my lap times evened out during the whole race.  I was falling off after the halfway point big time and after quitting my endurance improved to where I went as fast the last lap as the first.  Great incentive for me.

No downside to quitting unless going from 165 pounds to 195 pounds in six months is a problem.   

Yeah, you will gain some weight as eating and smoking are related to some of the same "hunger" parts of your brain. I am probably 20 to 25 pounds heavier since I quit. But I am positive the extra weight isn't as bad for me as the smoking was.

[Old Philosopher]

Okay...with everyone else's share and tell about quitting smoking, it's my turn.

I said I had a 6 month break in my smoking habit.  Some of you will believe what happened to me, and others won't. Doesn't matter.

A while after marrying my 2nd wife, I found myself 27 years old and the father of two daughters.  At the time, I was deeply into a spiritual journey.  Suffice it to say I read every major doctrine and a lot of not-so-orthodox writings on the subject.  I was in the middle of one set of volumes which answered a lot of questions for me, and resonated with me on a profound level.  Short version is, I found myself one night asking all those powers that be, orthodox and unorthodox, to grant me longevity...that I might live long enough to convey what I'd learned to my children.

I got up the next day and went through my morning ritual of getting shaved and ready for work.  Went to work.  About 10 am I realized that I had forgotten my smokes and lighter.  Oh, well.  Lunch time came and went.  An hour or so later I realized I'd missed my after-meal smoke break.  About 4 pm I had an epiphany: smoking was no longer a part of my life.

I marveled at this for a few more days.  There were no cravings, no tension, and those around me who noticed said that they didn't know what happened, but they had never seen me more calm and stress-free.  Over the course of the next month, I lost a little over 10 pounds.

Now comes the kicker.  I was drunk on my arrogance.  I walked around work with this inner sense of superiority, no longer a slave to tobacco, and feeling like I was "better" than those who were 'jones'ing' for a smoke.   After about 6 months, I was sitting alone feeling confident and self-assured with my new found freedom.  I said to myself, "That was so easy to give up smoking that I should just have ONE for ol' time sake, and remind myself what it was I'm not missing."  I swiped one of my wife's cigarettes and lit up.  That was all she wrote.....

During my next meditation, I got the message loud and clear:  "You asked for a long life. We gave you the key. You threw it away.  The next time you try to quit, you're on your own."  The only conciliatory message I got was that lung cancer would be what killed me.

I tried to quit several times over the next couple of decades. I tried the patches, I tried the pills.  I tried sheer will power.  I prayed...again. Nada.  (Free Will sucks, BTW)

Maybe this vaping thing is a back door second chance, for me anyway.

Enough of all this maudlin tripe!  Someone wanna hold my beer while I try to seat the bead on my wheelbarrow tire with a can of starter fluid???

[Trekster]

OLP I'm in the same boat I did the same about a year ago and just about lost my mind this year due to various unrelated life circumstances spiraling outta control. Everything went to at once and I'm still kicking but I wondered if it had been my fault for asking favors of God, heaven, hell or Earth below. I beat myself up over it and now I pray every day that I'll find a way for my part in the grand scheme of things (if it is true that we all have a purpose in this life) to come about so that I haven't wasted my life or time or talents and can at least find something or someone that I can dedicate my life and time to and make some kind of a difference and change myself so that I can be a better man than I was the day before so that I can better others.

[wsdstan]

Enough of all this maudlin tripe!  Someone wanna hold my beer while I try to seat the bead on my wheelbarrow tire with a can of starter fluid???

A rope and a 18" piece of broomstick seats them beads with no fire.  Still gotta set down your beer though.

[Trekster]

Oh BTW there is in my experience some connection between TMJ and dental problems especially bruxism and misalignment of the jaw that predisposes a lot of folks to sleep apnea, grinding their teeth, and related maladies such as insomnia, tic disorders and stress...when the term "mouth breather" comes into play there is some truth to that...some dentists and orthodontist types at major medical universities have experimented with dental appliances in treatment of neurological disorders and while it may well be bunk science and/or hucksterism it surely made me think of my own oral fixation and why I always clench my pipe or smokes in the left side of my jaw...since I was a kid I had problems with my jaw clicking and even now it often locks shut or pops uncomfortably especially on the right side of my face...check in with your dentist or orthodontist and investigate maxillofacial chiropractic techniques and mouth guards etc to help you cope with the desire to put something in your mouth or chew it on one side...can be an irritant all on its own lol

[Trekster]

BTW I've found that a 36" wrecking bar/crowbar/long L tire iron and another strong man helps with removing tires from even large tractor tire rims...HTH. I've only ever used the spray and light method to reseal a bead on a rim but I agree, set the beer down lol won't help your stress levels nor smoking cessation related anxiety if you pull a party foul and spill your nectar.

[madmax]

I'm getting really weirded out here.

Carry on.

[wolfy]

Yeah, me too.....freaked me out so much I started smoking again!

[wsdstan]

TMJ was, as practiced in the 1980's, the dentist's version of impersonating a carnival side show barker.  5 pounds of bs packed into a 1 lb box.  My dentist at the time told me there were very few people who would benefit from treatment for something that wasn't a problem in the first place.  Boy was he right.

This isn't to say some people don't have it, just saying that the treatment process was applied with a broad brush and to lots of people who had no problems till they visited their dentist.  It was a KACHING process by most accounts.

[Trekster]

Oh I'm well aware of how far dentists will sink ya for something you might as well not worry over. Good eats and a gargle will prevent a lot of dental problems like the need for fillings. I was only mentioning this on a personal level. I've noticed I'm calmer when my mouth is agap slightly and I have TMJ. Just a suggestion.

[madmax]

I'm eating Butterfinger pie and my mouth feels good.

[Old Philosopher]

Not sure how TMJ entered the conversation, but my chiropractor fixed my jaw clenching issues years ago.  Except for when I'm getting my butt chewed for no good reason....

I haven't tried the starter fluid method yet on the wheelbarrow tire, but the cargo strap (or rope) trick hasn't worked.   I'm about ready to put it on the rotisserie over my fire pit and just hope for the best....

[imnukensc]

Got tired of my wheelbarrow tire always being flat and having to air it up every time I wanted to use it.  I had planned to put a new tube in it, but they were out of stock so I broke down and bought a Marathon flat free tire.  Expensive, but at least the freakin' thing won't be flat when I want to use the wheelbarrow.

[xj35s]

The trick with the lighter fluid or hairspray or deodorant is fuel to air mixture. A little spray goes a long way especially with a small wheelbarrow tire. Also the trick is to keep air going in the nozzle the entire time. If not the air will contract so fast it will suck the bead right off the rim again. Toss a match at it, don't use a lighter!!!!


I want to thank you for answering my question so thoroughly. I will from now on encourage people to go to a vape if they can't quit. I know so may that can not.

[Old Philosopher]

The trick with the lighter fluid or hairspray or deodorant is fuel to air mixture. A little spray goes a long way especially with a small wheelbarrow tire. Also the trick is to keep air going in the nozzle the entire time. If not the air will contract so fast it will suck the bead right off the rim again. Toss a match at it, don't use a lighter!!!!


I want to thank you for answering my question so thoroughly. I will from now on encourage people to go to a vape if they can't quit. I know so may that can not.

Thanks for the advice on blowing myself up!

I do want to point out that "e-cigs" and "vaporizers" are cats & dogs.  A person venturing into this world of vaping who tries an e-cig will probably pitch it in less than a week.  You have no control over the experience. They are either too harsh, or too weak.  Plus, they are comparatively expensive, and most are non-refillable.
There are a lot of mid-priced vaporizers, the iStick Pico sub-Ohm unit being one of them (around $45), that offer a fist full of adjustments and features that will optimize the experience. 

A couple features to look for:
1. Choice between wattage or temperature (of the vapor), depending upon the metal in the coil you use, and personal preference.
2. Air flow control.  (This is a biggie as far as I'm concerned.)

A lot of other bells & whistles are a matter of choice, like programmable modes to 'remember' optimum settings for different coils, or juice flavor, "puff counter" to monitor how much you are using it over a period of time, etc.

IMHO, if the vaping experience is not pleasurable, reverting back to cigarettes will just about be guaranteed.

[Trekster]

I agree with OLP and my suggestion would be to get a decent new or used in good condition 2-battery variable wattage "box" like a Sigelei 150 watt and a decent RBA tank. I have a Smok on mine at the moment. Look for vapes with spring loaded copper contact pins and get yourself a 2 or 4 battery charging station and 2-6 new 18650 batteries. They are the most expensive part of vaping IMO since you really don't want to use fake batteries or rewraps for anything over 50 watt puffage.

Hope this helps.

Jmo ymmv

[Old Philosopher]

I agree with OLP and my suggestion would be to get a decent new or used in good condition 2-battery variable wattage "box" like a Sigelei 150 watt and a decent RBA tank. I have a Smok on mine at the moment. Look for vapes with spring loaded copper contact pins and get yourself a 2 or 4 battery charging station and 2-6 new 18650 batteries. They are the most expensive part of vaping IMO since you really don't want to use fake batteries or rewraps for anything over 50 watt puffage.

Hope this helps.

Jmo ymmv

I agree about battery safety. I believe the 18650 Lithium batteries are just about standard for most units. Cheap lithium batteries can be dangerous (re: a few cell phone that have blown up!)
I don't know that I'd recommend someone new to vaping to jump right into an RBA unit, dripper, or anything like that.  Factory coils like used in the sub-Ohm devices are fairly cheap (~$15 for a 5-pack), and at reasonable wattage a coil should last up to 2 weeks.  It's also possible to clean a factory coil, and get a few more miles out of one.

[Trekster]

Yes I agree with you on the new vaper thing but from a cost effective standpoint I'd have to say an RBA or dripper is far moreso than the standard tanks. It is true that you can soak em in vodka or corn whiskey to clean em, and I have done so, however there is a limit there. I really only got a week to a months worth of extra burn time with the soak and dry method and after the second soak they taste horrid. Lol.

It is however doable especially when the drop in coils are large airflow and vertical in nature. My buddy laughed at me when I'd bought an el cheapo "tank" (bottom feeder, I think it was an "Arctic" tank) yet the .4 ohm dropins last me thrice as long as a fancier, more expensive top loading non rebuild able tank.