it's officially two weeks since my last cig

[fizzgig]

husband fell off the wagon early this week, but stretched those two packs out for five or six days (he'd smoke a pack or more a day before) and is going to start over again tomorrow. i still a fleeting thoughts of how it would be nice to light one up, but i think that's more emotional than anything else. my mom sent us the world's supply of nicotine gum, which i think will be helpful to him.

no real monetary savings yet, but that takes into account the start up costs and his buying a lot of the vaping liquid, but we shouldn't have to buy any for several weeks now. i think we're looking at probably a hundred bucks a month savings.

i've been watching the anti-vaping threads in gd with a mixture of facepalming, laughter and bewilderment. i haven't quit nicotine (yet), but i think i can safely say i've quit smoking. my lungs don't burn like they did on occasion, i've stopped coughing up nasty crap in the morning and i'm starting to use less salt on my food. the biggest thing i've noticed is that my mouth feels cleaner and i'm really liking that.

i wasn't thrilled about quitting at first, but now i'm realizing it was a good idea.

[elleng]

1. Good to hear, fizz!

Salting food is related to smoking? I didn't know that. My husband, a heavy smoker (who died as an attenuated result of smoking) always used to salt his food a lot, even without tasting it. We all laughed about it.

[fizzgig]

2. heavily salting is

my family does the salting without tasting thing, too. the smoking dulls your tastebuds.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Quitting smoking is very rewarding.

Somewhere on the web is a list of good things that happen when you quit smoking.
and some of that is related to being free of nicotine as well.
I was thrilled to get a sense of smell back. Took a few months for that to happen.

[fizzgig]

5. i'm smelling a bit more acutely already

unfortunately, none of those smells are pleasant. i really need to get some odor eaters

[Ino]

38. I had the same experience, LOL.

All the new aromas I detected were NOT nice ones. But then one day I detected the fragrance of one tiny honeysuckle bloom, and it made it all worthwhile.

I could have sworn my taste did not improve until the day I fixed some mint tea and marveled that this tea was so much more minty than what I'd had before. Then I realized it was the same tea... I could just taste it better.

[Behind the Aegis]

4. Proud of you!

When smokers quit – what are the benefits over time?


20 minutes after quitting

Your heart rate and blood pressure drop.

(Effect of smoking on arterial stiffness and pulse pressure amplification, Mahmud A, Feely J. Hypertension. 2003:41:183)

12 hours after quitting

The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.

(US Surgeon General’s Report, 1988, p. 202)

2 weeks to 3 months after quitting

Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.

(US Surgeon General’s Report, 1990, pp.193, 194,196, 285, 323)

1 to 9 months after quitting

Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) start to regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.

(US Surgeon General’s Report, 1990, pp. 285-287, 304)

1 year after quitting

The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker’s.

(US Surgeon General’s Report, 2010, p. 359)

5 years after quitting

Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder are cut in half. Cervical cancer risk falls to that of a non-smoker. Stroke risk can fall to that of a non-smoker after 2-5 years.

(A Report of the Surgeon General: How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease - The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease Fact Sheet, 2010; and Tobacco Control: Reversal of Risk After Quitting Smoking. IARC Handbooks of Cancer Prevention, Vol. 11. 2007, p 341)

10 years after quitting

The risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a person who is still smoking. The risk of cancer of the larynx (voice box) and pancreas decreases.

(A Report of the Surgeon General: How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease - The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease Fact Sheet, 2010; and US Surgeon General’s Report, 1990, pp. vi, 155, 165)

15 years after quitting

The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker’s.

(Tobacco Control: Reversal of Risk After Quitting Smoking. IARC Handbooks of Cancer Prevention, Vol. 11. 2007. p 11)

These are just a few of the benefits of quitting smoking for good. Quitting smoking lowers the risk of diabetes, lets blood vessels work better, and helps the heart and lungs. Quitting while you are younger will reduce your health risks more, but quitting at any age can give back years of life that would be lost by continuing to smoke.

Last Medical Review: 02/06/2014
Last Revised: 02/06/2014
http://www.cancer.org/healthy/stayawayfromtobacco/guidetoquittingsmoking/guide-to-quitting-smoking-benefits

[fizzgig]

6. i didn't know it was linked to so many types of cancer

but it doesn't surprise me.

[jtuck004]

7. Good for BOTH of you. I fell off the wagon and got run over a couple times when

starting. The thing that stopped me from smoking was 36 mg nicotine e-liquid. The others weren't strong enough to rid me of my pack(ish) a day habit.

Tried some others, but this was tobacco-scented, and the day I got it I sat the cigarettes down unintentionally and just forgot about them, until I ran across them a couple days later.

http://www.besteciggy.com/

I'm off of that, nearly to a 12 and just finishing some 24. (Note - the dark side is strong. I smoked for 42 years, have been off since the end of October last year, and I still find myself reaching for a cigarette, but my vaping pipe is ALWAYS with me. A few hits and think about something else.

I like the darker flavors, chocolate, coffee, etc, and they clog the atomizer quicker, so I have to order those about once a month or 6 weeks (for 5), I rebuild my other one. Trying stuff from other vendors too. Still FAR cheaper than cigs.

Tell your husband to hang in there, it gets better, especially if he finds the mix that satisfies his craving.

And congratulations.

[fizzgig]

15. it's really hard to find 36 around here

and that's the level i think he needs, so i'm going to do some poking around on the internet. we haven't tried any flavors other than mint, maybe we'll try something else the next round.

thanks for the link.

[Callmecrazy]

18. I have the 36mg...

And I tell you what; four or five quick pulls on that dose makes my ears ring. Using the vaporizer takes a little trial and error before you get dialed in.
But I've already decided to never touch another cigarette in this lifetime.
45 days no cigs.
Oh, and the weed helps.

[fizzgig]

30. husband wanted to take a break from that, too

i think i miss that more than the cigs.

keep up the good work!

[jtuck004]

31. It's hard to find in many places. That's why I included the link, but there are others.

And looking at their website I notice their 36 is shown in a glass dropper bottle, but they have it in a 20 or 30 ml plastic squeeze bottle too. I am sure there are others out there.

The problem with 36 is that the nicotine (I am guessing here) can give it an unpleasant taste - this one is pretty decent, though.

In any event if I can be of help, pm me.

[fizzgig]

32. thanks for all your help on this

i'll poke around on that site.

[Digit]

34. I have been vaping for a few years now

I found the ECF Forum [link:http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/]? to be a wonderful resource for information. You will find all levels of vapers there from newbies to veterans.

Personally, I purchase most of my hardware and juices online and can recommend Mt Baker Vapor for decent e-liquid. Their prices are very reasonable and the juice made here in the US. I prefer simple uncomplicated flavors like the Butterscotch, Vanilla and Caramel flavors but you can also find "gourmet" sources if that is something you wish to try. At MBV, you can also pick the percentage of VG to PG you want and they offer nicotine levels from 0 to 36 mg.

For example, I see they offer Candy Cane e-liquid in a childproof 15ml bottle for $4.99. That would be at the highest nicotine level of 36 mg at the 50/50 pg/vg mix.

I am not affiliated with them in anyway, nor do I know anyone who is. I am just one of their repeat customers.

Congratulations on quitting smoking! That is a tremendous accomplishment!!

[Rhiannon12866]

8. Kudos to you!

[fizzgig]

17. thank you!

[Skittles]

9. Promise us

If you feel tempted, you will post on DU before taking a puff....remember N.O.P.E. (NOT ONE PUFF EVER)

[fizzgig]

16. i dreamt of it a lot last night

woke up wanting one something awful, honestly the worst craving i've had this whole time, but there aren't any in the house and there was no way i was going out to get some.

[Skittles]

33. time those cravings

they seem like they last a long time but they are actually very short

think of those dreams as your nicodemon trying to tempt you to have a cig - don't give in!!!

[NJCher]

35. dreams of smoking

I used to be a facilitator for American Lung Association and helped a lot of people quit. It is not uncommon for quitters to smoke in their dreams. When a smoker can't smoke, they'll dream about it as a way of dealing with the fact that it's off limits.

The urges go away--yes, it's true. A quitter finds that hard to believe. Sometimes it seems like it's two steps forward, one step back, but day by day, the urges recede.

You should pat yourself on the back every single night. What you're doing is really, really hard, but is the best thing ever that you can do for yourself.


Cher

[Scuba]

10. Good on you fizzgig!

I have a friend using a vap to quit cigarettes. His position is the vap may not be great for him but it's got to be better than cigs.

[fizzgig]

19. that's kind of my thinking

i know i'm feeling better now.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. Congrats!

Thanks to DU introducing me to vaping, am going into my 4th year cig free after 30 years. Am still vaping but only about 1/2 of the nic level than when I started. The one thing that was most noticeable was the fact that the stuff that is added to the cig paper to extinguish a burning cig, was apparently majorly irritating my nasal passages (most notably in the winter, when I started getting a perpetually runny nose from about November to April not long after that change was made). Once I stopped smoking and started vaping, all of that disappeared.

The national assault on those who are trying to quit by using this route (vs gum or patches or what I consider psychotic pills) is a disgrace. As an ex-smoker, I am not a zealot against current smokers because I know the deal. Many people just can't quit cold turkey or can do so over the long term with other types of nicotine aids (I know way too many people who were chain-smoking while wearing a patch and eventually gave up the patch - over and over, year after year), and the "shaming" of vapers is as bad as "fat shaming" or any other type of "shaming".

Hang in there and remember to drink plenty of water (or some kind of fluid). After settling down to favorite juices and getting my mods, going from almost $300/month with cigs, down to $50 or less/month with vaping, was so worth it, and I still get to keep my sanity - notably during stressful periods when one would give in and light up.

[fizzgig]

21. i don't understand the hate

we're hated on for smoking, we're hated on for how some of us have been able to quit. of course, some posters insist that vaping still counts as smoking. different things work for different people, but i get a sense of superiority from some people who say they quit cold turkey and imply that everyone should be able to.

but when it comes down to it, i know what works for me and the haters can piss off. i wish you continued success and hope i can have a similar outcome.

[bigwillq]

12. Good for you!

Keep it going!

[fizzgig]

22. hey you

hope you are well

[davidpdx]

13. Keep going!

Hopefully your success at quitting will encourage your husband to try again.

[fizzgig]

24. it's a one day at a time thing

i'll keep doing what i can to support and help him.

[cyberswede]

14. Good for you!!!

Keep it up!

[fizzgig]

25. thanks!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

20. You are doing fantastically well, my dear fizzgig!

I know it's work, but you're doing it.

Congrats!

[fizzgig]

27. it's definitely worth the work

and it gets a little easier every day.

thanks for all your support

[malthaussen]

23. You da man!

Errr... person.

-- Mal

[fizzgig]

28. ha!

[Prophet 451]

26. You're doing great, luv

I'm not quite there yet but, thanks to the e-cig, I'm down from fifty a day to maybe half-a-dozen a day after about three days. I'm alternating between a heavy tobacco liquid and a cherry one. I really don't get the hatred of vaping I keep seeing here.

[fizzgig]

29. keep it up!

and keep us posted on your progress.

[2theleft]

36. You rock!

I'm switching to vaping on April 7th. My kit arrived, but had to leave the next day to deal with some fairly major family drama. Back home next week, and am giving myself a few days to get ready for the quit day. Been following your progress and it's inspiring! Keep it up, you're doing great!

[PennyK]

37. Grats to you

I switched to vaping two months ago, and it hasn't been completely stress-free, but it has been so much easier than anything else I tried. I'm also shocked at the campaign against vaping.You'd think it was birth control!

[Kali]

39. good job!

you can do it!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

40. !