This coming February will mark 30 years of smoking for me. I was 13 years old when I smoked my first cigarette. It was on valentines day.. After a school dance. In these almost 30 years of smoking, I have quit several times.. Only to pick the habit back up again. I quit smoking while I was pregnant with my kids. Started right up again. I quit smoking about 8 years ago with a prescription from my Doc, but didn't like that I couldn't sleep while taking that poison pill. Not to mention the brain fog it gave me, or the lack of feeling anything, screw that. Then there was the patch in February of this year (2014) which made me understand what anxiety feels like.. To hell with your bloody patch.
I had to quit smoking. I just had to..
I had a constant mild congestion. You know the kind I speak of. You clear your throat more often than not. I coughed, not a ton, but enough that I was always self conscious of it. Like everyone knew I was a smoker just from my cough, or throat clearing. I hated it. But I kept lighting up. I couldn't stand the sound of my own voice. I still am not entirely fond of it, but it's not like nails on a chalk board to me anymore. When I had too much to smoke, I could feel it in my lungs. To the point that I wouldn't have anymore that evening, only to light up that morning smoke. I knew where smoking was taking me, and it wasn't pretty. I was smoking my way to death by lung cancer.
I watched 2 people die of lung cancer. Not one, but two members of my family. Two beautiful men that bought and paid for their early death. When my father in law died, I knew I had to act quickly, or I'd never get my husband to wake up and quit. I'm having a tough go at his quitting. He looks at me like I speak a different language every time I try to talk to him about vaping. I can't understand how he could watch them die and not want to do whatever it takes to quit. If he keeps smoking, he has only 20 years to live. That's not enough time for me.
I was one of the pioneers of ecigs.. In a round about way. They were so new when I started smoking them that you had to order them online. I toyed with them for years. I could go a few weeks without an analog smoke. It took a lot of will power to just smoke ecigs. I still craved a hard hit from a 'real' cigarette. I was back on the camel menthol lights for about 6 months when I decided to quit with ecigs. But I had serious anxiety on March first.. I decided that I was quitting this time, and there had to be something better to help me.
I drove to a local smoke shop. They had tons of different ecig brands, but I heard about vaping.. So that was gonna be my thing. The lady that helped me was wonderful, even though she knew NOTHING about vaping. I was in full anxiety mode and needed a fix. I bought 2 different vapes, and 4 different flavors. I didn't even leave the parking lot. I loaded everything up in the car. 2 vapes, 2 different flavors.. I sat there making cloud sized puffs from each one in turn. I loved the strawberry and the menthol. I loved them so much that I haven't thought about lighting a stinky cigarette ever since.
I've evolved in my vaping since that fateful day in March. I go to village vapors now to get my vapor juice. That is a super fun experience in itself. You get to try the different flavors (there are tons) and batteries (also tons) before buying. I have learned that a better battery = a better cloud and vaping experience. I love carmelized banana, donut pounder, and menthol flavors. Smoking menthol flavor actually freshens your breath! I can take my vape apart and replace broken or worn parts, and I'm learning to modify. I'm not a pro yet, but I'm no longer a noob. I also design girly vapes for my smoking pleasure. I have one to compliment most of my outfits.. And the accessories.. I have countless necklaces that I've made to carry my vapes. I'm a stylish vaporista.
Are you a smoker? Is someone in your life a smoker? Maybe it's time you become a vaper, or a vaping advocate. Studies keep coming in every week on the health benefits of vaping. When you vape, you get the same healthy changes that occur when you quit smoking altogether. You just don't get the withdrawal symptoms of quitting, and you don't smell like an ashtray. Start a conversation about smoking today. The life you save could be your own.
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