Domo & Kangaruex4Ewe - THANK YOU

A big shout out to the both of you and if I could give Applause I would do it.

Thanks to your posts, I smoked my last cigarette after nearly two decades, 30 days ago today. For the past three years I rolled my own (also thanks to a poster here) and was smoking about a pack a day for that time.

Then things changed.

Over the past few years, I have read many posts by both of you and grew respect for you both. When I saw that you were both successful at not smoking and very pro-vaping, I started looking into vapes. Because for the first time, I thought it was possible to quit. I wanted to quit before, but how? Patches don't work, neither does gum, and I'm not taking the meds based on talking to people who took them (who also still smoke) and reading warnings online.

I was trapped by smoking. I feel like my life had been stopped and now I have my life back.

"Looking into vaping" was harder than actually quitting (it's confusing at first when you don't even understand basic terms). I've got the Aspire Atlantis 2 (three of them) and the eLeaf 50W iStick (two of them) and that's what I've used since the second I got the first tank and box 30 days ago. The very few times I actually wanted a cigarette it was because my mind slipped and I forgot I could vape now so I'd look around for a smoke. Then realize I vape now, and grab that. NO PROBLEM.

I have been buying juice but am just now ordering the stuff needed to make my own juice.

My husband has also quit (no I did not force him) and we have gone a vacation. It is so hard to go on vacation when you smoke because you have to find a hotel that allows smokers and then they charge more.

No longer do I smell like smoke. No longer do my clothes smell like smoke. My gums were red and inflamed and receding a couple of mm. MY GUMS HAVE HEALED. THERE IS NO MORE RECEDING GUM LINE. IT CAME BACK. And they are nice and pink. (This is making me cry.) My NAIL POLISH stays on longer because I'm not holding a cigarette in my hand all the time. I don't have to smoke in the car anymore. For the first time ever, I picked out some nice perfume.

Thank you so much for giving me my life back by sharing your experiences on ATS. I am like a new person who can do all kinds of stuff now I couldn't do before.

a reply to: Ameilia

Wooo!

Congrats on your success!

That was just about one of the best things I've read in a really, really long time. I thank you kindly for taking the time out to let me (us) know that all of our talking wasn't in vain. I am mighty happy to know that not only one BUT two folks have quit funding big tobacco and in turn both of you have lengthened your life spans.

Quitting smoking was one of the hardest things I have ever done and I hit my 2 year (completely smoke free) anniversary in June. I will never go back and if I could no longer vape... I still would never go back.

I know you are feeling the positive effects of it already and they will keep improving over the next year at least.

I will tell you that (honestly) I still caught myself reaching for a cigarette for up to a year after I quit. So that is quite normal. You just have to stop and remind yourself that you are no longer a smoker, take a deep breath and appreciate that you can take deeper breaths than you have been able to in a while. It is a long road and if you know that, you are more likely to stick with it.

You can do it!! Your husband can do it!! Hang in there and you will eventually quit reaching for your cigarettes all together. My husband has not been converted as of yet and I had to come to the realization that (like an alcoholic) I can not even sneak a cigarette. One drag would be enough for me to cave completely, so I don't even entertain the "just one" idea. It's easier for some to do it that way, you just have to do it the way it works best for you.

Thank you again for taking the time. If you ever have any questions about vaping or just need support on those rough days please don't hesitate to shoot me a pm.

A big congratulations to you and your husband both!!! Keep up the good work and your body (and pocketbook) will thank you greatly.

Going on 8 months, went cold turkey.

Well, vaped a couple weeks then chunked it.

Lots of people ask me how I feel...I feel like I haven't had a smoke in 8 months.

Smoked two packs a day. I give those two some credit as well.

A couple others as well. Just knowing people pulled it off helped.

Stoled one of dad's cigarettes when I was about 8..puked uncontrollably never touched the stuff again

Good on you ....My gf and i both quit at christmas last year and have not looked back......

It is really really hard to stop smoking...more power to ya

a reply to: Ameilia

Congratulations!!

I have 147 days now vaping as well.

I no longer cough up chunks of lung in the morning that sink to the bottom of the toilet.

originally posted by: Spider879
Stoled one of dad's cigarettes when I was about 8..puked uncontrollably never touched the stuff again

See... I did the same thing, but kept giving it that good old college try. That will be something I will regret for the rest of my days. I smoked my first cigarette at 7 and smoked full time by the age of 12. It's a terrible thing. Easy to pick up and hard as hell to put down.

Good on you for doing better!

a reply to: Ameilia

Congratulations to you and everyone else who has quit smoking! Breaking an addiction takes a lot of will power.

a reply to: Ameilia

I've got the Aspire Atlantis 2 (three of them) and the eLeaf 50W iStic

I've got the istick 30w , fantastic bit of kit.
Been off tobacco 2 years now thanks to the vapes , glad you made the switch and all the best for a smoke free life.

Congrats on the quitting! I know it's really hard. My grandfather came back with the habit from WWII, and he never really quit until his doctor told him it was his life or his cigarettes. After that, he went cold turkey.

I took one of his last pack of camels for a stage prop I could light for a college theatre class, and it was the first (and only) time I ever saw panic on his face. I had to explain to him that I was not under any circumstances smoking it, only lighting it for show.

My grandfather was not the sort of man who showed that level of emotion. So it really struck me how very hard quitting must have been at that moment.

I also had a cousin who had to kick the chew habit and did it. He said it was horrible to get off of too.

a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

I'm so glad that you saw my post! I posted in public for two reasons: it seemed a little awkward to U2U out of nowhere, and I thought it better fitting to do a thread as it might influence someone the way I was influenced by you so it was a 'pass it along' intention as well as a way to say a big THANK YOU.

Also: you did not just stop two people, it was actually THREE (so far). After showing our stuff to another smoker, with no pressure just like a quick FYI 'I quit, it's been X days and this is what I'm using,' my husband ran into that person a couple of weeks later and they slipped their vape out of their pocket and said thanks man, I haven't smoked it's been a week now. So your posting on this - it spreads further than you can ever really know.

I have decided that I should at any point possible, spread the word without being sanctimonious or using pressure tactics.

It is like I was in jail and just got out of jail. We have a 3-ring binder now of trips we want to take and I'm looking for a dealership I can pay to put my car through 'Make Ready' which is the type of cleaning that happens when they take trade-ins and get them ready for sale as a used vehicle to someone else. I've gotten some new clothes and am working on getting some existing clothes dry cleaned. Even my face looks better!

And thank you to everyone for your kind words on this thread - it was heartwarming to read the responses!

I completely missed this thread. I just found it trying to teach someone how to use Google to search a specific site.

I'm incredibly happy to hear your story, and glad if I could play a small part in helping you to quit smoking. 30 days is nothing to scoff at, and I'm so glad to hear that you're starting to notice how much better vaping is than smoking! Just don't forget the end goal is complete cessation! I'm having a little trouble with that last part... I'd rather not have any addictions/dependencies, but one day at a time.

I have decided that I should at any point possible, spread the word without being sanctimonious or using pressure tactics.

I think this is the best approach. I would never walk up to a smoker and tell them they should try vaping or quit, but if someone asks I'll tell them it's been an incredibly positive experience for a number of reasons.

Keep at it! I'm glad you're influencing other people too! I really think that this is the best way for the majority of people to begin quitting, and that while it's obviously not 100% safe, is much safer. I feel better, I can go so much longer without nicotine, and I'm so happy if I've helped you at all.

Please don't hesitate to U2U me (same goes for anyone else) if you ever have any questions (ugh that sounds smug). I'm no expert, but I can help cut through some of the confusing terms and help narrow down what someone is looking for since I've tried A LOT of different set ups.

Good for you and your husband (and friend)! My hope is that the anti smoking stuff works to keep people from starting, and that people who take up vaping share it with friends and family so that eventually we can get rid of this horrible habit for good.

Vape it forward. Even if it's just a bottle of juice you didn't like, help someone else kick the habit, and the whole thing snowballs.

a reply to: Domo1

I'm laughing at the fact you found a thread directed at you while using Google search, and glad you found it!

We still have not smoked. Neither has the friend. So far we have been able to spread the word to one other guy.

It was so sad. He felt ashamed and embarrassed and I knew exactly what that felt like. It was a person who was doing repair work on our house. He came to me and asked me if I would mind terribly and if I would please not tell his boss, could he smoke in our driveway and he wouldn't leave the butt. I said, I'm not telling anyone, and I'll go out front with you. Since it wasn't a person I will likely see again, I won't end up knowing the results but he did ask where I got my stuff after I vaped in front of him, purposely making big clouds like a cigarette. I explained how to get to the store and that it was cheaper to buy online once you were established with a basic set up.

I talked about my gums in the OP and how they had turned red (luckily I was never a gum-displayer with my natural smile) and how they looked better. Well, 3 months in they are completely normal. I didn't even actually realize it was possible to reverse receding gum lines once they had started, but it is. I'd really like to buy a nice whitening kit but haven't had the extra money.

I also talked about working on my car. I went to one place but after talking to them decided not to use them. I found another place that's local but haven't had the extra money for that either (lots of home repairs). My car is just about the last remnants of smoking life and I can't wait to get that handled.

Cessation is definitely our goal. I can't believe I didn't mention this in the OP but we started out a 9 nicotine. We are both down to 6. The idea is to step down to 0 and then stop completely. I've been a 6 a few weeks and don't feel ready to go to a 5 yet but I'm not at all discouraged. Already the progress both of us have made is more than I had hoped for.

It doesn't sound smug at all to offer yourself up for questions! I think it is great. I was so seriously confused and their seems to be no great place to go for info. Lots of forums - but the info is scattered. Lots of websites - but they are all selling you something. Trying to figure out what to get cost me time and money. In retrospect I should have posted a thread here and just copied someone's set up.

I'm really glad you saw this, because you had a huge impact on my entire life. The kind of impact that rarely happens. I will never forget you or Kangaruex4Ewe for the rest of my life.

This is just the best thread.

Congrats to everyone. And imagine how many people will read this one too and stop?

originally posted by: kosmicjack
This is just the best thread.

Congrats to everyone. And imagine how many people will read this one too and stop?

(THANK YOU)

figured i'd throw in the props where they are appropriate: i stopped smoking and started vaping because of Domo.

Kanga answered a few questions for me that helped me apply it to my wife, and she stopped smoking with me. I subohm, she doesn't.

But yeah...you've done good for some people here. Even folks who you have never spoken to. Thats some powerful stuff.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

figured i'd throw in the props where they are appropriate: i stopped smoking and started vaping because of Domo.

Hey guy, thanks for saying that. You did it for YOU and your WIFE (I get the distinct feeling she's something very special ("Where would we be, without the love of a woman") and any little critters you all created!

Honored to be even a little part of that though.

How are you all holding up? I have to growl down the cravings sometimes. Sometimes I wish I had a cool t-shirt that reminded me to keep keeping on.

a reply to: Domo1

Things are going well here.

But check your PM's.

ETA: took your positive review of the ego one mini and got a couple. Other than it retaining a bit of heat, its a great little device.

a reply to: Ameilia

I just wanted to give a quick update.

IT HAS BEEN TWO YEARS NOW since I quit smoking.

This means my nose is in tune with all the other nonsmokers and boy can I smell a smoker from a mile away. I never judge. I hate when smokers are judged because I was one and I swore to myself if I ever quit I would never judge others. What I do is go right on by them while being so grateful I was able to escape the habit myself.