Halfway There.

[lobeydosser]

9 months in and halfway there.

I don’t know how old I was when I became hooked on nicotine, but I do know that by the time I started my apprenticeship in 1963, I was a smoker.
Over the last 15 years or so I have been trying to stop with various degrees of success; however I could never “stay stopped”.
A couple of weeks, a couple of months, a year and my final attempt, 18 months off them.

During these periods when I was off the fags, I was grumpy, short tempered and impatient, traits that I suppose I have to some degree or other at all times but which were exaggerated because there was no nicotine around to give me the calming effect that it does for me.

During every period that I was off the fags, some situation would develop where I would get worked up into a tizzy and where, only a cigarette (or 5) would bring my mind back to reality. And yes, it worked every time.

What didn’t work at all was the promise that I would just have 1 or 2, or 10 or I will just finish this pack of 20 and then have no more.
Even 1 cigarette and I was hooked again.

My longest period off the fags was 18 months and this culminated in us taking our Folding Camper to Northern Ireland and Donegal for a month of touring over there.
That holiday was an unmitigated disaster for a number of reasons that I won’t go into, but after 3 days I either packed up and came home or I went for a fag.
Well after I had filled my lungs with that beautiful elixir of life, nicotine, I calmed down
I can only describe that holiday as an experience that I will not repeat and its one enduring legacy was that I finally gave up hope of ever getting off the fags.

It was through a camping forum that I am in, that I first read about Electronic Cigarettes, bought the Skycig system and eventually lead me to the Vision 1000 kit and finally to AAE-C.

I am now 9 months away from my last fag and halfway towards beating my previous record.
Although “off the fags”, I am not (all that) grumpy, short tempered and impatient and can only put that down to the fact that I am still getting my Elixir of Life, nicotine and so I am content.

Now the figures taken over the last 9 months.

Adding up what I have spent on vaping equipment, e-liquids and accessories and then adding up my stock, but being conservative and valuing that stock at half price on materials still in use, full price for unused items and nil value on anything finished or almost so, all comes in at an average daily price for vaping of £1.64p. That gives me a daily intake of 3.5ml of 24mg e-juice. That more than satisfies 40 super-king a day habit that would have been costing me £14.04.

Recent expenditure has further reduced the daily costs to around the £1.14 mark and this will continue to fall as in the future I expect to be only buying e-juice flavours and replacement consumables.

If I find an old lamp on the beach, rub it and out pops a Genie who grants me 3 wishes, I will ask for Health, Wealth and Happiness.

Vaping has gone a long way to supplying me with all three!

[OneDay]

I always love your stories Lobey and that one is truly heartening. Well done on the nine months, and here's to the next nine!

[lobeydosser]

Thanks Oneday. Fingers and legs crossed, I'll get there.

[giles]

I always say well done when I read these stories - well done lobey - but at 7 months in I'm finding it so easy to avoid fags (can't think why I'd ever smoke if vaping remains possible) that it almost seems like cheating

[lobeydosser]

Thanks Giles, Yes I have no intention of going back on the fags, but I have been there before and not wanted to go back, so this time I am making no promises or resolutions.
I will try to keep vaping until I cross the line that I managed before. The 18 month mark and then I will make the resolution to continue vaping from then on in.

Ofcourse the fact that I have 6 years worth of nic base stashed away in the freezer is neither here nor there!!!!

[gjdart]

That could almost be my story you've written there lobey.... well done you on the half way mark

for the next nine..ten ..eleven............

[zeldamum]

Well done Lobey 9 months is great.

[punisher]

hats off to you boss an inspiration to us all

[genguskhan]

Well done lobeydosser and I'm sure that another 9 months and more will be easy for you just don't go back to Ireland just in case

[Roscopecotrain]

Nice one lobey.

Sent from my Galaxy Note 2

[irishcas]

well done lobey
at some stage go back to Northern Ireland and Donegal it is fab

[irishcas]

well done lobey
at some stage go back to Northern Ireland and Donegal it is fab

[esmecullen]

brilliant post lobey and congrats on getting halfway there

[Toondog]

Nice one Lobey, it feels like I haven't lost anything by switching to vaping. I too would now always choose it over smoking as long as its possible to do so.
Chris.

[Skwoddy]

Inspirational post, keep up the good work Lobey!!