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Thanks for the replies. I also forgot to also say that when I got this gadget I read on Google that smoking a cigarette will lower the oxygen levels considerably. To test this I went and had a cigarette and watched the oxygen level tumble down to 64%, if that doesn't make me want to stop then I don't know what will, needless to say that this test (although I had to have a cigarette to do this) has really cemented in my head never to smoke again so although I had one cigarette it was in my mind worth it.

I have been vaping during this evening and the lowest the oxygen went down to was 96%, says it all really.

Graham

Thank you to everyone who has replied, it really is appreciated. I know, as I have previously said, that I shouldn't be surprised at having COPD, I started smoking when I was only 8 years old and I was buying a packet of 10 cigarettes every week at the age of 10, at 11 I was buying a packet of 20 a week and until recently have been smoking up to 60 a day so I deserve everything I get. However, having said that, considering how I feel, (which is absolutely fine considering my age, I don't get out of breath generally) then that is the bit that shocked me. Shocked me because I was under the impression that people with COPD were out of breath at doing the simplest of things, now obviously there are degrees of this illness (Stages 1 through to 4) so I guess I'm on the 1st stage.

My wife works at Papworth Hospital which is a leading heart and lung hospital and she took my results from my recent Spirometer test to someone who knows her beans about COPD, she said that from those results that as long that I stop smoking (which I have now done and not smoking at all - not even my 3 a day I was allowing myself), took regular exercise then I shouldn't have any problems at all, the results only showed a slight drop but nothing untowards to worry about. She said that if there is anything slightly below the norm then doctors will have to label it and they have labeled this as COPD but have not then gone on to describe that it is very mild or even told me how or what to do next.

So from what has been said above and also from what this person at Papworth has said then I feel a little bit more reassured (reassured quite a bit actually). I am still going back to the doctors on Wednesday (a different doctor to who I first saw) though to see what he has to say.

I have also thought that I must not cherry pick the 'good' news I am hearing but also take on board the very serious nature of what COPD is, if I'm foolish enough to start smoking again and not do some exercise then I can only expect the worse and I will have only myself to blame for the very obvious consequences.

Right, enough of my ramblings, thank you once again for all the help you have given to me, it is really appreciated.

One more thing which I forgot to say, I bought a small gadget which slips on your finger and measures the oxygen level and pulse, now it's probably not hugely accurate but it does give a base line guide and at rest my average oxygen level was 99% and pulse was 65bpm so that appeared perfect so I ran up and down the stairs 3 times without stopping and took my reading again, oxygen level dropped from 99% to 91% and the pulse went from 65 to 92bpm, that was all within limits of a normal person. I got my colleague at work to do the same thing and his oxygen level went down to 88% and his pulse went to 120bpm - he is 34 and has never smoked. I don't get it, I really don't but as I'm typing this I measured it again just now and got virtually the same result, 99% for oxygen and 72bpm pulse.

So those results encouraged me no end.

Graham

Perfect Giles - that's exactly the information I was after. You have made me feel so much better with just those few words and I really thank you for that. ;-)

I will have a look at taking some regular exercise too, I normally run up the stairs at two at a time at work about 12 times a day, I have just run up and down our stairs two at a time one after the other at home here in front of my wife just to see what I was like and I wasn't even out of breath and nothing - I was breathing slightly heavier than normal but certainly not out of breath - I just don't get it.

Graham

Hi all and wonder if you can help me with a bit of honest advice and help.

I've been diagnosed with the first stages of COPD and I only found that out from a phone call from the doctors receptionist when she phoned me up to have a flue jab, as I'm only 63 I asked why I was being called in to have a jab and that's when she looked at my notes and told me.

Anyway, that's not the issue really, after the length of time I've been smoking and the amount I smoked then I'm not surprised but what I haven't got is any information or procedures, prognosis - nothing, so I'm floundering a bit. I've done the worst possible thing which everybody does but knows that you shouldn't and that's to Google it!!

So, I'm after any information, help etc or first hand knowledge so that I can get this round my head. I am not smoking at all now, just using the vape but is this causing me problems and should I stop using it as well? So many questions and hardly no information yet. I do know that stopping smoking is THE major thing to not cure it as there is no cure but to at least stop making it worse.

The really stupid thing is that right at this very moment in time I feel absolutely fine, I don't feel out of breath and I haven't got a cough but the breath machine I used show that there is an obstruction so it's definitely there.

So any information or advice would be much appreciated.

And mods, if I have posted this in the wrong part of the forum then please feel free to move it but I thought that I'd post it here as this is where most people know me.

Graham

Well I've gone all this morning which is a worst case scenario for me - weekend and the morning would normally have seen me smoking at least 2 of my three cigs allowed - and I haven't had any yet. Mind you, the Twist has been having a good old hammering along with the 24mg juice, still at least I haven't had a smoke so it's doing it's job. I just hope it lasts!!

Graham

I just thought that I'd let you know how I got on with my new shiny stuff today.

First up, it's very easy to set up, the battery came with a good charge so there was no need to have to wait for it to charge up before use (which is always a pain) so that was a goos start. The LR carts were dead easy to fill so after that was done it was just simply screwed on to the Twist and this is the finished assembly with a drip tip added as well.



The next thing was to try it out and you can read in my first post my first impressions so I won't bore you with that bit but I have now been using it for most of the day especially this evening and all I can say is that this has totally transformed my vaping experience. I really didn't think that it would make this much of a difference. I've read many times on this forum how VV batteries can make a big difference but to be honest, I for whatever reason, chose to ignore it. Bad move on my behalf I was so wrong. This set I've got now is awesome.

As you may be aware, I have been allowing myself a max of three ciggies a day plus my vamping, I had one cigarette this morning before all this arrived this morning and have not had the need to have any other cigarettes today, in fact I haven't actually even thought about having one. I think that this is down not only to the fact that I can now produce a huge amount of vapour but also I'm using 24mg nicotine instead of the 18mg which combining both of these together is giving me enough of a hit not to need a smoke of any sort.

During the day I have been experimenting with the different settings on the twist and have found the best one for me at the moment being 4.4V, this seems to be just right for me, just the right amount of vapour without any burning taste from the cart. I initially had a bit of light headiness to begin with which I'm putting down to the increase in nicotine but tonight that seems to have lessened quite a bit, it's a bit like when I first started smoking. I shall wait for the power to start going down on the battery and will crank the voltage up a bit just to see if it does compensate for the battery going down a bit.

Anyway, to sum up, a great piece of kit. It suits me down to the ground and really pleased with it in every way, the look of it but the most important thing - the job it does in satisfying my smoking requirements without the need to smoke. Just a couple of things to watch out for and that is the overall size is quite large coming out to a total length of 165mm (not including the drip tip) and the other thing is that the numbers on the base to dial in the voltage are very small and are hardly visible, but this is only a problem if you are continually fiddling with it which you will do initially but after you have found the setting which suits you best then this doesn't matter too much.

I hope that this helps others on here who may have had the same problems as me with the initial vaping problems, if you have then this may be a suitable solution for you, it's not hugely expensive even with the LR carts so maybe worth a punt.

Graham