Only 22 years

It’s been a busy week, I certainly meant to get by here and post before now.  The best laid plans, you know?

Back in November, I read some things about the new electronic cigarette market.  There were some testimonials posted online where people swore by the e-cigarettes and said that they would never go back to traditional cigarettes.

As a heavy smoker (I’ve smoked two packs plus for many, many years.) I was dubious as to whether it would satisfy the cravings of a hard core (addicted) dude like myself, but I figured I’d give it a shot, anyway.  I mean, I was so tired of my chest hurting and hacking away every morning, you know?

So I ordered the e-cigarette contraption and waited a couple of weeks.  Finally, it came in.  You know what?  It wasn’t bad.  It wasn’t bad at all!  You see, these things have nicotine in them and simply vaporize that, water and a small amount of alcohol and you inhale it into your lungs.  You get your nicotine without all of the harmful stuff.  So, on December 10, I smoked my last cigarette.

Within a week my lungs and my chronic sore throat felt so much better.  It was amazing!  I wasn’t coughing up all kinds of crud in the morning!

But then, a couple of weeks ago, I decided I was tired of carrying around the stuff for the e-cigarette.  So I quit them.  Cold turkey.  I’m now nicotine free for the first time in 22 years.  It was difficult to transition to the e-cigarette, because it felt so different.  But I got used to it fairly quickly.  It was even harder to give up the e-cigarette.  The first 4 days?  Yeah, they were a little rough.  But I never felt like I would go the homicide route as you so often feel when you quit smoking cold turkey.  And now?  I feel pretty damned good.  I rarely even think about a cigarette.  Oh, and for some reason, when I drink my beer?  I’m not craving a cigarette, either.

So there you go.  Something happened that I never thought would.  I quit smoking.  That’s the exciting news I wrote about last week.  It only took 22 years and I suppose no one is more surprised than myself.