Day 4 - The Fear of Beer

When last I left, I was headed to a seemingly suicidal running mission. As the picture to the left shows, cigarettes and running shoes can go together. I certainly didn't break any land-speed records, but I ran anyway.

Last night I was confronted with what may be the most difficult hurdle. A "dinner party" with football and fried food. Usually that would have to be accompanied by a beer, but I had to resist. I am not ready to see if e-cigs will stand up to the alcohol test.  One more week until the Super Bowl, then we will see how it works.

Over 72 hours without tobacco and all is well!

Tomorrow I will run a check on blood pressure and pulse to see if there has been any positive change.

Day 3 - The Color of Tongues

When I last left you, I was headed to get a workout. I am very surprised at the difference already. I finished most of my sets and had a wonderful endorphin rush instead of gasping for air and praying for the sweet release of death. I never understood why someone would enjoy going to the gym. Now I get it.

The things that I have noticed the most today are the taste of food and the color of my tongue. Who knew a tongue was supposed to be pink? Food does taste a lot better now, but I will not trade a tobacco habit for an over-eating habit.

I am so pleased with the progress thus far, that I just ordered a 3 month supply of cartridges for my e-cig with a gradual nicotine step down. I hope to be nicotine-free by the end of the year, but I am certainly not in any hurry. The part of smoking that was killing me was not the nicotine, it was the 100s of other carcinogens. Nicotine just kept me coming back for more.

Tomorrow morning I will try something very different. I am going to try to run at least a half mile. If you don't see me post anything for a while, you can bet that I had a stroke on the side of the road somewhere. Wish me luck!




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Day 2 - The Purging of Smoke

It has been over 24 hours since my last cigarette. No nicotine withdrawal and I woke up with a lot of energy this morning. According to the "Quit smoking timeline" 24 hours after your last cigarette, your risk of heart attack decreases. So, I have that going for me.

This morning my coffee definitely tasted different, not bad, just different. Breakfast had a bit more flavor than normal also. I went to my closet to get dressed for the day, and was hit by a powerful cigarette smell. Is this what I really smell like? I am going to be doing laundry all day long.

I have used Lysol or bleach on just about everything in the house. Next mission is the cars. But first, I wanted to get a workout in. One of the main side effects from my previous attempts at quitting smoking was the massive weight gain. I am determined to take preventative measures this time.

Day 1 (continued)- The Side Effects

The e-cig is easy enough to use and convenient to carry around. I do recommend buying a carrying case for the protection of your e-cig and to store back-up cartridges.

Towards the end of the day, I started feeling very lightheaded. Could this be a side effect?

As with all questions these days, I "googled it". It seems that even though it feels like I am still smoking, my body does not see it that way. I am experiencing the same health benefits as if I had quit cold turkey. The light-headedness is caused by the carbon monoxide levels in my blood dropping to a normal level and the oxygen levels increasing to a normal level. This is supposed to occur 8 hours after your last cigarette.

I feel a bit more energetic than normal. I probably need to take something to fall asleep.

Day 1 - The Start of a New Life

 My e cigarette arrived this morning as promised. The quality is very impressive. The kit came with 2 electronic cigarettes (e-cigs), a wall charger, a USB charger, a USB cigarette (for the times that you run out of juice in the portable version) and 10 nicotine cartridges. Each cartridge is the equivalent of 30 cigarettes, so they should last for a while. The e-cigs are a little heavier than a regular cigarette, but not unmanageable. They are actually the same size and color of my regular brand.
 The e-cigs come pre-charged, so its time to try it....

I have been smoking the same brand for a very long time, so the taste difference is the first thing that I notice. It's not bad, just different. The rest of the ritual is almost identical if you don't include the lighter. The end of the e-cig even glows red whenever you take a drag. There is no odor to the vapor at all, so that   may take a little getting used to.

I'll spend the day with my new toy and check in later this evening.

Day 0 - The Beginning

 I have smoked cigarettes for the majority of my life. As with most people that get hooked, I started in high school. Now I sit 25 years later, and staring "40" in the face, and still I can't find a way to quit. I have tried many different things over the years-patches, gum and even hypnotherapy. Nothing has had a lasting effect. I know that for health reasons I have to do something, but part of me believes that it is not even possible.
 For all intents and purposes, I grew up in a bowling alley. This was where I learned the majority of my bad habits. Not that the bowling alley lifestyle was all bad. I met most of my lifelong friends there, and I learned the basics of what ultimately became my career. At 18 years old, I became a bartender. I did this at different casinos until around the age of 30. At that point, I went into management and became a casino executive by the time I was 35. Not bad for a college drop-out, bartender from Louisiana. I now work for the liquor companies, traveling the world as a public speaker and professional drinker. But, as any of you that have ever smoked will know, having a cocktail in your hands during most of your work day makes it very difficult to put down the cigarettes.
 These electronic cigarettes that I have seen lately have really intrigued me. On the surface they appear to be a safe nicotine delivery system with most of the same rituals as a cigarette. The FDA does not seem to like them, nor do the anti-smoking advocates. So, I have spent a lot of time researching the positive and negative aspects. To be perfectly honest, most doctors condone the use of the high quality versions. The FDA and anti-smokers seem to base their disapproval on two points and both of them are hypotheticals. A cardiologist friend put it in these terms-" If you rated the dangers on a scale of 1 to 100, cigarettes would be 100, quitting completely would be a zero, nicotine gum and patches would be a 1 and electronic cigarettes would be a 2."
 The 98 point danger reduction sounded pretty good to me. So I ordered the highest rated electronic smoking system that I could find. (This is not a commercial, so I will refrain from using a brand name.)
I had it sent overnight mail, so it should be here tomorrow morning.