The True Feeling of Success

It has now been 16 months without tobacco. I no longer have the physical addiction to nicotine, and my mental triggers(i.e. after eating, while driving, while drinking, with morning coffee, etc.) are all but gone. I do still carry my e-cig from time to time, but I have found that I will go weeks without using it.

The true feeling of success came earlier this month. It was time for a new health insurance plan, and for the first time in my life, I was able to put "non tobacco" on an application. This is a feeling that I never thought was possible when I started this journey. I was also able to show normal blood pressure and normal cholesterol readings which I attribute directly to being a non-smoker. Two years ago, I was a time bomb waiting for my first heart attack or stroke.

This blog has been highly motivational for me. I'm not entirely sure that I would have been as successful without it. Knowing that there were so many of you following my progress led me to evaluate the temptations in a different way. I have to thank you for the inspiration.

As always, I wish you luck in your journeys.

Year One - The Anniversary

Today marks one year without tobacco. It is difficult to believe that time can go by so quickly. But, I have survived without a single relapse due, in great part, to my E-Cig.

Over the last year I have weaned myself off of nicotine. The cartridges in my E-Cig are now only water vapor. I don't physically need it any longer, but it is nice to have the crutch if a temptation should arise. The temptations are fewer and further between with every passing day.

If you are considering using the E-Cig to quit smoking, there is one recommendation that I can make. Pick an exercise goal (run a 5k, walk up the stairs without being winded, complete a triathlon, etc.) and focus your energy on achieving that. My personal goal was to run a 5k. I can now do that. It is certainly not easy, but I remember that first day when I was gasping for breath and lying on the ground after 500 yards.  I now have a new goal, to compete in Tough Mudder (If you have never heard of this, check it out online. It is intense!). The point is-if you focus on getting healthy, quitting tobacco will feel less daunting. As you begin achieving your intermediate goals (run 1/2 mile without stopping, walk 2 flights of stairs without stopping, etc.), you will find the motivation to continue with the E-Cig and leave tobacco behind forever.

I will continue to add updates to this blog as new revelations come to mind. There have been over 20,000 views of this site since I began one year ago. Hopefully it has helped some of you to quit smoking. It certainly has helped me!