My Heart Doc Says Keep Vaping

So I'm a 19 year old guy, started smoking when I was 14 and finally quit cigarettes 3 months ago. My parents like that I quit smoking but they think vaping some sort of gateway drug that will make me want to, and I quote, "smoke {OTHER STUFF}". What I don't understand is that both of my parents both smoke a pack a day. I even tried to convince them to switch to vaping but they said they don't want to smoke that "{OTHER STUFF} device". Even when I vape in my room, they come in and get pissed off because they're tired of smelling my "fruity {MODERATED}". How can I convince them to get a better understanding of vaping and potentially start them on it too?  

This is not just a vaping story, but I think vaping is a part of it, so would like to share it.

When I was 57, I was obese and pathetically out of shape. I was about 240 lbs. (height: 5'7") and in a size 40 pants. I was smoking about 3 packs a day at that time.

I had to have my heart and lungs checked for a surgery because if diverticulitis.

The testing revealed that I had COPD, and had the lung capacity of a person with 1 lung. It also revealed that I had had a heart attack at some point.

I survived the surgery, but they informed me that if I did not quit smoking, start exercising, and lose weight, that I would not be around much longer.

After I recovered enough from the surgery I started walking. I could barely walk a single mile at a slow pace before feeling like I was going to die and had to lie down to recover. I kept doing it no matter how bad it felt, and I did it 2, 3, sometimes 4 times per day.

Eventually I could walk 2 miles at a faster pace, then 3 miles, then 5. It started actually feeling good. I got a fitness tracker that monitored my heart rate and pace, and started power walking at least once a day.

I vaped years before but fell off the wagon, so I decided to start vaping again. It took about 6 months to gradually smoke less and vape more until I was just vaping.

Eventually I could not keep my heart rate up enough from just power walking so I started running. I could only run for about 30 seconds at a slow pace at first, but I followed the same process as I did for walking, and worked my way up to being able to run 5 miles non stop.

the beginning of this year I completed a 12 week half marathon training program, and my final run for the program, I ran 13.57 miles.

I just turned 62 this month, have lost about 60 lbs., went from a size 40 to a size 32 pants, and have not smoked a cigarette in going on 3 years now.

My last stress test they told me that my heart had actually healed itself from the heart attack, and that it was strong and healthy now. I also had one of those tests where you blow into the plastic tube to see how strong your lungs are, and when I blew into it, the person said... "wow... you got some healthy lungs".

Also, my resting heart rate went from the high 80's to the mid 50's over the last 5 years. This means my heart is getting stronger because it can pump more blood per beat, and does not have to beat as many times per minute to pump the same amount of blood.

Like I said... this is not just a vaping story, but I think vaping has helped along the way.  

This past week marks 5 years since I smoked a cigarette. It honestly doesn't seem that long, it seems like yesterday I was huddled out in the cold at work with the smokers. I had been a smoker for 28 years.

Unlike many I see posting here, I cannot say vaping helped me quit. I quit cold turkey, and never tried an ecig until about a year after I quit smoking. At that point I was still doing well as a non-smoker, I didn't physically crave smoking, but I missed the 28 year habit of lighting up, having something to fiddle with, and just the relaxing feeling of the inhale/exhale. I had been eating a lot more to make up for the void, and having been underweight all my life I started packing on pounds (too many!). I sorely needed a non-food substitute for the comfort I was missing, but wasn't about to go back to smoking.

I tried a junky convenience store ecig after that first year, and thought "if this was what they were like than forget it". I continued on not smoking, but still missing the habit. About two years after that I began seeing the new advanced products coming out, and did a lot of research. I bought my first starter kit in 2013, and slowly advanced up to bigger and better gear.

People ask why would start vaping after I had already kicked the cigarette habit, and I say, "Why not?". Other than nicotine I'm not getting any of the negative things I got with cigarettes. And in my opinion, there's really nothing wrong with a little nicotine. Nicotine is not what was killing me, it was the smoke that was delivering the nicotine that was killing me.

So I'm 5 years smoke free, I no longer hack in the mornings, my chest never hurts and my clothes, car and hair don't stink anymore.
I have no intentions on giving up vaping, as it has no negative impact on my life, and i enjoy it, so why stop?

I have since gotten my son, my step-son, and his wife to all trade vaping for smoking, so bonus points for saving all their lives too!  

I'm not proud of this, but I broke down and had a cig this morning (been months since I quit, but still "slip" once in a while)
The next door neighbor came by (she knows I vape) and there I am smoking. She said " just don't vape... it's very dangerous!" It almost killed me... and she didn't seen concerned at all that I was smoking (I think her husband used to smoke and had heart issues... he passed away) I made one of my "bad jokes"... said "it will drive you to smoking again" She didn't even get it. It's called "social engineering" and is very powerful (at least to the "sheeple") We have all discussed this. Your average person doesn't read or listen to the whole story, just knows "vaping is dangerous!" I give up... just can't get through to some people  

So I am on a business trip in Madison, WI. I am staying in a hotel (a Hilton to be exact) and I was just hanging out in my room, watching TV, and doing a bit of vaping in my boxers. Then it happened.... the fire alarm went off. I about pooped my pants it caught me so off guard. I ran down to the lobby to explain what happened when the fire department showed up and started asking questions. When they found out that my room was the one that tripped the alarm, they instantly started treating me like a criminal. You would have thought I just murdered their first born child.

Eventually I got the "you shouldn't smoke inside, it's against the law" lecture from one of the firefighters and when I told him I didn't realize it was an issue in a private room where I'm not actually smoking, he went off on me. He told me that regardless of what it is, any type of "smoking" is against the law and that I should have just told someone I was smoking and it would have saved everyone from a headache. He just could not comprehend why I was confused as to why the alarm went off when there was no smoke present. He got my name, phone number, and date of birth from me right before he left, not sure what that was about. The hotel attendant was much more understanding, to whom I apologized profusely for the chaos I caused. She said it's not the first time it has happened and that she is going to talk to the building manager about some new signs addressing the issue of vaping in the rooms.

After doing some research on my own, I found a few things to be true.

1. Smoke alarms arent necessarily built to only detect smoke. Some can be set off by steam, dust, or any type of aerosol.
2. Dane County, WI just recently (Jan 2015) enacted a ban on vaping indoors and that apparently applies to private hotel rooms as well.
3. Public fire alarms are really fracking loud!!!

Be sure to do a bit of research on local vape laws when you travel, it could save you some trouble and legal issues. Hopefully this doesn't come back to bite me in the butt, it was an honest mistake and had I known, I wouldn't have vaped inside in the first place.

Just thought I would share my story so others may learn from my stupid mistake. Save yourself the embarrassment and look up the laws, ask an employee about rules involving vaping, and for the love of God and all that is holy, don't vape near a smoke detector.  

I was thinking the whole situation in many countries that vaping is straight up banned or illegal....and also countries like USA that is not that extreme but still many regulations going on and anyways we all know the big tobacco companies and what they try to do.

I am sure tho that vaping won't be stoped...u can't stop vaping and all the big tobacco do is to try buy some more time for them cause they know that cigarettes are in their end..

I don't know how long this will last but I am sure vaping will make cigarette smoking obselete and it will go very big...

Europe claims they have a plan to end tobacco use until 2032 or something like that for example....maybe that happens and it would be good cause it's for everyone's good.... but u can't just fight vaping and let smoking still exist...

Vaping will be back and for good....the people slowly start accept it and learn it cause honestly imagine how many smokers are out there and how many vapers...while vaping is much more enjoyable objectively...

We the people didn't support vaping enough...
ok maybe we the vapers did but I mean the majority out there don't......people are scared and they don't like to change their habits easy....even if it's for their own good.

I know politics are corrupted and all that....but some of us live in democracies maybe not perfect but still....if all people wanted to stop smoking and switch into vaping to make their life better then they couldn't stop us...
Worst case they would do it to get votes like they usually do with everything they do... not that they care for us...

So yeah vaping will go very big the next year's..
 

I just returned from my biannual Doctor's visit. While there I told her that I was over 90 days cigarette free. She asked me if I had gone cold turkey. I told her about vaping and how it had allowed me to quit. She was very happy that I had quit. She did not mention anything about vaping, positive or negative. She just focused on my quitting and ask about food taste and smells. Continuing through the visit, while she was renewing my med prescriptions, she continued to reinforce my decision to quit and all of the positive things along quitting. As she left she was still smiling and happy. I also talked to one of her nurses about vaping and quitting and gave her my number and told her that I could set her up with a beginners kit from my gear that I don't use. Now I will sit back and see if I have recruited a new convert. Overall, I left the doctor's office with a smile on my face, too.  

Because it has a coil? Because it has a tank that contains VG or PG? Because the user expels vapor that looks like smoke ? Because it has a battery? Because the tank holds liquid that contains nicotine? What if the tank does not contain nicotine? Is it still an E-Cig?

These are my burning questions for tonight while watching Modern Marvels on H2 (History Channel 2)

That and I really need to know what exactly constitutes an E-cig. I've been tobacco free, smoke free for almost two years. Vaping exclusively. I'm close to zero nicotine now. Will I still be an E-cig user when I go to zero? Obviously yes, but why ?

I really dig vaping a million times more then I dug smoking. I hated smoking. Just did it for 40 years 'cause I couldn't get off the stinkies til I discovered E-cig (24 mg/ml when I first quit smoking) almost two years ago. Still can't believe I've been smoke free for so long.

Hope you weigh in on the subject of "What constitutes an E-Cig ?"  

So this campus has basically shut me down vaping in any way.

Outside of the commons, there is a smoking area. First day I moved in I started vaping away, listening to music. Then a random guy tapped on my shoulder and told me "They don't like you doing that here." And I was like, uhm thanks for the warning. Did it a few more days without incident, and I had a RA approach me and tell me that "We don't allow that here." I asked why, and she just said that's what I've been told. Was vaping again, because I figured if I did get in trouble it'd be a chance to explain how ridiculous it is to not allow vaping in a smoking area. Head of student housing sees me, and says that I have to stop doing that or he'll write me up. I try to ask why and he simply says "We have no idea what could be in there" and walks away. ????

So I figured I'm not going to risk it, I'll just stealth vape on a little vv mod in my room while I work. My room mate is cool with it, obviously vapor doesn't damage the room in any way, no obvious smell. Its 2am, and of course after only about 5-10 hits a deafening BEEP BEEP BEEP and strobe lights. Apparently I somehow set off the fire alarm. So I quickly think to throw popcorn in the microwave, and as I'm doing it the sound stops. At this point I'm shaking because I could forfeit my security deposit, get everyone evacuated, and have the fire department come out. I wait for a couple hours, but nothing comes of it. No one has to leave the building or anything. I was never confronted about it.

At this point I'm really paranoid, so I pull my car into the far parking lot. Close the windows, and vape there. Listening to the radio, put my seat back and was enjoying myself. This is an area that technically isn't the property of the college so I think I'll be fine. NOPE, I hear sirens... Cop jumps out of his car, loudly knocks on my windows. I roll it down a bit and vapor starts billowing out. After a little bit of back and forth he explains that someone called him out for a "car fire" and that he was doing a wellness check. At this point I'm thinking I really just can't catch a break. He's nice enough about it and even laughs before leaving.

Now I'm way too paranoid to vape on campus at all. I was used to chain vaping at my desk, but now every time I have to drive out and spend an hour sitting in my car :/  

I've given her some of the best of the best gear, a ton of DIY juice in just about every flavor of the rainbow and every nic level imaginable and she still won't give up the stinkies!

She seems to enjoy the flavors and enjoys vaping, she just continues to smoke as well.

It was so easy for me to switch to vaping (and that was 6 years ago using stick bats and 510 atties with blue foam after smoking for 30+ years!), why does it seem just not to "take" for some folks??