How Ecigs/ Vaping Saved My Life

*Vaping/ E-Cigarettes has not only saved but prolonged my life. *Dear Whom This May Concern, My Story of how Ecigs / Vaping Saved or Prolonged my Life.. My name is Mike Foshee. Most know me as ‘Mike The HogANator’ or ‘Vulgar Vape Dude’ on YouTube & Social Media. I am 43 years of age, married to my high-school sweet heart & best friend for 23 years. We have 2 wonderful boys. One is 20 and contributes to society, works hard each day and provided me with my 1st Grandson, Luke. My other Son is 19 years old and has a form of Autism and resides w/ my Wife & I. I started smoking at the very young age of 13. It was cool and hip to smoke cigarettes back in those days, so I thought. At the young age of 37, I had a mild Stroke and was transported to Methodist hospital in Houston, Texas.( I reside 40 miles S. of Houston, Texas) After many long days spent at Methodist Hospital, test, scans, ect.. Doctors learned that I had not only had Lung Disease. COPD & Emphysema. But that, I had the lung function of an 84 year old man. (from Lung test) Doctors also discovered that I had a Tumor in my Heart. Caused from a child hood heart condition or disease, which was just then discovered. I was told at the very young age of 37 to quit smoking but only if I could it, ‘Stress Free’. If I could not quit smoking stress free. Continue to smoke & live each day as if it were my last. Stress was going to be my deciding factor whether I live or die. I was classified as Disabled. I tried all the methods to quitting smoking. Non of which worked and do not work for many. Fast forward a bit. To my age of 42. I tried E-Cigarettes, on my own, not wanting to quit smoking because I was scared of the “Stress Factor”, but I was curious and I was amazed! I was amazed at just how simple it was to quit smoking and quit stress free and in one day! My story was published in the Dec. 2013 Issue of the N.Y Times. The original Story was supposed to be about ‘Invading Species. The Crazy Ants’ but was more focused on my story, John M. the writer, learned of the work I do or did for our Wounded Warriors, Kids w/ Cancer, Troubled Teens, etc. Through my ‘Therapy Through The Outdoors Program’, which I started when I became disabled. Here is a link to that story in the NY Times. The Readers Digest of the US & Canada has published it as well. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/magazine/crazy-ants.html?_r=0 I currently focus my time to help smokers quit smoking by means of Vaping or E-Cigarettes, through my series of comedic, humorous video’s on YouTube & through Social Media sites. I do this because it’s so simple to stop smoking, easily and stress free by using these Vaping devices. I cannot see how these devices can be regulated as either medicine or tobacco. Since said devices are neither both. E-Cigs or Vaping is just a tool to use as an easy way to quit smoking and start living a healthier life style, without harming others. As Many Studies show. 2nd hand vapor is harmless. We all want “reasonable” regulation. With that said, costly regulation would be past down to me, the Vaper, the consumer and that would make smoking real analogs much easier and cheaper than the safest, most effective tool know to help smokers quit and save lives! That would be ecigs.. I say this because remember when I stated that when I was 37 years old and in the Hospital w/ Heart and Lung disease and the Lung function of a 84 year old man? Well, I’m 43 now and have been Vaping for 8 months! I know have the healthy lungs of a 54 year old man. Something that was never foreseen by doctors! They stated that I would be lucky to get my lung function back down to that of a man in his mid 60’s! But you see. Vaping exercises my lungs. Each time I Vape, I exercise my lungs and the function of my lungs improve! Yes, the damage was done from when I was a smoker and I’ll never get full lung function back, but my life has improved dramatically. I can now take long walks w/ my beautiful Wife or one of our Warriors, or push a child that has cancer in a wheelchair through the outdoors without the need of oxygen or gasping for air with each step I take. Which means spending more time outdoors doing what I love to do, with the people I love to share it with. Doing more of what I love to do, Helping others. If my story cannot help you consider how E-Cigarettes should be classified and or regulated. Think really hard about what E-Cigs are, what they do for many of Vaping American’s that are or were just like myself, and who have similar stories like mine? “These devices save lives each day and unnecessary regulation would have a deadly effect!” Respectfully, Mike Foshee aka Vulgar Vape Dude