My thoughts on vaping.

I’m the kind of guy that knows if I do enough work, have an interest or love, carefully think through and research it, any challenge life throws at me lends the possibility of learning to overcome the difficulties while basking in the rewards. It was that way in my professional life and various achievements and it has been that way being a musician. I even did the tremendous amount of work to learn to play the bluegrass banjo well enough to play in my own bluegrass band for the last 13 years. If you think that is easy to do, try it some time. I have, through hard work and dedication, “won out” as they say. Everything, every time. Smoking cigarettes since I was thirteen was the only thing I was not able to overcome. After trying to quit twice in forty-four years, I was beaten each time I tried to rid myself of my almost three pack a day habit. It was not without incentive that I failed and refused to try again. It was because I felt so miserable and made everyone around me feel miserable that I reckoned that it wasn’t worth the “sickness” to put myself and others through that again. Then, last December, 2013, I was very ill. I had trouble focusing, terrible chills, and trouble breathing. My wife called the ambulance because I was talking out of my head and was unresponsive. I blacked out and don’t remember the 32 mile trip to the hospital. When I awoke, I was in a hospital bed with a nurse saying they had taken a three dimensional x-ray of my chest and they would let me know soon how it came out. I lay there thinking. “Oh no. A chest x-ray.” After gathering what thoughts I could about what was going on, it was as if a light switch went off in my head. “What ever you are in here for, you aren’t going to be smoking any time soon. This is it. Cigarettes probably put you here and they are out of your life now.” I somehow new smoking for me was over. But oh my what did that mean? Pain and suffering? Addiction battles for the rest of my life? It turned out I was extremely lucky. My chest x-ray was clear and other than having to battle Influenza A and double pneumonia I was going to be fine. After a fantastic amount of antibiotic drips and lots of rest and care I left a new man. Although I knew the battle of quitting smoking was just starting. The hospital started me on the patch system. Good thing. The first three days were pretty much a snap. Unbelievably, I had no withdrawal symptoms. Then the fourth day started. It was 24 hours of the worst hell anyone can imagine. I needed something along with the patches to help me. I remembered seeing a video about e-cigarettes and how they worked. I was hesitant to purchase one but I thought to myself if it helps me stay off smoking real cigarettes I need to try it. I did. Once I realized I could refill the devices with liquid containing nicotine for me, like my patches were did, and slowly cut down on the nicotine strength of the liquid by purchasing liquids with varied amounts of nicotine and even some liquid with no nicotine at all, I knew I would not ever smoke cigarettes with tobacco in them again. It has now been four months and I am still not smoking cigarettes. I vape. By inhaling the vapor from these systems (I have tried quite a few different kinds and sizes) I know without a doubt I will make it. I am a non-smoker and will stay that way. I have cut my nicotine levels way, way down through the help of the ability to mix tobacco flavored e liquid with varied amounts of nicotine. Some day I will reach zero nicotine and that will be the end of nicotine in my life. I know in my heart this will happen. I am concerned that the part of the FDA regulations dealing with e liquid may hinder my ability to stay off tobacco cigarettes. I need to be able to get the variety of e liquid I am currently able to purchase. Only for a while. My goal is zero nicotine in my life.