Yes - I am (WAS) a smoker for many years- since the early 60's when I was in my late teens. A few of you are aware that I smoked, but it wasn't something I advertized, as I was not proud of it. Was I stupid to start in the first place??? - yes of course - but back then no one thought of it that way - and it was the cool thing to do! By the time all of the health hazards were known, then I was hooked. There was a time for quite a while, where I could quit at will, but those times of "being quit" got shorter, and the episodes fewer and farther apart. And in times of stress, of course I smoked even more.

I knew I should quit - but that is easier said than done, as anyone who has smoked and kicked the habit (or tried to) knows. I tried just about everything ~~~~~

Cold turkey - not for this turkey! I turned into a raging wounded bull after about the 2nd day, and wasn't fit to be around. I didn't even like myself!!!

Prescription meds - big time bad news. These are nothing more than anti-depressants, and I have very adverse reactions to them. I seriously thought I was having a nervous breakdown after being on Zyban for a few weeks. Luckily I put the pieces of the puzzle together and figured out what was going on. A very scary time - something I would never want to go thru again. I would rather die from smoking!!!

Nicotine gum or lozenges - YUK! The taste is so disgusting that it would just about make me barf.

Nicotine patches - nope. I can't do medicated patches of any kind. After the first day or two, I break out in red itchy welts where the patch is applied.

Hypnosis. Yup - tried that too. Didn't work.

And frankly, I enjoyed smoking and really didn't have much desire to quit, even tho I knew it was taking it's toll on me. Smoking is one of the worst things to be doing when you have osteoporisis and GI issues - and I have both - big time.

So I started reading about the electronic cigarette craze. Yeah - all the hype sounded good - but what's the catch????? The more I read, the more interested in the idea that I became, yet I was very skeptical. Then one day my son brought up the subject - said he had done a ton of research and was going to try it. I'm still skeptical. As it was, I had a couple of doctor appointments soon after he had been talking about them, and I brought the subject up with both my PCP and Cardiologist. Much to my surprise, both doctors highly endorsed the idea! I thought they were joking - but not so.

So I had my son order for me when he placed his order - it was worth a try - tho I wasn't all that positive that they would work. Guess what????? - THEY WORK! I haven't had a real cigarette in over 2 months - and don't want one either. I have my e-cig - water vapor that looks like smoke, and I'm getting nicotine only - not all the tar and who knows how many other carcinogens in the real smoke. And I really don't even smoke the e-cig much either. A disposable cartridge is equal to about one pack of cigarettes, and one lasts me 3 or 4 days - and I was smoking the real ones at about a pack per day. Big difference - and in the price too. I was smoking a generic brand of cigarettes at about $3.75 per pack, and the cartridges that I buy figure out to $1.30 per pack. My final goal is to be smoking nothing - not even the fakes. I think I'm well on my way to that goal even after this short time. And if I do continue smoking the e-cigs, then I'm not doing any more harm to my health. My son's is a success story too - he's been real smoke free for a few weeks longer than I have!

So the moral of this rather long and drawn out story????????? Well the first of course would be - don't start smoking in the first place!! And if you are a smoker, or know someone who is, and would genuinely like to be an ex-smoker and have tried various methods and failed, then give the e-cigs a try. If they work for me - a smoker of 50 years - then they will work for just about anyone.

Good luck...........