-
Reactions to people vaping as an IPF patient.
Despite being diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) at 28, I did not treat my lungs poorly. I never smoked as a youth or young adult, nor was I exposed to secondhand smoke or mold in my childhood. Additionally, I was always active and rarely caught respiratory infections as a child so, unfortunately, my diagnosis is truly “idiopathic”, meaning no one really knows why I ended up with this cruel lung disease.On the days I’m most frustrated with IPF and the symptoms it causes, I try to remember that I didn’t do anything to cause this. I often struggle to keep myself quiet or not get overly emotional when I see teenagers vaping because they have no idea how difficult living with lung disease is. I’ve seen kids as young as eleven using a vape! I guess I just needed to bring this to our forums community because I know others will understand my reaction when I see others vaping and yet, I’m living with IPF through no fault of my own.
How do you deal with the intense emotion of seeing others vape, knowing it will damage their lungs?
Do you ever say anything to people?
-
6 Replies
-
Hi Charlene. I also can’t help saying something to people who vape. Especially the flavored ones. My pulmonologist has discussed with me how these young adults present with “popcorn lungs” etc. My landscaper came to my house yesterday and he was vaping. I told him about my IPF and the dangers of vaping. He immediately threw out all his cartridges!! Smoking incidence in the US is down but vaping is way up. I calmly try to discuss what’s at stake here. And vaping marijuana is also dangerous. I never inhaled but I had a major exposure to second hand smoke and I’ve read there may be an association. As kids my parents smoked like fiends in the car/windows closed!!! Thank you for bringing up this very important topic.
Don Salzberg -
Hi Charlene
As a younger man, father, husband, I would try and get my kids and their friends to behave; wear a seatbelt, go to school, drive slower, no smoking in my house, no drugs or alcohol. As I have aged, I have concluded I can barely control my own self, I do not make the ‘smart choices’ all the time. Youth is wasted on the young. I made many questionable decisions in my youth, just ask my mother 😬. That being the case, I look back and can honestly say it was a fun and entertaining ride. It is painful to watch young people make silly mistakes, but it is their life. If you look closely, you can find these same young people among the boomer crowd, no savings, failing health, at war with their kids, homelessness a paycheck away. My ‘keen’ observations have allowed me to make peace with myself. Live and let vape, or ‘Not my monkeys, not my circus.’
Peace
-
I want to slap them but hate jail! Both my daughters and one son in law quit after my issues.
-
Right now my biggest issue is wildfire smoke. Spending a fair bit of time indoors! I also have to limit “ city” time as the exhaust is a real trigger for me.
I guess my point is that the real problem isn’t always the little one you see first. There are so many environmental and employment risks that get no press that we don’t see those.
Smoking/vaping won’t help lol, but the real boogeyman is having a giggle. -
I have ILD (IPF). I had been a smoker off and on over the years. I used vaping as a way to quit smoking. I made my own liquids–even nicotine from Tomatoes and Potatoes for awhile. I went from 18mg of Nic to 0 over a period of time, and I credit Vape with saving my life.
I see now in Britain the government is supplying vape units as a way to reduce smoking which is likely hundreds of times more damaging. One nice aspect of Vape is that there is no second hand damage. (I wish sitting in a terrace with street traffic nearby could be as safe.
I am happy to see young people avoiding smoking by vaping. It’s far safer, easier to dose, has no second-hand effect, and is much easier to quit through nicotine reduction. I wish that such vices did not exist at all…but the safer is my choice in the real world.
-
I have IPC tbd Dr. thought at first maybe autoimmune related but, after further testing was not the case. I never smoked but, yet have some emphysema and Asthma and going on 6 yrs IPF caught early stage but, had every year trouble with being immunocompromised gett g over. Bronchitis/Pneumonia. My Asthma Dr. working on building up my immunity. I was in a Retail Store behind someone vaping away. I cannot believe Security allowed it. I stepped away but, got out to my car and had to take my Emergency Inhaler. Too Sensitive I guess. Boy I did want to say something for sure couldn’t get my breath enough.
Log in to reply.