Over six weeks without a pipe

[luvmysuper]

I took up the pipe in November of 2021, almost 3 years ago exactly.
The pipe enabled me to stop using cigarettes altogether, which made me very very happy.
It's been a little over three weeks since my hip replacement surgery, and a little over 6 weeks since my last pipe, so I decided to have a bowl of Mark Twain in my Popeye Cob this morning while I watched the St. Sue Auction ramp up. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I had anticipated my return to the pipe would be such that I had 2 or 3 bowls a day as a leisurely pleasant experience.
But I have a decision to make now. I can't be a leisurely pipe smoker.
The bowl this morning has me at a point where I could easily slip right back into 6 or 8 bowls a day, which is having various pipes going virtually continuously all day long, or to just stop. Though I do not inhale the pipe at all, that's still a lot of smoking.
Like the Sherlock Holmes character, I'm not a guy that does well with moderation when it comes to tobacco.
I'm going to have to sit down, spend some time thinking on it, and come to a decision moving forward.
Till that decision is made, I'm going to refrain from having another bowl and try to come to a logical and reasonable choice.
Either conclusion is not going to be without some regrets.

 

[Columbo]

I’m in your consumption tier. And as you know had a very serious health matter that kept me down for a number of months (completely unrelated to my pipe). I greatly missed my morning puffs during that time. So I understand your considerations.

If you were at 6-8 a day beforehand, and your vitals were generally sound, then that would be a positive factor to me. Got hypertension and a raft of cardiovascular and or pulmonary issues? Then you might want to spool it back or stop. Six bowls a day is nearing the limits of moderate consumption. If you were at 10 or more, I’d say you are a heavy puffer.

I knew a number of all day pipe smokers (10+) when I started. I’ve previously referred to them as the “old dinosaurs” here. Funny thing was, they were all quite elderly. Makes you wonder.

Try 2-4 a day and see how it goes. If you can’t keep from moving to 5-6+, then maybe you just have to stop altogether like you said.

Maybe try doing what Mr. KellyG does in the daily thread: set out your 3 in advance, in pretty flight formation.

And that’s it. It’s like portion control.

I‘m a believer in the stress-reducing benefits of light to moderate pipe smoking. The 64 Report seems to have revealed that benefit, even though the tobacco nazis have done their best to bury that little quirk ever since. Stress is a hidden killer in its own right. The relaxation associated with the activity has real benefit, at least to me. And I enjoy it. I’m not meditating or doing the other alternatives.

But I’m no doctor. And as with Mr. Benzadmiral, you need to do what’s best for you.

 

[Benzadmiral]

But I’m no doctor. And as with Mr. Benzadmiral, you need to do what’s best for you.

So I see I am not alone. Well, we are adults, and can make informed health choices without succumbing to the endless scare tactics of the media.

Phil, I have the classic addictive personality. If I do something three times, and I like it all three, I'm likely to get addicted to it. If you're the same, you need to take that into account as well.

 

[KellyG]

I like to be sitting when I smoke and I only smoke outdoors, which helps me stay confined to two or three pipes per day. Three pipes is a fair amount of time sitting, even when the weather is nice; being retired helps.
Best wishes with your decision making process and the result, wherever it leads.

 

[cwright]

Go luck Phil, glad your getting better. Hopefully you can cut back a little and keep piping. I'm with you, I'm 5 weeks from knee replacement, no pipe for 6 weeks, 1st one this morning.

 

[Columbo]

I took up the pipe in November of 2021, almost 3 years ago exactly.
The pipe enabled me to stop using cigarettes altogether, which made me very very happy.
It's been a little over three weeks since my hip replacement surgery, and a little over 6 weeks since my last pipe, so I decided to have a bowl of Mark Twain in my Popeye Cob this morning while I watched the St. Sue Auction ramp up. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I had anticipated my return to the pipe would be such that I had 2 or 3 bowls a day as a leisurely pleasant experience.
But I have a decision to make now. I can't be a leisurely pipe smoker.
The bowl this morning has me at a point where I could easily slip right back into 6 or 8 bowls a day, which is having various pipes going virtually continuously all day long, or to just stop. Though I do not inhale the pipe at all, that's still a lot of smoking.
Like the Sherlock Holmes character, I'm not a guy that does well with moderation when it comes to tobacco.
I'm going to have to sit down, spend some time thinking on it, and come to a decision moving forward.
Till that decision is made, I'm going to refrain from having another bowl and try to come to a logical and reasonable choice.
Either conclusion is not going to be without some regrets.

I forgot to mention, but one of my last secretaries, about 20+ years ago, had a hip replacement. Down at the main Rothman Facility in center city Philadelphia, back when Richard Rothman was still doing them. Their post-op procedure then was to have her out of bed and moving the very next day, and driving her car again in a week. And that's exactly what she did. I was completely flabbergasted at her recovery. But she never looked back and never missed a beat thereafter. She was in her late 60s at the time.

I can only imagine that the technology and post-operative care for you has gotten even better since then.

 

[luvmysuper]

The first week was bad. After that, it's just been a matter of work.
I'm walking and putting full weight on the leg , just using a cane for balance.
I do three treadmill sessions a day to retrain the tendons and muscles that had gotten used to a limp, and I'm driving.
There are certain movements I'm not allowed to do for 7 weeks to prevent tearing the muscle that was cut.
The first week was supposed to be very cautious with PT to start warming up, but I had an over zealous PT tech who had me putting my full body weight on the affected leg in a one leg stand 3 days after surgery.
That caused a bad setback with agonizing pain which caused me to miss 3 days of PT as I sat in a drug induced stupor.

 

[ctr]

I’m in your consumption tier. And as you know had a very serious health matter that kept me down for a number of months (completely unrelated to my pipe). I greatly missed my morning puffs during that time. So I understand your considerations.

If you were at 6-8 a day beforehand, and your vitals were generally sound, then that would be a positive factor to me. Got hypertension and a raft of cardiovascular and or pulmonary issues? Then you might want to spool it back or stop. Six bowls a day is nearing the limits of moderate consumption. If you were at 10 or more, I’d say you are a heavy puffer.

I knew a number of all day pipe smokers (10+) when I started. I’ve previously referred to them as the “old dinosaurs” here. Funny thing was, they were all quite elderly. Makes you wonder.

Try 2-4 a day and see how it goes. If you can’t keep from moving to 5-6+, then maybe you just have to stop altogether like you said.

Maybe try doing what Mr. KellyG does in the daily thread: set out your 3 in advance, in pretty flight formation.

And that’s it. It’s like portion control.

I‘m a believer in the stress-reducing benefits of light to moderate pipe smoking. The 64 Report seems to have revealed that benefit, even though the tobacco nazis have done their best to bury that little quirk ever since. Stress is a hidden killer in its own right. The relaxation associated with the activity has real benefit, at least to me. And I enjoy it. I’m not meditating or doing the other alternatives.

But I’m no doctor. And as with Mr. Benzadmiral, you need to do what’s best for you.

Convinced I didn't have a stroke or heart attack because I took up pipe smoking. Was 50 at the time working a high stress job in hospital revenue cycle operations. The pipe enabled me to calm down, relax, and shed the stress.

 

[ctr]

Hope you progress quickly Phil. You will come to a decision that is right for you.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I understand your dilemma, Phil. I replaced cigs with vape, and just use the pipe and nasal snuff on occasion. For fun and enjoyment, but without any cravings. However, I'm now just as entrenched with the vape as I was with hand rolled smokes. I managed to wean back from 18mg juice to 6mg, but can easily go through 20ml or more per week. I am trying to cut down the quantity consumed, but progress is slow. Not only do I not get tre cravings for pipes, a moderate sized bowl will often be smoked over two days here.

I know this might sound ridiculous, but do you have any tobacco in your stash that you don't enjoy? Maybe allow yourself a lunchtime and dinner time smoke of something you really enjoy, then only allow yourself a small bowl of your Sludgy McButtCrack blend if you get the burning urges between. Moving to slightly less pleasant vape juices has certainly helped me tone down a bit.

 

[Toothpick]

 

[Toothpick]

Sludgy McButtCrack blend if you get the burning urges between

I beg you,.. please see a doctor if you have this.

 

[Kentos]

If you can get over the nicotine addiction, you will be able to smoke a pipe occasionally and enjoy it. If it’s used to get your nic fix you will gradually get back to several bowls a day. Maybe quit entirely for several months, a year? Whatever and then come back to it.
Once you come back the nicotine delivery is so slow that I believe it won’t jump start the cravings. If it does, then you will know more on what needs to be done. Ymmv.

 

[luvmysuper]

If you can get over the nicotine addiction, you will be able to smoke a pipe occasionally and enjoy it. If it’s used to get your nic fix you will gradually get back to several bowls a day. Maybe quit entirely for several months, a year? Whatever and then come back to it.
Once you come back the nicotine delivery is so slow that I believe it won’t jump start the cravings. If it does, then you will know more on what needs to be done. Ymmv.

I may try a longer period and see how that goes.

 

[Kentos]

I may try a longer period and see how that goes.

I am exactly the same as you when it comes to nicotine/tobacco so I feel you.

 

[Columbo]

If you can get over the nicotine addiction, you will be able to smoke a pipe occasionally and enjoy it. If it’s used to get your nic fix you will gradually get back to several bowls a day. Maybe quit entirely for several months, a year? Whatever and then come back to it.
Once you come back the nicotine delivery is so slow that I believe it won’t jump start the cravings. If it does, then you will know more on what needs to be done. Ymmv.

You’re quite right about the Vitamin N factor after a layoff. I had to navigate that one recently.

I would think starting back with a stiffer DFK blend or OJK after a long layoff might not be the best idea, especially with any addiction proclivities.

And that’s why God in all his infinite wisdom created those gentle old codger classics.

 

[seabee1999]

Glad to see you are on the mend Phil. Hopefully you can find the balance between what you can enjoy to what is best for your overall health moving forward.

 

[Legion]

I used a pipe to get off the cigs the last time, and it worked. Being only able to smoke outside where I was living, with freezing winters, and a bowl taking a fair while to smoke, helped me to quit that too, rather than hyperthermia.

In the end I think I liked the gear, procedure, restoring of pipes more than I liked smoking them. So quitting pipes when the time came was easier than cigarettes.

 

[Haebar]

Congratulations on your period of abstinence. Of course, the decision to pick up the pipe again or continue abstaining is yours, I recommend continued abstinence. This is coming from someone who has smoked a pipe most of his life and still does. I can see many advantages to permanent abstinence. This may not be a popular opinion among the pipe community, but it is what I think.

 

[Benzadmiral]

. . . In the end I think I liked the gear, procedure, restoring of pipes more than I liked smoking them. So quitting pipes when the time came was easier than cigarettes.

The pipes are mini-artworks in themselves, like little well-wrought pieces of furniture. It was why I held on to the ones I'd bought in the Eighties even during my long absence from the pipe world.