I'm vaping more, got an Extreme Q and it works well.

Smoking without regular exercise is bad, the $hit builds up like you experienced. I ride mt. bikes, and if I go more than a week without riding I notice my smoking a little when I ride next, longer is worse. If I ride a couple times a week it's not bad, but it does limit oxygen transfer in the lungs a little bit. I've quit for periods of time to compare... basically, if you're going to smoke, get out and do aerobic exercise at least 2x a week, it's good for you and your lungs. I'll hold out on recommending the vape, it works great but I'm not convinced it's so much better for you, but others have said it helps a lot... so we'll see.