Help with dualist lightning strike slayer

Hi,

I think I really messed up. I’m level 24 using lightning strike and I just selected the Vaal Pact node on the passives board. I can no longer use life flasks and unfortunately it seems either my life or the leech strength of Vaal Pact are enough to keep my health topped off. I’m dying pretty easily in Act 2 and cannot progress. Can someone help a noob try to figure out how to get more out of Vaal Pact or otherwise what I might be missing?

*not* enough to keep my life topped off even though I am killing enemies pretty easily…

unspec vaal pact, take it much later if you need to.