Raina and I checked out three more e-liquids from Ahlusion. This time around we went for a beverage theme, choosing Boba Tea, Mimosa Cocktail, and W&A Sasparilla. Boba Tea is based on the popular (for Asians, anyway) dessert beverage from Taiwan, Mimosa Cocktail is a lovely champagne and fruit mix, and W&A Sasparilla is a really unique juice that almost tastes like an adult root beer. As in our first Ahlusion review, we were impressed by the quality of the e-liquids and how carefully they’re packaged (best in the business, in my experience). Check out the video above, as well as more details and steeping details on the juices below.
Boba Tea: Raina and I were really excited to try this one, since boba is an important part of our relationship. She introduced me to the drink about 12 years ago and I’ve been digging it ever since. There’s something magical about the blend of milk tea and tapioca balls. We wanted to love this e-liquid, but ended up really, really liking it. Raina wanted more of the rice-like taste that comes from the drink’s tapioca balls. I wanted a little bit less sweetness and a bit more creaminess. Despite not quite tasting like the beverage, the combination of tea, milk, and Asian sweetness (my nickname, btw) made this my favorite juice of the three. One of the cool things about this juice is that Ahlusion allows you to add different fruit options. In the future, we’ll be reviewing Boba Tea with Lychee, which is how I usually order boba. We’re really psyched to try that one.
Mimosa Cocktail: As with the juice above, this one is available with a variety of options. You can add extra champagne and fruit flavoring, as well as choose different fruit flavors (orange, peach, pear, pomegranate, etc.). We went with the standard champagne with orange. Both of us felt like the champagne flavor was really slight. Although the orange flavor was delicious and tasted natural, we both wanted more of a champagne kick (which, perhaps, says something about our drinking habits). This is something we’d definitely get again, but with the “extra champagne” option.
W&A Sasparilla: This was Raina’s favorite of the bunch. Some people are going to mistake it for a straight root beer flavor because they’ll be thinking about A&W. It’s definitely not a standard root beer flavor. This is a unique, spicy, and complex juice that’s almost like root beer for grown ups. In some ways, it’s like comparing a wine cooler to a fine Bordeaux. The sasparilla comes at you right away. It immediately reminded Raina of the sasparilla beverages that are popular with kids in Asia. She was enamored with the striking flavor and the effervescent spiciness. While I definitely enjoyed and appreciated the juice, I liked it less than she did. Backwoods Brew’s Root Beer was more to my liking as an all-day vape. For me, this was a wonderful juice in small doses.
Steeping Notes
Boba Tea
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 27, 2012 3:13PM
Recapped: November 29, 2012 4:13PM
Mimosa Cocktail
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 27, 2012 3:13PM
Recapped: November 29, 2012 4:13PM
W&A Sasparilla
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 27, 2012 3:13PM
Recapped: November 29, 2012 4:13PM
When I first heard about the Ovale USA eVic, I was immediately intrigued. As a longtime tech writer, I was fascinated by the idea of a vaping device with upgradeable firmware. Like computers, consoles, and mobile phones I’ve reviewed, the eVic has the potential to get better and better with each firmware update. After using the device for the last month, the eVic has shown its potential. Initially, I found it to be middling, but after a firmware update the experience was much, much better. This is one of the most unique vaping devices available today, but it’s not right for everyone. Here’s the breakdown.
What’s in the Kit: Like the other Ovale USA products I’ve reviewed, the eVic comes nicely packaged. Included in the box are the device, a 2,600 mAh 18650 battery, a USB cable, a wall adapter, and a thorough instruction manual. Considering the relatively complex nature of the eVic, a concise and easy-to-understand instruction manual was a must. Ovale USA did a good job at explaining how everything works (though the “How to Vape” section kind of cracked me up). The manual made me think of the Innokin iTaste MVP, which is a fine vaping device, but its spartan instruction manual left some users wondering how basic functions work. Even the most technologically-challenged vapers should be able to master the eVic after reading the instruction manual.
The eVic has a list price of $139 and currently costs $104.20 on Ovale USA’s site.
Construction and Build Quality: The eVic’s construction is mostly good. The tube is primarily metal, with some bits of plastic (twist ring, LCD cover, firing button, and battery cap). While the construction wasn’t as impressive as something like the rock-solid Silver Bullet, I was pleased with the eVic’s build. One area of concern for some users is the cover for the Micro USB port; it’s a small and somewhat fragile flap, similar to the ones used on some mobile phones. I didn’t have a problem with it personally, but I have several friends that have ripped out similar flaps on their phones and I imagine some users will rip the flap off of the eVic. Honestly, I don’t get how people tear these things out, but I understand that it happens.
Ergonomics and Design: For an 18650-battery mod, the eVic is fairly svelte. This is due to the metal tube being relatively thin. Compared to many mods that use an 18650 battery, the eVic feels thin and light, which some users will appreciate. It felt very comfortable in my hand, using my thumb to hit the firing button.
As for its looks, this is a slick device. There’s not a lot you can do to make a tube mod look different, but this one stands out — certainly more than I thought it would. I was recently at Volcano Vapor Cafe in Honolulu and several patrons immediately recognized the device, gushing over it. I also like the subtle branding on the eVic; it has the Ovale and eVic brands painted on in a silver that’s slightly darker than the tube. A lot of the mods I’ve seen and used have ham-fisted branding, so it was nice to see something subtle.
Operation: The eVic uses a 510 connection that accepts a wide variety of equipment. With the top cap on, you can use standard 510 atomizers and cartomizers. If you take the top cap off, it’s a cinch to use eGo-threaded parts. After spilling a bunch of e-liquid on my pants unscrewing a Kanger T3 with the top cap on, I highly recommend taking it off when using eGo-threaded parts. (Yes, I should get an idiot award for that maneuver.)
Sorting through the device’s functions was a snap for me, though I can see some people getting tired of the twisting and clicking. It’s five clicks to wake up the device or to get to the menu system when it’s on. The scroll wheel sorts through the various functions, while the firing button confirms the selection. The thing to keep in mind is that there really isn’t a device with this much functionality. It would be easy to complain that the user interface is similar to the cumbersome ones found on many television sets or mobile phones from a decade ago, but this is new ground for a vaping device. Being able to select voltage, wattage, temperature alarm, puff count, and more is novel. For a first-of-its-kind device, the UI on the eVic is acceptable.
Software: The eVic works in conjunction with the My Vapor Record software. The software can be used to track vaping patterns and update firmware. It’s fairly simple software, but again it doesn’t really have any competitors. For me, it wasn’t useful outside of updating firmware, but some users like to be able to track their vaping habits and it can be a great tool for vapers looking to limit their usage. One of the guys I met at Volcano Vapor Cafe described the tracking function as, “So gangsta!”
There were a few things I didn’t like about My Vapor Record. First, it’s only available for Windows. With the rapid growth of the Mac OS X market, I was surprised by the oversight. OS X and Linux users will have to dual-boot or borrow a friend’s machine to update firmware. Secondly, I didn’t like that My Vapor Record runs in the background; that seems like a waste of system resources and could slow things down for people using older Windows machines.
Performance and Battery Life: As far as straight vaping goes, the eVic has been a solid performer. It produces satisfying hits, though the voltage accuracy is a bit off. Trying a variety of voltage settings, I found the accuracy to be as much as 0.2 volts higher or lower than what was set. If you’re a by-the-numbers vaper then this can be off-putting. My recommendation is to dial to taste. Vapers that enjoy extreme high-voltage settings won’t be pleased with the device’s limits, but it should satisfy the majority of vapers out there.
Updating from firmware version 1.0 to 1.1 made a huge difference in performance. Originally, the eVic wasn’t a true variable-wattage device, meaning that the wattage wouldn’t automatically adjust when atomizers, cartomizers, or clearomizers were changed. The new firmware fixed that issue and also streamlined the UI, making the eVic easier to use.
In terms of battery life, I got a day and half of use out of a full charge. This was inline with my expectations of an 18650-battery mod. One nice thing about the eVic is that it doesn’t require a separate charger. You can leave the battery in the device and charge via USB, with or without a wall adapter. Like many device on the market, it offers pseudo-passthrough functionality; you can vape and charge if there’s some battery power left, but you can’t run the device plugged in if the battery is fully depleted.
Verdict: When I first started using the eVic, I thought it was an “okay” vaping device. The accuracy was off, the UI was cluttered, and I really didn’t like that it didn’t offer true variable-wattage performance. Firmware update 1.1 addressed two of those concerns and now I feel that it’s a very good device with the potential to be a great one. The upgradeable firmware was what made the eVic so interesting to me in the first place. I love that the eVic experience I’m enjoying today is better than the one I had out of the box and could be very different from the one I’ll have six months from now. I knew that there would be some initial kinks with the eVic and was pleased to see Joyetech (the OEM) address them so quickly. It’s unique that the same vaping hardware has gone from okay to very good in less than a month. I can’t wait to see where it goes from here!
The eVic is best for people that enjoy a certain amount of tinkering and like to play around with gadgets. There are better choices for those looking for a straight-up vaping experience, but this is one of the most unique products on the market today. It’s versatile, comfortable, and produces satisfying vapor. As of this writing, it’s a very good mod and I have a feeling that a future firmware update will make it a great one within the next few months.
Here are a trio of fun vaping photos I snapped during the last month. The first two are from a hipster vegetarian lunch Raina and I went on last month. The one above is called “No Smoking. Yes Vaping!” The one below is called “Hipster Vegetarian Dessert, Attack!” Continue reading “Vaping Diaries #25: Goofy Vaping Photos!”
Raina and I checked out three e-liquids from Fuzion Vapor: Magnum PI, Hadouken, and Milli Vanilli. Fuzion is a creative e-juice company that makes some really unique blends and uses creative names (as you can tell). Magnum PI is a tropical fruit medley with hints of cream and menthol. The Street Fighter-inspired Hadouken is a lemon-lime juice with a strong menthol kick (fireball?). Lastly, Milli Vanilli is a watermelon-based juice that tries to make sure that you won’t “blame it on the rain.”
These juices are relatively inexpensive at $13.75 for a 30ml bottle. The e-liquids come in fairly standard packing. The bottles are plastic (I greatly prefer glass) and have really fine tips that allow you to drip with precision. Fuzion uses a house blend of 35/65 PG/VG. Raina and I usually vape 50/50 or 60/40 juices. The vendor does offer custom PG/VG percentages, so I’d probably go that route if I ordered from Fuzion again.
While I really wanted to love this vendor, my first Fuzion experience was only a “like.” The fruit flavors are very “candy” and artificial. Both Raina and I prefer natural fruit flavors. That said, the juices are definitely quality and if you like candy flavors then you’ll love Fuzion Vapor.
Here are the flavor breakdowns:
Magnum PI: This was easily the best of the bunch. Raina and I really enjoyed the complexity of this e-liquid. There’s so much going on — a tropical fruit medley mixed with cream and a subtle menthol finish. It all blended together for a really enjoyable and fascinating vape.
Hadouken: Since Raina and I are both gamers, we really wanted to love this one, but only liked it. The mix of lemon-lime and menthol is definitely interesting, but it reminded us of vaping a cough drop. Raina said that this one was “medicinal,” while it reminded me of a Hall’s Mentho-Lyptus. We enjoyed it as an occasional vape, but definitely not an all-day one.
Milli Vanilli: As fans of “Blame it on the Rain,” and “Girl You Know it’s True,” Raina and I wanted to love this juice too. It really didn’t do much for us. It’s not bad, but it’s kind of forgettable. The watermelon flavor reminded me of a lighter version of watermelon bubblegum. This e-liquid was just kind of…there.
Steeping Notes
Magnum PI
35/65 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 3, 2012 5:31PM
Recapped: November 6, 2012 9:45AM
Tested: December 18, 2012
Hadouken
35/65 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 3, 2012 5:31PM
Recapped: November 6, 2012 9:45AM
Tested: December 18, 2012
Milli Vanilli
35/65 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 3, 2012 5:31PM
Recapped: November 6, 2012 9:45AM
Tested: December 18, 2012
Raina and I checked out three e-liquids from E-Juice Plus: Menthol, Coffee, and Butterscotch. These juices are available for the relatively low price of $20 for 60ml. For an additional $5, you can add the unique option of ganoderma extract. Ganoderma is a mushroom used in Eastern and alternative medicine. It is believed to have many health benefits.
Now, I’m not a doctor (nor do I play one on TV), so I can’t say whether or not vaping ganoderma will improve your health. What I can say is that the extract absolutely does not make e-liquids taste like mushrooms (a common misconception). It adds a background taste, for sure, but Raina and I enjoyed these juices on their own. I liked all three, but Raina really liked them. Now onto the flavors!
Menthol: This is a mild menthol, so if you’re looking for something to clear out your sinuses then this juice isn’t for you. Out of the three juices, this one had the most noticeable background taste, but it didn’t make the juice taste bad by any means. Both of use liked this flavor, but it didn’t blow us away. In general, we both prefer menthols and mints with a little more strength, so we wished this one had more of a kick. If you like your menthols mild then this is a serviceable all-day vape.
Coffee: Both of us liked this one better than Menthol. The coffee taste in this juice is similar to canned ice coffee or coffee mix. It’s a light milk-and-coffee taste that does a good job of masking any background taste that ganoderma infuses. As some of you know, I’m pretty insane with my coffee (burr grinder, Chemex, and freshly roasted beans), but I also enjoy canned coffee and view it as a its own unique flavor — kind of like enjoying Taco Bell, but not considering it real Mexican food. With that in mind, I enjoyed this juice as an approximation of canned coffee as opposed to fresh coffee.
Butterscotch: This was our favorite juice of the three. Trying it blindly, Raina thought it had a nice “vanilla cake” taste. The butterscotch flavor is mild, so if you like e-liquids that are strong and sweet then this isn’t for you. If you want a distinct sweetness that’s good for an all-day vape then this is a good choice. The ganoderma actually complements the butterscotch flavor, giving it a unique twist. While we thought Menthol was okay and Coffee was good, Butterscotch was the flavor we fought over.
Juice Contents
10% Basic juice
15% PG
45% VG
10% Ganoderma
20% Flavor (50/50 VG/PG)
Steeping Notes
Menthol
10mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 19, 2012 6:35PM
Recapped: November 21, 2012 7:00PM
Tested: December 18, 2012
Coffee
10mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 19, 2012 6:35PM
Recapped: November 21, 2012 7:00PM
Tested: December 18, 2012
Butterscotch
50/50 PG/VG ratio 10mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 19, 2012 6:35PM
Recapped: November 21, 2012 7:00PM
Tested: December 18, 2012
The Alt Smoke Silver Bullet is one of the most popular mods on the market and its popularity is totally deserved. It’s a great performer, the build quality is outstanding, it looks great, and it has fantastic flexibility when used with an Evolv Kick. Going into this review, I expected to like the Silver Bullet a lot. I ended up loving it and it has become one of my favorite vaping devices. Here’s the breakdown.
What’s In the Kit: The barebones Silver Bullet kit costs $84.99 and comes with a simple microfiber carrying case. Alt Smoke offers additional configurations that include atomizers, cartomizers, batteries, chargers, and more. If you are an experienced vaper and don’t need the accessories, you’re good to go with just the mod. If you’re new to vaping then Alt Smoke offers everything you need to get started.
Build Quality and Construction: The Silver Bullet is built like a tank. It’s made from aircraft aluminum and feels very sturdy. The finish — available in a wide variety of colors — is also topnotch. This is a beautiful mod that will last most vapers a very, very long time. I was extremely impressed by the quality of the Silver Bullet. It’s a fantastic example of a high-quality vaping device that’s made in the USA. (And yes, I’m partial to made in the USA goods.) The Silver Bullet is backed by a six-month warranty that covers mechanical failure.
Ergonomics and Design: This is as straightforward as it gets. The Silver Bullet is a simple (though extremely well made) mechanical mod. It’s a solid tube with a button that won’t accidentally fire off in your pants or pocketbook. Due to its mechanical construction, you don’t have to worry about any circuits dying or breaking down. Since it’s made from aircraft aluminum, it has a really nice heft. Vapers that prefer lighter devices might be put off by the weight, but I loved the solid feel of the SB.
Operation: There’s a single button. You press it. After that, you just vape and enjoy. The mod uses a standard 510 connection, so you can use it with a wide variety of atomizers, cartomizers, and clearomizers.
Performance (Standalone): As a fixed voltage device, I was surprised by the strong performance of the Silver Bullet. This thing kicks like a mule — easily one of the best fixed voltage mods I’ve ever used. Running on a single 18650 battery, I was able to get a day and half on a charge, sometimes a little bit longer. Performance does go down when the battery hits the 1/4 mark or so.
Performance (With Evolv Kick): Using the Silver Bullet with the Evolv Kick gives this mod incredible versatility. The Kick allows you to adjust the wattage to your liking. You can use the Kick with an 18490 battery or buy the optional $24.95 extension sleeve to use it with an 18650 battery. The Kick gives you consistent output and versatile performance at the expense of battery life. Still, with the extension sleeve and an 18650 battery, I was able to get more than a day of vaping with the device.
Verdict: The Silver Bullet has quickly become one of my favorite vaping devices. The build quality is fantastic and the standalone performance is great. When used with an Evolv Kick, you get the versatility of variable wattage. My favorite setup at the moment is the SB, a Kick, and an 18650 battery. This gives me more than a day of fantastic vaping. Whether you prefer fixed voltage or variable wattage, I highly recommend the Silver Bullet. It’s a wonderful vaping device.
[Special thanks to RPadholic N8R for filming the intro and outro of this review! The ins and outs were done pre-surgery, while the rest of the review was done post-surgery.]
Raina and I checked out three e-liquids from Backwoods Brew — Peach, Honey Flue Tobacco, and Root Beer. One was too sweet for our tastes, one had a great blend of sweetness and tobacco that was great for an all-day vape, and one was a fantastic e-juice with lots of complexity. Backwoods Brew’s packaging is pretty standard — plastic dripper bottles enclosed in a padded envelope — but the juice is definitely high-quality. Here’s a breakdown of the three flavors followed by steeping notes.
Peach: This is a good choice if you like candied peaches. It reminded Raina of the Hello Kitty candy she used to steal as a kid. It reminded me of peaches you’d taste in a peach pie or in peach jam. While it’s a good and tasty juice, Raina and I both prefer natural fruit flavors like the one in Ahlusion’s excellent Poppin’ Peach.
Honey Flue: Raina and I both liked this one a lot. It has a smooth tobacco taste and a great honey sweetness. The honey flavor is definitely noticeable, but it’s not overpowering. Unlike many sweet e-liquids on the market, this one is suitable for an all-day vape.
Root Beer: This was our favorite of the three. BWB’s Root Beer is a real treat that has a true root beer flavor with a great spiciness and lots of complexity. My friend Ted tried this one too and immediately picked up the anise flavor. There’s just a lot going on with this juice and it was a delight to vape. Raina felt that the complexity gave it a nice kick that was perfect for vaping. Both of us highly recommend this juice.
Steeping Notes
Peach
70/30 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: October 22, 2012 4:15PM
Recapped: October 24, 2012 10:48PM
Tested: December 11, 2012
Honey Flue
70/30 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: October 22, 2012 4:15PM
Recapped: October 24, 2012 10:48PM
Tested: December 11, 2012
Root Beer
70/30 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: October 22, 2012 4:15PM
Recapped: October 24, 2012 10:48PM
Tested: December 11, 2012
Raina and I checked out three e-liquids from Backwoods Brew — Peach, Honey Flue Tobacco, and Root Beer. One was too sweet for our tastes, one had a great blend of sweetness and tobacco that was great for an all-day vape, and one was a fantastic e-juice with lots of complexity. Backwoods Brew’s packaging is pretty standard — plastic dripper bottles enclosed in a padded envelope — but the juice is definitely high-quality. Here’s a breakdown of the three flavors followed by steeping notes.
Peach: This is a good choice if you like candied peaches. It reminded Raina of the Hello Kitty candy she used to steal as a kid. It reminded me of peaches you’d taste in a peach pie or in peach jam. While it’s a good and tasty juice, Raina and I both prefer natural fruit flavors like the one in Ahlusion’s excellent Poppin’ Peach.
Honey Flue: Raina and I both liked this one a lot. It has a smooth tobacco taste and a great honey sweetness. The honey flavor is definitely noticeable, but it’s not overpowering. Unlike many sweet e-liquids on the market, this one is suitable for an all-day vape.
Root Beer: This was our favorite of the three. BWB’s Root Beer is a real treat that has a true root beer flavor with a great spiciness and lots of complexity. My friend Ted tried this one too and immediately picked up the anise flavor. There’s just a lot going on with this juice and it was a delight to vape. Raina felt that the complexity gave it a nice kick that was perfect for vaping. Both of us highly recommend this juice.
Steeping Notes
Peach
70/30 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: October 22, 2012 4:15PM
Recapped: October 24, 2012 10:48PM
Tested: December 11, 2012
Honey Flue
70/30 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: October 22, 2012 4:15PM
Recapped: October 24, 2012 10:48PM
Tested: December 11, 2012
Root Beer
70/30 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: October 22, 2012 4:15PM
Recapped: October 24, 2012 10:48PM
Tested: December 11, 2012
One recent trend with e-liquids is adding supplements to the usual blend of distilled water, food flavoring, nicotine (optional), propylene glycol, and vegetable glycerin. Some vendors are adding vitamins, while others are including more exotic herbal supplements. Purists scoff at these e-liquids, questioning whether they have any actual benefit. Others welcome anything that can make vaping healthier. Let’s take a look at two vendors that sell juices with atypical ingredients.
First up is E-Juice Plus. This vendor offers the option of adding ganoderma extract to its juices. Ganoderma is a mushroom that’s used by many Eastern doctors and practitioners of alternative medicine. While longterm studies are still being done, some people believe that ganoderma has antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-fungal, hypoglycemic, immuno-regulatory, and cholesterol-reducing effects. Some people use it to treat blood pressure, immune system, anti-inflammatory, and blood-sugar issues.
Fuzion Vapor is known for its creative juices with colorful names. Its Magnum P.I. juice has vitamin B12, while its Milli Vanilli juice has vitamin C. I have both juices steeping and hope that neither tastes like Tom Selleck, Fab Morvan, or Rob Pilatus.
I’m going to be reviewing juices from both vendors in the near future. While I’ll be judging them for their tastes, I’m curious to see if the supplements impact the vaping experience. As I mentioned earlier, there are some purists that believe these supplements offer no benefit and question how much can be absorbed through vaping. Others like that juice vendors are becoming more experimental.
What do you think of adding things like ganoderma and vitamins to e-liquids? Is it all hogwash? Or is it an exciting trend that can make vaping even better?
As some of you know, I was supposed to spend Thanksgiving holiday in Hawaii with my parents, brother, and sister-in-law. As some of you know, an unplanned surgery put the kibosh on those plans. Here’s an account of the whole affair, including several nerd thoughts that helped me get through my first major emergency room experience and surgery…more
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, being happy to see the fraudulent NY Knicks slowly being exposed, the perils of having a large bottle of Vicodin, or adult actresses posting extravagant Amazon wish lists and getting fans to fulfill them, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
As some of you know, I was supposed to spend Thanksgiving holiday in Hawaii with my parents, brother, and sister-in-law. As some of you know, an unplanned surgery put the kibosh on those plans. Here’s an account of the whole affair, including several nerd thoughts that helped me get through my first major emergency room experience and surgery.
– The week of my scheduled flight, I had some abdominal pain and a fluctuating fever. The pain I could manage; I was always good at being able to deal with constant pain. The fever was much tougher to deal with; spiking to 104F and being in severe chills half an hour later made it difficult to function. The sad part was that I wasn’t really thinking about my overall health. Instead, I was thinking, “I can work through the abdominal pain, but the temperature spikes make it too difficult to write and edit video.”
– The night before my scheduled flight, I was feverish mess, but was determined to catch the plane. My Dad, in the latest of a lifetime of valuable advice, told me to get to the ER. My excellent friend Paul was kind enough to drive me over to Good Samaritan Hospital, which is about a mile from my apartment. Paul knew something was really wrong when the ER attendant asked me, “Why are you sweating so much?”
– The ER nurses gave me some tests and an ultrasound over the course of several hours. The whole time I was hooked up to all kinds of sensors and tubes. The sensors had me thinking about the process that turned a skinny Steve Rogers into Captain America. The tubes had me thinking of the Weapon X procedure that laced Wolverine’s bones with adamantium. I’m pretty sure that nerd thoughts are my mind’s first line of defense when dealing with serious health issues.
– But wait, there’s more! I went through three litres of intravenous fluid. I’ve never had an IV drip before, so the sensation was funky. You know that feeling you get when you down an ice-cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer day? Imagine that same feeling concentrated in your forearm and that’s what three litres of IV fluid feels like. At first, it made me feel like Iceman from the X-Men generating an ice shield. As the sensation spread, it almost felt like I had one real arm and one artificial limb, like Cable (the poorly named mutant savior, not the aptly named television service).
– Loopy on painkillers and generally tired from dealing with this illness, I was told by ER doctor that I had gallstones and would need my gall bladder removed. It sounded like a good idea, but at that point I would have agreed that a brain transplant would have been a good idea.
– I was admitted to a hospital room some time on Friday and scheduled to have surgery on Saturday morning. While prepping for the surgery, I was restricted to a diet of ice chip soup. More fluid, painkillers, and antibiotics were being pumped into my system through IV. At one point I noticed that the fluid was being pumped into my body at a rate of 120ml per hour. The first thing I thought about was vaping: “Wow, that’s like four bottles of premium e-liquid!”
– The surgery was successful, but more complicated than planned. Under optimum conditions, it’s just a series of small incisions that don’t traumatize the body that much; some patients are able to go home several hours after surgery. My gall bladder was really f*cked up. The doctor told me that I had several gallstones that were larger than golf balls and that he had never seen a gall bladder so damaged before. To make room for it all, what’s normally a 1cm incision became a 10cm incision. I currently have two small cuts with four staples and two staples, respectively, and one large cut with at least ten staples.
– Due to the more invasive surgery, I had to spend several more days under hospital care. I recovered quickly, graduating from ice chip soup to solid foods in a day. The Internet connection in the hospital wasn’t the greatest, so using my tablet was hit or miss. To pass the time, I watched a lot of television…and was quickly reminded why I hate a lot of television. Moonshiners?!? Mystery Diners?!? This is what people want?!? Crappy television shows and general impatience had me really anxious to leave on my third day of recovery. Thankfully, I was able to do so.
– So I’m back at home, healing up. The pain can be high and a lot of simple movements are difficult because my abdominal muscles are just wrecked. Laughing can hurt. Sneezing and coughing hurt a lot. My energy levels won’t be normal for a while too. Right now my goal is to make it to next week; my wounds should be healed enough by then so that I can get my staples removed. There are a lot of things that I want to write, shoot, and edit, but I need to take it easy. I’m sure you guys and dolls will be instrumental in making sure that I don’t go batty while I’m healing.
– While I currently have the strength of a small kitten, I’m happy to be rid of the pain and fever I had before. I didn’t realize how bad it was. While I was bummed to miss a trip to Hawaii, I’m thrilled to be alive. While it wasn’t an ideal Thanksgiving, there’s definitely a lot that I’m thankful for.
