Ok, so I was thinking today.. which is odd with this pregnancy brain thing... not the thinking part, but me remembering what I was thinking about. So I figured it must be something I need to ask, or start a discussion about.
How ready are you medically if..... power outage, tornado, tsunami (yes we get them here!!), earthquake, eruption (most likely Rainier or St. Helens), hell freezes over (oh wait, Hell, Michigan DID freeze this year!!, not sure about Hell, Belize), car accident, tree falls on a bedroom during the night, windstorm, civil war, severe heat...
What kinds of injuries??? drowning, puncture wounds, broken bones, dislocated joints, severe breathing difficulties, severe cold, severe heat, dehydration, diarrhea, vomiting, births, deaths...
Granted I am not sure what the future brings, or in what order things will happen. But I do know there is the possibility that we will be needed to help OR that we may need the help that is offered.
In our family we have had:
a near drowning
broken elbow
broken ankle
broken wrist
broken arms
broken legs (2 at once on same kid!!)
broken nose (severe, had to put it back in place!!)
stitches on the face (he fell in sunday school and face vs. metal chair.. not fun)
stitches on an arm (glass lamp fell and a piece cut her arm)
stitches on face (sibling tossed a toy over couch, hit sister in face, required 5 stitches!)
SEVERE asthmatic attacks (3 of us here)
births
deaths
appendicitis (2 kids in 6 weeks!!)
kidney stones
medication reactions
anaphylaxis
migraines
animal emergencies (animals hit by cars, no we did not take the chicken to vet!)
BURNS (fresh aloe and raw honey are a blessing!!)
Will you fight or flight? Will you freak or be calm? Will you be a help or a hinderance?
Are you able to help yourself and or those around you medically? Do you know how to clean and treat a burn? Do you know how to determine the difference between a sprain and a break? Do you know for sure how to set a break? Do you have what is needed to clean wounds? Set a fracture? Treat allergic reactions? Do you know how to do a compression bandage? Do you know what a concussion looks like? How about dehydration? A stroke? A heart attack? Labored breathing? Internal bleeding?
Do you have:
ace bandages (regular AND latex free)
tegaderm
cotton bandages
cotton gauze
medical tapes
bacitracin
triple antibiotic ointment
fresh aloe
raw honey
cotton wraps
splints for fingers, wrists, arms, legs, ankles
benedryl (liquid and pill form)
tylonal
ibuprofen (not to be used on people taking coumadin or warfarin)
aspirin (not to be used on people taking coumadin or warfarin)
isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)
hydrogen peroxide
bentonite clay (aka Redmond Clay)
ipecac
GSE
tweezers
scissors
tournequet
thermometer (non-electric or non-battery powered, an oral and rectal)
EXTRA prescription medications and mode of taking them (inhaler, nebulizer, syringe)
In our emergency bug out bags we have an epi-pen, nebulizer with 3 new neb cups and masks, albuterol, tylonal, ibuprofen, benedryl liquid and pills, bacitracin, gauze, paper tape, tegaderm, coban (non-latex), gauze rolls, ace bandages (2 and 3-inch), bandaids (for those who can use them), alcohold swabs, tweezers, scissors, and a couple of other things. Yes we have bugged out during a flood. No we didn't have to use anything in our BOBs. YES, I replace medications whenever I get a refill of a medication so as to always have fresh meds in my kits.
Being prepared is not just your larder, it is so very much more! So here is something to think about, possibly open a discussion about. But it has been on my mind and I had to share it.
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