{"id":310,"date":"2020-07-01T15:01:07","date_gmt":"2020-07-01T15:01:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.full-haus.com\/?p=310"},"modified":"2020-08-03T14:45:51","modified_gmt":"2020-08-03T14:45:51","slug":"rural-medical-prepping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.full-haus.com\/index.php\/2020\/07\/01\/rural-medical-prepping\/","title":{"rendered":"Rural Medical Prepping"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

So you sagely accepted the Birth Panel\u2019s counsel and decided to move to a rural redoubt with your family<\/a>. You found a secure property surrounded by blinding demographics in a not-yet Bolshevik state, and put in an offer. Before you know it, moving day arrives with plenty of kith and kin helping settle the biofam into 40 acres with a mule. One of your friends is helping move a footlocker into the new digs when he\u2019s stung by a bee. Ordinarily that\u2019s no big deal, but then he gasps: \u201cI\u2019m allergic to bee stings.\u201d The gravity of the situation sets in when you realize that it\u2019s 45 minutes to the nearest hospital. Time is of the essence and you need to intervene quickly to save your pal\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would you know what to do?<\/em> Would you have what you need to do?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rising to meet the challenges of rural life is part of the reward of rural living. With some training, the peace of mind that comes with knowing, \u201cI can handle almost anything\u201d is sublime. First aid kits and skills are a key component of this. The skill to react is as important as having the right tools to react, thus you must arm your mind and<\/em> your medicine cabinet with what\u2019s necessary to make a difference in a potentially life-threatening situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First off: arm your brain. Any American Health Association CPR\/First Aid course<\/a> is a great foundation. If you\u2019d like to take things a step further, look into the local community college\u2019s offerings and take an EMT-Basic course. It will last a semester, but even if you don\u2019t test for certification (you should!), you gain understanding of basic anatomy and physiology, medical disease processes, and trauma. Knowledge gained will include severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), asthma, chest pain, diabetes, envenomation from snakes and insects, and serious time-sensitive medical problems like stroke and heart attack. With the course comes a basic training in personal protective equipment (PPE) that has become all the rage during our little pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trauma is the \u201chighlight\u201d of the course: getting used to treating sprains, strains, fractures, the mud, the blood, and the beer\u2026wait a minute, I am off track. Regardless, in a basic EMT course you get repetitive training in assessing cervical spine injuries and various ailments. You will learn splinting and immobilization of injury. A course with the right instructors will help you to improvise to find materials for an impromptu stabilization of an ankle or a broken arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t have the time or resources to take a course, there are plenty of books that instruct on how to handle medical emergencies. Doc Bones and Nurse Amy Alton are a great starting point, with the Survival Medicine Handbook<\/a> being their most comprehensive work. The book is written from a layperson\u2019s perspective, so it\u2019s an excellent starting point and continuing reference for a home medical kit. It covers the \u201chow-to\u201d as well as the \u201cwhy\u201d behind signs and symptoms and treatment. There\u2019s a section on antibiotics and sutures, two very necessary skills if SHTF or a pandemic overflows hospitals. That\u2019ll never happen to us though, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the topic of kit, you should have separate medical supplies crucial for each of the following situations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

–Home<\/strong>: Personalized, long-term supply of medicines with extra supplies in-depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

–Vehicle<\/strong>: Travel supplies as well as medicines; do not forget the diapers, wipes, and toilet paper. And remember that wipes left in the car this summer will dry out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

–Range Kit<\/strong>: Lawful exercise of your 2A rights comes with medical responsibility! Be sure to have a trauma kit along with your gear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supplies are more important at your new rural home than they were in the burbs. Consider all medical conditions and allergies for everyone under the roof.  The benchmark for this is: \u201cCan we avoid a hospital, urgent care, or the pharmacy for up to one year?\u201d If not, reevaluate the inventory and stock up. Some of the more common yet essential items include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Aspirin, Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen (Adult and Children\u2019s versions)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Benadryl (liquid and tab form)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Anti-diarrheal and laxatives<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Cortisone cream<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Aloe Vera<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Adult and children\u2019s multivitamins, also C, D, and Zinc<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Pepto bismol<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Primatene mist<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Personal protective equipment including gloves and N95 masks<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer, triple antibiotic ointment<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Any extra stock of prescribed medications for family members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expiration dates on medicines are not a hard and fast rule, but there is a hypothetical situation where they are a suggestion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An important one is the bee-sting scenario from above. The readers who responded \u201cEPI PEN!\u201d immediately are correct. These costly and obscenely-rapidly expiring tools are still essential to have around, and most health insurances will subsidize them. You don\u2019t want to bank on expired epi-pens to save your loved ones in a pinch\u2026but if the medication is not cloudy or discolored and the pen still looks intact, don\u2019t chuck it out just based on date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The vehicular kit is similar to your home inventory, just a smaller version of it. Included should be items for temperature control, including blankets, extra clothing, fire starters, a means to cut firewood, and a shovel. For special needs of your passengers during long trips, Ziploc bags are key. Dividing medicines up between family members, keeping each member\u2019s specific stock inventoried can be a huge help when understanding how to organize the vehicle kit. Also consider trauma. Vehicle accidents happen, and the application of a tourniquet can save a life when properly applied. Consider MyMedic<\/a> and Dr. Bones<\/a> kits for your car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of this stuff is expensive, and some bags run upward of $800 for the convenience of an all-in-one kit. A trick for our more cost-conscious readers: take a screenshot of the inventory of high-end bags and start price shopping and couponing to get these prices down. With a little leg work and frugality, you can get one for a quarter of the cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, it\u2019s no fedpost to recognize that firearms are a feature of rural life. Whether for hunting or security, the gun is a tool and a weapon. Proper firearm safety should be practiced, but accidents happen. Be the one who people look to in an emergency<\/em>. Be effective in treatment by using your knowledge and training. Tourniquets are all the rage right now. People carry them 24\/7 and proper application is the difference between life and death. As Smasher frequently says, \u201ctwo is one, one is none\u201d and the application of a tourniquet isn\u2019t a magic fix, sometimes multiple tourniquets are key. One misunderstanding is the amount and time of pressure that is needed to even slow a serious bleed. PrepMedic<\/a> on YouTube is a great resource, as is Tactical Combat Casualty Care or TCCC. A combination of an EMT course and TCCC will certainly get someone trained above and beyond a layperson\u2019s skill set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that the transition away from urban or suburban society and its infrastructure is a major change. Preparedness is not an option when you\u2019re off the beaten path, both in terms of skills and supplies. But moving to the country is not just about surviving, it\u2019s about thriving. Remember the reason you moved, protect those around you, and make the best possible life for you and your family.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So you sagely accepted the Birth Panel\u2019s counsel and decided to move to a rural redoubt with your family. You found a secure property surrounded by blinding demographics in a not-yet Bolshevik state, and put in an offer. Before you know it, moving day arrives with plenty of kith and kin helping settle the biofam […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.full-haus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.full-haus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.full-haus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.full-haus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.full-haus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=310"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.full-haus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":315,"href":"https:\/\/www.full-haus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310\/revisions\/315"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.full-haus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.full-haus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.full-haus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.full-haus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}