What Should I Do? The Basics of Resilience (Part 5 – Health and First Aid)

Resilient Life Public Resilient Life
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Note:  This article is part of a series on personal preparation to help you answer the question, "What should I do?"  Our goal is to provide a safe, rational, relatively comfortable experience for those who are just coming to the realization that it would be prudent to take precautionary steps against an uncertain future.  Those who have already taken these basic steps (and more) are invited to help us improve what is offered here by contributing comments, as this content is meant to be dynamic and improve over time.

The Future of Your Health

Like our “just in time” food system, our modern medical infrastructure is highly complex; it functions well only under controlled circumstances and with abundantly available specific resources.  As with food, the ease with which we’ve accessed medical services over recent decades has invited us to reduce our health self-sufficiency.  We've become so sheltered from the health risks our forefathers faced that we're especially vulnerable if we're ever forced to live without easy access to professional care.

Taking on a bit more responsibility and a few more preventive steps in one’s personal health is crucial; a must-do in the process of becoming resilient.  Some of the steps recommended for beginners are universal; others depend on your personal needs.  But in all cases, a good dose of foresight and practicality is in order to build some security into the future of your health.  You should plan ahead for the things you know you’ll need: are there medications you take regularly?  Do you wear contact lenses or glasses?  What supplements, hygiene products, or nutritional supplies would you be hard-pressed to live without?

You should also be prepared to handle unexpected accidents with first-aid supplies, along with the basic training needed to be able to use them.  This is another area where preparing even a little vs. not at all makes a world of difference.

Being prepared for what-ifs in terms of health is a prudent thing to do under any circumstance.  Accidents and injuries can happen any time, any place, regardless of what is happening in our economy.  Being able to act in difficult moments as a resource of knowledge/supplies, and reminding everyone involved of the merits of expecting the unexpected, is a good way to lead by example.

My wife and I both took first aid and CPR courses in the past for professional reasons (she has taught children and I've worked as a rock climbing instructor), so we are perhaps a bit more comfortable with this topic than most.  Neither of us is squeamish, and we've patched up most of the usual injuries that come along with parenting normal, active children who love the outdoors.

Further, for the past 20 years, we've spent about two weeks every year on an otherwise deserted island off the coast of Maine.  When we're there, the "golden hour" (the first hour after a major injury) is on us.  There's simply no way to reach help in less than an hour, and if the seas are rough, it could be a lot longer than that.

Being medically prepared comes naturally to us, but even so, it feels like a necessary part of being a prudent adult/parent.  I consider being able to treat basic wounds and injuries an essential skill that everyone should have.

For the beginner, here are my top four steps for health and medicine:

Step Number One - Get a First Aid Kit

Have a well-stocked first-aid kit on hand in your home and in every vehicle you use.  Be sure to place your backup store of medications in your first-aid kit, as well as dosage information, warnings, and expiration dates.

For first-aid kits, we recommend:

First Aid Only 200-piece First Aid Kit (good all-purpose kit at a low price)

First Aid Only Ultimate First Responders First Aid Kit (comprehensive kit for greater preparedness)

I would augment the kit above with additional supplies of Tefla pads, which are a huge improvement over gauze pads.  (They simply do not stick to wounds--they are a miracle for wound healing, as you can change dressings without re-injuring the area).  My favorites are the 2x3 and 2x4 pads.  We go through them with some regularity around my house. 

Additionally, I would buy an assortment of Steri-Strips, which are sterile, breathable, tape-like strips that stick to skin and can close wounds that would otherwise require stitches.  We've used them plenty, and I would never be caught without them.  They, too, are miracles of medicine.  My favorites are the ¼ and ½ inch widths.

Step Number Two - Get Extras

If there are any medications that you rely on, compile at least a three-month supply in case of supply chain disruptions. For most medications, this can be done by requesting a “vacation refill” at your doctor’s office. Stockpiling certain medicines may require a more detailed, private discussion with your doctor.

If you wear glasses, have an extra pair on hand. If you wear contact lenses, keep a backup supply of extra pairs and lens solution. You might also consider getting Lasik surgery so you don’t have to worry about vision supplies in the future.

Visit your dentist now, when you know your insurance is available, to get more extensive dental work done. Be sure to stock up on toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, etc.

Have a backup supply of hand sanitizer and other antiseptics, which are important for avoiding infection in situations where water is unavailable.

In addition to storing food, store vitamins and supplements to maintain your health in periods when food choices may be limited.

Step Number Three - Get Training

Take a basic first aid course and a CPR course. In the past, you've probably thought that this is something you should do, but maybe you haven't quite gotten around to it yet.  This is a perfect 'step zero' sort of action to take.  No matter how the future turns out, this will be a good thing to do.  

To find a course in your area through the Red Cross, click here.

Step Number Four - Learn More

Learn more about medical care preparedness by reading our forums and relevant books.  A personal favorite of mine is Where There is no Doctor, which is packed with practical, meaningful information, appropriate in just about any circumstance you can imagine, and which any reader can follow.

Conclusion

In prepping for the future, the unknown and unexpected can be a major source of anxiety.  Knowing that you have a kit and set of skills on hand to be able to act in a great variety of unanticipated situations is an incredible stress-reliever, and it has the added benefit of coming at an extremely low cost.

A final note here is that, though most of the tips above are useful only in triage or last-minute situations, a much bigger component of personal health resilience is simply eating well, exercising, and keeping stress and unhealthy substance use to a minimum.  It is my hope that taking the steps I’ve outlined in this series of posts will help you in several of those realms as well, but of course, the bigger part of that responsibility falls on your shoulders.  Luckily, each of those actions are fulfilling ones, the benefits of which will extend to the here and now, not just to future unknowns.

 

If you have not yet seen the other articles in this series on resilience, you can find them here:

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This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://peakprosperity.com/what-should-i-do-the-basics-of-resilience-part-5-health-and-first-aid-2/

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I would like to offer an additional item to consider: Immunizations.  This came up during the course of participant discussions during an on-line course that I took awhile ago (http://www.postpeakliving.com/uncrash-course).  I hope suggesting immunizations isn’t too controversial.  However, in the uncrash-course, my impression was that some participants seemed to think that immunizations are just poison.  If you think that way, then please just ignore this post.  
 In my opinion, it is prudent to prepare for a future where heath care will not be as readily available as at present, and part of that should be getting one’s immunizations up to date, and maybe even extended beyond the norm.  This is also important in cases where a disaster strikes. 

 For instance, consider this article from 2005 "Sick City: The diseases that Katrina unleashed”

 Immunization: To combat the exposure to viruses and bacteria from contaminated water, everyone who has been evacuated from the devastated area or who remains there or is coming down to help should be immunized immediately against hepatitis A and typhoid. Physically stressed people who are packed tightly in small areas are at great risk for passing illness back and forth. For that reason, any flood victims whose immunizations for measles-mumps-rubella, varicella, and tetanus have lapsed or are missing should be brought up to date with new shots, ideally with an added boost of diphtheria and whooping cough protection. It will be better to err in favor of over-immunizing, since there is no harm (beyond the risk of a slightly achy arm) in giving an extra shot to an already protected person. It is also imperative that children be brought up to date for these vaccines and also for protection against the most common form of meningitis, which is prevented by the HIB vaccine. http://www.slate.com/id/2125757
 If my location becomes a disaster area, or for some reason I was forced to relocate, I believe that the most appropriate immunizations for me to have gotten in advance would be about the same as that recommended for a relief worker traveling to a disaster area such as Louisiana after Katrina, or, Haiti. Additionally, if I ever had to provide relief in my own area, then I would be reasonably well prepared.  This would be so easy to do now, but during an emergency or just in future, it may not be so easy.

Here are some guidelines:

Katrina

Relief workers should ideally be assessed by a health-care professional at least 4-6 weeks before travel so recommended vaccines can be completed and provide maximum benefit. These recommendations apply even if travel is imminent. All relief workers with a history of incomplete or lapsed routine, “childhood” immunization schedules should be brought up-to-date for these vaccines.

• Tetanus/diphtheria (Td) Tetanus and diphtheria toxoid (receipt of primary series, and Td booster within 10 years).

Persons with high likelihood of exposure to blood and body fluids such as healthcare workers:

• Hepatitis B vaccine series for persons who will be performing direct patient care or otherwise expected to have contact with bodily fluids.

For more information, see Interim Immunization Recommendations for Emergency Responders: Hurricane Katrina.

http://library.fmhi.usf.edu/reference/disaster/CDC-InterimHealthRecommendationsReliefWorkers.pdf

 For Katrina relief workers the CDC did not recommend Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Cholera, Meningococcal, or Rabies, mainly because they considered the  probability of exposure to be low. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/disease/responderimmun.asp

For Haiti relief workers, the recommended vaccines were:

· Routine : Be sure that you are up to date on vaccines such as measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT), polio, seasonal and H1N1 flu, and varicella. It is especially important to have a current tetanus shot.

· Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG) : Even if your departure is imminent, one dose of hepatitis A vaccine provides adequate short-term protection for healthy people. For long term protection, a second dose is required 6–18 months after the first dose, depending on the brand of vaccine used.

Typhoid : There are 2 vaccines available for typhoid prevention. The injectable vaccine may be preferable to the oral vaccine in cases where travel is imminent. The oral vaccine requires refrigeration and 4 tablets taken every other day over one week.

Hepatitis B : If your departure is imminent, the first in a 3-dose series (day 0, 1 month and 6 months) may provide some protection. An accelerated dosing schedule may be used (doses at days 0, 7, and at 21–30 days with a booster at 12 months).

Rabies : If your activities in Haiti will bring you into contact with animals such as dogs, cats, bats, raccoons, or skunks, you should consider pre-exposure rabies vaccination, which is a 3-shot series (days 0, 7, and 21 or 28) given before travel. Even if you receive pre-exposure vaccination, you will still need immediate medical treatment if you are bitten or scratched by an animal. (See the Animals section for more information.)

And, "At this time, vaccines for diseases such as polio, cholera, and meningitis are not recommended. " http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/content/news-announcements/relief-workers-haiti.aspx

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I would like to add that although it is sometimes hard to get antibiotics from the Doctors in the states. You can by them in Cozumel, Mexico right as you get off the ship for $15.00 a bottle, seems like there were 60 or 90 penicillin 500mg. If you happen to be there. I actually thought about taking a 3 day cruise down just to stock up.

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  1. Livestock antibiotics available for farmers are comparable to what is available for humans, but much cheaper and sold in bulk, so don’t forget to stock up this way for your four-limbed loved ones.

  2. Consider getting vaccinated against some tropical diseases and other less-well known ones: Yellow fever, Japanese Encephalitis (JE), even smallpox. These last for a decade or a lifetime. Reasons: Not everyone on this board lives in temperate North America, and with international travel and potential climate change (not debating anything, but think of West Nile), and refugee/migrations, bio-terrorism, it’d be a good idea. (Some people still think vaccines cause autism - that’s just not true and the British doctor who first promoted the autism/vaccine link has had his medical license stripped, his co-authors recanted, and they found he had questionable/unethical test methodology. Having grown up in a Third World country, i just want to say that you DO NOT want to be seeing children waste-ing away.)

  3. Women: a Diva Cup or Mooncup or “Keeper” is a great way to save money and not deal with menstrual pads or tampons (which can lead to toxic shock syndrome). My wife has used cups safely all her adult life.

  4. Condoms and cycle beads: Seriously, yes. If anything, you want to avoid having children unless you really want the children and are well prepared for the pregnancy and delivery and infant care. The same goes with STDs.

Poet

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So are they the same? Can a human take them say in an emergency?

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Well, you’d have to check with your doctor or medical professional. I am not a medical professional. However, I have heard of people using them.

Poet

 

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South Carolina used to have a problem with Marlaria. We are stocking up on Quinine, just in case.

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I second the vaccination idea… I had a couple new vaccinations done in preparation for my last trip to Asia, but I think there are a couple more I think might be ideal.  I do not necessarily think ALL vaccines are safe, but the ones I am mostly leery of are new vaccines that haven’t had a long history of testing or usage.  I tend to be more comfortable with the more established vaccines with a long history of testing and usage.
@isrjb029: Be careful about buying antibiotics and such during a cruise.  It’s not a problem with the cruise line, but the customs people will be asking you questions on your return and possibly searching your luggage (at least that was the case when I took a cruise to Mexico last year).  Even if the drug is legal, bringing it in without a prescription or having more than a 90-day supply may get you in trouble:

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/prohibited_restricted.xml#Medication

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_pharmacy

  • Importation of any prescription drug (not necessarily a controlled substance) violates 21 USC, Section 301(aa), unless the following conditions are met (as listed in Section 804):
    1. The drug is imported from Canada, from a seller registered with the Secretary (i.e. with FDA);
    2. The drug is imported from a licensed pharmacy for personal use by an individual, not for resale, in quantities that do not exceed a 90-day supply;
    3. The drug is accompanied by a copy of a valid prescription;
    4. The drug is a prescription drug approved by the Secretary;
    5. The drug is in the form of a final finished dosage that was manufactured in an establishment registered under section 510; and
    6. The drug is imported under such other conditions as the Secretary determines to be necessary to ensure public safety.
    My wife and I considered doing the same thing for our last cruise, but decided against it since customs very likely would search or scan our bags.  The livestock or fish antibiotics is likely a better bet; my understanding is that the primary concern of using such for human use is not that the drugs are different or dangerous to us, but rather the big issue is with the whole idea of people self-medicating without a medical professional's input.  But that doesn't concern me since my intended use of any such antibiotics would only be in an emergency situation where there is likely a medical professional available, but antibiotics are unavailable.  But of course don't take my word for it... for something this important everyone's gotta do their own research.
    • Nickbert
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    Typically these antibiotics are the same molecular structure but do not go through the same purification and safety check standards imposed by our FDA.  Possible extra side effects may occur from impurities but certainly in an emergency they are totally acceptable.  The same can be said for generic vs name brand medications.  Typically it is only a purity difference, and sometimes no purity difference.

     

    *This is not medical advice.  Nor do I advise taking animal medication.

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    • When you are assembling your first aid kit, I recommend Betadine (Povidone-iodine) solution or scrub for primary cleansing of ‘dirty’ wounds such as scrapes, abrasions, ragged tears, etc.  It has both antibacterial and antifungal properties.  It can also be used for superficial skin infections and nonspecific fungal infections from wet clothes or shoes.  It is mild to exposed tissues if diluted as recommended.
       I noticed the ‘first responders kit’ listed above contained a few Povidone-iodine wipes, but in my experience, having a bottle of solution or scrub allows much greater flexibility to respond to a variety of skin/wound care situations.

     - Stocking sterile, individual use, saline eye solution packets is another useful, hard to duplicate first aid supply.

     - Last but not least, keeping oral rehydration solution such a s Pedialyte or potassium salts, baking soda, sugar and salt is useful for diarrheal illness. It can be lifesaving when away from prompt medical care, especially among elders and children. People can dehydrate amazingly fast.  Recipes for adults and children at: http://www.pamf.org/patients/ors.html

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    I have practiced Falun Dafa for 11 years. I have never seen doctors again. It will take all day to speak about its benefits and how good it is. I know it is hard to believe why people won’t get sick again because of practicing it. Health issue is the least item in my list of Post Peak Oil preparation. (The practice is free)
    http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/cate-81/

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    The publisher of Where There is no Doctor(the book Chris recommended)  allows you to download the book for free - http://www.hesperian.org/publications_download_wtnd.php.
    I’d also recommend taking a look at the US military’s  first aid field manual - http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/army/fm4_25x11.pdf.

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    Physical fitness is an area of health and resiliency I consider very important and perhaps worth a separate discussion.  The benifits are obviously many but could be critical if times get tougher.  
    Fitness and strength gives one many alternatives should energy become more limited or too expensive for the machines most people typically depend on today.  Are you ready to run or bike to work or the store at any given time in any conditions or any distance?  Can you shovel snow out of your driveway or are you dependent on a snowblower? 

    Second, keeping fit means you’re less likely to get sick or injured.  Not being overweight is obviously less likely to have health problems.  And by doing physical work regularly you avoid sudden stress to muscles or joints which could cause pain or injury. 

    Finally, your mental attitude and toughness is much better when you are fit; you feel more confident in yourself and you know how to stick it out in uncomfortable times and can handle stress better.  You don’t have to run 100 mile races like I do, but after going throught those kinds of experiences other challenges in everyday life, or stupid desk jobs, just don’t phase me at all!

    I’m saying to you I enjoy a tremendously high quality of life by integrating physical work and fitness whereever possible into my daily life, and believe it increases my resilence as well.  I got my workout today shoveling several yards of compost for the garden, accomplishing multiple goals.    If time is tight, have you gotten rid of your TV?

    Tom

           

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    I am a strong advocate for the career choices of Physician Assistant, Nurse practitioner, Lab Technician, Emergency Medical Technician and Midwife. These specialties can end up taking care of the 90% or so of situations that are “normal”. Of course there are the other situations that will need more professional care.  
     I have lived in third world situations where internal parasites and hepatitis are common.  Control of flies, clean water, washing of hands, Betadine solution and clean “outhouses” (or whatever way of sanitation) can be a strong first line defense for care of a home/community health situation. Gray Water disposal can be tricky also. Some kind of lab technician experience and microscope experience is necessary for hepatitis and internal parasite detection.

     Vitamins sincerely help as well as mineral supplements. Your own gardens and green leafy vegetables will help fortify your family and neighborhood. Consider a community garden.

     There are herbs that do good medical work. Once planted in your garden, many herbs and spices will return naturally the next year. We have long ago substituted white willow bark for aspirin (or other chemical aspirin-like pills). Learn about the wonders of ginger, mint, chamomile, sage, comfrey… etc.

     I am one of those who feel as though vaccinations are poison.

    fyi - For nuclear radiation fallout, a supply of Potassium Iodide is recommended for the effects of Radiation, especially for children.

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    [quote=mooselick7]
    I’m sorry I can’t resist saying something here. 

    I am not a doctor, but when it comes to health - been there done that.  I grew up with chronic asthma, eczema and allergies - went to many, many doctors over the years - did allergy shots, steroids, creams and a plethora of drugs - had the top shelf medical care from Mayo clinic among others.   Diagnosed with Hodkin’s in my early 20’s successfully treated with radiation and several surgeries.  It has been in remission for 20 years.  At the time, I was diagnosed I was running marathons, not eating red meat, lots of vegetables/grains, fish and fowl.  Over the years, my immune system has been weak - got sick probably around 10 weeks a year.  Had hypothyroidism - probably from the radiation treatments to my neck.  Within the last year, I was diagnosed as a Type 1 Diabetic but have since been re-assessed as a Type 2 diabetic.  

    As an engineer and naturally curious guy, the questions that I always asked was: 1) Why me?  2) What factors - genetic/enviromental/nutritional are at work here and, besides drugs, what can I do about it?  I owe my life to conventional medicine - no doubt about it - but with all due respect, with very few exceptions, they fall short because they protect and preserve their paradigms fiercely. 

    Here are some examples: 

    Asthma - Treated from early childhood with inhalers, humidifiers, oxygen tents, home filtration systems, the family moving to another area, exersise and occasional oral steroids. First, I went on an elimination diet per this book  http://www.amazon.com/Food-Allergies-Intolerance-Identification-Treatment/dp/0892818751/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232644089&sr=8-1   And found that wheat, corn, soy and milk were profoundly affecting me. That cured about 75% of the symptoms. 

    Then, I started a daily meditation practice taught by this fella:  http://www.shinzen.org.  To make a long story VERY short, at my 1st retreat, I had a full blown asthma attack that no amount of inhalers, etc could calm down.  He showed me how to meditate thru it and how to fix it for good.  Now, I have been asthma drug free for 5 years.

    Allergies/cancer/Immune system - The elimination diet and meditation helped a lot here but something was still missing.  I was using herbs and homeopathics but it wasnt really helping entirely.  

    I really started burrowing into this problem when my daughter was born and had the same immune system problems.  Okay, now I knew it was genetic but why?  Why didnt evolution had cull this line out a long time ago?   The final straw was when my daughter was allergic to the milk/soy based crap formulas, her mother was not producing enough milk and we had to find a nutritional formula fast!  That led me to the Price-Pottinger Foundation and later to the Weston A Price Foundation http://www.westonaprice.org   This is a fasinating group founded on the works of a dentist who studied traditional diets all over the world and the effects of the switch to the modern diet in the 1920s.  Trust me - they are completely out of any mainstream paradigms - and you will get the thousand mile stare when you talk to conventional doctors about it.  But, it makes sense - we have only had alleopathic care since the late 1800s.  The Lewis and Clark expedition relied on mercury based laxatives and blood letting to treat people. How did we survive as a species with no medical care? Answer:our ancestors had it figured out.

    The answer can be found with the Weston A Price group. I have been following their guidelines for 10 years and my overall vigor has improved immensely.  I hardly ever get sick.  My skin is healthier.  I am stronger and more physically capable than when I had 10% body fat and was running 30-50 mile weeks.  Daily, I either work out or work in the garden.  Twice a year I throw on a 40 lb backpack and either hike or backcountry ski for a week or two.   At 43 yr old, I can keep up with the younger members of a martial arts club which I attend four times a week. 

    Diabetes:  About one year ago to the day, I had all kinds of symptoms that I thought were some kind of flu.  I was still active as described above.  Anyway, I went to the clinic - got chewed out by the doctors for not treating my diabetes (which I had absolutely no idea I had) and they sent me home with an appointment to a specialist, a brochure from the American Diabetes Association and a blood sugar checker.   Went to the internist and he diagnosed as Type I.  They showed me how to use insulin etc, said to follow the ADA diet and asked me to come back in 2 weeks to check my progress.  The next day I went to a naturopathic doctor who told me to buy this book and follow it: http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316167169/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232646524&sr=1-1   Berstein, who was previously an engineer and is now an MD, explains reasons why we have diabetes and how to treat it with alternative methods.

    During that next two weeks, I did not take the insulin as prescribed - all I did was cut out milk, fruits and grains from the Weston A Price diet guidelines.  Two weeks later I went back to the internist.  My sugars had gone from 350 to 125 in two weeks without insulin and only one inexpensive drug for insulin resistance.  If I HAD followed the ADA diet, I would be dependent on insulin.  In the past year, I have lost 33 lb and my sugars are normal at 80 to 95.  There is also a Canadian film called My Big Fat Diet that conveys the same results for an entire town.  http://www.cbc.ca/thelens/bigfatdiet/

    So, this is a VERY long winded narrative (and I have many more success stories) but my point is that the medical community has their blind spots.  It takes some work but you can reduce your dependence on the medical system, if you keep an open mind, try some things and at the end of the day, be HEALTHIER with very little help from the medical system.  Think for yourself and figure it out…

     [/quote]

    I know it is bad form to quote yourself but, for sake of time, I decided to paste this from an old forum thread written on 1/22/09. 

    As you can see, alternative medicine is a vital part of my medical resilence plan.  

    I guess the only thing I would like to add or emphasize is that, more than ever, we should be looking at how people thrived before cheap energy without all the modern medical marvels. 

    Without knowing it,  Dr. Weston A Price essentially compared pre-cheap energy generations with a post-cheap energy generations from population groups across the planet.  He then systematically determined the differences in diet and lifestyle that gave the pre-cheap group their health and vigor.    Nutrition and Physical Degeneration is a weighty detailed tome that is worth the read.  For those of you that dont have time, here is the executive summary.  http://www.westonaprice.org/abcs-of-nutrition/475-principles-of-healthy-diets.html

    BTW At 46 yo, Im still healthy enough to work out daily.  I work a 50+hr / wk job yet still keep up with a modest garden and orchard.  I earned my black belt in hapkido last Nov.  I just started concentrating on judo.   My blood sugars are normal without insulin.   I still meditate to treat my asthma.  I just spent 15 days living out of a tent in Costa Rica without any antihistimines. 

    I owe it all to the teachings described above.

    16

     
    Mooselick,

    My wife and I have had  similar experiences with alternative care, if somewhat less dramatic. We went to a naturalpath/homeopath/chiropractor/kinesiologist type guy and he produced great results. I call him my witch doctor 'cause the treatment methods seem so unorthodox compared to western medicine. My suspicious nature was overcome when his first ‘prescription’ for me was “drink lots more water!” as many symptoms were from chronic dehydration. Then he went on to prescribe an eating plan—the majority of his treatment was to modify our diets toward healthy eating. No drugs, a few herbal supplements, very proactive, geared towards health development, not symptom treatment. Bottom line, a gifted healer.

    I wish I had the time to bore you with the details, but you lucked out: I gotta go.

    17

     We too use alternative medicine .   But I would like to share two times where  conventional medicine has been needed in our family .    First  I have a number of children who do not  even have health records and have had no sickness requiring medical attention .   However there seems to be one in every family …  Besides having a heart of gold this child of mine would try crazy things and get hurt to where I could not just put a bandaid on the booboo.   When  he  was 11  he put gas on the trash to speed up the flame .  Kaboom!   It was a blessing that his younger brother was close by and hosed him down .   They new they had done wrong  … tried to hide it from me and  went to take a shower .   He came out and said “Mom I got burned do we have any frozen peas ?”   I got a look at the burn and could see his ribs sticking out .   Momma could not fix this …  I was very happy we had a burn unit 90 miles away .   Now they said we could clean it up as it was only 15% of his body  but since he was going into a growing spurt  that it would be best to graft .    Baby horse fetus , his own skin grafting  from his head and wonderful Dr.'s allowed this boy to grow normally .    The Same son a few years later had one lung collapse …Pneumothorax I believe they called it .  The Dr.s repaired that lung and a month later the second lung collapsed . He was one frightened teen .   I thought perhaps the burn had weakened his lungs but no the Dr. Said it is rare but happens to Young men/boys who are very thin.   Anyway  I was so thankful for good insurance and Dr.s in the growing up years of  this one crazy young kid .  I make sure he  does not let his insurance lapse at all .   He will still  try crazy things  !
       We can and should have the  first aid training and medical supplies( have a large stash )  but there are times  when you just have to sing the praises of those that have the skills we do not .  This is also  why  we can not do it all on our own .  We need community …   We can not be all and do it all  on our own  .     Totally fixable things in the right hands … just not the momma’s .

     FM .

    18

    Full moon:
    Im sorry to hear about your boy.  Seems like he is getting a head start on those battle scars it takes years for most to gain…

    I totally agree - we need community and we need conventional medicine.  I owe my life to conventional medicine (radiation treatments with the Hodkins).  I believe that alternative healing is a complement to conventional medicine and that neither is the whole answer to our health needs.  I also agree with CM assertion that complexity in society breaks down to simpler systems.  I believe CM learned that from Tainter.  Regardless, it is always good to have a back up plan. 

    I have EMT paramedic training and feel that it is very worthwhile. 

    My main message is to keep an open mind to other things that work to help our bodies heal themselves and avoid disease before it takes over. 

    Out - Moose

     

     

     

    19

    Mooselick7

    You’re one of the very few people I know who actually can attest to miracles like these based on alternative medicine/healing/diets. I often read stories like this on the Internet and think someone has some snake oil to sell. So, thank you for your personal testimony.

    Poet

    20

     Poet ,
       I could give you my testimony on  what hooked me on Alternative Health care  but it is not a pretty picture to post .   I will tell you  the Health and wellness Dr. saved me  surgeries  on the colon and gallbladder .

     

     FM