Over the past 3 1/2 years, we've covered a sizable number of medical supplies a family would be well-served to stockpile. Most are general use items that everyone should have, but some are a bit more specialized. And unfortunately, a lot of us are limited by a budget. We can't buy everything. We have to make choices. So how do we prioritize our acquisitions?
The first priority for everyone must be solid hygiene and sanitation
practices. And the first and foremost of these is washing hands well,
every single time they should be washed, as detailed in this article. Make sure you have plenty of soap for washing hands, dishes, and laundry.
The second priority must be a healthy, well-balanced diet. Nutritious
food with sufficient calories will build and maintain healthier bodies.
There is no substitute for good food. Variety in the diet will help
maintain morale and be more likely to provide essential vitamins and
minerals as well as micronutrients.
As far as actual medical supplies go, factors to consider include:
Personal medical history. It should be a no-brainer, but what
conditions do you already have? Stockpile what you know you need. If
you have maintenance medications, get them now. While building up a
supply using insurance may be difficult or impossible, purchasing
pharmaceuticals from overseas pharmacies is relatively simple and
usually pretty inexpensive. Check into possible alternatives.
Diabetics will have a hard time building a supply of insulin if they're
using bottles that retail at $600 or more, but they can make do with the
cheap stuff from Walmart for $25 each. Some people will be able to use
alternative medicine to manage their conditions. Research your options
and plan accordingly. One of my daughters suffers from migraines
occasionally. She has a good supply of the medications that help her.
Another daughter, due to her body type, is susceptible to tendinosis, so
she needs more protein in her diet.
Family medical history. Next look at what conditions run in your
family and which might be an issue to consider. My husband's brother
is allergic to bee stings, but he's the only one of the eight siblings
with that problem. We have one nephew among the twenty-four nieces and
nephews with severe environmental and food allergies (but he's the
oldest and his house is just about as sterile as can be, even now with
three younger siblings--studies show that children need a little dirt,
dust, and dander to build strong immune systems). If we were more
concerned about anaphylactic reactions, or if we had more disposable
income, we would probably have an Epi-pen.
Migraines run on both sides of our family, and so far, one daughter is
affected by them, as mentioned above. However, they could kick in for
the rest of us at any time, so we have strong pain relievers for that. I
have the same body type as my paternal grandmother. She had
hyperemesis when pregnant with my father, had her gall bladder removed,
and often had adhesive tape on her left thumbnail to protect that nail
from catching and splitting more. I have also experienced all of these
conditions, and based on that, I anticipate developing arthritis in my
knees at around the age of sixty-five, just like she did. Of course,
I'm also taking measures to try to prevent that from happening, but in
the meantime, I prepare for the worst. If chronic conditions run in
your family, stockpile medicines or supplies that could be helpful.
In addition, look at what your extended family members are prone to.
We've had zero broken bones among the extended family on both sides.
We're pretty careful people and not really accident-prone, so we're less
concerned about trauma. We stock some supplies for these kinds of
injuries, but not a lot. However, my husband is really a bleeder, so we
stock a lot of gauze. And my husband and son have a lot of issues with
stomach acid and ulcers, so we have a pretty hefty supply of those
medications as well.
Stage of life. How old are you? What is your family composition
like? If I had infants and small children, I'd seriously consider
having an otoscope to check for ear infections. I'd probably stock more
amoxicillin and cephalexin. And I'd contemplate buying strep throat
test strips. Any woman of child-bearing age should have several
pregnancy tests, not for satisfying one's curiosity, but for ruling out
pregnancy when medications need to be administered or diagnosing
illnesses. Individuals over the age of 60 and those on some stomach
medications should seriously consider stockpiling vitamin B12.
Geographical location. Where do you live? What diseases are
endemic to your area? Here in the high desert, we have very little
concern about mosquitoes. We have absolutely no worries about malaria,
so we don't store those medications. If I lived in Florida or
Louisiana, it would be an entirely different matter. Ticks are an
extreme rarity here. If we had more ticks, I'd store a lot more
doxycycline so that it could be taken prophylactically anytime a tick
attached to anyone. If we lived in a more northern latitude with little
sunshine, we'd store more vitamin D.
Everyday life. What do people go to emergency departments and urgent care centers for now? The top ten reasons are:
- Chest pain
- Abdominal pain
- Upper respiratory infections
- Minor cuts and lacerations
- Broken bones and sprains
- Headaches
- Foreign objects in the body
- Toothaches
- Skin infections
- Back pain
Hollywood and many survival articles would have you believe it's all about having tourniquets, chest decompression needles, and QuikClot. The reality is that minor issues sideline a lot of people. But that doesn't have to include us. Look at what is most realistic for you based on your family medical history, your ages, and climate, as well as what is common, and start there. After you cover your known medical conditions and what are you more likely to encounter based on your family history, then move on to the common issues. And finally, when those needs are satisfied, you can consider the stuff of Hollywood. But here's a hint: it won't be nearly as fun as it was on TV.
Links to related posts:
Acquiring Antibiotics
Tourniquets
Sutures
Where to Purchase Medical Supplies
Pain Relievers
References:
24 march 2020
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