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As I always say, our preparations for emergencies depends on what emergency we're prepping for. To be inconvenienced for three days after an ice storm knocks out the power lines requires few special preps. To be without the usual sources of food, water, power, etc for a month or two after a hurricane hits your hometown requires a little more prepping, and TEOTWAWKI requires not only some stores, but also the ability to produce or procure the essentials on an ongoing basis.
When hi tech medical care becomes unavailable, simple first aid ala' The Boy Scouts Handbook should cover most of the emergency conditions that are survivable under those circumstances. When you're struggling for existence fighting Zombies, Liberals or other unprepared marauders and you wind up suffering acute appendicitis or a heart attack--don't worry about it--you're gunna die.
But then there are those of us who have chronic conditions- hi BP, diabetes, thyroid, etc- taking meds on a regular basis now. It may be wise to stock up on those meds against the day when they are not available. Most meds have a shelf life of about 2 yrs before they start to lose potency. After that, they begin to oxidize and lose potency at a particular rate- some faster than others. You can compensate for that by taking a little larger dose as necessary. (If you haven't stock-piled more than a two yr supply, this won't enter into the picture.)
There are actually very few drugs that are really "keeping you alive." Most are only giving you a slightly improved chance of not developing the complications of the particular disease. Thyroid replacement therapy is one of the few that is really prolonging your life and in a pinch you can actually make your own like they did before levothyroxine became easy to produce in the lab: simply take a beef or hog thyroid gland, dry it in the sun for a day or two and then grind it up into powder. Now comes the tricky part: every gland will be different in its content of thyroxine, so by trial and error, you'll have to find your correct dose. A typical dose is around 100 mg of the powdered gland. A Lincoln head penny weighs 250mg. Make a balance scale and have at it!
Most people I know who suffer from metabolic syndrome related disorders like diabetes, high blood pressure etc. would do much better to change their diet and start exercising. My father was one of those (on BP and diabetes meds) and at his age of 70+ is now almost med free due to change in diet and a regular exercise and walking regime.
But then there are those of us who have chronic conditions- hi BP, diabetes, thyroid, etc- taking meds on a regular basis now.
Shame on you. If you truly are a medical practitioner, you should never have ended up with such conditions! Did you learn nothing from your years of treating patients? At age 68, I have none of those conditions, and take no meds. It isn't genetics....it's lifestyle!
I've considered these problems. I thank the OP for providing the average shelf life of drugs; I do keep an extra supply. I know that if I suffer a serious injury or medical problem after TEOTWAWKI I'll only survive through luck. I'm 72; my luck can run out anytime with or without TEOTWAWKI. People who eschew unhealthy lifestyles die just as surely as those who embrace them, sometimes at an earlier age. I had an aunt who drove to a favorite lunch spot one day, ordered a Johnny Walker Red, and lit a cigarette when it arrived. When the waitress brought my aunt's sandwich she found her sitting in the chair dead. My aunt was ninety-seven.
. I had an aunt who drove to a favorite lunch spot one day, ordered a Johnny Walker Red, and lit a cigarette when it arrived. When the waitress brought my aunt's sandwich she found her sitting in the chair dead. My aunt was ninety-seven.
As I recently posted in another forum, we've all know 97-yo's who drank, smoked, yet beat the odds. Depending on that applying to our own cases, is another matter entirely!
I was not referring to drinking and smoking, in my answer to the OP. Drinking and smoking go beyond bad habits. The ones I was referring to were diet and activity level. Avoid sugar, salt, too many carbs...those things can lead to obesity, diabetes, BP issues and much more. How much worse drinking and smoking an be, I can't even imagine.
Look, I'm not a health nut, far from it. I enjoy a cold one on a steamy day, like anyone else. But I don't worry about where I'm gonna get "extra supplies" of drugs from, or how long the shelf life is. That alone, is a big plus!
I've considered these problems. I thank the OP for providing the average shelf life of drugs; I do keep an extra supply. I know that if I suffer a serious injury or medical problem after TEOTWAWKI I'll only survive through luck. I'm 72; my luck can run out anytime with or without TEOTWAWKI. People who eschew unhealthy lifestyles die just as surely as those who embrace them, sometimes at an earlier age. I had an aunt who drove to a favorite lunch spot one day, ordered a Johnny Walker Red, and lit a cigarette when it arrived. When the waitress brought my aunt's sandwich she found her sitting in the chair dead. My aunt was ninety-seven.
Yes but what you are describing is an anecdote. It is a favorite way for most Americans to contradict statistics and averages. It is not, however, a way to explain anything
On average, people conscious of their health, who pay attention to their diet, stress levels and keep active - live longer than the ones who do not, all other things equal (like genetics). You can "help" bad genes with a good lifestyle and you can "ruin" good genes with a bad lifestyle.
Yes but what you are describing is an anecdote. It is a favorite way for most Americans to contradict statistics and averages. It is not, however, a way to explain anything
On average, people conscious of their health, who pay attention to their diet, stress levels and keep active - live longer than the ones who do not, all other things equal (like genetics). You can "help" bad genes with a good lifestyle and you can "ruin" good genes with a bad lifestyle.
Actually, almost all health issues are genetically based. If you've got good genes, you can abuse the heck out of yourself and still live a long time... bad genes, and nothing helps...Just ask Jim Fix or Eull Gibbons.
Shame on you. If you truly are a medical practitioner, you should never have ended up with such conditions! Did you learn nothing from your years of treating patients? At age 68, I have none of those conditions, and take no meds. It isn't genetics....it's lifestyle!
"Physician, heal thyself!"
I was using the editorial "us." Personally, I'm 66 and as strong as a horse...and almost twice as smart.
I've considered these problems. I thank the OP for providing the average shelf life of drugs; I do keep an extra supply. I know that if I suffer a serious injury or medical problem after TEOTWAWKI I'll only survive through luck. I'm 72; my luck can run out anytime with or without TEOTWAWKI. People who eschew unhealthy lifestyles die just as surely as those who embrace them, sometimes at an earlier age. I had an aunt who drove to a favorite lunch spot one day, ordered a Johnny Walker Red, and lit a cigarette when it arrived. When the waitress brought my aunt's sandwich she found her sitting in the chair dead. My aunt was ninety-seven.
That reminds me of the story about Babe Ruth who collapsed in right field from a belly ache in the early innings of the second game of a doubleheader at Chicago's Comiskey Park. It seems he had gone across 35th St to McCuddy's Bar between games as was his custom. He proceeded to down 2 qts of beer, 14 hot dogs and finished it up with an apple. As he was carried from the field on a stretcher, he was heard to say, "I shouldna et that apple."
Julia Child lived to be 92 and never feared butter although she did believe in moderation. I love pasta, butter, cream, and all the wonderful things we make with them. I've never eaten 14 hot dogs, but I can manage a pound package of eight or ten with no problem. I couldn't get two quarts of beer down although I've never tried. My cholesterol has never been over 135. I do take 3000 mg. of fish oil every day now as well as an aspirin. My only prescription drugs are 20 mg. of lisinopril and 25 mg. of hydrochlorothiazide.
Your story about Babe Ruth made me hungry.
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