While you're considering food and water storage, cooking without electricity, and other emergency possibilities, don't forget any special health needs you or a loved one might have. In my case, it's Diabetes. I'm Type 1 and my stepfather is Type 2. In addition to Diabetes, my stepfather has Dementia, COPD, and other conditions. Our needs are alike in many ways but not all so I've handled planning for each of us in slightly different ways. Regardless of type, all people with Diabetes (and other medical conditions) should have a well thought out (and tested, if possible) emergency plan in place.
Some people suggest a three day supply of supplies but I'm a fan of long term planning. If all you can have right now is a three day supply that's great but add to the supply as money, time, and circumstances allow. Think two weeks, three months, a year, two years, etc. As Lee Child said:hope for the best, plan for the worst.
I suppose this as good a place as any to say that in a worst case scenario, my chances for survival aren't that great. I don't mean to sound pessimistic but the reality is that as a person with Type 1 Diabetes I can't survive long without insulin. My pancreas produces so little as to be basically none and I must get it from an external source - either injections or an insulin pump. Long term storage and adequate refrigeration of insulin are the main considerations in an emergency situation. In general, unopened insulin needs to be kept between 36 and 46 degrees to be effective until its expiration date. Once it's opened, it can be kept at room temperature or refrigerated but is good for only 28 days. In theory, anyway. Most long term diabetics have used opened insulin over 28 days old and know that efficacy varies. Over an average three month period, I use between 6 and 7 vials of insulin and that's with eating a low to moderate carb diet. If I eat no meat and only very low carb foods, I use a bit less than 6 vials of insulin. My physician prescribes 8 vials for that same period of time so I've managed to accumulate a small stash of the life saving stuff. In the case of SHTF, if I lived on higher carb fruits, vegetables and grains I could grow and find, I'd need substantially more insulin than what I use now. Locating, procuring, protecting, and storing enough insulin for more than a short period of time would be a serious problem and the prospects are pretty gloomy. That's not a good reason to take a fatalistic attitude, though, so I consider my chances of survival as average and plan anyway, hoping for the best.
My stepfather and I each have two Diabetes specific bags at our home; one for ourselves and one for the other person. Each vehicle also contains two bags. Each bag is clearly labeled with the name of the person for whom it was packed. Yes, between us we have 8 bags just for specific health conditions. That might seem like a lot but who knows where we'll be when the need arises? Of course, just like a food supply, the contents of the bags are regularly inspected, rotated, and modified as needed.
My stepfather's bags contain:
Medications for each of his conditions
Supplements that we know help stabilize his blood sugar
A small binder containing his name and date of birth, a recent photo of him and my mother, emergency contact information, his medical history, details on each condition and medication, what its purpose is, when it's given and side effects, how to test blood sugar and what the results mean, how to treat high blood sugar and low blood sugar, symptoms he exhibits when his blood sugar is high and low, a general eating plan for him, and how to handle his times of little to no memory, anxiety, and fear
A printed copy of "Your Guide to Diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2" from the National Institutes of Health
Several glucose meters with batteries, test strips, and control solution for each meter
Lancets and devices for pricking the skin, along with instructions on how to use them
Ketostix Reagent strips, which measure the level of ketones in urine (his blood sugar has never been high enough to warrant the use of the strips but in considering emergency conditions I decided to include them)
Alcohol wipes
Bandaids, gauze pads, medical tape and Betadine because he bleeds easily and sometimes his blood sugar test sites need a bit of before and/or after care
Quick acting sugar sources such as glucose tabs and gel, candies, and individual packets of sugar, both white and brown, and honey
Complex carb snacks such as peanut butter crackers, nuts, and dried fruit
My bags contain the same as above but also contain:
A page listing and explaining my insulin to carbohydrate ratio and my insulin sensitivity factor
Syringes
Insulin pump supplies and batteries
An illustrated guide on how to operate the pump and what to do if it fails
An illustrated guide on how to pick an infusion site and how to insert the infusion set
Glucagon injection kits with information on how to store, prepare, and use them
Two books about Diabetes Type 1, with passages and information pertaining to me noted in the front and highlighted on each page
My insulin is kept in the fridges but it's all together in one large bag so grabbing it will be easy. I also have several small coolers and plenty of ice packs in the freezers. This is a temporary measure but it's just another thing I can do to improve my chances of survival.
Yes, it's a lot of planning and work, and a bit of expense but I feel better knowing Mom's house has kits prepared just for my stepfather and others prepared just for me. Mom knows what's in all the bags and how to use or administer every item and that gives us all a little peace of mind. It took me a good deal of time and money to plan and carry out the making of the bags but the peace of mind gained by all of us is worth the effort.
If you or a loved one have medical needs, make sure to consider them in your planning and preparations. Think of different scenarios, how each one might play to the need/condition, and plan accordingly.
Prevent what you can and deal with the rest. That's my motto.
For more on this subject, check out:
Post-SHYF Guide to Diabetes
Doomsday Preppers - Type 1 Diabetes Style
Doomsday Preppers: Wilma Bryant
and Emergency Preparedness for Type 1 Diabetics
Too sweet in Texas
Some people suggest a three day supply of supplies but I'm a fan of long term planning. If all you can have right now is a three day supply that's great but add to the supply as money, time, and circumstances allow. Think two weeks, three months, a year, two years, etc. As Lee Child said:hope for the best, plan for the worst.
I suppose this as good a place as any to say that in a worst case scenario, my chances for survival aren't that great. I don't mean to sound pessimistic but the reality is that as a person with Type 1 Diabetes I can't survive long without insulin. My pancreas produces so little as to be basically none and I must get it from an external source - either injections or an insulin pump. Long term storage and adequate refrigeration of insulin are the main considerations in an emergency situation. In general, unopened insulin needs to be kept between 36 and 46 degrees to be effective until its expiration date. Once it's opened, it can be kept at room temperature or refrigerated but is good for only 28 days. In theory, anyway. Most long term diabetics have used opened insulin over 28 days old and know that efficacy varies. Over an average three month period, I use between 6 and 7 vials of insulin and that's with eating a low to moderate carb diet. If I eat no meat and only very low carb foods, I use a bit less than 6 vials of insulin. My physician prescribes 8 vials for that same period of time so I've managed to accumulate a small stash of the life saving stuff. In the case of SHTF, if I lived on higher carb fruits, vegetables and grains I could grow and find, I'd need substantially more insulin than what I use now. Locating, procuring, protecting, and storing enough insulin for more than a short period of time would be a serious problem and the prospects are pretty gloomy. That's not a good reason to take a fatalistic attitude, though, so I consider my chances of survival as average and plan anyway, hoping for the best.
My stepfather and I each have two Diabetes specific bags at our home; one for ourselves and one for the other person. Each vehicle also contains two bags. Each bag is clearly labeled with the name of the person for whom it was packed. Yes, between us we have 8 bags just for specific health conditions. That might seem like a lot but who knows where we'll be when the need arises? Of course, just like a food supply, the contents of the bags are regularly inspected, rotated, and modified as needed.
My stepfather's bags contain:
Medications for each of his conditions
Supplements that we know help stabilize his blood sugar
A small binder containing his name and date of birth, a recent photo of him and my mother, emergency contact information, his medical history, details on each condition and medication, what its purpose is, when it's given and side effects, how to test blood sugar and what the results mean, how to treat high blood sugar and low blood sugar, symptoms he exhibits when his blood sugar is high and low, a general eating plan for him, and how to handle his times of little to no memory, anxiety, and fear
A printed copy of "Your Guide to Diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2" from the National Institutes of Health
Several glucose meters with batteries, test strips, and control solution for each meter
Lancets and devices for pricking the skin, along with instructions on how to use them
Ketostix Reagent strips, which measure the level of ketones in urine (his blood sugar has never been high enough to warrant the use of the strips but in considering emergency conditions I decided to include them)
Alcohol wipes
Bandaids, gauze pads, medical tape and Betadine because he bleeds easily and sometimes his blood sugar test sites need a bit of before and/or after care
Quick acting sugar sources such as glucose tabs and gel, candies, and individual packets of sugar, both white and brown, and honey
Complex carb snacks such as peanut butter crackers, nuts, and dried fruit
My bags contain the same as above but also contain:
A page listing and explaining my insulin to carbohydrate ratio and my insulin sensitivity factor
Syringes
Insulin pump supplies and batteries
An illustrated guide on how to operate the pump and what to do if it fails
An illustrated guide on how to pick an infusion site and how to insert the infusion set
Glucagon injection kits with information on how to store, prepare, and use them
Two books about Diabetes Type 1, with passages and information pertaining to me noted in the front and highlighted on each page
My insulin is kept in the fridges but it's all together in one large bag so grabbing it will be easy. I also have several small coolers and plenty of ice packs in the freezers. This is a temporary measure but it's just another thing I can do to improve my chances of survival.
Yes, it's a lot of planning and work, and a bit of expense but I feel better knowing Mom's house has kits prepared just for my stepfather and others prepared just for me. Mom knows what's in all the bags and how to use or administer every item and that gives us all a little peace of mind. It took me a good deal of time and money to plan and carry out the making of the bags but the peace of mind gained by all of us is worth the effort.
If you or a loved one have medical needs, make sure to consider them in your planning and preparations. Think of different scenarios, how each one might play to the need/condition, and plan accordingly.
Prevent what you can and deal with the rest. That's my motto.
For more on this subject, check out:
Post-SHYF Guide to Diabetes
Doomsday Preppers - Type 1 Diabetes Style
Doomsday Preppers: Wilma Bryant
and Emergency Preparedness for Type 1 Diabetics
Too sweet in Texas