Solution in a Sandwich Bag

I am stubborn on a cellular level. It is true. When I was a small child I had a fever and my mother gave me a baby aspirin. My fever went up. So she took me to the doctor. She was afraid that I might be having an allergic reaction. The doctor prescribed an adult aspirin. I am resistant to medication...always have been...probably always will be.

I had dental surgery to remove my wisdom teeth in my late 20s. The dental surgeon had to give me additional medication when I arrived for surgery because what he had prescribed was not enough. Eighteen months later I was getting braces and had to have some teeth removed. I went back to the same surgeon. He reviewed my file and wrote a prescription that was a significantly higer dose that one would normally write for a person of my size.

I only know that because the pharmacist looked at the script, then at me and in a very agitated voice said, "He can't prescibe you that. It is way too much!".

I calmly responded, "I didn't write the prescription, call the doctor and tell him."

The phone was on the counter and the pharmacist immediately made the call. I could hear the doctor's voice and caught phrases like "the max allowed by law" and "have you ever operated on this woman before, well I have." Shaken but satisfied the prescritpion was filled, and I have a much improved smile to prove it.

So what does this have to do with preparing for emergencies and disasters. Well it turns out that all human being are alike in that we are all unique. In our infinite diversity we can react to the same things very differently.

Imagine me in a large scale disaster, perhaps in a shelter, trying to explain to a doctor who has never met me before that I need twice as much medication as everyone else or it is not going to work. She's going to think I'm an addict and I am not going to get the level of treatment I need. Maybe you're the opposite and you only need half the normal dosage or maybe you have adverse responses to common treatments. What can you do to make this situation better?

Grab a sandwich bag. Make a photo copy of your current prescriptions and your medical and insurance information, fold it neatly and insert it into the sandwich bag and seal. Keep this up to date and with your emergency kit at all times. Make one for all the members of you family including you pets. If you have a family member who is in a wheel chair it should be kept in a pocket or pouch on the chair so that it stays with them. it takes five minutes to do and can save you a great deal of discomfort and distress.

These photo copies can then be shared with medical personnel in the disaster response and give them greater confidence in prescribing medication that will work for you. And by having a paper copy you won't have to rely on your memory to make sure you got it right. Here's to good health!