Tip of the Week: Treating blood pressure at TEOTWAWKI

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

The bad news:  treating blood pressure without access to current medications will be a challenge for many at TEOTWAWKI.

The good news:  dietary changes alone can make a significant difference.

All you need to do is eat 8 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables every day!  Now to me, that sounds like a lot.  I think I average 3 to 5 servings, and the typical American does not consume even that.

According to Dr. Henry Black,  Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine at the New York University School of Medicine and former President of the American Society of Hypertension, the difference is potassium.  A high potassium diet (as opposed to the usual American high sodium diet) can lower blood pressure.

Foods that are high in potassium are primarily fruits and vegetables.  Some will be more easily obtained than others, should transportation and interstate commerce be disrupted.  We have no orange trees in Ohio, nor date trees, nor avocados.  But we can grow beans, beets, melons, tomatoes, potatoes, peaches, and pumpkins.

For a list of foods to boost your potassium and lower your blood pressure, CLICK HERE.

My own estimate is that a good half the patients who are currently treated for hypertension would eventually no longer require medication if the grid goes down, McDonald’s goes bankrupt, we all lose weight, and have to walk to work and grow our own food.

Why not try it now?  Ten servings of fruits and vegetables only amounts to 1,000 calories or less, leaving another 1,000 for proteins, fats, and carbs.

If you accept the challenge, let me know how it works for you.

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Tip of the Week: Home strep throat tests

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

If you have kids at home and are worried about strep throat, check out the over-the-counter rapid strep kits on Amazon.  I have not seen them for sale in local pharmacies, but online ordering is simple and requires no medical license.

The Rapid Response Strep A Kit is one of the most affordable.  The more elegant Quidel Quickvue is more costly, but perhaps a bit simpler for the layman.  I have used them both.  There are several other brands I have not tried, but as long as they are FDA approved, they should be fine.

Your doctor probably is unaware these kits can be purchased by non-professionals, and would be concerned about the accuracy of testing.  Each test does come with a positive and negative control, which helps.  I would consider a positive test as a true positive.  A negative test may be due to operator error, or may be a true negative.  Currently, physicians confirm a negative test with the more accurate culture (at least in children).

The kits have a shelf life of at least a year, and often longer.  Would they be accurate a decade from now?  My suspicion is yes, if stored under optimum conditions, though I cannot vouch for this.

Rapid strep testing is probably the best option for TEOTWAWKI.  Strep throat cultures require additional expertise, storage, and interpretation.

When you purchase a kit, read ALL the fine print and experiment with a few test strips.  You can learn this on your own (but we do cover home testing in detail in my Survival Medicine 101 workshop.)

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Posted in Equipment, Medical archives, Medical testing, Preparation, Slide show, Sore throat, Strep throat | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tip of the Week: Dilute bleach for superficial infections

Posted on August 9, 2013 by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

In an era without easy access to antibiotics, saving your precious penicillin for a serious pneumonia would be wise.

So what do you do if you have a (mild) case of impetigo, or perhaps a yeast rash in a skin fold, or yet another round of athlete’s foot?

One simple answer is a dilute bleach solution.  When I was a kid, my mom would pour a cup of bleach into our swimming pool – this is the same idea.

A 1/1,000 dilution of standard chlorine bleach in water can be used for mild skin infections that are no more than skin-deep.  Washing the affected area with such a solution twice daily for a few days may eliminate the need for oral antibiotics.

The dilute bleach solution should not be used on open wounds other than superficial abrasions, and should be used with caution around the eyes (though this dilution is actually safe for bathwater, even for children).

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Posted in Medical archives, Skin, Skin infection, Slide show, Water | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Survival Medicine 101

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

SURVIVAL MEDICINE 101

Live Workshop with Doc Cindy

Tuition only $350/person plus $50 materials fee for 3 full days of instruction (9-4:30 daily) with Doc Cindy

2015 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

June 15-19, 2015 as part of Ultimate Prepper Training in Richfield, OH

For class information or to register, CLICK HERE.

September 18-20, 2015 in Akron, OH

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN – scroll down to register

If you’re entirely on your own, can you take care of your family and yourself?

– That’s what this course is all about.

If society collapses and your health care is all up to you, are you ready?  Can you repair a laceration?  Do you know how to splint a broken arm?  Can you treat life-threatening infections, burns, respiratory distress, chronic disease?
* * *
In short, are you prepared?
***

Hands-on training will include:

  • Wound care – suturing and other wound closure techniques
  • Fracture care – casting and other aspects of care
  • Outpatient labs and procedures you can perform without electricity
  • Local anesthesia including digital blocks
  • Minor surgery including shave biopsy, cryosurgery, excisions, nail removal
  • Using OTC drugs like prescription medication
  • Hydration techniques
  • Treatment of life-threatening infection
  • Treatment of chronic diseases

CLICK HERE to download a complete PDF brochure including course outline, payment details, location and directions, accommodations, and registration form.

  • Register using drop-down menu below (PayPal and Credit Cards accepted) and be sure to mail in pages 10 and 11 of the downloadable PDF brochure above.
  • Or mail-in registration payment with pages 10 and 11 of the downloadable PDF brochure.

CLASS REGISTRATION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED and will close once the class is full.

QUESTIONS? Email Doc Cindy (at) Armageddon Medicine (dot) net – (use no spaces in email address)

FORM STARTS HEREINSERT HERE

SURVIVAL MEDICINE 101, 102, & 201, 202 Registration and Payment
CHOOSE CLASS
MONTH
PLEASE SPECIFY DATES


END REGISTRATION FORM HERE ***

CLICK HERE to download a complete brochure.

The following outline is taken from the workshop brochure

Module 1 Module 4
Clinical Procedures without Electricity Suturing and Minor Surgery – Part II

  • Ear examination, treatment, and irrigation
  • Strep throat diagnosis and testing
  • Quick aids for hearing and vision
  • Respiratory distress – procedures to aid diagnosis and treatment (PF, HCT, EKG)
  • Improvised nebulizer treatment
  • Urinalysis – testing and interpretation
  • Dehydration and hydration techniques
  • Abscess incision and drainage
  • Excision and repair
  • Cautery techniques
  • Cryosurgery technique
  • Digital nerve block
  • Ingrown nail removal
  • Wound dressings and care
Module 2 Module 5
Infection and Illness – How to treat on your own Splinting and Casting – Part I: Upper Body

  • Deadly diseases you can treat on your own
  • Bioterrorism
  • Radiation – risks and treatment
  • Alternative therapies
  • When antibiotics don’t work
  • Treatment of chronic disease: diabetes, arthritis, thyroid disease, asthma/COPD

  • Working with plaster
  • Diagnosis and treatment of fractures, sprains, and other injuries
  • Upper extremity splinting and casting
  • Injuries you can treat on your own and  those you cannot
  • Immobilization techniques
Module 3 Module 6
Suturing and Minor Surgery – Part I Splinting and Casting – Part II: Lower body

  • Surgical knot tying
  • Suture and staple removal
  • Sterile technique
  • Wound cleansing and debridement
  • Local anesthesia
  • Suturing of lacerations
  • Other wound closure techniques

  • Injuries you can treat on your own
  • Diagnosis without X-rays
  • Immobilization techniques
  • Lower extremity splinting and casting
  • Cast removal without electricity

CLICK HERE to download a complete brochure.*** Class size is limited

Register ABOVE to assure yourself a spot.

ALSO – DON’T MISS!

HOMESTEADING CLASSES AT STONE GARDEN FARM

ENJOY A CLASS OR AN EVENING AT STONE GARDEN FARM & VILLAGE

In conjunction with my Survival Medicine events, my good friends Jim and Laura Fry offer homesteading classes at their farm, Stone Garden Farm and Museum, either the day before or the day after my workshops (or both). Or sometimes we arrange an informal evening with the Fry family just to socialize, get to know each other, and explore their unique farm. I’ve listed their classes on the next page – be sure to avail yourself of this wonderful opportunity. Check my web site to see which class is offered in conjunction with the Survival Medicine Workshop you’ll be attending, or call the number below for additional details.

The Fry’s farm is located at 2891 Southern Road, Richfield, Ohio 44286, approximately 30–45 minutes north of my “Farmageddon” location. They also offer overnight camping space for $5, or teepee rental for $15 per night. Museum and farm tours along with viewing of all the tools needed for self-sufficiency are free. For info on other classes offered visit http://heritagehomesteadclasses.blogspot.com. For village & museum information visit www.ohiofarmmuseum.com or call (330) 659-3507 or email stonegardenfamily@yahoo.com.

Homesteading Classes with Jim and Laura Fry
  • Classes offered the day before and/or the day after Survival Medicine 101, 102, and 201
  • $40/class or $60 for both – Home-cooked lunch included with each class
  • Call Jim or Laura Fry at (330) 659-3507 or (843) 469-4060 with questions or to register, or email stonegardenfamily@yahoo.com

Homesteading/Survival Series 1 – Hands-on Class – offered Thursday, July 25 and October 17, 2013

Essential Needs – Learn useful skills for the homestead or survival situation

Featured topics

  • Rendering animal fat into easily storable, useful tallow or lard
  • Using that tallow to make candles
  • Basic hot process using tallow to make lye soap that can be used for body, laundry, or dishes
  • Wild edible/medicinal walk to learn the abundance of foods and medicine in our area
  • Using herbs to make healing/medicinal salve and discussion of other ways to preserve/use herbs including tinctures, glycerites, and dried herbs
  • Tour our many useful buildings, such as our blacksmith shop, weaving mill, tin shop, etc. and see our sustainable farm.

Homesteading/Survival Series 2 – Hands-on Class – call or email for dates

Our Daily Bread – Acquiring, using, and storing meat, vegetables, and grain

Featured Topics

  • Catching, cleaning, and preparing small game: traps and snares, slaughter, cleaning and dressing
  • Fire cooking: using fire and/or heat to prepare small or very large portions of food with easy-to-find or salvaged materials
  • Organic/Survival gardening: seed saving, permaculture, edible landscape, gardening for winter, compost, etc.
  • Fermented foods and food preservation: simple age-old techniques for long-term food storage without complicated equipment or ingredients; make a batch of sauerkraut, discuss many other preservation methods including proper root-cellaring and over-winter gardening techniques
  • Grain grinding/grain usage: learn what to look for in a good grinder, how to use one, and the many uses of simple grains
  • Tour our many useful buildings, such as our blacksmith shop, weaving mill, tin shop, etc. and see our sustainable farm.
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Survival Medicine 102

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

SURVIVAL MEDICINE 102

Live Workshop with Doc Cindy

Tuition only $350/person (plus $50 material fee) for 3 full days of instruction (9-4:30 daily) with Doc Cindy

2015 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

October 16-18, 2015 in Akron, OH

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN – scroll down to register

All new material – vital for survival
(no prerequisite required)

– childbirth, labor, and delivery
– poisonings
– adult and childhood emergencies
– herbal remedies
– do-it-yourself dentistry
– triage, quarantine, and isolation

– and much more – see details below* * *

If you’re entirely on your own, can you take care of your family and yourself?
– That’s what this course is all about.
***
If society collapses and it’s all up to you, are you ready?
Can you deliver a baby?
Treat common poisonings?
Tell if someone is having a heart attack?
Diagnose appendicitis?
Treat an ulcer?
Protect your family from disease?
* * *
In short, are you prepared?

This course is presented from the point of view that you (or your family or group) will be the only source of medical care available, without access to hospitals, doctors, or other health care professionals.

There is no prerequisite for Survival Medicine 102, though it is recommended that you consider taking Survival Medicine 101, which focuses on labs, injuries, suturing, casting, and infection.

Tuition only $350 + $50 materials fee/person for 3 full days of instruction (9-4:30 daily) with Doc Cindy

*** Price includes lunch each day ***

Classes to be held in Atwater, near Akron, Ohio

Scroll down to register

CLICK HERE to download a complete PDF brochure including course outline, payment details, location and directions, accommodations, and registration form

The following is a general outline and tentative schedule of the course, although order of teaching may vary. We will cover as much as possible in the time allotted.

Hands-on training will include:

Module A: Difficult Decisions Module D: A Night in the ER
Difficult Decisions for Difficult Times Diagnosis and Treatment of Adult Emergencies
  • Triage under fire – deciding whom to treat
  • Medical rationing – when & how to use limited supplies
  • Care for the debilitated and elderly – attrition, starvation, suicide, and assisted suicide
  • Care for the incurable – what to do when drugs won’t help
  • Care for the dangerous (the addicted, psychotic, violent, or desperate)
  • Keeping your family safe – quarantine and isolation
  • Security – not just an afterthought
  • My chest aches terribly…will I die tonight?
  • My stomach hurts and I can’t eat…is it appendicitis?
  • My back is killing me…could it be broken?
  • Help! I can’t breathe…will I suffocate?
  • What’s wrong with my face…is it a stroke?
Module B: Preserving the Next Generation Module E: Beyond Doctors and Drugs
Pregnancy and Childbirth Creative Treatment for Common Problems
  • Preventing pregnancy (effective birth control without medication)
  • Treatment for the inevitable (STDs)
  • What to do about radiation exposure
  • Diagnosing pregnancy without pregnancy tests, and accurate calculation of due date
  • Diagnosis and treatment of problems during pregnancy
  • Monitoring and assisting with labor – what helps and what doesn’t
  • Delivering the baby – first do no harm
  • Caring for and safeguarding the newborn
  • Inventive medical uses for household products
  • Foods that can kill and foods that can cure
  • Vitamins and minerals to save your bones, your blood, and your baby
  • Herbal remedies that work . . . and how to use them safely
  • The mighty power of placebos
  • Alternative medicine – where to begin (acupuncture, chiropractic, hypnosis)
Module C: Helping the Children Module F: Potential Problems
Common Pediatric Emergencies Potpourri of Potential Problems
  • Help! My baby has a fever!
  • Help! My baby won’t eat!
  • Help! My baby has a rash!
  • Help! My baby’s not acting right!
  • Help! My child won’t use his arm!
  • Help! My child won’t walk!
  • Help! My child keeps vomiting!
  • Help! My child won’t wake up!
  • Help! Something’s wrong!
  • The unhealthy foot – you may not survive if you can’t keep up
  • Eye problems that can kill – bullets won’t help if you cannot see
  • Do-it-yourself dentistry – if you cannot eat, you will not survive
  • Poisonings and overdoses – those you can treat, those you cannot
  • Prepping in 3 months – what you can accomplish

* * *

CLICK HERE to download a complete PDF brochure including course outline, payment details, location and directions, accommodations, and registration form.

  • Register using drop-down menu below (PayPal and Credit Cards accepted) and be sure to mail in pages 10 and 11 of the downloadable PDF brochure above.
  • Or mail-in registration payment with pages 10 and 11 of the downloadable PDF brochure above.

CLASS REGISTRATION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED and will close once the class is full.

Registration form will take you to PayPal where you can pay via Credit Card or PayPal, or to register and pay by Check, download and print the brochure by CLICKING HERE .

QUESTIONS? Email Doc Cindy (at) Armageddon Medicine (dot) net

(use no spaces in email address and please format properly – above format used to prevent spam)
FORM BEGINS HERE

PAYPAL STARTS HERE

SURVIVAL MEDICINE 101, 102, & 201, 202 Registration and Payment
CHOOSE CLASS
MONTH
PLEASE SPECIFY DATES

REGISTRATION FORM ENDS

ALSO – DON’T MISS!

HOMESTEADING CLASSES AT STONE GARDEN FARM

ENJOY A CLASS OR AN EVENING AT STONE GARDEN FARM & VILLAGE

In conjunction with my Survival Medicine events, my good friends Jim and Laura Fry offer homesteading classes at their farm, Stone Garden Farm and Museum, either the day before or the day after my workshops (or both).  Or sometimes we arrange an informal evening with the Fry family just to socialize, get to know each other, and explore their unique farm.  I’ve listed their classes on the next page – be sure to avail yourself of this wonderful opportunity.  Check my web site to see which class is offered in conjunction with the Survival Medicine Workshop you’ll be attending, or call the number below for additional details.

The Fry’s farm is located at 2891 Southern Road, Richfield, Ohio 44286, approximately 30–45 minutes north of my “Farmageddon” location.  They also offer overnight camping space for $5, or teepee rental for $15 per night.  Museum and farm tours along with viewing of all the tools needed for self-sufficiency are free.  For info on other classes offered visit http://heritagehomesteadclasses.blogspot.com.  For village & museum information visit www.ohiofarmmuseum.com or call (330) 659-3507 or email stonegardenfamily@yahoo.com.

Homesteading Classes with Jim and Laura Fry
  • Classes offered the day before and/or the day after Survival Medicine 101, 102, and 201
  • $40/class or $60 for both – Home-cooked lunch included with each class
  • Call  Jim or Laura Fry at (330) 659-3507 or (843) 469-4060 with questions or to register, or email stonegardenfamily@yahoo.com

Homesteading/Survival Series 1 – Hands-on Class – offered THURSDAY, March 14, 2013

Essential Needs – Learn useful skills for the homestead or survival situation

Featured topics

  • Rendering animal fat into easily storable, useful tallow or lard
  • Using that tallow to make candles
  • Basic hot process using tallow to make lye soap that can be used for body, laundry, or dishes
  • Wild edible/medicinal walk to learn the abundance of foods and medicine in our area
  • Using herbs to make healing/medicinal salve and discussion of other ways to preserve/use herbs including tinctures, glycerites, and dried herbs
  • Tour our many useful buildings, such as our blacksmith shop, weaving mill, tin shop, etc. and see our sustainable farm.

Homesteading/Survival Series 2 – Hands-on Class – offered MONDAY, March 18, 2013

Our Daily Bread – Acquiring, using, and storing meat, vegetables, and grain

Featured Topics

  • Catching, cleaning, and preparing small game:  traps and snares, slaughter, cleaning and dressing
  • Fire cooking:  using fire and/or heat to prepare small or very large portions of food with easy-to-find or salvaged materials
  • Organic/Survival gardening:  seed saving, permaculture, edible landscape, gardening for winter, compost, etc.
  • Fermented foods and food preservation:  simple age-old techniques for long-term food storage without complicated equipment or ingredients; make a batch of sauerkraut, discuss many other preservation methods including proper root-cellaring and over-winter gardening techniques
  • Grain grinding/grain usage:  learn what to look for in a good grinder, how to use one, and the many uses of simple grains
  • Tour our many useful buildings, such as our blacksmith shop, weaving mill, tin shop, etc. and see our sustainable farm.
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Survival Medicine 201 and 202

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

SURVIVAL MEDICINE 201 – Advanced

New! Live Advanced Workshop with Doc Cindy

Tuition only $350/person plus $50 materials fee for 3 full days of instruction (9-4:30 daily) with Doc Cindy

2015 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

To be announced

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN – scroll down to register

If you’ve taken Survival Medicine 101, and learned to suture, splint, and cast . . .

Are you ready for the big time?  Here’s your chance to hone your skills.

Hands-on training will include:

  • Advanced casting
  • Treatment of open fractures
  • Treating fractures that are difficult to cast
  • Principles of traction therapy
  • Management of dislocations
  • Advanced suturing
  • Suturing under adverse and realistic conditions
  • Management of bullet wounds
  • Major trauma
  • Emergency tracheotomy
  • Removal of RFID chip

CLICK HERE to download a complete PDF brochure including course outline, payment details, location and directions, accommodations, and registration form.

Register using drop-down menu below (PayPal and Credit Cards accepted) and be sure to mail in pages 11 and 12 of the downloadable PDF brochure above.

CLASS REGISTRATION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED and will close once the class is full.

QUESTIONS? Email Doc Cindy (at) Armageddon Medicine (dot) net – (use no spaces in email address)

BEGIN REGISTRATION FORM HERE

SURVIVAL MEDICINE 101, 102, & 201, 202 Registration and Payment
CHOOSE CLASS
MONTH
PLEASE SPECIFY DATES


>END REGISTRATION FORM HERE ***

CLICK HERE to download a complete brochure.

ALSO – DON’T MISS!

HOMESTEADING CLASSES AT STONE GARDEN FARM

ENJOY A CLASS OR AN EVENING AT STONE GARDEN FARM & VILLAGE

In conjunction with my Survival Medicine events, my good friends Jim and Laura Fry offer homesteading classes at their farm, Stone Garden Farm and Museum, either the day before or the day after my workshops (or both). Or sometimes we arrange an informal evening with the Fry family just to socialize, get to know each other, and explore their unique farm. I’ve listed their classes on the next page – be sure to avail yourself of this wonderful opportunity. Check my web site to see which class is offered in conjunction with the Survival Medicine Workshop you’ll be attending, or call the number below for additional details.

The Fry’s farm is located at 2891 Southern Road, Richfield, Ohio 44286, approximately 30–45 minutes north of my “Farmageddon” location. They also offer overnight camping space for $5, or teepee rental for $15 per night. Museum and farm tours along with viewing of all the tools needed for self-sufficiency are free. For info on other classes offered visit http://heritagehomesteadclasses.blogspot.com. For village & museum information visit www.ohiofarmmuseum.com or call (330) 659-3507 or email stonegardenfamily@yahoo.com.

Homesteading Classes with Jim and Laura Fry
  • Classes offered the day before and/or the day after Survival Medicine 101, 102, and 201
  • $40/class or $60 for both – Home-cooked lunch included with each class
  • Call Jim or Laura Fry at (330) 659-3507 or (843) 469-4060 with questions or to register, or email stonegardenfamily@yahoo.com

Homesteading/Survival Series 1 – Hands-on Class – call or email for dates

Essential Needs – Learn useful skills for the homestead or survival situation

Featured topics

  • Rendering animal fat into easily storable, useful tallow or lard
  • Using that tallow to make candles
  • Basic hot process using tallow to make lye soap that can be used for body, laundry, or dishes
  • Wild edible/medicinal walk to learn the abundance of foods and medicine in our area
  • Using herbs to make healing/medicinal salve and discussion of other ways to preserve/use herbs including tinctures, glycerites, and dried herbs
  • Tour our many useful buildings, such as our blacksmith shop, weaving mill, tin shop, etc. and see our sustainable farm.

Homesteading/Survival Series 2 – Hands-on Class – offered Monday, November 18, 2013

Our Daily Bread – Acquiring, using, and storing meat, vegetables, and grain

Featured Topics

  • Catching, cleaning, and preparing small game: traps and snares, slaughter, cleaning and dressing
  • Fire cooking: using fire and/or heat to prepare small or very large portions of food with easy-to-find or salvaged materials
  • Organic/Survival gardening: seed saving, permaculture, edible landscape, gardening for winter, compost, etc.
  • Fermented foods and food preservation: simple age-old techniques for long-term food storage without complicated equipment or ingredients; make a batch of sauerkraut, discuss many other preservation methods including proper root-cellaring and over-winter gardening techniques
  • Grain grinding/grain usage: learn what to look for in a good grinder, how to use one, and the many uses of simple grains
  • Tour our many useful buildings, such as our blacksmith shop, weaving mill, tin shop, etc. and see our sustainable farm.
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Doc Cindy on SurvivalBlog

Posted on July 27, 2013 by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
Dr. Koelker is honored to serve as Medical Editor for SurvivalBlog
To read her articles, click on any title below
Essential Medical Skills to Acquire – Part 1: Introduction, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
 
Essential Medical Skills to Acquire: Suturing, Part 1, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
 
DMSO: Pain Relief Without a Prescription?, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
 
How to Talk Your Doctor into Prescribing You Antibiotics, by Dr. Cynthia Koelker
 
Rabies – Coming Your Way? by Dr. Cynthia J. Koelker
 
Book Release! Armageddon Medicine Now Available
 
How to Find a Doctor to Help You Prepare, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
 
Three Disabling Diseases You Can Cure Without Medicine. by Dr. Cynthia Koelker
 
Medication Dependence and TEOTWAWKI — 10 Tips for Survival, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
 
Letter Re: Antibiotics for Serious Wounds
 
Letter Re: Legalities of Prescribing Long-Term Antibiotics
 
Seven Antibiotics to Stockpile and Why, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
 
Medical Quarantine — Protecting Your Family from Infection, by Dr. Cynthia Koelker
 
Ten Essential OTC Medications to Stockpile by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
 
Expired Medications – Part 3: General Principles, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
 
Guest Article: Expired Medications–Are They Safe? Are They Effective? Part 2, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
 
Guest Article: Using Expired Medications – Antibiotics and Antiviral Medications – Part 1, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
 
How to Get Your Doctor to Help You Stockpile Medicine, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
 
How to Survive a Serious Burn, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
 
Response to:  How to Survive a Serious Burn
 
On Diabetes, and Thinking Outsie the Box, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
 
Appendicitis and TEOTWAWKI, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
 
Why Your Doctor Won’t Help You Prepare and What You Can Do About It, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
 
Asthmanefrin:  A New Twist on a Life-Saving Medicine, by Cynthia J. Koeelker, MD
*
Last Minute Medical Prepping, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
*
Medical Prepping in Three Months – Part 2, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
*
Medical Prepping in Three Months: A Guide to Safeguarding Your Family — Part 1 of 2, by Dr. Cynthia J. Koelker
*
 
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Dem Bones . . . I love this free ap!

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

Recently I came upon a wonderful free medical ap, namely the Visible Body, Human Anatomy Atlas.  I wish such a great tool had been available in my medical school days, but it’s never too late.

The Skeletal System section of the atlas can be downloaded FREE, and the $39.99 price tag for the full download is still a bargain.  I’ve installed it on my iPad, but it can be downloaded on a PC or Mac as well.

The coolest thing is how you can rotate the skeleton to understand the anatomy from any angle.  Now I use this ap regularly with my patients as well as in my Survival Medicine classes.

Of course, a paper-and-ink anatomy book should be part of your prepper bookshelf as well.  Human anatomy has not changed recently, so pick up something for a penny on Amazon.  You might enjoy the Human Anatomy Coloring Book (yes, a real coloring book of Human Anatomy), which medical students still use.

Posted in Bookshelf, Free downloads, FREE OFFERS, Preparation, Slide show | 2 Comments

What if you’re not young and healthy?

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

Jennifer asks:

I have heart, lung, & mobility issues.  Most prepping info assumes one is young & healthy.  I’ve had a heart attack (at age 49), asthma & both lungs filled with blood clots, lung collapse, low efficiency lungs, on oxygen & many meds.  I’ve fought this de-conditioning my whole life (am 57), but can no longer even manage house work.

So, hiking out isn’t feasible.  What do you recommend for people in this situation?

Great question, Jennifer.  We’re about the same age.  Even as I sit here writing this I feel a little sciatica kicking up.

If you’re reading this and think the challenge doesn’t apply to you, consider . . .

. . . do you have an aging parent?
. . . or young children?  . . . or grandchildren?
. . . or back pain?  or bunions? or body fat?

***

As my farming friends advise, ideally all of us would learn to live now as we would have to live then, should the lights go out.  This is, of course, easier said than done, but not impossible.  The main barrier to living “off the grid” is deciding what you actually believe:  will the lights indeed go out?

For anyone with limitations – and that’s all of us – you need a support system.  Maybe Daniel Boone could thrive in the wilderness alone, but most Americans cannot.  If you don’t have supportive family and friends, you need to find some.  (There are numerous Survival and Prepper Groups online you might contact.)

But in a survival situation, everyone needs to contribute something.  Even children can collect firewood.  Though you are disabled, you, too, likely have something you can contribute – perhaps medical knowledge, since you’ve been through so much.  Perhaps you have financial means, or have a green thumb, or woodworking skills.  Nearly everyone can contribute something.

I realize there are those who can contribute little – for example, a patient I see regularly who is blind, mentally retarded, and mobility impaired.  What will happen to her?  She will not survive without the kindness of others, but even she could pedal a bicycle for power if her life depended on it.

My best advice is:  1)  become part of a group – or start your own,  and 2)  develop a skill that others will need and you can contribute.  (And this advice goes for everyone, really.)  Then start practicing now for when things do go bad – live without electricity for a day, then a week, then a month.  These summer months are an ideal time to begin.  Work with your group to develop a transportation plan, battery back-up for an oxygen concentrator, alternatives to the medications you are taking (check out other articles on this site and/or the book, Armageddon Medicine).  We all have limitations and need to work together.

For my own part, I am teaching medical skills (and leaving the guns to my sons).  This web site is all about taking care of yourself and others.  I hope to teach thousands, perhaps millions, before the grid goes down.  If you will be, or want to be, a medical provider, now’s the time to start learning.  Perhaps, Jennifer, you, too could be a healer.

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Posted in Asthma, Chronic diseases, COPD, Heart disease, Medical archives, Preparation, Question of the Week, Shortness of breath, Slide show | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Tip of the week: Excellent, affordable practice suture

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

For anyone who wants to practice their suturing skills, check out www.sim-vivo.com.  They sell the best, most affordable practice suture I’ve found.  They also offer free training videos and sell practice suture modules that are great for learning.  It’s not quite the same as suturing a human, but it’s a good place to start.  For anyone considering coming to one of my classes, the training module would be great pre-workshop practice.

Many of my students have tried the “veterinary suture” sold on Amazon and elsewhere, but the sim-vivo suture makes for a better learning experience, and is actually less expensive, since the sutures are the right size with a good cutting needle, and none is wasted.

For a few spoken words from Doc Cindy, CLICK HERE.

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Posted in Education, LIVE SURVIVAL MEDICINE TRAINING, Medical archives, Preparation, Slide show, Suturing, Wound repair | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment