Survival and Diarrhea What You Should Know by M.D. Creekmore on 04/26/2011 - Great post. Had to share.

Survival and Diarrhea What You Should Know

by M.D. Creekmore on 04/26/2011

I am a Registered Nurse and see a lot of misinformation out there regarding medical prepping. One thing that I see repeatedly is poor advice regarding Diarrhea. So I thought I would offer up some advice on the topic. So “not cool” I know, but so very critical. All the ammo in the world can’t help you if you mishandle this situation.
Diarrhea is in fact one of the most common, potentially deadliest, illness that we will see in a SHTF situation. How much do you know about treating it? Think that you can pop an Imodium and be ok? WRONG! In certain situations that one mistake can cost you your life. Here is my take on Diarrhea 101.

Why is this so serious to the Prepper?

1. Hygiene. Post-SHTF (literally in this case) human waste will be overwhelming to those who have not prepped. For many, there may be a lack of clean water. Hand washing will be difficult and something that simple can be so devastating. In 2009, diarrhea was estimated to have caused 1.1 million deaths in people aged 5 and over and 1.5 million deaths in children under the age of 5.
2. Lack of Knowledge. Ever hear of the saying that a little knowledge can do a lot of damage? Well when it comes to use of medications it is very true. It pains me to hear of people building up large stores of antibiotics and anti-diarrhea medication without the understanding of how to use them. If someone takes an anti-diarrhea medication like lope amide (Imodium) while they are having an active parasitic infection – they can die. If someone uses broad-spectrum antibiotics casually (Levaquin, Cipro) they can easily cause an antibiotic caused colitis that can be deadly if untreated.
3. Failure to understand the many causes of diarrhea. Diarrhea can be one of the body’s best natural defenses against serious illness. It is basically a mechanism to flush out the “bad bug” from your system. It can be a very natural process that is usually self-limited in a couple of days for most healthy adults.
The big picture is to understand how to treat diarrhea without making the infection worse or getting dehydrated.

What you can do?

1. Assessment. This is the first step in any medical situation and diarrhea is no exception. What contributed to the diarrhea? What has been the intake for the last 24-48 hours? Any unusual food items? Any unusual symptoms (bloody stool, etc)? Any possible spoiled or contaminated food or water intake? Any failures in sanitation systems? Could this be a parasite? Has there been recent treatment with Antibiotics?
2. Immediately begin a BRAT diet – Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast. Post SHTF – for most peppers having the rice and perhaps a basic bread from grain stores would be ok. Unless you live in a tropical climate having access to bananas may be out. Instant Mashed potatoes would be good too and many of us may have this item. The idea here is to eat soft, bulky foods that are easy to digest to give your system a little rest.
4. DO NOT IMMEDIATELY TAKE AN ANTIDIARRHEA MEDICATION. Give your body some time to eliminate the infection. If there are signs/symptoms or reasons for you to believe that you may have a bacteria or parasitic infection – do not take a medication that stops the diarrhea like Loperamide (Imodium), instead reach for a binding agent like Bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectade or Pepto-Bismol). That should help pull the bad bugs while slowing the diarrhea down. It also will reduce the chance for dehydration.
5. DO NOT Drink Plain Water. Diarrhea + plain water can be a bad combination. In this situation, water can actually make you sicker as the cells begin to shift their fluid status in an effort to combat electrolyte depletion. Any electrolyte replacement fluid should be fine here – from brand name Pedialyte to off-brand electrolyte tablets sold in many survival outfits.
6. Know the signs of dehydration. In an adult, dehydration can cause increased heart rate (over 100 for most people), decreased blood pressure (Systolic – top number – under 80 for most people) dry chapped lips, dry tongue, and lack of urine production. In a post SHTF situation, you will need to use your skills to understand the difference between allowing your body to eliminate infection (i.e.: probably 12-24 hours) and when to begin to aggressively treat dehydration.

Medications to keep on hand outside the usual “survival/first aid” type information

1. Electrolyte replacement fluid such as Pedialyte.
2. Bulking agent such as Bismuth subsalicylate. Common ones are known as Kaopectade and Pepto Bismol. (these also may reduce nausea associated with diarrhea) They work by controlling the amount of fluid in your intestines and reducing bacteria and inflammation.
3. ProBiotics to restore good bacteria after diarrhea illness such as Florastor.
4. Prescription Medication to treat E.Coli diarrhea: Rifaximin, brand name Xifaxan. This is an antibiotic used very commonly in people traveling to places where hygiene is not adequate and E. Coli diarrhea is common. Tip – Many physicians will prescribe this to people planning trips to third-world countries.
5. Prescription Medication to treat antibiotic-related diarrhea and parasitic diarrhea – Metronidazole, brand name Flagyl.
6. Loperamide (Imodium) – this should be the survivalist’s last resort diarrhea drug to prevent severe dehydration. It literally works by slowing the intestines down. Therefore retaining everything in the system and possibly prolonging the illness.
Please take all of this information with your own common sense and discretion. I am not a doctor and this is intended for information only. Good Luck!

Just my opinion on the Executive Orders issued today.

I disagree with the President issuing the EO's in the first place. I believe the issues brought up with the EO should have been brought before Congress so that the will of the people took precedence. I do not agree with the order for physicians asking about guns in the homes. I do not agree with the order limiting the number of rounds in a magazine, nor the ability to purchase certain weapons. I have no problem with the background screenings with regards to adding a psych screening or with the background checks in general. The addition of the CDC and mental health should be addressed; however, this was not the forum to do so. It should be addressed in conjunction with a deeper look at the effects of SSRI medications on individuals and the number of SSRIs used on underaged individuals. That is a COMPLETELY different discussion. The EOs were a broad paint brush for a fairly narrow topic. Just my opinion. Thanks.

Time to start the seeds

Time to start the seeds. We have been harvesting from our organic produce and will be starting our seeds indoors this week. One idea I read about and am going to use is the toilet paper roll starter method. Cut the cardboard holders in half, fill them with dirt and plant with seeds. The holders need to be placed on a tray to hold the water. Our idea it to use a large flat bottomed storage box with a lid. The plastic needs to be 2,4, or 5 so that it doesn't leach. This setup acts as a mini green house and is a great way to recycle and get your garden started early. We will plant more seeds indoors in another month and keep staggering until late spring. After late spring, we will buy seedlings to continue planting until late June. The staggering ensures a multi month harvest. Our other seeds come from Baker Creek Heirloom seeds. They are a reliable source of nonGMO Heritage seeds.

The second project I am looking to do is make a green house for the back yard using recycled windows. There is a great salvage yard near us. The windows need to be triple sealed with an organic clear sealant to remove the risk of contamination from paint. It is an inexpensive and responsible way to extend your harvest. If this works the way we think it will, I would like to add an aquaponics component to it at the end of the summer. We are not huge fish eaters, but we definitely are not eating fish from the grocery store. There have been way too many oil spills and nuclear reactor accidents (Japan) for us to feel comfortable with even deep sea wild caught fish.

Since our housing is yet to be settled, our garden this year will be done via container and vertical. These two methods allow us to continue our gardening and to make it mobile when necessary. Moving the containers will have a negative impact on production for a while, but it is better than no production. You can garden, harvest and can anywhere. It just takes a will.

Any gardening tips are welcome! Have a great day.

This is a repost/share from Matt Bracken

Just chucked over the transom:

Report from XXXXX: received 01/10/13, 14:00

"I was in a gun shop last night called XXXXXXXXXXXXX. The one with the owner I was telling you about.( a patriot) The Owner was talking to a man about 28-30 years of age who had his wife with him. He was buying a gun for his wife. I heard them talking but couldn't hear what They were saying. At one point their voices became very quiet but they continued to talk. After the man and woman left, I talked to the owner about a XXXXXXXXX for a rifle. He asked me if I saw the couple he was talking to and went on to explain that the husband was an Ohio State Patrolman for Galliacounty. The patrolman told the owner that he was at a State Police meeting (Time frame unknown, but recent) in Columbus (OH) and they were asked by the State HQ how they felt about confiscating guns from citizens. He also told the owner that TSA agents (or perhaps DHS?) had been to Gallia county earlier in the month (January) stating that there might be civil unrest and asked them (State Troopers), The County Sheriff, and local township law enforcement the same question.

The patrolman told the owner that he was in Columbus with 10 other patrolmen from the area. He told the owner that he stated he wasn't willing to confiscate weapons and that if they came to his house he (the State Patrolman) would kill them. He stated the other 10 patrolmen conveyed the same message. My unit member left and reported to me asap.We have elevated our alert level as a result.

(My comment: The LEOs are critical! Please bump or share or pass around or mention "Dear Mr. Security Agent: a letter to LEOs about gun control"

I'm not saying we have a Pandemic, but.......

One of the end of the world scenarios you see on these prepper shows and discovery documentaries is a pandemic of flu.  We are currently in one of the worst flu outbreaks in the last 50 years.  Keep an eye on what is happening.  The reason?  So you can see how insidious an outbreak to pandemic scenario may be.  This flu is being reported by the CDC as a moderate to severe season, but look at Google Flu Trends.  It shows how widespread the flu bug has become without the advertisements to get your flu shot.  

I am not saying this is a SHTF scenario.  I am saying this is a great opportunity to observe what a pandemic outbreak looks like both in your neighborhood and across the globe without it being something that is killing everyone.  The spread was pretty stealthy.  I, personally, was not paying much attention, and then we were hit late December.  All seven in the house were down with it before we really realized what was happening.  I am a bit embarrassed by my lack of preparedness.

The CDC is not the best for news releases.  They downplay outbreaks, etc. and control the release of information to the media.  Pay attention to what is said on Facebook, yahoo, google Plus, etc.  That is where you will see the real trending.

Your thoughts?

Not going over the cliff? Yeah, right

Thank you Congress for signing a death warrant for so many businesses today.  Really?  Why not make it a flat 50% increase in all taxes with no spending cuts?  Half dozen or the other at this point.   Hey, at least you guys received a pay increase, so it can't be all bad, right?