Cough, Hack, Wheeze! A Guide to Surviving Pneumonia

Thanks for all the comments and emails sent my way during my recent hiatus from blogging. It makes a girl feel loved when she is missed. :)

The reason for my long absence is that I have been so sick that I have hardly been able to drag myself out of bed. I think I am finally on my way back to health and now I can sit down at my computer and blog about it.

My story

It all started the day after a big family wedding. I woke up exhausted and sore but attributed it to the fact that  I had spent the previous day running around in high heels while wrangling my children, all four of whom were members of the bridal party. As the day went on, my muscle aches increased and I began experiencing a vicious cycle of fever and chills.

The next day I had more of the same symptoms, but with the addition of a tight feeling in my chest. I got  noticeably winded after completing routine tasks.  Four days later my fever had finally broken, but I was still experiencing shortness of breath. Hubby Dear is an MD and had wanted me to get a chest X-ray to rule out pneumonia by about day two of my illness. After four days of misery, I finally listened to him and got an X-ray taken. The verdict: I did indeed have a bad case of bacterial pneumonia.

A chest X-ray showing pneumonia
Image from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occult_pneumonia

Since my pneumonia was bacterial in origin, antibiotics were indicated. I was prescribed a Z-pack (azithromycin). I started to feel better and by the time I finished the last dose of the antibiotic, I would say that I was at about 90% of normal. Unfortunately, my coughing and shortness of breath started to increase again over the next week. I was then prescribed another antibiotic, Levaquin (levofloxacin). I'm on day two of this round of antibiotics and I really hope this finally kills off all the baddies that are making me miserable!


Pneumonia is not for wimps 

If you look at the leading causes of death for Americans 100 years ago, you'll find that pneumonia and influenza ranked at the very top of the list. Having experienced pneumonia, I believe it. Here's what you need to know about it should you face pneumonia in a SHTF scenario.  

What is pneumonia?

Simply put, pneumonia is a lung infection. Pneumonia can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or even dust or chemicals you breathe in. Anyone can get it, but it is very commonly acquired when your body's defenses are low, such as after you get a cold or the flu. We believe that I came down with the flu and that I caught pneumonia as a secondary infection.

Although anyone can get it, some people are more at risk of pneumonia. If you smoke, are debilitated, have existing lung conditions, suffer from an autoimmune disease, or are recovering from surgery, you are at risk.

Diagnosing pneumonia

Hubby Dear suspected that I had pneumonia based on the physical symptoms I described above as well as the way they presented. There had also been a rash of young, healthy people in our area coming down with sudden onset pneumonia. The tell-tale sign was when he listened to my lungs. I call it "Rice Krispie lungs" - they are continuously snapping, crackling, and popping.


A chest X-ray is an important tool for diagnosis. Not only does it confirm that the patient is suffering from pneumonia, but it also shows whether the pneumonia is bacterial or viral in origin. Obviously in  TEOTWAWKI, you may not be able to obtain a chest X-ray.


How to treat pneumonia

If your pneumonia is bacterial in origin, you're going to need to have antibiotics to treat it. You should be stockpiling a variety of antibiotics, either via prescription from a sympathetic doctor or with fish antibiotics. Here's some helpful links about fish antibiotics you might want to check out:
http://armageddonmedicine.net/?p=6490 
http://armageddonmedicine.net/?p=6532 
http://www.survivalblog.com/2010/07/a_doctors_thoughts_on_antibiot.html

As my experience attests, not all antibiotics will work for every infection. You should have a variety on hand in case the first kind doesn't do the trick.


Otherwise, the treatment for pneumonia is pretty simple.

• Rest. You need to have someone on hand to help with chores, children, etc. My bout with pneumonia confirmed for me the necessity of having a group of like-minded people that you can trust to help in times of need. I was flat on my back, unable to cook, clean, or even do my chicken chores. And the thing about pneumonia is that it commonly can take people up to a month to fully recover. 
• Take medications like Advil or Tylenol to control your fever. 
• Drink lots of water.
• Rest. Did I mention that?   

My recommendations for you: 

• Consider getting the flu shot every year. Since many cases of pneumonia develop after a person has the flu, preventing the flu will prevent pneumonia. Every member of my family gets the flu shot - except me since I am allergic to it. I'm the one who got pneumonia. Coincidence? 
• There is a pneumonia vaccine for young children and adults in certain risk groups. Read about it here: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/pneumo/default.htm
• Start a (legal) stockpile of antibiotics and learn how to use them properly. 
• If you smoke, stop! Smoking is a risk factor for pneumonia and pretty much every other disease out there.
• Remember that pneumonia and influenza were top killers 100 years ago. If we experience a massive societal disruption, I expect they will become so again. 

Wheezingly yours,

Emily 

Starting our First Aid Stockpile

One of the ways I spent my prepping budget this month was on a bunch of first aid supplies. We already had a pretty good selection of Band-Aids and OTC meds, but we definitely fall far short of where we need to be. In a survival situation, "boo-boos" can turn into life-threatening injuries if they are not treated appropriately. Your doctor or the ER may not be available. If you're into frugal living, there are lots of conditions that may be safely treated at home if you have the proper supplies and know-how. I happen to live with a certain medical professional who would be very happy if everyone kept their butts out of the ER for trivial stuff. (Such as, but not limited to: sore throats you've had for less than an hour, hayfever, and dandruff. All true stories.)

I have organized our nascent stockpile into four layers:

1) Everyday ills

First aid, adult, and children's boxes form layer one of our medical scheme

I have three plastic tubs for adult, children's, and general first aid items.These are stored in a handy location in the kitchen and we use the contents frequently. This layer includes commonplace items like thermometers, Band-Aids, children's pain medication, Tums, current prescriptions, etc.

2) Redundance

One bottle of Advil isn't nearly enough. I'm trying to get a year's supply plus of all essential medicines and supplies. All my extras as well as anything that might be especially temperature sensitive (My storeroom is at a constant, cool temperature. The kitchen, not so much.) are stored here. I'll rotate these into use just like we do our food storage.

3) Minor medical emergency supplies - These are to treat things that you might visit an urgent care clinic, your family physician, or an emergency room for. Small burns and wounds that are too deep for a Band-Aid but don't require stitches are two examples. You need to have the knowledge to discern what you can safely treat at home.




The middle shelf holds my minor emergency stuff

 Ignore the contents of the top shelf. My trusty ice cream maker doesn't count as first aid, unless it is making chocolate ice cream! ;)

4) The Big Guns - Things you really hope you never have to use, such as surgical kits and compression bandages. I haven't ventured very far down this path yet. Scary stuff that DEFINITELY needs training to use.


With these layers in mind, I created the following list of items that I think are necessary for a well-stocked family first aid stockpile. This is a work in progress, so if you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments!

I hope to cross each item off this list over the course of the next year or so.


Prescription Medications:

1) Build up a one year supply of my prescription. Check your insurance to see how often you can fill your prescription. If you can get it filled every 20 days, do that and you'll gradually build up a supply.

2) Build up a supply of antibiotics. Read this, this, and this on SurvivalBlog to get some ideas of legal ways to do this and see where I'm coming from. You don't have to break any laws or cross into Mexico to do it and it could be life-saving.

3) Possibly get some Tamiflu.


OTC Medications:

1) Ibuprofen (adult and children's)

2) Acetaminophen (adult, children's and infant formulas)

3) Aspirin – This might seem like pain reliever overkill, but there are certain things that aspirin does that nothing else can, such as save your life during a heart attack.

4) Benedryl (adult and children's formulas)

5) Zyrtec or Claritin (adult and children's formulas) - Mini Me takes Zyrtec regularly.

6) Imodium (adult and children's)

7) Pepcid Complete

8) Tums

9) Hydrocortisone cream

10) Anti-fungal cream

11) Pedialyte

12) Salt substitute (for making electrolyte drink – read this)

13) Your drug of choice for constipation: Miralax, Fiber supplements, etc.

Wound Care:

1) Betadine

2) Alcohol wipes

3) Hydrogen Peroxide

4) Bacitracin ointment

5) Dermabond skin adhesive

7) Sterile gauze – different sizes

8) Non-stick wound dressings

9) First Aid Tape

10) SteriStrips/Butterfly wound closures


Miscellaneous:


1) Ace bandages

2) Eye drops

3) Lip balm

4) Diaper rash cream (Balmex, Desitin, etc.)

5) Burn kit

6) Moleskin for foot blister treatment/prevention

7) Bleach (unscented)

9) Disinfectant Wipes

10) SAM Medical Splint

11) N 95 Masks

12) Exam Gloves

13) Q Tips

14) Cough Drops

15) Sphygmomanometer (Blood Pressure Cuff)

16) Stethoscope

17) Otoscope


"More Serious Stuff" - You'd better learn how to use it ahead of time:

1) Israeli Battle Dressings - Did you read how these amazing devices saved lives during the horrible shooting in Tucson?

2) Israeli Abdominal Emergency Bandage

3) Quikclot Gauze

4) Dental Kit

5) Suture Kits

6) Medical Trauma kit (IV supplies, surgical instruments etc.) See Analytical Survival's YouTube video, Part One and Part Two for an example of what I'm talking about. Warning: the videos I linked have a high testosterone content. ;)

7) Childbirth Kit (although if we need this, Hubby Dear's urologist is going to have some explaining to do...)


Essential Literature:
 
1)  Where There Is No Doctor

2) The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

3) Where There Is No Dentist

4) First Aid -- Responding To Emergencies



What do you think? Do I have any glaring omissions? What's the status of your first aid preparedness?