Most of us who consider ourselves preppers like to think we’re at least somewhat ready for any disaster scenario.  So I had a rude awakening when my husband fell and broke his arm last week.  Thankfully we have adequate health insurance and we were able to rush to the ER and get him taken care of.  Now that the initial anxiety has passed, it’s made me contemplate what I would do if this accident had happened during a disaster or pandemic.  What if I couldn’t just rush him to the hospital and be assured he’d be taken care of in a relatively short amount of time?  What if we didn’t have orthopedic specialists available to reset the bone and make sure he’s healing correctly?  And, unfortunately I don’t have a real plan for this.  While I’m sure I have the confidence that I could make due with my own skills - a broken bone suddenly looks like a worst case scenario to me.

Most of us have had basic first-aid instruction, and if you haven’t that should be on your list to accomplish as soon as you’re able.  Some of you may be one step ahead of me and have the skills to reset a bone, or suture a cut.  I think for the vast majority of those urban women that feel the need to be prepared, aren’t ready to take a field medical course.  So - what’s a good alternative?

Be careful.  Be very, very careful.  During a survival situation, safety should become your number two priority, just under food and water.  Take precaution to do things slower and more meticulously than you usually would.  Don’t climb on the roof if you don’t absolutely need to.  Don’t fool around with a knife.  Keep toxic chemicals in sealed containers away from children.  Think about this constantly.  You have probably been in an accident situation where a split second determines if you receive an injury or not.  Usually we say “I can’t believe I did that”.  There may not be a second chance during an emergency scenario. 

Get to know your neighbors - one of mine is a physician’s assistant.  She can sew a cut and set a bone and has offered if we need it.  If you have a friend or relative that’s a healthcare provider, talk to them about your emergency plans and if they would want to join you.  Also, educate yourself in case you’re the only option.  It’s not enough to have a splint available if you don’t know how to use it.  If you’re very squemish about first-aid, decide if it would be better for you to join a group that includes a doctor or nurse, or even someone with a stronger stomach.

I’ve thought through this for my own family and am prepared to keep everyone as safe and free from injuries as I can.  If we’re on guard and aware, we can remain accident free.  I’ve also considered pain management.  I have a small supply of prescription pain-killers, but if we had a major injury I’d have to consider alternatives.  Suddenly an adequate supply of booze seems like a good idea.  I hadn’t really considered this since no one in my family is a drinker, but I can see the advantages to having a supply - and the good thing is you don’t really need to rotate as it gets better with age. 

With all the things to think about when preparing for a disaster, don’t forget safety awareness is an important aspect that you can’t afford to ignore.