The Modern Medicine Man V3A
The Modern Medicine Man V3A
The Modern Medicine Man V3A
a Time of Crisis
Give yourself a chance to survive now by preparing your body for the worst possible outcomes.
Sure, you still might die. The most fit people in the world still die from tuberculosis.
This section will teach you how to prevent and treat a variety of diseases and wounds. Along
with basic first aid and CPR training, you’ll also find information about how to survive different
disaster situations and which natural alternatives are better than medicines prescribed by your
pharmacist.
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The body can regenerate very easily. So let it by being a healthy human being.
Keep your equilibrium in check. Because your body will regenerate. In some way, shape or form.
Get routine checkups, and just stay healthy, now and forever. Amen.
The body is a machine. Let it do its thing, then sit down for an intervention.
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• Estimate your ability to help someone — as much as you can, or else you’ll harm them
• Choose the simplest solution, then proceed to the next one
• Avoid contact with infected environments
They all have a lack of mobility, need to be in a wheelchair or have a cane, and they’re usually
confined to one floor of the house.
Make sure your stroke patients have their anticoagulant medications. Since you won’t be able to
do blood tests, do what the doctor said on the recommended dosage.
What to Hoard:
● incontinence products
● Catheters
● Non-electric blender (something that purees the food without electricity)
● Simple clothing to put over them
Don’t let these patients trip and fall. And get them a comfortable chair. But make sure they can’t
get up on their own so that they don’t fall and die on you.
With dementia, keep an eye out for behavioral issues. One way to mitigate this is by keeping
things quiet.
It won’t cure MS, but the temporary high dose steroid papers will help.
Dementia patients have a slow spiral down to their grave. But if you suspect they’re not totally
with it, they might have a bladder infection and have them take Bactrim or Cipro.
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Respiratory Diseases
Asthma
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Emphysema
Asthma is for kids, COPD and emphysema are for adults who smoke a ton.
You’ll hear a lot of coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. Their breathing might get worse
after a disaster.
What to Hoard:
albuterol inhaler — 2 puffs every 4 hours
advair inhaler — has steroids and a beta agonist — 1 puff twice a day
tissues
oxygen tank and tubing — in case of increased shortness of breath
Also get a battery-operated oximeter, which can tell the percent of oxygen in the person’s blood.
Normally, the levels read between 97-100%, but it’s normal for COPD patients to have a level at
80%.
Advair inhalers are better since they have steroids inside to help with inflammation.
Kids can also take it, but check with your doctor about how to taper the prednisone.
If adults have bacterial bronchitis or pneumonia, give them Cipro. Kids... give them Bactrim or
Suprax suspension.
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Circulatory System Diseases
Peripheral Vascular Disease
In peripheral vascular disease, there are two types:
● large vessel
● small vessel
Large vessel — blocks the femoral artery in the thigh down to the knees. It affects both legs, but
can affect one leg more than the other. It’s painful to walk, and they feel it in the calves and
thighs. The lower leg is shiny and thin, and they bleed easily when they bump into something.
Small vessel — toes and feet are involved first. There’s an increased burning in the feet, with
open ulcers around the foot.
Check toes and feet daily for open sores, then cover with gauze and tape. If there’s an infection
in the feet, it might be too late.
If it turns into gangrene, DON’T increase their anticoagulants, because they might bleed
somewhere you’re not expecting. Treat with pain medications, and let the toes fall off. Seriously.
Heart Disease
For cardiovascular disease (“heart disease”), there are blockages in the coronary arteries. Either
they’ve had a heart attack, or they’re at risk for one. Symptoms include:
● Chest pain, aka “angina”
● Shortness of breath
● Ankles swelling
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Watch their activity level and they should stop if they can’t breathe or have chest pain. Have
them take a nitroglycerine pill. Check for feet swelling into a balloon. If you have a spirometer,
check for low levels of oxygen in their system.
If someone has a heart attack, treat them with pain meds and oxygen. Have them rest for several
days, then slowly increase their workload. Unless you’re a skilled cardiologist or surgeon, there’s
nothing more to do.
Heartburn
The acid in your stomach coats the inner lining of the esophagus, which is not supposed to
happen. It becomes inflamed and painful, especially if it’s chronic.
Pay attention to their chest pain, acid in the back of their throat, and an upset stomach. Take
Prilosec to mitigate the pain.
Food Sensitivities
Gluten sensitivity — can’t tolerate proteins in wheat, barley, rye
Dairy sensitivity — intolerant to proteins in cow’s milk
Symptoms include:
● Abdominal bloating
● Gas
● Constipation
● Diarrhea
Check to see which foods make it worse, and which make them feel better. Stick with what
works best.
Crohn’s disease
Autoimmune disease where the body makes antibodies against the intestinal wall, all the way
from the mouth to the anus.
Because of the wide range of the intestinal wall, the symptoms are all over the map:
● Stomach cramps
● Lower abdominal cramps
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● Diarrhea (with blood)
● Constipation
Ulcerative Colitis
Autoimmune disease that produces diarrhea and the body creates antibodies against the wall of
the colon. Symptoms are similar to Crohn’s disease, but they’re all in the colon.
What to Stockpile
Heartburn — TUMS, Zantac, Prilosec
Any meds for diarrhea and constipation
Autoimmune diseases — prednisone taper during flare-ups. Ask their doctor which meds and
what else they should take.
Symptoms:
● Going to the bathroom more often
● Can’t wait to go, so they wet themselves
● Fever and flank pain (more serious)
The infection can spread from the bladder to the kidneys and into the bloodstream, which can
cause urosepis.
Bladder infections are usually a result of water shortage, so check everyone for urinary infections.
Flush it out with clean water. Go to the bathroom often and drink plenty of water. If it reaches
the kidney, uh oh. Have a professional help you out.
Basically...
have enough water on hand
get an antibiotic to prevent it, like Bactrim or Macrobid
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Kidney Stones
Have enough drinking water, because even healthy people can get a kidney stone.
Symptoms:
● Blood in the urine
● Sudden extreme flank pain to the groin
Get fluids in their system ASAP and use either Bactrim or quinolone antibiotic.
Kidney Failure
The kidneys fail to regulate the amount of toxins and salts in the body. There are no symptoms
until it absolutely fails. So before it does, keep track of your kidney if you have...
● Diabetes
● Lupus
● Multiple myeloma
Symptoms:
● Malaise
● Shortness of breath
● Water not excreted well
To prolong their life, have them drink water and avoid the following:
● Bananas
● Apricots
● Salt
● Salt substitutes
● Dehydration
Metabolic Diseases
Type I Diabetes
An autoimmune disease that’s usually in children and teenagers. It’s insulin dependent, and lasts
throughout a person’s life.
Type II Diabetes
Doesn’t begin until adulthood, and it gets better after a balanced diet and pain medication. When
it’s severe, it needs insulin.
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Diabetes Mellitus
A serious disease in different types (I and II) that can cause numbness, poor blood circulation,
elevated blood sugars, coma and heart disease. Some also become blind.
What to Hoard:
● Medications
● Glucometer — sugar is too high or low
● Pre-made sugar solution when blood sugar is too low
And monitor the blood sugar several hours after an episode of high or low blood pressure.
Cardiovascular diseases — no clue. They have a better chance on anticoagulation therapy, but
the blood will thicken once the medications run out. That will lead to heart attacks and strokes
and gangrene.
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Digestive and urinary tract disease — survive but miserable. And a risk of colon cancer for those
with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Respiratory diseases — they’ll gradually die when they’re away from their oxygen tank. When
inhalers give out, they’ll die within a few days or months, in which case they’ll be in bed.
Starvation — 45 days
Dehydration — 7 days
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Dental Emergencies
Toothache
Inflammation of the nerve supplying the tooth. It either lasts a few hours or days, then goes
away. Or there might be an infection, and that leads to a dental abscess. Treat with pain
medication like Tylenol or Aleve or Advil. If it’s more painful, use Vicodin or oxycodone and apply
heat to the affected area outside your mouth. If it’s the most pain you’ve ever experienced, use
Keflex 500 mg twice a day for 10 days.
Swollen Jaw
There’s not a lot of pain associated with a swollen jaw, so either take pain meds or put ice next
to it to reduce the swelling. If you suspect an infection, have a heat source directly on the jaw
and try to clear the dental abscess or soft tissue abscess away.
Oral Injuries
Broken teeth suck, so find a dentist. If the tooth has the root attached to it, actually place it back
in, and the tooth will be fine. Or have a dentist keep it in.
Broken Jaw
Uh oh. If the bite is off, take oxycodone and have someone straighten the jaw. And drink only
liquids for a month until the jaw heals on its own. Don’t open your mouth much.
Erupting Tooth
Wisdom teeth might erupt. So take pain medication and put ice on the side of your face near the
tooth that’s coming in. It’ll be painful for a while.
Cold Sores
These tiny blisters on the lips are triggered by the sun, stress, a fever or tired. Different from
canker sores (flat and white, on the tongue and gums, caused by bacteria, not contagious).
They’ll resolve after a week. But you can prevent one from coming up by...
● Changing tooth brushes after an outbreak
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● Covering the cold sore with lip balm or petroleum jelly
● Applying sunscreen to the affected area
● Not touching it
● Avoiding stress
● Suck on a real licorice whip
● Put ice packs on
Clove oil — treats toothaches. Rub on sore tooth, and it’ll feel better.
Aloe vera — cleans teeth and soothe sore gums. Can also act as a toothpaste and treats canker
sores
Honey — prevent tooth erosion, it works against mouth bacteria. But DON’T give to any child
under the age of two.
Salt — any kind of sores and abscesses and cankers. Rinse your mouth several times a day with
warm water and a pinch of salt. But not too much salt. It also extends the life of a toothbrush.
Toothpaste replacement — one part fine salt, two parts baking soda. add water for a rinsing
solution.
Have enough tampons and sanitary napkins for several months. Once used, put in a paper bag,
seal the bag and fold it over the top. Then burn that stuff.
You don’t need a douche, but if you must, have a tablespoon of vinegar and enough water in a
bottle.
If you’re pregnant, take a pregnancy test, and take prenatal vitamins to prevent any birth defects.
But prevention is key. You don’t want kids growing up in a disaster-stricken world.
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Pregnancy
Have a pregnancy book handy, and eat as healthy as you can. And don’t go outside in a nuclear
fallout.
Example:
What to Hoard:
● 3 sets of sterile latex gloves
● Pack of gauze (4x4 gauze — about 8-10 of those)
● Sterile scissors
● Absorbable suture size 3-0
● Laceration pack
● Clean blanket for the baby
● Clean sheets or rubber sheet
● Flashlight
If your perineum (tissue between the vagina and rectum) is ruptured, have someone suture the
laceration with absorbable 3-0 suture. If not, and there are no complications, you won’t need
most of that stuff I just said.
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Huge List of Meds
Seniors
Fiber laxative
Aspirin — blood thinner
Atherosclerosis medication
Mevacor (lovastatin)
Zocor (simvastatin)
Blood thinners for a stroke
Coumadin (warfarin)
Meds for arthritis
Aleve (naproxen)
Heart burn meds
Zantac (ranitidine)
High blood pressure meds
Lisinipril
Tenormin (atenolol)
Any narcotics are difficult to get, so be careful. Have at least a month’s supply of meds.
Look for overseas pharmacies online. Try out a couple and not all of your medications, just to see
which ones are good and which ones are frauds. The generic name is usually the same in any
language.
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Have your doctor’s phone and your ID in case you’re in a different city. That’ll help you stockpile
more medications.
If you’re taking medications from the veterinarian, or a farm supply store, be careful on the
dosage. Divide the meds up into a few doses.
Keep your drugs organized by their relationship to each other. For instance, the inhalers and
respiratory meds go in one spot, the stomach meds go in another, etc.
Symptoms:
● Congested nose
● Sore throat
● Sinus pain
● Body ache
● Cough
First, lie down and rest. Let your body do its thing.
Sudafed (psuedoephedrine) — nasal and sinus congestion. Since it’s perfect for cooking meth,
you can’t buy in large quantities. Take 1-2 pills every 4 hours.
Tylenol (acetaminophen)
Advil (ibuprofen)
Aleve (naproxen)
All good for fever, sore throat and body aches. Take 2 every 4-6 hours.
Allergy Medication
If you’re allergic to mold, dander, grass or tree pollen, take these:
Benadryl (diphenhydramine) — sedating antihistamine, works for nasal allergies and hives. Take
1-2 tablets every 6 hours. If allergies are really bad, take every 4 hours.
Claritin (loratadine)
Zyrtec (cetirizine)
Prednisone — taper it with a high dose, then get it down to a lower one.
The most common taper:
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60 mg for 3 days
40 mg for 3 days
20 mg for 3 days
10 mg for 3 days
5 mg for 3 days
Pain Medication
Tylenol (acetaminophen) — fever and pain reliever. Take 2 tablets every 4-6 hours.
Anti-inflammatory
Advil or Mortrin (ibuprofen)
Aleve (naproxen)
Works best for arthritis and fever and generic pain. Don’t take on an empty stomach, so take
non-acidic food with it. Take 2-3 tablets every 4-6 hours for ibuprofen, and 2 tablets every 8
hours for naproxen.
Give 1-2 tablets every 6 hours. Don’t go crazy, because we have an opioid epidemic.
Breathing Medication
Use an inhaler with a beta-agonist to open the breathing passages.
Get the medication in your lungs and not the back of your throat. So, take a deep breath with the
inhaler in your mouth. In the middle of the breath, press the plunger and keep breathing in. That
should suck it down your bronchial passages.
Albuterol — available in an inhaler or liquid form. You’ll need a prescription, and take 2 puffs
every 4 hours.
Primatene Mist — less effective over-the-counter medication, but take 2 puffs for every 4 hours.
Use as a last resort — try albuterol first.
Gastrointestinal Medication
Zantac (ranitidine) — histamine-2 blocker that lessens the stomach acid. Take 1-2 pills twice per
day for heartburn or stomach acid problems.
TUMS — calcium carbonate tablets that are chalky. Instant relief happens, but it doesn’t last long.
Chew 2 tablets every 1-2 hours.
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Maalox — aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide to neutralize stomach acid and relieve
heartburn. But it doesn’t last long, so take 1-2 teaspoons every 2 hours.
Prilosec (omeprazole) — proton pump inhibitor that shuts off acid production at the source. It
takes a few hours to work, but once it does... oh boy. Take one pill a day.
Kaopectate (bismuth subsalicylate) — mild reliever of diarrhea in kids and adults. Take 1-2 tsp
every 4-6 hours. Don’t put this drug in kids who are recovering from influenza or chicken pox.
And buy the Canadian version since it’s safer for children and babies — it has attapulgite in it.
Imodium-AD (loperamide) — helps to treat diarrhea when the disease is not a result of an
infection. Take 1-2 pills every 6 hours.
Ex-Lax (sennosides) — treats common constipation. In either pill form or chocolate form, take 1-2
tablets and wait for 24 hours. You might get something out.
Correctol (bisacodyl) — treats constipation. Take 1-2 pills and wait 24 hours. Something should
come out.
Skin Medication
Hydrocortisone Cream — the maximum strength available is Cortisone-10, and it’s used for
rashes and poison ivy. It’ll block the inflammation in the skin tissue.
Benadryl cream — used for allergic reactions, and apply as needed for the itching.
Antibiotics
Hey now. Don’t go straight to the drugs. Wait and see how the body reacts. Give it some time.
Rest it up. Take some natural remedies.
Only use drugs as a last resort. Because you only have a few.
And they also have side effects — one of the side effects is death.
Augmentin — 2 grams per day, either 2-3 doses — used for many infections
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Keflex (cephalexin) — strep, sinus infections, pneumonia — take 250mg - 500 mg four times a day
for 10 days.
Erythromycin — skin infections and bronchitis and strep throat — 250-500 mg 2-4 times a day
Bactrim DS — DS means “double strength” — bladder infections and respiratory infections — take
one tablet twice a day for 7-10 days
Cipro (ciprofloxacin) — quinolone antibiotic for any kind of urinary infection — save for severe
infections only. Take 250-500mg twice daily for 10 days, or shorter if it’s a bladder infection
(about 5-7 days).
Flagyl — gastrointestinal infections, like Giardia — use 500 mg every 12 hours if there’s a chance
for food- or water-borne infections.
Psychotropic Medicine
These will help with your anxiety and your sleep:
Xanax (alprazolam) — short-acting pill for anxiety — take 0.5 - 2 mg every eight hours
Kid’s Medication
Older kids can take half of the adult’s dosage. But the young ones need their own cache of drugs.
For all medications, read the label to find out the dosage depending on your child’s weight.
Benadryl liquid — get the kid to fall asleep if they’re given 1 tsp at bedtime
Children’s cold medication — get one that covers congestion, fever and cough. DON’T mix
Benadryl or Tylenol because you’re doing a double dose. Whoops.
Suprax (cefixime) — once-a day antibiotic for ear infections, strep throat, and bronchitis. Get the
200 mg or 5cc strength. It stores more longer as a powder, and ask your pharmacist on how to
do this.
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Hygiene Supplies
Some notes about hygiene:
Goal of hygiene:
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Step 1 — Remove ink
Soak in a tub or a bucket, then place in a pot with leaves and grass. Fill the pot with water, cover
the paper completely, then leave to simmer for one hour.
Step 2 — Boil
Boil for 30 minutes. Remove the foam from the top.
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● Ace bandages — 3-5” wide
● Sling
● Splinter remover
● Ice pack — turn cold when you hit it with a fist
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Medical Instruments
● Stethoscope
● Pean clamp, Mosquito clamp, Kocher clamp
● Bone rongeur
● Forceps
● Surgical needles and threads
● Scalpel (#10 blade)
● Cannulas (all sizes)
● Syringes and needles for them
● Get different needle sizes, and need to be reusable if possible.
No need to get the threaded needles. The curved ones with a catch on the end are better than
the modern ones.
For thread, use anything, including fishing wire. Except they melt if you boil it, and it better be
sterilized. Just like everything else.
And practice on a piece of meat. Play around before you use them in real life.
Heat the pack to 340º F for 60 minutes OR 320º F for 120 minutes OR 300º F for 150 minutes.
Wrap the pack in a dishcloth, and heat it. Keep on a shelf, and don’t open until you need it. Re-
sterilize it every year.
For minor open wounds, clean out with a lot of water, and use the betadine swabs if it’s infected.
Dry off as much as possible with the inside of a dishcloth. Put Neosporin over the laceration or
abrasion, and place a Band-Aid or gauze pad over the wound with paper tape.
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Sutures or Staples
sterile latex gloves
betadine swab
lidocaine (2%) liquid
syringe — 6cc (needle might be too big, but that’s fine)
suture — Ethilon suture — size 4-0
suture holder — holds curved suture needle in place
sterile scissors
4x4 gauze pad
paper tape
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Guide to Alternative Medicine
Fever
1 tsp yarrow
1 tsp peppermint
1 tsp elderberry flowers
1-2 tsps catnip and peppermint in a cup of hot water, steep for 10 minutes, strain and drink
Pain
● Arnica flower oil
● Bay laurel
● Birch bark and birch leaves
● Boswellia (frankincense) — arthritic pain
● Cayenne pepper — 4 tsp in 1 cup of olive oil, use topically
● Peppermint
● Willow bark — drops of essential oils
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Cold
● Garlic
● Cayenne pepper
● Mustard
● Horseradish plasters
● Eucalyptus oil
● Peppermint oil
● Hyssop
● Thyme
● Coltsfoot
● Eyebright
Cough syrup: honey, lemon, thyme, caraway powder, eucalyptus oil to a sugar syrup
Constipation
● Dandelion tea
● Chicory tea
● Chickweed tea
● Flax seed in food
● Psyllium in water
● Aloe juice and turkey rhubarb
● Fluid from cascara sagrada
Diarrhea
● Drink water
● Fresh citrus fruits
● Drops of the following essential oils in distilled water:
Lemon
Raspberry
Agrimony
● Peppermint tea
● Meadowsweet — for children
● Oregon grape root or goldenseal
● Oil of cloves and ginger
● Geranium oil
● Oak bark
Meditation
Find a place to sit down and relax.
Close your eyes and focus on breathing. Relax the arms, shoulders, face, trunk, legs, ankles, and
any other muscles.
If anything, start off with a guided meditation. Or picture yourself on a beach with the crashing
waves and the smell of the ocean air relaxing yourself.
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Wake up, open your eyes, and you’ll feel relaxed and calm.
Yoga
It’s like meditation with movement.
Tai Chi
It’s a cross between ballet dance and martial art poses. It’ll relax you and keep you present.
First Aid
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Comprehensive First Aid Kit
● Basic first aid
● Extra gauze and Band-Aids
● Rubbing alcohol
● Betadine swabs
● Hydrogen peroxide
● Snake bite kit
● Surgical masks
● Scissors
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● Dry soup kits
● Lighter/matches
If they are hemorrhaging, stop the bleeding with whatever you have.
If there’s a simple cut or abrasion, rinse with clean water. Use a betadine swab if it’s infected. If
the wound edges are separate and you need your fingers to hold them together, they probably
need stitches.
Abrasion or laceration — clean it up first. Rinse with a lot of water, and pick out any obvious
debris. Use antiseptic wipes to keep cleaning the wound, then put gauze.
If it’s a fracture or a sprain, use the ACE wrap to wrap the area. It’ll protect the injury until you
determine what to do next.
Breathing — if they’re not breathing on their own, or it’s raspy and irregular, do rescue breathing
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Circulation — use a tourniquet or direct pressure to control the bleeding. Also it depends on
where the bullet went into.
Disability — check to see if they can move their fingers and toes, and look for deformities in the
arms, legs and neck.
Exit Wound — look for an exit wound, because they might be bleeding there.
To prevent shock, keep their legs elevated, and keep them warm.
Tie a knot in a strip of cloth for extremities. Let the cloth have long tails. Get a 5-inch stick and
tie it to the long tails of the tourniquet. Place it around the extremity closer to the core of the
body than the wound. Wind the stick until the tourniquet stops the bleeding. Keep the stick in
place at that level until more help can arrive.
Chest wounds — one end of the dressing open to the air to equalize the pressure. If the chest
wound is sucking, make it occlusive and seal all the edges.
Abdominal wounds — cover on both sides, put pressure on the wound, and look for a nurse or
doctor to help.
Emergency Sanitation
● Matches/lighter for fire
● Boxes for recyclables
● Board for defecating
● Ropes/strong string for hanging sheets
● Safety pins
● Toilet paper
● Tooth brushes
● Toothpaste
● Combs
● Dry shampoo
● Regular shampoo
● Bar soap
● Rags/small towels
● Nail clippers
● Stain remover
● Soap for clothing
● Deodorant
● Tampons/sanitary napkins
● Small paper bags for tampons
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Garbage Disposal
Burn paper and similar items in a burning pit. Dig a shallow hole, and put rocks around the hole
to contain the fire. Burn the following:
● Medical waste
● Milk cartons
● Paper
● Paper-based containers
Keep a box for recycling glass bottles and plastic containers. Clean thoroughly before storing
them. And keep the covers on because they can store anything later.
What about a compost heap for leftover food? Sure. You’ll need stuff for your garden, so save
those seeds.
Human Waste
Make a trench in your backyard. String a rope between two trees and put a sheet up for privacy.
Cover up the poop with dirt next to the trench. Or make a board with a circular hole.
Or make two boards parallel and several inches apart, and put your butt cheeks on each board.
Personal Hygiene
Save as much water as you can if there’s no running water. Use rags, towels and a small amount
of soap. Clean less often than daily — about every 3-7 days.
Cleaning clothes might be a hassle, but you can hang them on a clothesline. Wear deodorant and
use a stain remover to get rid of certain stains.
The box should be covered in plywood by five sides, with the bottom one not done. Cut a hole in
the top of the box. Use 2x4 for the corners, and you’re done.
Or, if you want more privacy, have 5-foot sections of 2x4 on the corners to place a sheet over.
Cover each layer with sawdust or grass to keep the odor down. Once it’s full, move the outhouse
to a different location.
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Homemade Hand Sanitizer
99% isopropyl alcohol
aloe vera gel
Gather..
● Dry leaves
● Straw
● Shredded newspaper
● Dead garden flowers
● Grass clippings
● Fruit and vegetable peelings (NO meat scraps)
● Manure from grass- or grain-fed animals (NO dog or cat shit)
● Shovelful or two of garden soil
● 3’ x 3’ site
When
How
Where
Ask these three questions, and you’re either a great reporter or a basic doctor. Since there are no
doctors around, you’re gonna have to determine what’s going on.
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Here’s what to look for:
How pale are they, aka pallor
confusion
Find out their medical history and look, listen and feel for anything.
Only tap on the abdomen and lungs. If it’s hollow, you’re good. If it feels like a full drum about
ready to burst, something’s clogging them.
When you do the body check, start at the head and go down.
Look at the head, press on the head, and get to the sensitive areas of the face:
● Forehead around the eyes
● Nose
● Jaw
● Mandible
● Temporal-mandibular joint
Press on these and look for fractures, especially around the nose and mouth. Look into the eyes
and inside the ears. Check to see if the pupils dilate and if there’s blood coming out of places it
shouldn’t.
Check the neck by pressing gently on it, and check the spine for pain.
If there’s a fracture anywhere in the neck, try to return it to its axis. Have a couple people help
you. One holds the head, the others turn the torso and one person turns the leg. Don’t twist one
end faster than the other.
Go down to the trachea, collarbone, shoulder blades, shoulders and lungs. Press on the ribs and
abdomen, then the hip to see if it’s stable.
For the legs, press on the bone. Rotate the ankle to make sure it’s not sprained. Do the same for
the other leg.
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How to Take a Pulse
Use two fingers to find the carotid artery on the wrist. Calculate the beats per minute by:
● counting for 15 seconds, and multiplying by 4
● counting for 30 seconds, and multiplying by 2
When the pulse rate increases and the blood pressure drops, the patient is unstable. Not good.
To check circulation..
● Press on their fingernails until they turn white
● Release, and see how long it takes to get back to pink
● If it takes less than 3 seconds, their circulation is good. If not, blood isn’t reaching the
fingers, and something’s wrong
Probably either hypothermic shock due to the cold, or vasoconstriction (that thing where you
sever a vessel, and the body wants to stop blood flow so you don’t bleed to death).
Put a stethoscope on their heart and their stomach to see if it’s working. If it gurgles, congrats,
the stomach is still working. If not...
But not too much, because your hand is full of positive bacteria. If you wash your hands too
much, those good bacteria will die and then you’ll get sick.
While Operating...
Have someone next to you who is as qualified or more qualified than you. That’s why there are
two surgeons in the room, two pilots on an airplane, and two arms on the human body. What if
one of them dies?
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Get enough sunlight and space to work. Always lay the person down so you can hold them down
while stitching, and in case they faint, they’re in position.
You can really use any tool that you think will work. Some have screwdrivers or drills and pliers
to operate.
Which comes to the most important task — sterilize everything. Before anything happens.
What if you can’t sterilize? Well, they used to pour gunpowder in the wound and light it on fire,
which can infect the muscle. Not good.
Triage Situation
Who to help first? Create a system where you help the most critical first, then take care of the
rest after.
Black — they’re gonna die, so give them pain killers and someone to sit next to them.
● Severe traumatic injuries
● Large area burns
● Life threatening injuries
● Cardiac arrest
● Shock
● Head injuries with a coma
● Sepsis
● Lethal radiation dose
Red — Need immediate attention, but they have survivable injuries. Without a hospital, treat like
a Black-level patient.
Yellow — If a hospital is available, they can be observed later. Without a hospital, treat them first,
and check to see if they have more fractures or bleeding you can’t tell by looking at them.
Green — They’re walking around, but they can wait on care. Basic minor injuries are put in this
category. Have them sit with the Black-level patients.
White — Go home. Only a Band-aid or get help from a first aid kit. Or help in some other
capacity.
Make your own tags. Do your own color-coded system. And try to write as much information on
the tag as you can, such as what’s been done prior, anything you found, and how they’re doing
later.
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Very Basic CPR
First, take a class. Take one every few years so you can stay updated on your skills.
Second, just buy an automatic external defibrillator (AED). It’ll help in these situations to save a
life, rather than relying on your hands doing the work. Let the machine rule the world. Oh wait...
Third, again take the class. This is not a perfect representation of what they teach, but it’s close
enough.
Make sure you assign tasks to those around you. One person calls 911, someone else clears the
area, and another person helps perform CPR with you.
Step 2 — ABC
Airway, Breathing, Circulation
Make sure you’re in a safe location, away from a pool of gas or near electrical wires.
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And make an executive decision: weigh the risk of moving the patient against just leaving them
at the current spot. Cars are tricky, since they might have a spine injury. If they’re safe and
breathing, no need to get them out. Otherwise, get them out immediately.
Then, check the Airway by opening their mouth. Then, to check for Breathing, placing your ear
next to their mouth and nose to listen for a breath to come out. Last, check for Circulation by
seeing the chest rise and fall. If nothing happens, start chest compressions.
If you need to move the mouth, slightly tilt the head back to the ground with one hand and open
the mouth with your other hand. Place your thumb on their chin to open the airway for rescue
breathing. Make sure their mouth is clear of food or other debris. Scoop inside the mouth, up
against the cheek with your finger to clear it out.
For rescue breathing, buy a respirator mask and balloon so that you don’t come in contact with
pathogens in the air.
Basic CPR
For chest compressions, put one hand over the other, and place them on their sternum, about a
fist-length away from their belly button. Or in between their nipples. Straighten your elbows and
lean forward — you want your shoulders above your hands to create the correct amount of force.
Then, compress the chest two inches using your whole body. And push to about 100 beats per
minute, or to the tune of the song “Staying Alive” by the Bee Gees.
After two minutes (or 5 cycles), re-assess the situation. Look, listen and feel, and see what else
you need to do. Keep going until ambulance arrives or an AED comes along or you’re tired.
Place gel on the pads, then put them on their right shoulder and left side. Basically, opposite
ends of their heart. The EKG readings will tell you whether to shock the patient or not. If it’s a
normal heart beat, or if they flatlined, don’t do it. Otherwise, proceed to the next instructions.
Rescue Breathing
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Take a breath, see if the chest is rising, tilt the head back and do another.
State of Shock
If you’re in shock, that means you don’t have enough blood in your system. Either because your
vessels expanded or you’ve been cut and you’re gonna die.
If the blood pressure falls and the pulse rises, it’s probably shock. And if they look pale or they’re
about to faint or nauseous, those are other signs of shock.
CPR on Children
Do chest compressions with one hand, and breathe more gently.
Do 2 rescue breaths and 30 chest compressions for five cycles or keep going until more help
arrives.
CPR on Babies
Place the baby on a flat surface.
Place two fingers below the baby’s nipples in the center of their chest.
Compress about 1.5 inches. And pump at 100 beats per minute.
Look, listen and feel for the baby’s breath.
Tilt the head back and breathe over both the mouth and nose for rescue breaths.
Check to see if the chest rises after each breath.
Keep going and check for foreign objects in their mouth until help arrives.
Heimlich Maneuver
You want to remove the object from the person like you would remove air from a balloon.
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Make a fist below the sternum, but not on it. Then push up in a “J” motion towards you a few
times until the object releases from their mouth.
Classifications of Injuries
Superficial wounds — scrapes and scratches, so just a Band-Aid
Lacerations — deeper than superficial, and some blood here and there. Clean it up and suture
with a few butterfly strips.
Open wounds — chunks of missing skin, and it can take weeks to heal. Clean with soap, remove
any debris, and pack the wound with gauze. Tape it up with paper tape.
Burns — gentle soap and water, along with a cool compress. For third degree, wait a few days to
put gauze on, but use soap and water.
Bruises — apply heat to deep bruises to break down the clot in the skin.
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Don’t close an old wound. And if you have a wound, get it treated immediately so that it doesn’t
get infected.
As long as you press down near the wound for 3-5 minutes, the bleeding will stop eventually.
Blood normally coagulates itself when exposed to oxygen. If not, that means either the liver isn’t
working or you have clotting problems.
For large blood vessels, clamp and tie it up with a piece of thread. There shouldn’t be any more
blood coming out, so tie a couple more threads and double-knot and triple-knot them. Make sure
the thread makes a straight line perpendicular to the vessel.
And practice on a pork loin. Move the tissue with a bandage if you can’t see where the blood is
coming from. Attach the clamp once you find the source of the bleeding.
If all else fails, place bandages and apply pressure for five minutes. Don’t stop to check if they’re
still bleeding — stay with it.
In a crisis, a sewing needle and thread could work, but they’re not sterile.
Use sterile curved needles if you can, as they work the best.
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What about a stapler?
Buy them online. And sterilize the wound with betadine first. Keep a stapler remover around, too.
Steri strips?
You mean butterfly strips? Sure, they can also work as good as stitches. And they’re cheap.
Stick an edge of the strip on one side of the wound, then push the edge of the wound until
they’re touching. Attach the strip to the other side. Wait for 5 days, changing the dressing often.
And you’ll see how good they are.
DON’T use a wet dressing — bacteria love hot, humid environments. Don’t let them near your
wet dressings.
DON’T keep the dressing on for days — the bacteria will love your blood’s nutrients. Change the
dressing often.
KEEP the wound aerated — bacteria can multiply without oxygen. Clean it with a bandage and
gauze, but make sure you also leave some room for air to get in. Or else you’ll get necrosis, aka
dead tissue that feels like snow. Those with a poorer immune system are more likely to get
necrosis.
Types of Trauma
First, a body check.
Morphological — look at the structure to see if it’s all there. Check to see if there are any broken,
bent or crooked body parts or anything that doesn’t look normal. For this exam, take estimates
of what you see, then do the best you can.
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Functional — injuries you might not be able to see right away. Sure, you’ll see bruises and cuts,
but you have to feel around the body to make sure it’s all working properly.
Head Trauma
Feel for..
● Deep depressions
● Fractures
● Mushiness
There’s pressure from the swelling and bleeding, and they’re probably not conscious or breathing.
You can’t do much else from here. Go to a hospital ASAP to get a brain surgeon.
If something’s wrong with their brain, check their pupils. Shine a flashlight on them. The pupils
expand in the dark, and contract when the light hits them. Check both eyes to see if they dilate.
But the left eye doesn’t react if the right side of the brain is hurt, and vice versa.
Even if they’re fine, stay with them for 24 hours in case the pressure starts up again and forces
the blood in their brain to increase.
Glasgow Coma Score — system where you assign numbers to three tests: eye, verbal and motor.
If they’re walking and talking fine, their injury is minor. But if they’re not talking and won’t open
their eyes, get to the hospital ASAP.
The higher the number, the better the patient is. There are different degrees, but those are the
extremes.
But if they can’t hear out of one ear, it’s probably ear wax. Tilt the head to the side, and drip oil
into the ear to soften the ear wax. Put a cotton ball in and leave for 6-8 hours overnight. The oil
needs to be warm, not hot or cold. Or else they’re go into vertigo.
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Take the cotton ball out, and fill a syringe with a cannula without the needle (to direct the stream
of water towards the upper wall of the ear). Pour all the water in the syringe into the ear and
wash it out. You want to get the water behind the wax that’s plugging the ear, so that it can
plunge out. Do it twice, and you’ll get the wax out.
In rare instances, you’ll have a ruptured ear drum, aka inner ear injury. It’s usually caused by high
blood pressure, so rest and wait for it to heal. Keep them calm.
Ear infections hurt, so place oil and a cotton ball in. If it’s infected (aka looks like pus coming out
of their ear in a white, yellow or messy goo), then treat with an antibiotic.
Neck Trauma
The neck is connected to the spine, which any injury to the spine can lead to paralysis and death.
So be careful.
There are other instances where the muscles and tendons around the neck hurt. Most often,
there are no neck fractures. Someone’s neck hurts from sleeping on it wrong is an example of a
simple neck ache. Just let it heal on its own.
Don’t let the head move when assessing the injury. And wait until it heals itself. It’ll hurt, so take
anti-inflammatory medications to alleviate the pain. Other than that, just wait.
Find the carotid artery. That’s the one where you find your pulse on your neck. Start at the back
of the jaw, and work down about an inch. There’s your pulse. Find it on yourself first so you
know where to find it on someone else.
Any bleeding can stop from compressing the carotid artery with a Kocher or Pena clamp. Buy
one and practice with it yourself, see how it opens and closes, and experiment on a pork chop.
Clamp the carotid, and tie the cut over the clamp.
Tracheal Trauma
Compress enough to let air in, but not too much that you kill them because blood is entering the
trachea. Find the balance.
Clear the airway first, so try the Heimlich first, then rescue breaths.
NOTE: the thyroid is the organ that has the move nerves on it throughout the entire body. Don’t
damage it. Or else there’ll be blood on your hands.
Thorax Trauma
Take care of the heart and lungs. They’re important.
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To look for pneumothorax and hemothorax...
The pleura is between the lungs and chest cavity. It’s a fine layer of membrane that doesn’t have
air or fluid inside. If there’s any air or blood, then it’s either pneumothorax (air) or hemothorax
(blood).
What if it’s a collapsed lung? Listen to the lungs with a stethoscope in six places (three places on
the back, three on the front — upper, middle, lower). If you hear one lung working fine, and the
other’s struggling, there’s a problem. If it doesn’t have air (pneumothorax), the problem will be
higher up in the chest cavity. Blood drips down due to gravity, so hemothorax will happen
towards the bottom of the lung.
Count the ribs. It’s the space between the 2nd and 3rd rib — a couple ribs above the nipple. Have
a drain tube ready, and knock out the patient with Xylocaine, the most effective anesthetic
around.
Make a small incision, about 1.5 cm long, and put your finger inside to feel for the rib. Cut deeper
to get to the pleura with a scissors, and open wide to make a hole.
Insert the drain tube about 6-8 inches deep. The end with the special holes needs to go in, and
leave one end out. Sew the skin around the tube, and loop the long end of the thread around the
tube to keep it in place.
Clamp it, and put that long end of the tube into a jar of water lower than the patient. Taht way,
water won’t get into the patient, but air can come out and make the water bubble in the jar.
Abdomen
Two types of organs in the stomach:
● Empty organs (digestive tract)
● Full organs (liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys
The full organs bleed the most, so that’s usually what’s bleeding after a punch or a kick to the gut.
And all you can do is wait — most small tears will stop bleeding on their own. Or you might die.
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Don’t move and don’t walk, or else your ruptured liver and spleen will fuse with a blood clot. So
just rest it up.
What is wooden belly? When hydrochloric acid gets out of the stomach, it burns your organs,
and your abs will harden. Like a wooden board. And the bacteria multiplies and irritates the
entire body. They will absolutely need surgery, but done by a professional.
Pelvic Fracture
If you feel it move in your hands, it’s broken. It’s supposed to stay there.
To stabilize a pelvis, get a wide belt and tie around their waist.
Arms
Three levels:
● Arm
● Forearm
● Hand
The two large arteries in your arm (brachial and ulnar) can get cut. If they do, compress the artery
and hold it above their chest. Wait a while to move their arm back, or else their clot will move
around and it’ll start bleeding again. In the winter, be wary of frostbite.
Tendons
If you can’t flex or extend your fingers, something’s wrong with the tendons. The two most
important fingers are your thumb and index finger, and if you cut a tendon, you can’t do anything
with the index finger.
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Put a cast on with three plaster rolls and a roll of cotton wool. Clean the wound multiple times a
day, and replace the dressing often. Keep the cast on for two weeks.
Legs
In essence, immobilize the leg, take pain medication, and wait.
Fracture
In most cases, the bone breaks but it’s still in it’s correct anatomical place. Put a splint on, have a
plaster cast bandage on top, and rest it up to heal. Let the body do it’s thing.
Is a bone fractured?
Follow the bone and see if it’s deformed. Or it hurts like hell when you press on it.
You’ll see a bruise under the skin (hematoma). Don’t put the needle in the red area.
Also, don’t put the needle in, or cut or stitch near any large vessels or nerves. Just use either 5 ml
or 10 ml of Lidocaine to anesthetize, but not more. It’ll break their heart. Literally.
If you only feel numbness or anything minor, wait and take medications for pain, and rest it up.
Nerves take longer to heal.
Bonus tip: the fibula breaks only when the tibia breaks. You can’t stand on your leg anymore, and
you need to keep it immobilized until it fully heals.
Instead, lie on the bed while someone gently lifts your arm and pulls on it with a leg braced on
the joint. Stretch it out slowly, and have them move the hand around slowly. The muscle isn’t
resisting, and the arm goes back into place by itself. Like a spring that’s unwound, you can bring
the shoulder back to its home.
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If you’re alone, hold the arm along its axis, lay on your torso and let the muscle relax. You’ll feel a
grinding, and your arm will pop into place.
Do the best you can to reset any body part that’s been dislocated or fractured.
Perform hemostasis (put a tourniquet above the place where you’re amputating to stop blood
flow). Wash the wound from dirt with running water.
After a few hours or the next day, cut the end of the bone with the bone rongeur. New tissue
will grow over the stump. Preserve the muscle if you can. And keep the tissue alive — it’s colorful
and full of blood if it’s healthy. But cut off the non-essentials (skin, chunks of damaged muscle,
tendons, etc).
Keep it clean and wash it with water or saline or IV. Wrap the area with a bandage, and use
betadine ONLY when it’s infected. Let the body do the work and keep it all clean.
How to tell if there’s pus and infections? If there’s inflammation around it.
Signs of Inflammation
● Swelling
● Discoloration
● The area feels warmer
● Red streaks from the site
● Hurts like hell
● Affected organ won’t function
Inflammation defends the body from disease and sends it’s entire defensive army to the site to
fight the bacteria and viruses.
Pus grows and can stay inside. Numb the body part, and cut wit a scalpel to release the pus.
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Knife Wounds and Bullet Wounds
Put direct pressure on the wound, and use a wound cleanser to clean the wound. Cover with a
thick pad of gauze and tape it firmly to the body. Change the dressing often.
Try your best to remove the knife or bullet from the patient. Stop bleeding first, then remove the
object after.
Burns
1st Degree — only affects the epidermis, it makes the skin red, and it’s not a big deal
2nd Degree — creates blisters with clear fluid. Poke the blisters and leave the skin in place to
keep it covered. If you opened the entire blister, it’d turn into an open wound.
3rd Degree — blisters with blood. That means it when through and ruptured the vessels. Break
open the blister and keep the skin on.
4th Degree — burned everything, no more skin, and it’s tough to come back from.
There are special dressings for burns (Grassolind) or use oil. Soak a sterile bandage in oil, open it
completely, and place on the burn. It won’t stick to the skin or the secreted blood.
Muscles and tissues regenerate by themselves. Nerves don’t. So treat large vessels that are
bleeding before you do anything else.
Order of Priority
● Bone
● Vein
● Artery
● Nerve
● Tendon
● Muscle
● Skin
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Non-Traumatic Illnesses
● Cold
● Ear infections
● Influenza
● Diarrhea
● Gastritis
● Skin rashes
● Hyperthermia and hypothermia
● Mental illnesses
● Ulcers exploding
● Radiation sickness
Viral infections are the most common, since viruses can live outside the body in a dormant state.
And they’re easily transferrable. You’ll find someone with a viral infection having:
● Fever
● Nasal and sinus congestion
● Sore throat
● Cough
● Diarrhea
● Nausea
● Vomiting
Bacterial infections are more serious, but you’ll find the following symptoms:
● Thick and yellow-green mucus
● Cough up mucus
● Prolonged fever
● Bloody diarrhea
● Red, warm, pussy skin
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How to Prevent Infections
Hypothermia
The cold one where your body temperature drops below 96.8º F.
Avoid the moisture and don’t drink alcohol because you’ll lose heat.
Step 2 — IV therapy
Step 3 — Cuddle
Hyperthermia
The hot one where your body temperature is over 100º F. Also heat stroke or heat exhaustion.
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Lots of fluids need to go into their body. Administer in the veins if they won’t take on water.
Infuse with three liters of saline or liquid with salts. Put in 2 liters per day, and for every degree
above 98.6º, add a liter.
Step 3 — Treat It
Wait after three days to treat with antibiotic if you think it’s an infection. Let the body fight the
disease and infection first, then let the go nuts with antibiotics. Take paracetamol four times a
day, and have smaller doses for animals and children.
You live as long as your blood vessels. They are your irrigation system. Once destroyed, you’re
done.
A chronic disease like ateriosclerosis (fat gets on the vessel walls) can cause heart attacks and
strokes. Or if you exert yourself and you have small blood vessels, you’ll also have a heart attack.
Infarction is when the vessel closes up and reduces blood flow since fat is still growing on the
vessels. In a crisis, you’re done, since you only have 2 hours to live and get to a cardiologist for
open heart surgery.
Instead, use:
● Morphine
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● Oxygen
● Nitrate
● Aspirin
Symptoms of Infarction
● Ill
● Sweat
● Pale
● Cold sweat
● Feels like pressure on the shoulder to the fingers
Stroke
Similar to a heart attack, but it blocks blood to the brain. And usually one side of your body
become paralyzed, since the blood blocks one side of the brain from operating. Prevent a stroke
with a healthy living habits. But there’s still a chance for everyone to have a stroke.
Lungs
If they can’t breathe, something’s wrong with their lungs.
Ulcers
Use the drug Omeran to treat an ulcer. If you have gastritis, it’ll get worse with stress. So get
stressed out, turn it into an ulcer and take Omeran up to three times a day.
Intestinal Occlusion
Basically, a tube is twisted or clogged like a garden hose. The side effects are higher up from the
blocked spot somewhere from the esophagus to the anus.
Other signs:
● Swollen belly
● Can’t take a poop
● Vomiting intestinal juices (green)
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See if their abdomen is swollen. It’ll sound like a drum, so treat with antibiotics (ciprocloxacin and
metronidazole). Laxitives and enemas work.
Improvised Enema
Put water and soap in a small hose, and stick it up the anus.
Lymphatic System
Lymph nodes are everywhere — armpits, below the jaw, behind the ears.
There are ganglions along the lymphatic path that react to inflammations and infections by
swelling up. This produces cells to fight the infection.
But DON’T attack the ganglion. They’re the body’s defense. If you press on it and it hurts and
swollen, it’s a ganglion. And wait to take antibiotics after a couple days.
Radiation Sickness
First, avoid all radiation.
Then, if you see nausea or sweating followed by calm then followed by organs failing one at a
time, that’s not good.
Some people can handle all kinds of radiation. Most can handle 200 rem of radiation after 20
days, but mostly everyone dies with exposure to 1,000 rem after ten days.
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Scrub body with soap and water
Dry with a soft towel and wrap them in a blanket
Get to a hospital ASAP
Ointments hold contaminations in, so NO ointments
Get away from contaminated areas and clothing
Potassium iodide replaces iodine in the thyroid gland and prevents radioactive iodine from
entering the body.
Prussian blue dye holds onto radioactive cesium and thallium so they can be excreted through
your poop. Similarly, DTPA binds to radioactive metals (plutonium, americium, curium) to pass it
through urine.
Infectious Diseases
Most infections come from food and water. Make sure you’re not eating out of the garbage
because you don’t know what came out of there. It might be a monster. Or a parasite.
Diarrhea and constipation can both kill you in a time of crisis. So keep drinking water.
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Most Common Infections
It’s hard to tell the difference between infections and those illnesses related to toxins or allergies.
Look for the following:
● Sore throat
● Nasal congestion
● Cough
● Nausea
● Abdominal cramps
● Diarrhea
● Frequent or burning urination
● Redness around the wound and other skin infections
Top 5 Infections
Influenza
Another name for the flu. It’s most common between October and April, and you’ll feel more
tired and have a fever and lose your appetite, among other symptoms.
All you have to do is rest and drink liquids to keep yourself hydrated for a few days.
Wound Infections
Along with puncture wounds, abrasion and lacerations, you’ll also see red streaks from the
wound going towards the center of the body. This is called lymphangitis, and you have to apply
heat to the wound and tell the patient to take antibiotics.
Completely clean out all wounds, and remove any foreign objects from the wound.
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Food-borne Infections
Eat meat and eggs ASAP before they spoil.
Since there’s a lot of diarrhea happening, antibiotics might not work, since they give people more
diarrhea than they thought possible. Instead, it’ll clear after a few days. Unless it turns life-
threatening. Stay hydrated and get some rest. Cook all meats thoroughly, and preserve in sauces
that can stand cold temperatures.
Water-borne Infections
This happens because you drink out of a lake or pond or stagnant pool of water. And you’ll have
abdominal cramps along with diarrhea. You can shed the Giardia parasite after a few weeks or
months after you’ve been infected.
To treat Giardia, take metronidazole (Flagyl) twice a day and drink pure water. And have several
different antibiotics, in case one of them doesn’t work.
Antibiotics
Keflex — 500 mg twice a day
Bactrim — one pill twice a day
Erythromycin — 3-4 times a day
Axithromycin — twice a day
Cipro — twice a day
Levaquin — twice a day
Flagyl — twice a day
Cooking Temperatures
raw ground meats (sausage and ground beef) — 155º F
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raw chicken — 165º F
raw pork, lamb, beef — 145º F
fish — 145º F
fruits and veggies — 135º F
If you have...
Staphylococcus aureus, aka food poisoning — you ate raw food or mayo, cheese, milk
contaminated with staph aureus. You’ll feel it one to six hours after consuming the contaminated
foods, and can last for a day. It’s usually self-contained, so most healthy adults are fine. Elderly
and young people will need IV antibiotics to replenish the fluids lost.
Salmonella — You ate raw eggs and chicken. So cook your chickens and eggs before they hatch.
You’ll have a fever, stomach cramps and diarrhea about 1-3 days after ingesting the food, and it
lasts for almost a week. Use Compazine or ginger root for nausea, and stay hydrated with
electrolytes (Gatorade) until you’ve fully recovered.
Campylobacter — Causes diarrhea 2-5 days after eating food, and there could be blood in the
diarrhea. It lasts about 7 days, and can be mitigated with hydration. Mix a pint of water with a
10:1 ratio of sugar and salt. And use honey as a natural sugar to mix the electrolyte replacement
fluid. Make sure you freeze meat completely and cook all food thoroughly.
Toxoplasmosis — It’s dangerous to pregnant women, and be aware of pork and beef that aren’t
cooked to the proper temperatures. Also, don’t have pregnant women clean out litter boxes —
because this is found in kitty litter. Treat with pyrimethamine and get folic acid in your diet.
Listeria — Another danger to pregnant women, it’s in deli meats and soft cheeses (brie and soft
mozzarella). Only severe cases need antibiotics, but you don’t need treated for this. Use a
separate cutting board, and keep sliced meats cold for no longer than 2 days.
Norovirus — Usually found in salads and sandwiches purchased in the store, this causes diarrhea.
If you have nausea, take Compazine or ginger root. And stay hydrated — that’s it.
If any infection is severe, use Flagyl 500 mg twice a day. Otherwise, there are no antibiotics to
treat the disease. Rest and drink fluids. Wash your hands and don’t cook until you’re well.
Waterborne Illnesses
Never trust the water treatment plant in a crisis. There are many disruptions that can happen to
the water supply, leaving the water exposed to pathogens and chemicals.
If you have...
Giardia — an intestinal parasite found in water, soil, or fecal matter. It can cause diarrhea, and it
can infect dogs and cats and cattle. To kill it, chlorinate the water if you can. Make sure you wipe
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after pooping, and boil all water before you eat and prepare it. Stay hydrated and take Flagyl 500
mg twice a day for 10 days.
Shigella — a bacteria that’s from contaminated water and food. Fever, cramps and bloody
diarrhea are some of the possible symptoms, and it’ll resolve with antibiotics (Cipro 500 mg twice
a day for 10 days.
Amebiasis — A parasitic infection that causes diarrhea, fatigue, abdominal pain, weight loss and
lots of farting. In more severe cases, it can turn into dysentery and colitis, getting blood in the
stool and invading the intestinal lining to create liver abscesses. Keep things sanitary, and treat
with Flagyl 500 mg twice a day for 10 days, followed by paromomycin for 10 days.
Viral gastroenteritis — causes water diarrhea and nausea. Symptoms last about a week, and
rehydrate with as much fluids as possible.
Most illnesses are prevented by boiling water before drinking. And most are resolved if you
drink enough water and rest.
Airborne Illnesses
Top Causes
close quarters - people live to close and can spread upper respiratory infections quickly.
Also the flu can spread like the plague — and plagues spread like plagues, too.
buildings destroyed — mold is behind the walls and basements, affecting the lungs
asbestos in the air after a building is damaged — cover your mouth or buy surgical masks
to protect yourself from the air when doing clean up after a disaster
nuclear fallout — aka “Black Rain,” the dust is radioactive
exposure to someone with tuberculosis
If you have...
Common Cold — don’t cough into someone’s face or touch unclean surfaces. Wash hands
frequently, and open up the breathing passages with warm soup and eucalyptus. Or use cough
medicine and decongestants.
Influenza — you might get secondary pneumonia from the bacterial superinfection, so stay
hydrated and get some rest. Wash your hands.
Mold — you might find these in flooding situations, especially if you’re in a building with wet
furniture and supplies or a wet basement. If you have COPD, mold in the lungs is difficult to treat,
and those with asthma need to use their inhalers to help themselves breathe. Just wear a surgical
mask, and get rid of the source of the mold.
Asbestosis — after being exposed to asbestos, you might be coughing or wheezing from the
exposure. Which can lead to mesothelioma. Protect yourself while cleaning up an old building
with construction or surgical mask.
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Radiation Pneumonitis — the closer to the initial blast, the greater the effect on the body. After 6-
8 weeks, your lungs get the radiation pneumonitis and you die within a few months. You can’t
treat this, as you’ll get inflammation of the lungs, edema, blocking airways and fibrosis in the
lungs. The best thing to do is stay in your house 80 days after a nuclear blast.
Tropical and Subtropical and Texas — West Nile Virus from mosquito bites, and Eastern equine
encephalitis in humans and horses.
Southwest — “desert fever” or “valley fever” — comes from inhaling dust with the fungus that
causes coccidiodomycosis.
Colorado Plateaus and Grand Canyon — Hanta virus — comes from feces in the dusty air from
deer mice
Everywhere — mosquitos are stupid. So get bug spray and stay protected from these critters.
If you can’t find a doctor or other medical professional around, perform first aid and CPR when
you can.
Don’t drive if you can. This makes room for any emergency and rescue teams coming into the
disaster area.
And don’t call anyone if you can. Use telephone lines as little as possible.
Check Home
Only come home when it’s safe to do so.
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● Damaged or missing support beams
● Other visible signs of danger
Don’t try to force the front door open. It might be jammed, and it might be the only thing holding
up the entire house. Find other ways of getting in.
Look out for damaged stairs and furniture and other objects that are unstable. Be careful around
cracked parts of the building, and be wary of sagging ceilings and floors. It might collapse.
Because of potential gas leaks, never use a candle. Flashlights are best.
Home Repairs
Check the systems:
● Plumbing
● Electrical
● Heating
If you notice sparks or you smell burnt insulation, shut down all power.
Repair damaged sewage and water pipes first before using showers and toilets.
Fix any and all telephone lines if you can. Or contact your service provider to help get your
landline back.
There might be hazardous toxic fumes due to chemicals mixing during the disaster, so clean it up
and wear a gas mask. And rubber gloves.
Any food or drink or medicine exposed to smoke or soot or heat needs to be thrown out.
Check any appliances (dishwasher, clothes dryer, etc) by disconnecting them and checking for
any damage.
It’s common to feel them. Accept the new reality, and take a few deep breaths.
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How to Recover Financially
Contact your insurance company to file a claims report.
Make a list of items that were broken or damaged, and take photos of the damage for proof.
Have your receipts when you do repairs and inventory of your damaged property to provide for
your insurance company.
Make sure they’re not billing you when you’re not living in a ravaged home.
If you don’t have an insurance company to pay for your damages, go back to bartering and
trading. And be wary of scammers and people taking advantage of vulnerable people.
Pack warm clothes. The ash will cover the sun for a while, making the world cold for a few days.
Plan several different destinations in all directions, in case the wind blows a different way than
anticipated. The shortest routes are north and south, and go as far north into Canada as you can.
Avoid low-lying areas and river valleys near the blast zone because of flash floods, mud slides,
and wildfires popping up in the aftermath.
Store at least 6 months of food and water. And stock up on games and books and crafts to do
inside the house.
Seal the home from ash by closing vents and taping up any leaks. You won’t be able to use your
cooling or heating systems, so plan for alternative methods of heating and cooling your home. If
anything, have firewood and cooking fuel on hand for at least 6 months.
Get indoor plants for survival, like fresh veggies and herbs. And buy supplements for vitamin D
deficiencies (the sun won’t come out.. for a while).
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How to Survive an Earthquake
First, do you live in an earthquake-prone zone? If there’s sandy soil, or you live in California,
you’re probably in an area that’s prone to earthquakes.
Find safe spots. Stay away from windows and furniture, and know the safest escape routes.
Practice going to these spots so that you’re prepared for the next earthquake.
The best thing to do is to get out of the building. Wait for the initial earthquake to stop, then get
out. Most are hurt while moving from one location to the next. And there’s probably flying debris
everywhere, so look up and stay out of the way.
Once outside, stay away from buildings and power lines and anything that can fall on you. If
you’re in a car, same thing. Stay in the car and be out in the open.
Don’t light a match in case of gas leaks. Save your voice while waiting for professionals to help.
And cover your mouth and tap on pipes so they can hear you, rather than yelling at the top of
your lungs.
Take CPR and first aid classes. And store enough food and water for a few days, as well as
packing your emergency kit.
Make sure your home is insured against earthquakes. Some insurance companies don’t protect
you, so stay up to date on your policy.
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● Secure furniture with child proof latches
● Brace heavy objects against the walls
● Place beds inside the house as far away from windows and potential falling objects
Make a family communications plan, like where to go and where to meet if an earthquake
happens. Have a few backup plans.
To reduce the amount of exposure, get away from the radioactive site. Stay indoors, especially in
your basement or at least below ground. Don’t go outside. Ever.
If you don’t have a basement or a fallout shelter, find a place that’s far away from the windows
and go there. Basically, it’s the center of the home. Don’t be in a mobile home. And if you’re in a
high-rise building, move towards the middle — the roof and first floor are most likely to have
radiation materials in the air.
So buy...
● Garlic
● onions
● Eggs
● Ginger
● Green veggies
● Berries
● Yogurts
● Seaweed
● Watercress
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If exposed, wash your clothes and shoes. Just change into new clothing and find a doctor or a
medical professional immediately.
Blow a whistle
Laser pointer
Cell phones — never give up, and some phones can still dial 911 even if it’s dead
How much breathable air do you have? If you see air flow, you’re fine. If not, clock’s ticking.
Any dangerous utility leaks? If you smell gas or oil, don’t light a match or light source.
Do you hear running water or smell sewage? And is it running away or toward you? Just make
sure you don’t touch any standing water, in case there’s a live wire touching it, too.
Also, avoid any live wires. Test by throwing small bits of debris in the area where you think it’s
full of electricity. Then use a dry wooden board or other insulated material to move the wires out
of the way.
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Make sure you know what floor you’re on. Make a decision to either go up to find helicopters, or
go to the ground floor, unless it’s flooding, then go up, but that’s dangerous. Basically, make a
decision and stick with it.
If you find other survivors, call to them and bang on pipes to get their attention and see how
they’re doing and where they’re at. Get them out safely and do the best you can. Move slowly
before proceeding. If you can get out but can’t get to the other survivors, get out and find help,
and let others know what you’re doing.
Trapped in an Elevator
Call the elevator emergency phone. Tell them how many are trapped, and which floor you’re on.
See if the emergency power comes in after a few minutes. If it does, the elevator will go to the
lobby.
Yell or bang on the side of the elevator to get people’s attention. And use your cell phone.
Release the inner elevator door to see where you are in the elevator shaft. If the elevator is too
low to the outer door release of the floor above, release the top service hatch to see how far
away you are.
Once out, scale the service ladder on the wall and open the outer door manually. If not, try the
next floor below you and open that door.
Once that door is open, find a staircase for an escape. Go back to the elevator, and lead people
to safety. Take the stairs to the ground floor.
Locate where you are. Parking garages and tunnels have location indicators, as well as subways
that have track levels.
Don’t dig unless you’re sure the area below you is stable. You don’t want to dig and collapse on
top of other survivors.
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Surviving a Terrorist Attack
Check the Warning Signs
The best way for attacks to happen is through a surprise. So be aware, but don’t psych yourself
out the entire time. A terrorist attack that doesn’t happen, but just the fear of one that might, is
just as effective. It’s creating a state of paranoia. So find the balance between bullying yourself
and being prepared for a terrorist attack.
Join the people around you to stand up and fight against the terrorists. The more, the better.
And also call 911 if you can.
Cover your nose and mouth if you see other people choking on chemical stuff floating in the air.
If the problem is outside, and you’re inside, stay away from windows and shut the doors and
windows. Also close the vents, in case there’s a toxic substance in the air.
Grab a shard of glass or a knife and hide it somewhere. Know your capabilities and see if you can
take down the terrorists yourself.
Do what you have to do to survive. But stay calm and use your head. Keep it together, especially
a survival kit that’s in your car or near you.
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● Class and racial warfare
● Police brutality
● Lack of confidence in elected leaders
● Lack of government funding
● No one cares about the law
● Major disaster
Look at your debt and try to get out of it now, because debt will still follow you after a collapse.
So budget your finances and keep it all together. Look into minimalism and how to live with less
stuff, less frivolous items in your home.
Or, try a forbearance. It’s a legal contract where the bank agrees not to take any action on you
until you’re either working again or at a pre-determined time.
Loan consolidation is when you take a new loan out to pay off old loans. It usually has lower
interest rates and lower payments. Great for those in a lot of credit card debt.
If anything, have a great financial management plan. Or default on your debts if you have no
other options available.
Stockpile food and plant seeds in your garden now. You’ll be paying less in a collapse than the
others, and you’ll have enough to not only survive, but thrive.
After you have enough food, have some investments into precious metals and real estate. You
could also pay off your debt in silver and gold during a crisis, as their value will skyrocket as the
value of the dollar goes down.
Bartering items for others, like food. If hyperinflation happens, and it’s $20 for a loaf of bread,
you might be able to sell yours for $10 and make a profit. Since you bought that bread at $0.89 a
loaf.
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Decision #1: Should I Stay, or Should I Go?
Have some basic necessities and supplies for both staying and going.
Can you get around by yourself easily? Then you’ll be fine if you have to leave. Also make sure
someone is taking care of you if you have a debilitating disease.
Basic Disaster Kit
● Food and water
● First aid
● Clothing
● Flashlight
● Matches
● Batteries
● Portable TV or radio
● Cash
● Important documents
If a Disaster Comes...
Stick to your regular treatment. And schedule an appointment with your doctor. They might have
an idea of what to do in case life takes a turn.
Maintain your health level so that you don’t stay sick or keep getting sick. We want you healthy.
So do it.
Ration the meds — supplement with alternative medications instead. Just be sure you don’t die
from not taking your meds. See if you can ween yourself off the medications a couple less times
a day.
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Alternative Ways to Treat...
Diabetes
These substances increase your insulin sensitivity:
● Aloe vera
● Alpha-lipoic acid
● Caffeine
● Cassia cinnamon
● Chromium
● Flaxseed
● Ginseng
● Glucomannan
● Gymnema
● Guar gum
● Magnesium
● Oat bran
● Zinc
Alzheimer’s disease
Some say it’s Type III Diabetes because there’s not enough insulin in your brain when you have
Alzheimer’s.
So, control your diet, and you should be fine. Or, eat...
● Coenzyme Q10
● Omega-3 fatty acids
● Caprylic acid
● Ginko biloba
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Surviving with Diabetes
Have a diabetes survival kit.
Drinking water
Keep it about 2-3 days worth of water. You won’t want to lug it around.
Food
A few days’ worth of food is important. Make sure it’s safe for you and nonperishable.
And practice taking this out whenever you’re away from home, like at a friend’s house or your
workplace.
Since insulin can be destroyed if the temperature is above 84º F, you might need to pack a cooler.
You can also store cold food along with your insulin.
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Symptoms and Readings:
● 70 mg/dl — varies depending on the person
● Dizziness
● Sweating
● Hunger
● Fatigue
● Confusion
● Erratic heart beat
● Loss of consciousness
If you see these symptoms, take something that raises the blood sugar like glucose tablets or
natural juice.
Miscellaneous Tips
Don’t eat food with lots of carbohydrates. Instead, eat food with protein.
Contact the following (when the communication lines are up) for extra insulin:
● Red Cross
● International Diabetes Federation
● American Embassy
Symptoms
● Cough
● Shortness of breath
● Wheezing
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● Chest tightness
● Rapid pulse rate and respiration rate
● Anxiety
● Cyanotic — have cyanosis, aka blue/gray color to lips, fingertips and face
● Takes longer to exhale than to inhale
To Treat Asthma..
Use a stethoscope to listen in the top, middle and bottom parts of the lung. You’ll hear loud
musical notes when they breathe for you. The pitch of the wheezes will be higher, until they
can’t breathe anymore.
And don’t let them near allergens that triggers their asthma.
Natural Remedies
Different breathing methods taught in yoga classes and meditation should work.
Here’s one:
● Inhale slowly through the nose
● Exhale through pursed lips, or as slowly as you can
● Stomach should expand when you inhale, NOT your chest
● Exhale slowly with the abdomen going inward
● Exhalation is twice as long as the inhalation
Ginger and garlic tea — four minced garlic cloves in ginger tea while it’s hot. Cool it down and
drink it twice a day.
Other teas:
● Ephedra
● Coltsfoot
● Codonopsis
● Butterbur
● Nettle
● Chamomile
● Rosemary
Eucalyptus — rub this essential oil between your hands, breathe it in deeply.
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Honey — breathe from a jar of honey, or stir one tsp in a 12 oz glass of water, drink 3 times daily
Turmeric — one teaspoon of turmeric powder in 6-8 oz of warm water 3 times a day
Licorice and Ginger — mix 1/2 tsp each in a cup, but licorice can raise your blood pressure
Black pepper, onion, honey — 1/4 cup onion juice with 1 tbsp honey and 1/8 tbsp black pepper
Mustard oil rub — mustard oil with camphor and rub it on your chest and back
Vitamin D
lobelia — mix lobelia with cayenne in 3:1 ratio. Put 20 drops in water at the start of the attack,
repeat every 30 minutes or so.
Diet
● Plant proteins > animal proteins
● Take more omega-3 fatty acids
● Eliminate milk and dairy
● Eat organic
● Eliminate trans-fats
● Use extra-virgin olive oil as your main cooking oil
● Stay well-hydrated
What is Paleo?
It’s what the cavemen ate. Or whatever you can hunt, fish, trap or scavenge for.
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And all of the following:
● Meats
● Fish
● Fowl
● Berries
● Herbs
● Fruits
● Veggies
Why No Grains?
Wheat is actually new to the human experience. And humans aren’t adapted to take on wheat.
Just look at the gluten-free foods available.
Why No Beans?
Do you want to stay uncomfortable in a crowded room when you’re farting up a storm? Sure,
they’re great in protein, but it makes your stomach uncomfortable.
In essence, this will make sure your cancer cells aren’t feeding off the sugar you’re eating.
Without salt, you’ll lower your blood pressure. Eating lean meats and plenty of veggies can help
you obtain good cholesterol. And you can shed some pounds on this diet. Along with the
antioxidants, it’s a good alternative to feeding off drugs your entire life — which might last a
week.
Here’s the problem: these damage the stomach lining and liver and kidneys.
Not good.
They can also cause gastrointestinal bleeding and increase some people’s risk of heart attack.
Blood thinners
● Natural Vitamin E
● Ginkobiloba
● Water
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Pain Killers and Anti-inflammatories
● Devil’s claw
● Turmeric
● Ginger
Statins
Used to lower cholesterol to avoid heart attacks and cardiovascular disease.
Instead...
● Red wine
● Garlic
● Olive oil
● Oats and veggies
● Anything that’s rich in fiber
● Dark chocolate
● Coconut oil
● Medium-chain triglycerides
Blood Pressure
● Potassium
Bananas
Potatoes
Tomato juice
● Coconut water
● Coenzyme Q10
● Garlic
● Hawthorn
● Magnesium
● Calcium
● And a LOWER sodium intake
Antacids
● Almonds
● Aloe vera juice
● Apple cider vinegar
● Apples
● Baking soda
● Bananas
● Buttermilk
● Basil leaves
● Chamomile
● Cinnamon
● Fennel
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● Garlic
● Ginger
● Grapes
● Peppermint
Type II Diabetes
Note: anything that raises your glucose levels needs to be taken with caution.
● Ginseng
● Chromium
● Magnesium
● Cinnamon
Topical Anesthetics
clove oil — make a gel or dab it on your gums for toothaches. It’ll only numb, not cure it. Also, if
you’re itching from poison ivy or poison oak, clove oil works well.
cayenne pepper — great for muscle pain and arthritis. It’s basically nature’s aspirin. Make a gel or
cream using coconut oil or other bases.
Common Injuries
Burns
lavender oil — apply it to the skin, and it reduces inflammation and speeds up the skin healing
aloe — squeeze the juice from the leaf onto the skin
Cuts
garlic — take a clove of garlic, crush it, apply the juice to the cut. Oh, it’s gonna sting. That means
it’s working. Or, better yet — combine both lavender oil and garlic.
Itchy Skin
baking soda and oatmeal — get a warm bath, add a cup of baking soda or a cup of oatmeal.
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juniper berries — this is for just one specific location of the itch, and here’s the recipe:
● 3 ounces butter
● 2 tbsp beeswax
● 5 tbsp ground berries
● 3 spoons ground cloves
Melt the butter in the pan. Melt the beeswax in another pan. When both are melted, combine
them together. Ground up the berries and cloves, and add to the mixture. Once the mixture is
cooled down, apply it to all itchy areas.
Sunburn
potatoes — take a couple taters, wash them and cut into small pieces. Ground them into a paste
(aka use a blender — add water if it’s too dry). Apply the paste to the affected area. Then take a
cold shower. Or take the potato paste and put it on a gauze.
Althea — skin irritations, ulcers and sore throats, grows in well-drained soil
Ginseng — grows in cool climates, great for respiratory disorders
Barberry — skin irritations
Belladonna — sleep aid, but too much can kill you
Billberry — grow in full sun, ease diabetes pain
Borage — grows in full sun, helps with arthritis
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Catnip — grows in most soil, treats colds and fever and most aches
Cayenne pepper — moderate to moist soil, help prevent heart attacks
Cranesbill — warm, semi-dry soil, stops bleeding and diarrhea
Echinacea — grows in any climate, treats cold and flue
Fo-Ti — grows in sun, but doesn’t like heat, and treats high cholesterol
Ginger — great for anything you hate about life
Goldenseal — grows in the shade and rich soil, bladder and fungal infections
Lady Fern — moist soil, eases the pain of minor cuts and burns
Licorice Root — rich soil, either shade or sun, and treats sore throats and bronchitis
Marijuana — high sun, moderate to moist soil, and treats glaucoma and depression
Milk Thistle — semi-dry soil in temperate climates, great antioxidant
Parsley — moist soil, cleans the blood
Peppermint — temperate climates in moist soil, treats heartburns and headaches
Rosemary — many different soils and climates, treats upset stomachs
Saw Palmetto — full sun with a little moist soil, treats stomach problems
Skullcap — well-drained soil and full sun, and treats high blood pressure
St. John’s Wort — warm, moist soil, treats depression and slows progression of HIV
Tart Cherries — grows on trees in moderate climates, treats arthritis and diabetes
Tea Tree Oil — Antibacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal — hard to grow
Valerian — easy to grow in moderate climates, great for insomnia
Vinpocetine — helps people with stroke, Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia
White Willow — grows in moist soil, and the mother of modern aspirin
Wild Yam Roots — best in temperate climates, great for rheumatoid arthritis
Witch hazel — best in moist and acidic soil, makes bruises feel better
● Wolfsbane
● Belladonna
● Stinging Nettle
● Kava Kava
● Devil’s Claw
● Foxglove
● Comfrey
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How to Survive Pandemics
The flu pandemic will be the most likely because there are new strains of the influenza virus
popping up all over the world.
It could spread from species to species, and since everyone loves traveling all over the world, it’s
hard to contain in one specific area.
Since medical care might not be sufficient, you want to be as far away from people as possible
when a pandemic breaks out. Cut yourself off from school, hospitals, and transportation so that
you don’t catch the disease.
To prevent any infections, just stay healthy. And get seasonal flu shots for a good healthy
baseline.
Limit Exposure
Move away if you’re in the city or suburbs, or just don’t contact people. Period.
What to Stockpile
Food — meat, fruits and veggies will work, as well as protein bars. Keep pet food around, and
make sure you have enough water.
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Particle Masks — Make sure it has a metal nose piece that can bend around your nose.
Rubber gloves — get disposable ones, and wear two pairs to be safe
Meds and antibiotics — treat the common illnesses, because that’s actually how most people
die — through secondary infections coming through the weakened immune system
Other supplies — trash bags, water filtration methods, duct tape, first aid kits, disinfectants and
soap.
Just use your preparation techniques and you’ll be fine. Or get to your safe bug-out location
away from others. The more isolated the safer you’ll be.
After three weeks, it’s hard to tell if someone is sick or not. Since most people will be unprepared
and won’t have their normal fatty foods from McDonald’s, they’ll look like a sickly person — just
like a pandemic would bring to people.
Most quarantines will last a month, or whenever new cases stopped showing up.
And if you have facial hair, there won’t be a tight seal against your face, making the mask useless.
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DIY Gas Mask Options
Only use as a last resort.
T-Shirt
For a volcano eruption or fire, rip a T-shirt and use strips of fabric to cover the nostrils and
mouth, and tie it at the back of the neck.
Soda Bottle
Sharp cutting tool (razor blade, exacto knife, scissors)
Permanent marker
Glue
2 liter soda bottle
Rubberized foam insulation strip (1” wide)
N95 particulate mask
Clean the 2 liter plastic bottle and remove the labels. Draw a U-shaped area with your marker,
big enough to fit your face, but not too big. Start with a smaller cut, then work your way up —
you can always trim more. Cut the bottom of the bottle off with the U-shaped section.
Next, use rubberized foam insulation as a seal for the edges. Make a circle of foam insulation in
the bottle that’s a resting place for the N95 mask 2” up from the spout.
Remove the elastic bands and metal bridge from the N95 mask, and keep those for later.
Cut the mask’s edging carefully. Leave enough to keep the edges sealed. Place the mask inside
the neck of the bottle, with the filter pointing out and down towards the spout. Secure the
elastic bands firmly to your face.
Store in a plastic bag without air in it.
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Location
Don’t be in the city or suburbs, but don’t be totally isolated. Have a few neighbors who are
survivalist types. And that small group of people can help and share resources if necessary.
You could join a survivalist group and buy land together, which will save you money.
The best way to win a fight is if no one knows you’re there. So get out of the city, out of people’s
sight and mind. And you’ll want the survival shelter far enough away from home that it’s not
affected by a hurricane or nuclear blast or other natural disaster.
Stay as close to water as you can. Rivers, lakes and streams are gonna make your land more
expensive, so look for places with a high water table. You might be able to dig up a well from
that.
And you’ll need firewood, so stay next to woodlands. You’ll also need to go hunting and fishing
for food. Not a lot of people will find your cabin in the middle of the woods.
OR, build your shelter on someone else’s land. Could they help you build your survival
community? And would they be OK with that?
Most likely, yes. They’re already independent, since they’re far away from the city.
The last resort is public land owned by the government. Yes, it’s illegal, but build a portable one
so that you can tear it down when they find you. Mount it to a flatbed trailer, and you’re all set
to take off for a different destination.
Travel Trailer
The cheapest option is to use for a survival shelter is a trailer or motorhome. Buy a used one
privately, but check it out thoroughly.
Check for:
● Lights
● Fridge
● Stove and oven
● Furnace
● Water pump
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● Leaks in the water tanks, sink drains, roof, gas/water lines
● Generator
● Air conditioner
● Door and cabinet latches
● Flush valve for the toilet
● Sink faucets
● Sagging roof
● Walls attached to floor the entire way around
● Rust on axle, frame, hubs
● Damaged exterior window shades and porch shade
● Control panel, indicators, gauges
If the battery is dead, charge it, and use propane from your own BBQ grill.
Before making an offer, do some research to find out if the broken pieces are specialty parts and
more expensive than you think to fix it.
How to Set it Up
Make modifications and fix everything you need to do. And don’t leave any wasted space.
Stay a night or two to figure out what you’d need in a long-term survival situation.
Put concrete pads under the trailer to sit on. That way it doesn’t sink.
And the trailer isn’t insulated well. Usually. So get ready for warm days and cold nights.
The tanks are fairly small, but can total to 150 gallons of water. There are three tanks:
● Fresh water
● Grey water (shower and sink)
● Black water (bathroom)
Refill the fresh water with a garden hose, or transfer it in from the outside. The grey water can
be used for your garden. But the black water needs to be far away from your water source and
other major roads. You don’t want contaminated water.
Electrical power comes through a 30 amp, 120 volt connection. Basically, a clothes dryer. Install
a power box next to the trailer if you have a 120 volt AC power. And the batteries for the trailer
are the same for boats: 12 volt, lead-acid deep-cycle batteries.
Once the basic shelter is built, you can expand it. But make sure you have the expansion plans
ready in case you need more room than you have to build the basic shelter.
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Almost anything you have around can be made into a shelter. Log cabins, adobe clay, brick, sod
and stone are just a few of the materials other people have built their shelters from.
Today, you can use wooden pallets. Disassemble them, and you got yourself some free wood,
especially if the pallets are broken or given to you.
Planning
Use nature to your advantage. If there are caves or a cliff, just use that. No sense of trucking in
materials when you have all the resources right there.
Always overestimate the amount of wood and stone and materials you need to build. Some of
the wood and stones might be terrible for your shelter. As well as expansion — think about the
future of your shelter.
Log
Lay logs on top of one another, and the edges were notched to make a corner.
As for rooms, it’s kinda hard to add on to the original log cabin. Most multi-room log cabins had
one gigantic rectangular room with the clapboard walls dividing the room into separate rooms.
Remove the bark from the logs, and fill in the gaps with mud, clay or cement. For windows and
doors, cut the logs at the right length, then use squared logs for the doorposts and window posts.
Drill and drive wooden pegs into the ends to attach the windows and doors.
Wooden Pallets
Take the pallet apart, and the wood pieces should be about 3-4 feet long. You frame the shelter
with 2x4 pieces that are spacers between the bottom and top layers of the pallet. If you have a
double thickness and offset the joint between the adjacent pieces, your shelter will be strong.
Put the cutout towards the inside, because you want a flat surface on the outside for siding.
Door and window frames should be made from the framing. And siding is done from the top slats
of the pallet. Stagger the boards so that the ends aren’t in the same place (same as with roofing).
The pallets can be used for the floors, too. Just pull them apart and put them close together with
the inner spacers from the pallets themselves.
You better seal the wood with linseed oil or Thompson’s water seal. Or else...
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Adobe
It’s a mix of clay, sand, straw and water. You pour it into molds, let it dry in the sun, and they look
like bricks. Put mortar in between and cover the entire thing in plaster or stucco.
Since adobe is heavy, make sure the ground under it is compacted. Use a wide footer to spread
the weight out evenly, and add a stem wall that goes a couple feet into the ground.
The doors and windows are made out of wood with lintel above them.
Sure, it’s a lot of labor involved, but most of the materials are found in the Southwest.
For the roof, top it off with wood, and put in rebar to attach the wood cap to the wall.
Cinder Block
You can buy cement blocks (aka cinder blocks) rather than make your own adobe clay bricks.
Build the blocks in rows and make sure they’re offset from each other by half the width of the
block below it. Then use cement mortar to connect the blocks together. The weakest point is
where the mortar meets the block, so be careful.
You’ll also need a wide footer and a stem wall into the ground. Or make foundation out of
concrete.
Sod
Cut the grass and stack it for hay. Then cut the sod from underneath. It’s hard, but you can cut
and remove it in blocks about 4” thick.
Earth
It’s like a giant sandbag covering your home. The dirt naturally forms to the walls, especially
when you fill bags with dirt or sand.
Very temporary structure, though, since the bags will wear away quickly.
Stone
Stones aren’t always the same size, making this hard to build. But if you find flagstones, they’re
easier, but you’ll still have to cut it out.
Instead, use stone for fireplaces and paving floors. Just use cement mortar for the spaces in
between.
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Soda Bottles
Fill empty plastic soda bottles with sand. Lay them down in a row, offset from the row below,
and wire or tie them together. Fill the spaces with cement mortar.
Cloth
Use this as a portable option, since it’s more rugged than a camping tent but there’s not much
insulation in cloth.
One cloth option is the teepee. Sure, you can use animals skins, but let’s start with canvas.
There are three foundation poles in the center, with the rest of the poles coming out to create a
cone. Cover it with a heavyweight canvas, and seal it for weatherproofing. Make a half-circle as
the shape of the canvas, and cut a hole for the door and flaps for the smoke hole. Tie the canvas
together once it’s wrapped around the poles.
The yurt is another option. The most important ingredient in the making of the yurt is the roof
hub over the center of the roof. It’s an octagon that has 16 poles coming out of it, and the poles
can either go into holes in the hub or spikes at the end of the hub (like putting poles in stakes of
a camping tent).
The walls are made from 2x4 lath strips, placed in a diagonal screen with about 8” between the
strips. Criss-cross them, and attach at every place they cross.
Stand the lath screen on its edge and attach it to the door frame. Attach four roof poles to the
hub, and attach the other ends of those poles to the lath wall.
Then, put a huge canvas on the yurt as a covering, cutting out the holes for the circle of the hub
and smoke. Once done, sew it all together.
Other Parts
Floors
Dirt floors are easier to make the home clean, especially if it’s a hard dirt floor. Wood planks or
pallets work much better. Or split logs to create your floor.
Stones are also a great material for floors. You can split flagstone into sheets, and fill the space
between with cement mortar or sand. Or, just use any flat rocks near a stream.
Roof
This part is usually the hardest to build. There are two types of roof:
peaked roof (sloped in two directions)
shed-type (slopes in one direction)
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A roof needs beams every two feet (either pallets or larger branches from trees) and connected
by thinner sticks.
Corrugated tin sheets work best, but they can make your place hot on a sunny day.
A steep roof will let rain and snow fall off easier, but the heat will be stored in the roof area,
instead of the living area below.
You can also have grass grow on your roof with sod being your roofing material.
Doors
The only thing you should import on your site. Get a commercial door for security purposes, or a
used door also works.
Windows
Get used aluminum windows for low prices. Or cover them with clear plastic.
Fireplace
Build a fire pit in the center of the room for heating as well as cooking. If not, just put a wood
stove against the wall with a chimney. Or a smoke hole directly above the stove can still work.
A chimney has three walls to protect anyone from burning themselves after touching the
chimney. But if you want heat, have a single-wall chimney to help with that.
Also, you’ll only have one visible side, where you can hide from people and protect only one side
of your house.
Be careful with caves. Rule of thumb: you have to be bigger than the other animal already living
in the cave. Basically, leave the bear in the cave. Find somewhere else to build a shelter. And the
floors aren’t always what they seem, with cracks and weak spots. Also, block out other
passageways, since some caves can go far into the mountain.
Use adobe or cinder block for the walls, and the roof is either concrete or a flat trussed roof. It
has to hold several tons of earth. You will need lot of load-bearing walls with a good footer for
each wall.
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How to Save Your Pets
Pets are weather radars. They can sense when a storm is approaching. Especially when they’re
skittish and gather in a herd.
Checklist
● Pet first aid
● Food
● Water
● Bowls
● Extra collar and leash
● Medical records
● Two-week supply of medications
● Crate or carrier
● Blanket
● Recent photos (for the “lost” posters)
● Toys and bones
● Disposable litter trays
● Paper towels
● Disposable doggy bag
Also..
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Kitty litter — absorbs odors for your own waste system, and can seal koi ponds. And you can seal
cracks by adding water. Or get your car out of the snow by placing some on the ground. Make
sure you get unscented kitty litter with bentonite.
Pet food — get food that’s also edible by people, like beef stew or tuna.
Leashes and Collars — make them out of paracord, so you can use them in emergencies, too.
Desensitization — get them used to guns and flapping tarps and the smell of smoke before stuff
hits the fan.
Service — pull carts, plow the fields, carry the sick. Pigs can defend the house. And birds can act
as an alarm.
So what do you do? Leave some food and water out for at least two weeks, and hope for the
best. Or, take it with you in a carrier.
Make sure they’re wearing a collar and ID tag, or microchip your cat for better location-finding
information. Don’t let them run outside during a disaster. And make sure you know where the
pet-friendly hotels and hospitals are in your area.
Checklist
● Canned food
● Litter box and litter
● Paper towels, trash bag and bleach for accidents
● Medication for 2 weeks
● Medical records and proof of ownership papers
● Favorite toys
● Solid leash
● Comfy carrier
● “lost pet” flyers with all the contact info on there
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Ingest Foreign Substances
They love to taste anything that smells remotely good. So keep your area for your pets clean.
Don’t let them drink from streams or puddles. If you wouldn’t drink it, why would you let your
pet?
Ligament Ruptures
The cruciate ligament stabilizes the knee, which is what usually happens when they’re hobbling
on one leg. Let them lie down for a while, even though they won’t want to.
Heat Stroke/Dehydration
Find shade and let them in the house. And don’t leave them in the car — would you leave your
own kid in the car?
Keep your pets close to you, and treat all cuts right away.
As for mosquitos, lemon juice is great. So is vinegar, but it smells like crazy. Get rid of fleas, too.
Broken Limbs
Stabilize the leg, like you would a human.
CPR on Pets
ABC — Airway, Breathing, Circulation — just like a human
Airway — you could get bitten, so be careful. Straighten the neck (as long as you know there’s no
spinal injury) and move the tongue. Look, listen and feel for a breath. If not, do rescue breathing.
Breathing — close the mouth, cup hands around their snout, and blow directly into the snout.
Make sure the breath goes in. If it doesn’t, tilt the head back to clear the airway again. Give one
breath every 3 seconds, and the size of the breath depends on the size of the dog. A full breath is
good for a large dog.
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Circulation — for dogs, place your hand on the left side of the upper chest to feel for a heartbeat.
Lay on their right side, locate the center of his chest (left elbow meets the ribcage), and give
compressions.
Compressions — small dogs, thumb and forefinger — large dogs, palm-over-hand like for people.
Go 1.5 inches deep, and deliver 15 compressions and 2 breaths. Assess the situation after a
couple cycles, and stop when they’re breathing or you can feel a heartbeat.
Natural Anesthetics
St. John’s Wort
Treats the following:
● Depression
● Anxiety
● Muscle/joint pain
● cramps
● Back aches
● Muscle spasms
● After your cat is declawed
● Feline hyperesthesia syndrome (rolling skin disease)
Dose — 12 drops per 20 lbs of weight in dogs, but ask your vet
Skullcap
An analgesic for both humans and pets:
● Muscle spasms
● Cramps
● Muscle twitching
Dose — 12 drops per 20 lbs of weight.
Ginger
Relieves:
● Stomach pain
● Abdominal cramps
● Muscle pains
● Lower back pain
Safe to eat, or used as a topical rub.
Feverdew
Treats:
● migraines
● Headaches
● Muscle cramps
● Arthritis
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It’s also anti-inflammatory, and some use it in place of aspirin.
Dose — 1/2 tsp per 20 lbs of weight, steeped in tea
Turmeric
Great for your skin, but also great for:
● Joint pain
● Cortisone properties
Sprinkle it on food
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