HEALTH AND MEDICINE

Health & Medicine

ℹ️

Medicine

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bbebsxs1i4020a5wyg8mo/an_herbal_medicine_making_primer-SCREEN.pdf?rlkey=7nw9qgvetgwzs1nw1cn8vr64v&dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/joa4hi92bx5q3ykm0l501/activists_guide_basic_first_aid-SCREEN.pdf?rlkey=d8vx38guk4osoqkppcjcf3eet&dl=0

Army Medical Manuals

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9147d0w8cyxjv9wmnx6o3/Tintinallis_Emergency_Medicine.pdf?rlkey=b6svxj3zzsjr7ojuic5ofm57w&st=u2ozbbhi&dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/u2dx5l64i559sbd0w0ajm/U.S.-Army-Special-Forces-Medical-Handbook-Craig-Glen-K.-Paladin-Press-1988_text.pdf?rlkey=t6il5jnurp25rrht4gk98pfyk&st=d237h3eg&dl=0

First Aid

All activists must know how to handle a medical emergency, this is how to respond to trauma.

1. Assess the situation, is it safe? Will you just become another casualty which someone else will have to rescue? If it is safe activate emergency medical services, call the ambulance.

2. Can your patient communicate, what do you see as you approach to tell you what happened to your patient(s)

3. Is your patient breathing without difficulty, this is your first priority, a blocked or restricted airway and inability to breathe will kill your patient in a few minutes. If you have a stethoscope keep checking both sides of the chest for good equal lung sounds. If there is a hole in the patients chest skin cover with plastic taped on three sides so it is sealed but will let air trapped inside escape.

4. Is your patient's heart pumping, is the patient loosing large amounts of blood, you can fix a bleeder by applying direct pressure, move to arterial pressure points, and finally tourniquet using four inch or wider ace bandage, anything narrower will destroy the blood vessels and requite amputation. check for hardness in the abdomen, this can mean internal bleeding. If you know how and when indicated you might start a large bore IV in both arms and have fast drip sets and fluid ready to go.

5. You should be acting in a way that will not damage the patients spine or cause a disability, but a working airway, effective breathing and intact blood circulation take priority.

6. Splint and protect any injuries, if you suspect spinal damage you must immobilize the head neck and spine, duct taping the patients body head and legs to a board will work as well as what the paramedics use.

7. Use your own vehicle to go to the hospital or get your patient to an ambulance, serious trauma needs blood transfusion and surgery. Don't drive crazy and obey stop lights, there is no reason for everyone to die in a car wreck on the way to the hospital.

8. keep checking your patients awareness, pulse, breathing, and blood pressure you also need to keep checking the pulses and feeling in the hands and feet.

9. Head injury patients must be continually re-evaluated for their level of consciousness, equal dilated pupils, and blood pressure. Unconsciousness, unequal pupils or pupils unresponsive to light and increasing blood pressure are all indications of a bleed inside the skull which will begin to force the brainstem out the exit hole in the skull sized for the spinal cord killing your patient. Head injury patients need quick safe transport, a head CT scan, and a neurologist.

10. Gunshot wounds where there is no surgical assistance available and the patient is stable still require treatment. Sterile bandaging, a wide spectrum antibiotic, and powerful non-steroidal anti-inflammatory will help manage pain, swelling, and initial infection.

11. If a patient is trapped under something, either a limb or their entire body, and has been for over 15 minutes (UK First Aid Guidelines), DO NOT release the pressure, as this can cause Crush Syndrome, in which decayed cells (From the cut-off of circulation) are released back into the blood stream causing renal failure and death. Even if it has been less than 15 minutes and the patient complains of severe numbness, or you notice serious colour change in the wound, call an ambulance. In an emergency, you will need to put a tourniquet on the wound, and treat with dextran 4000 iu.

Before anything else, get First Aid training. Check the local schools or ask at the local Fire Department as to where you can get First Aid training. Many places will give you extensive training at a low cost, if not free.

The Emergency Room

Until we find out what is going to happen with the BigMed changes that Obama has pushed through taking effect in 2011 which includes fines for all those who have no insurance, the emergency room is the first place most folks go that do not have insurance or cash up front.

If you have an injury or illness requiring immediate care, do not let yourself be afraid of the hospital. Unlike a private physician's offices or dentists, the hospital cannot turn you away for emergency treatment because of lack of cash or insurance. They must discharge you in stable condition or if you are not, find long term care if the condition that brought you to the hospital leaves you permanently disabled.

Be honest and upfront about your situation. Do not expect miracles if the condition is not life threatening. Some hospitals do take charity with the appropriate documents, but expect a large bill from most. This can either end up in collection or written off eventually. You do not have to give your real name, but if the condition is serious they will push for your real name to get any old medical records. Thanks to HIPAA, they will not put your real name on your door or even admit you are there if you are concerned about non-pigs finding you if you are admitted and state this concern up front.

Be honest with the staff on any drug you are currently on as drugs can mix in very bad ways. Do not expect an over abundance of pain pills unless you are seriously messed up if you say you are taking addictive illegal drugs.

The ER never talks to the cops except in cases of suspected domestic violence, child abuse, gunshot wounds, you were hauled in the ER by the cops, or they have to call the cops.

Tell them about any allergies or conditions like diabetes as they can inadvertently mess you up if they do not know.

Also, if you want to leave a hospital, they cannot stop you.(unless a doctor believes you would be a danger to yourself or others. For example: suicide) Just tell them you are leaving first. If you are restrained for being violent or being put on a ventilator, they must loosen the restraints every two hours and check on you every 15 minutes. A doctor must also reevaluate you within 24 hours and this is never to be used as punishment. There must also be criteria for restraint removal in writing discussed with either yourself or a family/ friend if you can not make decisions.

Try not to go to the Emergency Room for simple things like fevers under 101 F, minor cuts, non allergic stings, or simple boils. Most often, all they are going to do is make you wait hours, give you a prescription for a med, and give you a sheet telling you you need a private physician.

ER staff hates those who come in acting like jerks, obviously looking for street value drugs, or coming in with things that can be treated at home.

ER cabinets usually only contain bandages, alcohol pads, cotton swabs, etc. The real drugs are stored in two places. It is usually in a computer password activated safe in a watched and video taped room. All drugs are counted once a shift with carefully logged. The more valuable medicine must be witnessed if all of it is not used. The 'quick use' medicine for life saving is usually kept on what they call a 'crash cart'. The carts have breakable plastic seals on them to let it known if they are used and are tracked as well. On top is an AED (the heart shocker you see on medical dramas).

The wasted drugs from old needles, ect. Ends up being squirted in the trash or put in a red bio hazard 'sharps' container. There have been stories of junkie medical staff digging through these, but it is a huge health issue and quite disgusting. Not only are they locked with a small key, it can have all manner of disease as well as some drug. Get help if you feel the need to stoop that low.

The ER typically does not give meals outside of snacks and a drink for folks with low blood sugar. You will need to be admitted to the hospital for this.

Free Clinics

There are some free clinics depending on the area. The only drawback is that many times they only take you if you can prove you have very little or no income. Many also require you have a letter of referral from a social worker or welfare worker. Some are not really free, but are based on income. Be sure to check around to see if one of these in in your area.

Cities usually have free clinics for a variety of special ailments. Tuberculosis Clinics, Venereal Disease Clinics, and Free Shot Clinics (yellow fever, polio, tetanus, etc.) are some of the more common. A directory of these clinics and other free health services the local community provides can be obtained by writing your Chamber of Commerce or local Health Department.

Most universities have clinics connected with their dental, optometry or other specialized medical schools. If not for free, then certainly for very low rates, you can get dental work repaired, eyeglasses fitted and treatment of other specific health needs. This is probably not a good idea for emergencies, though. Wait lists tend to be long, and they only accept new patients certain times of the year. They also tend to take their own sweet time getting around to treatments, and if you cancel even one appointment will drop you from the program.

Free psychiatric treatment and counseling (marriage and individual) can often be gotten at some out-patient clinics and some religious organizations . Actual admission into a mental hospital is a bit harder and a real bummer. Use them as a last resort only. Some cities have a suicide prevention center and if you are desperate and need help, call them. Your best choice in a psychiatric emergency is to go to a large general hospital, find the emergency unit and ask to see the psychiatrist on duty. Expect to be stuck in an emergency room with a large Mental Health Tech orderly standing over you for hours or days until they find a bed for you and a legally binding doctor's order preventing you from leaving even if you change your mind hours later! It is not free, either. The hospital and the behavioral health unit is going to bill you thousands. See Detox and Rehab Programs for a good write up as Psychiatric units are many times lumped in with these places.

Medical Tourism

If you have some cash and need real treatment but do not have insurance or the many thousands needed for a procedure, you may consider getting it out of the country. Do some research, set up your treatments, and take a trip to Mexico, Thailand, or other countries that have made a reputation for cheap, good quality care. Mexico has a

http://wiki.stealthiswiki.org/wiki/Free-Medical-Care 3/7 private payment health system designed around cash payment which varies between current US care levels to that of 20-30 years ago. The doctors, dentists, and nurses are caring and professional and the big equipment is quality stuff and may be purchased used from a US or Canadian clinic. Caveat Emptor, buyer beware, research your doctor, clinic, or hospital online before going as there is less regulation in Mexico.

Stretching, Massage, and Exercise

Of course, the most free of all medical care is proper and regular exercise along with stretching! One doctor in a recent book wrote that if there is one thing he wished was in pill form he could prescribe, it would be this. Indeed, most ailments can be prevented through a proper exercise routine and most BigMed prescriptions are sold as bandaids around folks that will not or can not exercise.

Many lower back problems and knee pains can be greatly reduced or eliminated with proper stretching and calisthenics in the morning. Most important in calisthenics is sit=up crunches which build the abdominal muscles supporting the lower back. Hamstring muscle stretches where you slowly touch your toes when standing and calf muscle stretches where assume the lunge position will reduce many back and knee problems. Stretching the trapezius muscles of your upper back and neck by arm cross overs will help with upper back strain.

Try looking for Yoga books in the library. With a little practice, many of the poses stretch out a lot of daily stress. Reclining Hero works the fronts of the thighs and Downward-Facing Dog is a favorite for the backs of the legs.

Check these pages for what these poses look like:

Reclining Hero: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/790

Downward Facing Dog: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/491

While it will not necessarily cure any diseases or injuries, learning the science and art of massage is a good way to keep your friends in good health, especially considering the places we sometimes have to sleep. Olive oil is good massage oil, you can heat it with scented herbs for aromatheraputic properties then filter and place in a squirt bottle. You will quickly be able to feel the tensed muscle fibers that need to be worked, some people need a hard massage others require a more gentle touch. Practice makes perfect. It is nice to teach the art so you can trade off with your friends.

Old Vitamin Names

You may come across old medical books or even cookbooks that list several Vitamins that you can't find in stores. This is mainly because some vitamins were either reassigned as B Vitamins or proven not to be vitamins at all. Here is a list of the old vitamins and what they're called now:

Vitamin B4 (Adenine)

Vitamin B8 (Adenylic acid)

Vitamin F (Essential fatty acids)

Vitamin G (Vitamin B12 or Riboflavin)

Vitamin H (Vitamin B7 or Biotin)

Vitamin J (Catechol or Flavin)

Vitamin L1 (Anthranilic acid)

Vitamin L2 (Adenylthiomethylpentose)

Vitamin M (Vitamin B9 or Folic acid)

Vitamin O (Carnitine)

Vitamin P (Flavonoids)

http://wiki.stealthiswiki.org/wiki/Free-Medical-Care 4/7

Vitamin PP (Vitamin B3 or Niacin)

Vitamin U (S-Methylmethionine)

Eyes and Eye Glasses

For many of us, squinting will not help when trying to see. Many of the discount stores will sell non-prescription reading glasses (often called "cheaters"), which are good if one just needs improved vision for reading, but they're not good for seeing from a distance. In a pinch, you can make "pinhole" lenses using stiff cardboard or an index card and punching holes with a pin to see through. There are dealers on-line who offer to sell pinhole glasses (also called "stenopeic" or "aerobic" glasses) that have opaque black "lenses" with dozens of little holes in them. However, they have two major drawbacks; They only work well in bright light and can limit peripheral vision, making them unsafe for such things as driving or operating machinery. Also, the claims that they will make your vision improve are questioned by many in the medical field. They can also make you look like some sort of mad scientist (unless you wear the ones that are made to look like sunglasses).

If you can get an eye exam for your prescription, or know what your prescription is, there are three on-line discount eyeglass dealers:

http://www.readingglassesshopper.com

http://www.greateyeglasses.com

http://www.cheapglasses123.com

http://www.cheapprescriptionglasses.net

http://www.readingglasses.com/

http://www.readingglassesexpress.com

There is also a fraternal organization called the Lion's Club that has chapters empire-wide. This club recycles used eyeglasses and donates them to those that cannot afford to buy them. Getting help from them is up to each individual clubs rules as some only deal with the elderly.

http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/our-work/sight-programs/assistance-requests.php

The following organizations might help you with eye care either at reduced costs or for free:

EyeCare America (Public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology)

1-800-222-EYES (3937) - http://eyecareamerica.org/

Knights Templar Eye Foundation

1-847-490-3838 - http://www.knightstemplar.org/ktef

Mission Cataract USA (Public service program of the Volunteer Eye Surgeons' Association)

http://missioncataractusa.org

Vision USA (Public service program of the American Optometric Association)

1-800-766-4466 - http://aoa.org/x5607.xml

Links and Further Reading

You can really take control of your own health care. It is your responsibility to study and research when you have a personal medical disorder. The doctor has only so much time to spend with a patient.

The first step you can take if you've been diagnosed with something is to go to wikipedia and search it. You can learn about psychological and psychiatric disorders with a copy of the DSM-IV TR (latest version as of 2010) which may be purchased or liberated from a bookstore, or possibly torrented as an ebook.

Some tools to help you are the book Where There is No Doctor by the Hesperian Society. It uses simple language to explain treatment of most common injuries and disease. The Merck Manual of Medical Information is the CorpGov standard reference book for medical treatment and is available in most large book stores and on-line; ask in a doctors office for their last years copy. You will have symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment at your fingertips for most common medical problems. Merck also offers a number of other medical books on-line for free.

The Merck Manual of Medical Information - Home Edition : http://www.merck.com/mmhe/index.html

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy : http://www.merck.com/mmpe/index.html

The Merck Manual of Health & Aging : http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual_ha/contents.html

The Merck Manual of Geriatrics : http://www.merck.com/mkgr/mmg/home.jsp

The Merck Veterinary Manual : http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp

Ignorance is no excuse in the eyes of medicine. Download and print these books from the Hesperian Society:

Where There Is No Doctor : http://www.hesperian.org/publications _download.php#wtnd

Where There Is No Dentist : http://www.hesperian.org/publications_download_dentist.php

Where Women Have No Doctor : http://www.hesperian.org/publications _download.php#wwhnd

A Book For Midwives : http://www.hesperian.org/publications_download.php#midwives

You can buy paperback copies of these books as well. If the main site is down we host a copy at Hacker Labs but it may end up out of date trust the copy at http://www.hesperian.org first as they request. Link http://www.hackerlabs.net/downloads/stw/PDFs/Where%20There%20is%20No%20Doctor.tar.bz2 unzip with 7zip or similar program.

The Borden Institute, an agency of the US Army Medical Department Center & School, keeps a database of Military Medical Textbooks for free download, including such titles as Emergency War Surgery and Military Preventive Medicine: Mobilization and Deployment, Volumes 1 & 2 :

http://www.bordeninstitute.army.mil/published.html

http://www.bordeninstitute.army.mil/other _pub.html

Most of the equipment and medications can be obtained over the internet. If you want to stock antibiotics and medications the best way to buy them is to find a veterinary supply who will sell you standard human antibiotics and explain them as for use on fish. There is no difference in the meds except you do not need permission from a doctor to treat your illness. Oral antibiotic use is safer compared to intravenous antibiotics with rash and allergy being the most common side affect of the oral antibiotics, contact a doctor and have Benadryl ready if this happens. Yogurt and probiotics are a must if on antibiotics to keep your body from being totally stripped of its microscopic defenders and helpers.

An EMT course which takes about one term is a valuable course to take, yet time in the field as a medical volunteer will teach you even more. You will be better prepared to treat protesters as a medic and you will be much more educated about your own body.

If you prefer more natural care there are plenty of remedies that you can make for yourself with common plants, many practitioners give free classes on natural health care to gain patients.

US Health Resources and Services Administration: http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/

Find a government run health clinic that will see you for free or reduced cost.

Unite For Sight Free Clinics: http://www.uniteforsight.org/freeclinics.php

Find a free eye care clinic in your area.

Planned Parenthood Locator: http://www.plannedparenthood.org

Find a Planned Parenthood Health Center near you.

List of Hotline Numbers: http://www.coolnurse.com/hotline.htm

A list of 1-800 numbers that you can call for many situations you may face.

Find a Covenant House (Homeless & runaway youth): http://www.covenanthouse.org

A free physical if you decide to check in. You can also call their "Nine Line": 1-800-999-9999

Free Medical Camps http://www.freemedicalcamps.com

Information on free medical and dental clinics in the USA.

Check the phone book or at the local library for Dental Schools. Ask if they will allow you to volunteer as a subject in exchange discounted (maybe even free?) dental care. You will have to fill out a legal disclaimer.

Free Condoms

If you live near a university, go to the health services office and ask for some condoms. Also worth noting: many universities have 1-800 numbers (nurse lines) for their students to use to get medical advice. Find the number for the university near you and call it if need be. Also planned parenthood gives out condoms.

The Free Pharmacy

The pharmacist and the doctor have a good gig making money selling folks cures. Often, for minor stuff, you end up paying the doctor 100 USD or more to tell you that you are messed up and then sent to the drug store to buy something that you could have originally picked up yourself. However, for many minor illnesses and injuries, you can take care of yourself and others right out of your pad! Of course, this is no substitute if things go really wrong. You still need those guys for the serious stuff. However, with a fully stocked cabinet and a little bit of know-how, you can be the go-to person whenever someone needs help. You may even already have many of these items in your pad!

Common Household

Many common household items also have uses in medicine.

Vinegar is a Miracle Drug, and it is one of the cheapest things in the grocery store. Rubbed into your underarms and pubes it slows the growth of bacteria that make you smell all funky -- you can use it to have at least a cleanish day if you're not carrying any deodorant. Rubbed on your face it is very effective against acne. It can also be used to treat all sorts of skin infections, from crotch rot to athletes' foot. Warm vinegar water is a good soak for skin infections, but if your skin is tender from an advanced infection, it will sting like fire, so fold a bandanna or washcloth, wet it good with water, and put a small sprinkle of vinegar on it, and gently pat yourself down if your skin is red and tender. Sluice down your feet with it and rub the vinegar in hard between your toes if you have, or even might get, Athletes' Foot. It works in about three good applications over a couple of days, on even advanced infections, much faster than drugstore creams. If your skin is cracked and bleeding, though, you're screwed and you need the drugstore creams or even medical assistance. Vinegar is a powerful food acid, and will sting the living shit out of raw, tender skin, so test out a goodly dab on you first to see how bad off you are before your screams echo in the bathroom, or behind the church, or wherever....

Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is a good wet or dry deodorant for the crotch and armpits. It is also easy on the skin. Baking soda is also a toothpaste powder, mouthwash and a quick effective antacid. Add to your wash bucket with the soap to deodorize your clothes and bedding. Just don't try to combine baking soda with vinegar. They produce a great deal of foamy bubbles when mixed.

Rubbing alcohol can be used for cleaning out wounds and cuts if you don't have iodine solution but it burns like hell and is not as effective. It can bring relief from a cold or fever when rubbed down after a bath. Just remember that it is a combustible liquid, and has been denatured to keep people from drinking it (You WILL get violently sick if you do!) and you can use it as fuel if you make a soft drink can stove.

Witch Hazel is an excellent (and cheap!) astringent, and is good for stopping up shaving cuts and reducing hemorrhoids.

Zinc Oxide can be used to make a sunblock cream like old school lifeguards would wear on their nose. Oil of cloves is good to numb a sore tooth. Mix oil of clove and zinc oxide into a clay, stuff it into a dry lost filling cavity, then bite down on a cotton ball for a half hour to make a well fitted temporary filling good for up to six months.

Charcoal. We are not talking about the commercial nuggets you buy in stores, most charcoal in stores has chemicals added to it to help it burn. We are talking about burning a slice of bread to cinders on a stove top (wait until there are no more orange flames coming from it). Both can either be chewed (when cool) and swallowed or crushed and mixed into a glass of water and drunk (gritty but quick). The charcoal absorbs the toxins from an intestinal infection giving your bowels a rest.

Taking charcoal when you have diarrhea is the answer, in addition to drinking clean or purified water and light soup, for returning to health. Be careful not to take anti-diarrhea medications unless you have a very mild case. The idea is to let your body eliminate the bad stuff inside you instead of hardening it up and leaving it in you to keep you sick.

Acidophilus. If you have a fungal infection on any part of your body give acidophilus a shot before seeing a doctor. It works wonders by displacing the fungal organisms and then staying to defend their new territory. Acidophilus is either available from health stores as a powder in a capsule which is either eaten or broken open and applied wet or in active culture yogurt which can be rubbed onto to unbroken skin.

Salt. While Epsom salts are best even regular table salt and very warm (not burn yourself hot) water is a great way to soak out an infection or stiff joint or muscle. For a hand or foot just use a bucket and add salt until a drop tastes very salty.

Hydrogen Peroxide. Excellent first aid antiseptic. Dilute it with equal parts water, and it's a very strong mouth rinse. (Just do NOT swallow it!).

If you need to soak your body and have no bathtub get the smallest kids inflatable pool you can find or a wash tub, place it on an insulating layer of cardboard or sleeping mats, inside a tent if it is winter. Add a gallon or two of cold water to protect the pool and boil up a gallon or two in a metal bucket over a camp stove or hotplate (you might need to wrap the outside of the bucket with many wraps of foil and cardboard and make some kind of lid so it will hold it's heat) add cold water to the pool until water is cooled to the hottest you can safely stand then add salt. Have a friend heating more water to keep your soak warm.

Herbal

Herbs have been used by medicine men and women since ancient times. If you know about plant identification, you could even go out in the woods and harvest some of these herbs. The more common plants, you can even grow yourself if you have a green thumb.

However, hospitals and medical staff shy away from herbs for good reason. Many herbs have widely varying strength. Some herbs may have no effect and others can be very dangerous if they interact badly with other herbs or drugs or are given in the wrong quantity.

Aloe Vera EVERYBODY should grow this plant in their pad or backyard. Get one now. Aloe Vera is an active ingredient in many over the counter and prescription skin ointments and skin products. Why pay for this when you can have it for free? Even folks with no green thumb will find it easy to grow and near impossible to kill.

The leaves from the Aloe Vera plant, if broke open, contains a ready to use salve that can be a godsend for burns, minor cuts, and skin conditions. Even a novice can grow it.

Plantago Also known as Plaintain(but not the same plant as the one that bears fruit). It's a small common weed that grows on every continent which can be identified by it's broad fibrous leaves. There's medical evidence that it can be used as an anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory. Grind up it's leaves with a little water and put it on small wounds. Alternatively you can chew up the leaves and put it on wounds. The seeds contain a chemical very similar to that which is contained in many commercial laxatives. Eating them should give a desirable laxative effect.

Diarrhea - Drink tea made from the roots of blackberries and their relatives to stop diarrhea. White oak bark and other barks containing tannin are also effective. However, use them with caution when nothing else is available because of possible negative effects on the kidneys. You can also stop diarrhea by eating white clay or campfire ashes. Tea made from cowberry or cranberry or hazel leaves works too.

Antihemorrhagics - Make medications to stop bleeding from a poultice of the puffball mushroom, from plantain leaves, or most effectively from the leaves of the common yarrow or woundwort (Achillea millefolium).

Antiseptics - Use to cleanse wounds, sores, or rashes. You can make them from the expressed juice from wild onion or garlic, or expressed juice from chickweed leaves or the crushed leaves of dock. You can also make antiseptics from a decoction of burdock root, mallow leaves or roots, or white oak bark. All these medications are for external use only.

Fevers - Treat a fever with a tea made from willow bark, an infusion of elder flowers or fruit, linden flower tea, or elm bark decoction.

Colds and sore throats - Treat these illnesses with a decoction made from either plantain leaves or willow bark. You can also use a tea made from burdock roots, mallow or mullein flowers or roots, or mint leaves.

Aches, pains, and sprains - Treat with externally applied poultices of dock, plantain, chickweed, willow bark, garlic, or sorrel. You can also use salves made by mixing the expressed juices of these plants in animal fat or vegetable oils.

Itching - Relieve the itch from insect bites, sunburn, or plant poisoning rashes by applying a poultice of jewelweed (Impatiens biflora) or witch hazel leaves (Hamamelis virginiana). The jewelweed juice will help when applied to poison ivy rashes or insect stings. It works on sunburn as well as aloe vera.

Sedatives - Get help in falling asleep by brewing a tea made from mint leaves or passionflower leaves.

Hemorrhoids - Treat them with external washes from elm bark or oak bark tea, from the expressed juice of plantain leaves, or from a Solomon's seal root decoction.

Constipation - Relieve constipation by drinking decoctions from dandelion leaves, rose hips, or walnut bark. Eating raw daylily flowers will also help.

Worms or intestinal parasites - Using moderation, treat with tea made from tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) or from wild carrot leaves.

Gas and cramps - Use a tea made from carrot seeds as an antiflatulent; use tea made from mint leaves to settle the stomach. Fresh parsley eaten raw is good for a quick antacid, but be sure to eat the stems too. They have the most juice.

Antifungal washes - Make a decoction of walnut leaves or oak bark or acorns to treat ringworm and athlete's foot. Apply frequently to the site, alternating with exposure to direct sunlight.

You can download the US Army Survival Manual here:

http://www.humboldt.edu/~hsusnc/FM%2021-76%20US%20ARMY%20SURVIVAL%20MANUAL.pdf

Over the Counter

Not all over the counter medicines are evil. In fact, a very few are worth keeping around.

Aspirin. Aspirin is a low strength pain killer and blood thinner. It can take away light pains and some smaller headaches. Recently, scientific studies have shown that a baby aspirin a day can prevent heart attacks and strokes and may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. It does have one nasty side effect: it can upset some stomachs if too much is taken.

BC Powders/ Goodies. These awful tasting aspirin powder cocktails react fast and can kill most hangovers, headaches, and medium level aches pains very quickly. Be sure to have a soda or other beverage to chase it with! If the rancid taste can be handled, you will swear by this product.

Diphenhydramine. Sold as Benadryl in the USA. It's both an antihistamine and a mild sedative; useful for allergic reactions and insomnia. One of the few OTC drugs that have a noticeable effect. Also comes in the form of a cream which can be used to treat rashes and bug bites. The liquid from the gel cap form can be used as a very mild local anesthetic.

Drawing salve. This is an ointment that can help extract things from your skin like splinters, acne, boils, ingrown hair and toenails, insect stingers or even small infections. Often sold under the generic names Ammonium Bituminosulfonate, Ichthyol or (more commonly) Ichthammol.

Naproxen. This goes by the brand name Alleve in the USA. It is not as bad on the liver as Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nowhere near as bad on the stomach as aspirin.

Neosporin (bactracin). Your grandmother is correct. This is a miracle ointment. It kills bacteria, has a mild pain reliever, and keeps wounds moist under bandages. Use this on most minor cuts.

Any other product like cough medicine and other situational stuff is probably not worth keeping around. Most healthy folks do not get sick very often, and most of these medicines have a limited shelf life when opened.

Recycled BigMed Prescriptions

Contrary to what doctors tell folks, it is usually okay to take other folks prescriptions or let someone who is hurt or sick take one of yours. The reason they give this advice is because most non-medical people are not well researched on allergies, drug interactions, side effects, and doses. Some pharmacy meds are also extremely addictive, particularly pain medications. However, if you can manage to acquire some of the more popular and useful prescriptions, it may pay to have around for emergency use.

Big Med prescriptions have three names: a brand/trade name, a generic name, and an actual chemical name. In our descriptions, we will stick to actual chemical names and easily recognizable trade names.

Get this book! If you are dealing with any prescriptions, you will be glad you have it. It is updated once a year and has pictures of each pill, side effect information, bad interaction information, and pregnancy precations.

Antibiotics. Usually, the patient wants to take all of this that is prescribed. The reason is that many bacteria will evolve into a more resistant strain if it is not all killed off. MRSA is an example of such a mutation. Hoarding and too widespread use of antibiotics during the 1990s created a monster flesh eating form of staph that only IV antibiotics like vancomycin have any effect on. However, sometimes a good amount can be left over occasionally. Keep these around in case someone gets infected. Common antibiotics include Penicillin, Amoxycillin and E-Mycin (Erythromycin). When you get prescribed antibiotics, you may be able to ask for a second prescription, if say, there's a chance of infection occurring immediately after the treatment is over.

Narcotic pain medicines. The average stoner may be tempted to ingest these to get high, but we suggest you save them for a time when you have a bad tooth ache and the dentist wants to rape you for cash! Most pain meds have actual street value. Be sure if you are sitting on these that you take measures to prevent visitors from going through your medicine cabinet to "relieve" you of this. Females may be able to get a Tramadol prescription by bitching about their cramps and asking about muscle relaxants.

Sleep aids. If you occasionally have a restless night or have a partner who does and Melatonin tablets will just not do, many prescription sleep medications can be good to have. Just be careful you or the person you give this to do not become dependent on this. Be careful of sleep medication side effects, too. Sleep medicines include Zolpidem (Ambien), eszopiclone (Lunesta). Anti-anxiety meds like Clonazepam (Klonopin), Lorazepam (Ativan), Alprazolam (Xanax) and many others are sometimes used to help insomnia, as well. The same warning that applies to narcotic pain medicines apply to the anti-anxiety meds sometimes also used for sleep and relaxation. They have cash street value and can be stolen from you. Keep these meds safe. Be careful with Ambien because in some folks it creates a delusional, dementia filled night of no sleep and living hell.

Stimulants. Given to those who "have" ADHD/ADD to increase dopamine levels. It's usually not hard to find some adderall(mixed amphetamines), vyvanse(lisdexamfetamine), strattera (atomoxetine) or similar. These have value in an emergency kit as they can keep you up for days on end far better than caffeine. There is a risk of addiction and withdrawal with their use, but they store well enough and can be of use in a first aid kit.

Write Like a Doctor or Nurse

Yes, you too can set up your own herbal practice or write orders for your brothers and sisters like a doctor. Or just be able to decipher the gibberish on a prescription. Or you can memorize these tables to help you out through the first few classes of any allied health course. Below is a list of abbreviations used in prescriptions and medical charting. We have left out some of the more nursing specific terms like BSC for bedside commode and Pt. for patient. It is a bit overwhelming at first, but all medical staff knows all these by heart. Sadly, many of these will be lost forever in a few years as healthcare is in the middle of a push towards all computerized charting after lagging behind business and government for a decade.

Example chart/ prescription orders:

Ativan Xmg tab po prn = take ativan (x mg tablet) by mouth as needed.

A DSG qod = change dressing every other day.

BS q4hr - take blood sugar reading every 4 hours.

A note on forging prescriptions

http://wiki.stealthiswiki.org/wiki/The-Free-Pharmacy 5/9

Just remember, it is a misdemeanor to forge prescriptions and in some cases, a felony to impersonate a doctor or nurse. The old fashioned prescription tablet, though not completely dead, is gradually giving way to computer charting and shared databases between doctors and the drug stores. Most of the time, all you need to do is tell the doctor where you want the prescription filled, and it is automatically sent there. Even in cases where the old tablet method is still used, the pharmacist will AUTOMATICALLY call the doctor if there are any strange large orders for street value medicine. Addict folks that tend to like nasty BigMed offerings usually just seek out quack doctors rather than risk fines and imprisonment.

Partial list of prescription abbreviations
Abbreviation	Latin	Meaning
A	(delta sign)	change
aa	ana	of each
ad	ad	up to
a.c.	ante cibum	before meals
a.d.	auris dextra	right ear
Ad lib	ad libitum	use as much as one desires; freely
admov.	admove	apply
agit	agita	stir/shake
alt. h.	alternis horis	every other hour
a.m.	ante meridiem	morning, before noon
amp	ampule
amt	amount
aq	aqua	water
a.l., a.s.	auris laeva, auris sinistra	left ear
A.T.C.	around the clock
a.u.	auris utraque	both ears
bis	bis	twice
b.d./b.i.d.	bis in die	twice daily
B.M.	bowel movement
bol.	bolus	as a large single dose (usually intravenously)
B.S.	blood sugar
B.S.A	body surface areas
BUCC	bucca	inside cheek
cap., caps.	capsula	capsule
c, c.	cum	with (usually written with a bar on top of the "c")
cib.	cibus	food
cc	cum cibo	with food, (but also cubic centimetre)
cf	with food
comp.	compound
cr., crm	cream
CST 1 1	1 1	Continue same treatment 1 1
D5W	dextrose 5% solution (sometimes written as D5W)
D5NS	dextrose 5% in normal saline (0.9%)
D.A.W.	dispense as written (i.e., no generic substitution)
dc, D/C, disc	discontinue
dieb. alt.	diebus alternis	every other day
dil.	dilute
disp.	dispersible or dispense
div.	divide
d.t.d.	dentur tales doses	give of such doses
D.W.	distilled water
elix.	elixir
e.m.p.	ex modo prescripto	as directed
emuls.	emulsum	emulsion
et	et	and
eod	every other day
ex aq	ex aqua	in water
fl., fld.	fluid
ft.	fiat	make; let it be made
g	gram
gr	grain
gtt(s)	gutta(e)	drop(s)
H	hypodermic
h, hr	hora	hour
h.s.	hora somni	at bedtime
ID	intradermal
IM	intramuscular (with respect to injections)
inj.	injectio	injection
IP	intraperitoneal
IV	intravenous
IVP	intravenous push
IVPB	intravenous piggyback
L.A.S.	label as such
LCD	coal tar, coal tar solution
lin	linimentum	liniment
liq	liquor	solution
lot.	lotion
mane	mane	in the morning
M.	misce	mix
m, min	minimum	a minimum
mcg	microgram
more dicto utendus	to be used as directed
mEq	milliequivalent
mg	milligram
mist.	mistura	mix
mitte	mitte	send
mL	millilitre
nebul	nebula	a spray
N.M.T.	not more than
noct.	nocte	at night
non rep.	non repetatur	no repeats
NS	normal saline (0.9%)
1/2NS	half normal saline (0.45%)
N.T.E.	not to exceed
o_2	both eyes, sometimes written as o2
o.d.	oculus dexter	right eye
o.p.d.	once per day
o.s.	oculus sinister	left eye
o.u.	oculus uterque	both eyes
oz	ounce
per	per	by or through
p.c.	post cibum	after meals
pig./pigm.	pigmentum	paint
p.m.	post meridiem	evening or afternoon
PRN, pm	pro re nata	as needed
p.o.	per os	by mouth or orally
p.r.	by rectum
pulv.	pulvis	powder
PV	per vaginam	via the vagina
q	quaque	every
q.a.d.	quoque alternis die	every other day
q.a.m.	quaque die ante meridiem	every day before noon
q.d.s.	quater die sumendus	four times a day
q.p.m.	quaque die post meridiem	every day after noon
q.h.	quaque hora	every hour
q.h.s.	quaque hora somni	every night at bedtime
q.1h, q.1°	quaque 1 hora	every 1 hour; (can replace "1" with other numbers)
q.d.	quaque die	every day
q.i.d.	quater in die	four times a day
q.o.d.	every other day
qqh	quater quaque hora	every four hours
q.s.	quantum sufficiat	a sufficient quantity
QWK	every week
R	rectal
rep., rept.	repetatur	repeats
RL, R/L

Ringer's lactate |

s	sine	without (usually written with a bar on top of the "s")
s.a.	secundum artum	use your judgement
SC, subc, subcut, subq, SQ	subcutaneous
sig	write on label
SL	sublingually, under the tongue
sol	solutio	solution
s.o.s., si op. sit	si opus sit	if there is a need
ss	semis	one half
stat	statim	immediately
supp	suppositorium	anal suppository
susp	suspension
syr	syrupus	syrup
tab	tabella	tablet
tal., t	talus	such
tbsp	tablespoon
troche	trochiscus	lozenge
tsp	teaspoon
t.i.d.	ter in die	three times a day
t.d.s.	ter die sumendum	three times a day
t.i.w.	three times a week
top.	topical
T.P.N.	total parenteral nutrition
tr, tinc., tinct.	tincture
u.d., ut. dict.	ut dictum	as directed
ung.	unguentum	ointment
U.S.P.	United States Pharmacopoeia
vag	vaginally
w	with
wf	with food (with meals)
w/o	without
X	times
Y.O.	years old

Infections

If cleanliness is not adhered to, infection can set in. It is not a pretty sight. Bacteria, fungi, and all manner of critters feed on human flesh. Your skin protects you from most of this. But.. a simple cut, non-sterile techniques when using bandages, and even plain bad luck can mean a bit of inconvenience and trouble!

Infections

If the infection is making you feel sick, go to a clinic or emergency room! If there is a red streak going up your arm or leg or the lymph nodes swell up when you have an infected wound this is a sign of an advanced infection again get help! Some infections require intravenous antibiotics pills are not enough and to not get them may kill you once the infection gets systemic in your blood.

Prevent Infection

Washing Hands frequently.

Bathe at least once every two days and change clothes and bedding frequently. Particularly socks and underwear. Never re-wear clothes, especially socks.

NEVER touch exposed tissue or anything that penetrates tissue with unsterilized surfaces. Use latex or nitrile gloves. Nitrile gloves are more expensive but better made and no one is allergic to it.

ONLY putting sterile things in tissue. This includes tap water, reused needles, etc.

Be careful with handling of bodily waste and fluids.

Antibiotics

If you need antibiotics for an infection or illness and you really know what you are doing there is currently (2007) an exemption for veterinary fish antibiotics. These are available both at pet stores and online. Do research and find about the brand before buying. Some just divert regular meds from the human antibiotic supply chain. You can run the numbers found on the pills to find out more. If the antibiotics are expired it is usually not a problem it will just be less effective two or more years after the printed expiration date, the exception is tetracyclene which becomes somewhat toxic. Obtain a few bottles or packs of these meds before you or a friend needs them; this is better than being unable to find a free clinic or depending on unresearched stuff from the neighborhood pet shop.

Urinary Tract and Bladder Infections

If you have cloudy urine, pain in urination and frequent need to urinate you likely have a urinary tract infection. The most likely cause is you have become dehydrated, even in cool weather, you need to drink more clean water. If these are the only symptoms try chugging water and pure (unsweetened) cranberry juice or crushed cranberries, if you can't get unsweetened cranberry juice you can add lemon juice or vineger to your water to make it very tart, this will acidify your urine and help fight the infection, sugar in you food or drinks will just feed the infection. Orange juice in very large doses will help too.

If you begin to feel abdominal or lower back pain, blood in the urine, fever or chills, or worse yet swelling of the feet or face you are in trouble, the infection has gotten to the bladder and possibly the kidneys, you need antibiotics NOW!

Boils and Abscesses

Infected Sores are cased by bacteria getting into wound or pocket of flesh. Most of the time this is caused by an organism know as "staff" or Staphylococcus. There also are mutated forms of staff like MRSA that are very resistant and are spread to touch and is resistant to all except IV antibiotics. Other infectious bugs like E Coli also exist. Infection is spread through wash areas, hands, dirty clothes, dirty bed sheets, putting unsterile equipment and substances into exposed body tissue, and sometimes poor hospital care.

Deep Abscesses are common in IV drug users, but stepping on a nail or getting a deep thorn or wood sliver wound can cause them too. You may need antibiotics.

Boils are located on skin near buttocks, thighs, and sometimes other areas are from staff getting in hair follicles.

Decubitus is a abscess common on bedbound patients who can not move in bed. It can get worse if the patient must use diapers or sweats a lot. It starts as a red spot then gradually the bacteria eats through the skin into muscle and bone within a few weeks time. Someone with this needs skilled care and must be turned every two hours and may need frequent bandage changes and heavy antibiotics.

They can be painful, can have a foul odor, be accompanied by fever and produce puss.

You can treat these by:

Use warm (salted if possible) water to soak, soften, and remove infected yellow scabs.

This is an example of a simple boil caused from infected hair follicles.

p§A hardcore heroin addict who had had several abscesses, picked on them, and created scar tissue. Do not use tap water to inject anything! Tap water has bacteria.

A hardcore heroin addict who had had several abscesses, picked on them, and created scar tissue. Do not use tap water to inject anything! Tap water has bacteria.

This is stage 4 decubitus. Usually this is limited to older bed bound who are incontinent. If you are caring for an older revolutionary, be sure to turn them every two hours. The worst cases can even eat through bone!

Leave the sores open to the air or cover with light dry bandages

You can apply topical antibiotic (like Neosporin and the like) or vinegar

Watch for swollen lymph nodes or lines running up your infection this is a danger sign, you need a doctor and antibiotics.

Don't scratch on infected sores or around them, it can spread the infection to other parts of your body.

Put a hot compress on the wound as often as possible or give it a hot soak several times a day.

Let the abscess break itself open and drain the pus

NEVER try to pop or squeeze an abscess! it can cause a local infection to go into the blood!

Do NOT sit in one place on the abscess for extended periods of time. Turn from side to side.

Tooth Abscesses

If you get a cavity that becomes a tooth abscess and no dentist or hospital emergency room will see you, try to at least get on antibiotics. The tooth will probably have to come out before the infection destroys your jaw, spreads to your other teeth, gives you blood poisoning or an infection that can spread to your skull, bones or even your brain (Yes, really). If the old string pull method doesn't work, look for a strong friend and a filed down dull horizontal side cutter wire snips that will grip around the base of a molar. Take all the tooth parts and put them back together if it breaks apart, you need to get the parts out. Once the tooth is out the socket can also be infected, it is important that the skin be able to close and heal over the empty tooth socket.

Brush Your Teeth

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so remember to brush and floss your teeth every day. If you don't have or prefer not to use fluoride toothpaste, use baking soda or salt. If you don't have dental floss, use sewing thread. If you don't have a toothbrush, use a clean finger or chew the end of a twig to make a little brush. The single most important factor is to rinse your mouth after meals and to stay hydrated so your natural cleaning system can work. TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY: Abscess' were once the single biggest cause of adult death. If it is abscessed, you need antibiotics and competent care.

DIY Toothpaste

(From Kyle Bravo's Making Stuff and Doing Things )

2 tablespoons Calcium Carbonate (also known as Chalk. Available from pottery stores. You can also take unflavored, sugarless antacid tablets and crush them into powder.)

1 tablespoon Baking Soda/Sodium Bicarbonate

1 to 2 teaspoons Glycerin (Vegetarians note: You'll want to use "Vegetable Glycerin")

1/2 teaspoon unsweetened flavoring (Oil of Peppermint, Cinnamon, Fennel, etc.)

A small amount of water to moisten everything

Mix together and keep in an air-tight container. A reusable squeeze tube from a camping store will do perfectly.

DIY Oral Rinse

Take equal parts Hydrogen Peroxide and Drinking Water, mix and store in a clean plastic bottle. Take a small amount in your mouth, swirl it around for about a minute (including around your gums), then spit. It tastes bad, but it will work.

Dental Schools

While probably not good for emergencies, major cities with Dental Colleges do need patients for the students to practice on. You will have a screening to be accepted. If accepted, you can get dental work done for a greatly reduced price or even free, if they use you for boards. Expect them to take their own sweet time, though. Also, do not cancel appointments or they will drop you from the program.

Fungal Infections

Athlete's foot, Jock itch, and head ringworm are actually caused by the tinea fungus. It loves to grow in dark, moist places and feast on flesh and skin. The actual medical term differs as to it's location: for example, tinea pedis is the name for when it is on the feet, for example. Tinea is spread through public showers, unwashed bed linen, touching one affected area to another, rewearing socks and underwear, and by contact with another infected person. Try not to scratch your feet then crotch area without washing hands as you may give yourself jock itch as well. If left untreated, cracks can develop between toes, letting bacterial infection and abscesses like described above happen in addition to the fungal infection. This is particularly dangerous for those with diabetes since their feet tend to sweat more and they heal more slowly, even to the point of needing amputations in rare cases!

This is a pretty bad case of athlete's foot. Notice the skin breaks between the toes. Bacteria can get in here as well causing an bacterial abscess as well as the original fungal infection.

Eliminating the Tinea Fungus

Wash all bed linens, clothes, socks, etc. nightly until the infestation has gone away.

Throw out old shoes. If this is not possible, use Goldbond Foot Powder or Baking Soda to draw out moisture and kill the fungus.

Rotate shoes and always wear socks!

Treat the foot with an anti-fungal cream.

Do not share towels! Dry your feet after each shower, especially between the toes.

After you have gotten rid of this, be sure to keep your feet dry. Keep cheap baking soda around and put some in your shoes.

If you have diabetes and your foot begins to look black where the athletes foot is, see a doctor soon.

Digestive System Bacterial Infections

While merely an inconvenience to healthy folks, digestive system infections can mean severe illness and even death to the elderly or infirmed. As with all other infections, all of these can be prevented by washing your hands, especially after eating or toileting.

Clostridium difficile

This is a real problem in the elderly and very sick. It spreads through touching infected stool. C. Diff is the natural enemy of helpful bacteria already in the intestines like E. Coli. It spreads there until it takes over the intestines leaving room for nothing else. It makes your crap very watery and very sticky, hoping to cling to anything so it can spread and thrive. Symptoms include bloating, severe diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Hospitals and nursing home facitlities that do not practice good hand washing and isolation procedures have been known to have outbreaks of this stuff infecting up to half the facility.

E. Coli

Yes, we did just mention that E. Coli is a naturally occurring bacteria in your intestines and the intestines of most warm blooded mammals. It does fine there as long as it stays there, helping to finish digesting food. However, if it gets out and into someplace it can be consumed orally - like a restaurant worker who prepares food after not washing his/her hands and letting it sit to grow on the food, it can make folks very sick. Most folks call this a stomach virus, even though this is a bacterial deal, not a viral deal. This is the cause of most cases of food poisoning.

Salmonella

Salmonella is yet another "stomach virus" that causes food poisoning. It is spread by contact between cooked food and frozen food, the crap of infected humans or animals, standing water (even water on a counter not wiped up) left for a long period at room temperature, bad food preparation, and other bad food handling practices. Salmonella can survive for weeks outside a living body. They have been found in dried excrement after more than 2.5 years and is NOT destroyed by freezing .

Treatment

With most food poisoning and other intestinal illnesses, the only cure is to vomit and poo the stuff out until you feel better. However, if you do not feel better within a few days, you may need to go to a hospital.

Common Illnesses

There are a myriad of ailments that we all get from time to time. Most of these are, but simple but can turn ugly fast without proper care. Many of them have no real cure, just doctors who prescribe drugs to stop the symptoms. There is no substitute for the Human immune system, though, and once you've beaten a disease once you'll be less susceptible to it later. However, if home remedies don't work or you develop an allergic reaction, you should see a professional.

Rules for Illness

There are some common sense rules for every illness that should be followed:

Stay warm. Cold weakens your system, and generally makes the illness that much more unpleasant. Bundle up, keep the heat on or the fire going, and eat lots of hot nutritious foods.

Stay Dry. Dampness promotes growth of molds on the walls and in your stuff, it also robs you of warmth even in bed, try to find a reasonably dry place to sit out your illness and keep your place clean and dry if possible, air out your room every day to get rid of the damp boggy air. It might be you are in an overly dry room, this is a problem too, set a pot of water near your heater or hang a damp towel over your radiator.

Stay home. We understand that this is difficult, if not impossible for some people. Employers hate it when people call in sick, and this can lose you a job if you're not careful. A good rule of thumb is that if you're in the food service industry and have a fever, you are infecting everyone who eats what your restaurant serves. Remind your employer of this. When vomit enters the picture, most employers will send you home anyway to avoid a potentially disgusting scene. If there is absolutely no chance of staying home, many employers will tell you to take it easy. If they ask for a doctor's note, you may have to go in. If so, play up the sick person role. If you look like the living dead, you're likely to be sent home. Remember that no employer worth his stars wants sick customers or employees. You can always offer to breathe/vomit on your employer. This is surprisingly effective.

Eat up. You probably won't be hungry, but you need your strength to fight the disease. Avoid junk foods like the plague, but get lots of proteins and vitamins. Vegetables and meats (or other proteins for our vegetarian brothers and sisters) are key.

Go to bed. Once you are home, sleep as much as you can and lounge around. If you have chores and homework to consider, do the absolute minimum and go back to sleep. It's likely you won't have much energy anyway, but don't force yourself to be up and about. Your life is best put on hold for a few days.

Antibiotics are a LAST RESORT! Don't use these unless nothing else is working. If you have to use them, use everything that the doctor gives you even if you start feeling better. The stronger bacteria take longer to kill, and if you don't use the whole prescription they'll be the ones that survive and breed into a resistant disease. Antibiotics breed stronger diseases, and kill the good bacteria in your body, weakening your natural defenses. This holds true for those antibiotic soaps and lotions, too. Avoid them.

Get it out. If your illness involves diarrhea, vomiting, runny nose, sweating, or other bodily purging, this is your body pushing the germs out. Let it do it's thing. You'll need to keep hydrated, and in bad cases you'll need electrolytes. Gatorade and clear sodas (Sprite, 7-up) are recommended by many doctors. Drink a lot. If you're vomiting you'll need your nutrients. Your blood sugar can drop quickly, but the aforementioned drinks will help there. Stick to clear liquids and broths for a day or two, then move to toast, rice, and bananas and work your way up.

Don't get sick in the first place. Keep a balanced diet, sleep, and keep as little stress as possible. If your immune system is strong, you won't need the rest of the advice. Eat lots of garlic and onions. All of the alliums (onions, garlic, chives. . . ) are loaded with goodies that boost your defenses.

Influenza

First, there should be a note on Swine Flu. Unless the patient is elderly or very young, there isn't much more danger than there is in a normal flu. That said, normal influenza kills many people every year. We don't want you dead.

There is no such thing as a 24-hour flu. These are usually mild cases of food poisoning, and just need to be purged. Let yourself vomit. Go to bed.

If someone you're close to gets the flu, you already have it. You are contagious for at least a day (or five, depending on who you ask) before symptoms appear. Get your supplies now and get ready.

If you have been exposed, get supplies as soon as you start feeling off. Even a sore throat is a warning sign. Drink about a gallon of orange juice in the first 24 hours if you can, and go straight to bed. Don't get up if you can help it. These days, few employers or teachers will grudge you a few sick days for the flu. Eat lots of fresh garlic and onion in your food. This is a good excuse for Italian food, as if we need it. After a day or so of sinus trouble, this may be all you can taste.

If you get a fever, try to break a sweat. Use an electric blanket, or drink something hot and wrap up in a comforter. This is the fever breaking, and sweating the viruses away. As soon as it breaks, take as hot a shower as you can stand to wash it all away. Try for clean bedding if you can after that. You'll probably have to do this a few times. IF your fever gets higher than 102 degrees, 100 for a child, or you start uncontrollably shaking, get to the doctor or emergency room NOW. After a fever gets too high it can febrile seizures. Brain damage and death are close behind.

After the flu has run it's course, many people notice a vile odor in their space. Healthy people can recognize the odor on the infected. We don't know what it is, but we recognize it. We recommend getting it out as soon as you have the strength. You'll have to wash all of the fabrics used while ill, including clothing and linens. Air out your living space for a few minutes. Take out your garbage.

Other Illnesses

There are a variety of other bugs that are a bit more serious than the common cold or flu that need to be discussed in brief. Many of these have symptoms that resemble the flu at first, but can be a bit more serious.

Chicken Pox/Varicella

Good thing is if you catch this in childhood, you are immune to it for the rest of your life. Bad thing is, if you get this as an adult, it is a major pain in the ass. Varicella is highly contagious and is accompanied by fever, weakness, and nausea. Characteristic "pox" or blisters form over many parts of the body. The infectious period lasts until all the blisters have dried out and scabbed over, so if you have not had this illness, you may want to avoid being around folks who have it until it happens. Health clinics do sell a vaccine to prevent this. However, the vaccine is expensive. It requires a series of two to three shots at a cost of 90 USD to 120 USD apiece and is usually only purchased by medical staff.

Pneumonia

This is when the insides of the lungs become swollen from a virus or bacteria spreading there. It can also be caused by an injury to the lung, some parasites, and exposure to some molds or chemicals. A bad cough, fever, difficulty breathing, and chest pains are all symptoms. Depending on how bad the condition is, you may need antibiotics.

Tuberculosis or TB

TB has gotten a lot of press as of late. Basically, it is a strain of bacteria that gets in the lungs (or sometimes other areas) of the body and spreads through coughing, sneezing, and mucous from it's host. Left untreated, this can kill up to half of the folks that get this. It is also the reason that the back of OTC cough syrups always state if you have blood in the stuff you cough up or have a cough lasting more than week to see a doctor. Classic symptoms are night sweats, really bad cough, high fever, blood in spit, and weight loss. But, sometime folks can be merely carriers and have TB with no symptoms. Most clinics do offer a simple test for TB called the TB skin test. It costs 20 USD to 40 USD. They inject a substance right below the skin and ask you to come back a day or so later. If the spot they injected you becomes red and swollen, they then give you a chest X-ray to rule out or confirm TB. TB can be very hard to get rid of once you get it.

Parasites

Lice

When living in communal situations it takes only one person to bring lice to everyone. This rule especially applies to kids. You are less likely to get infested if you don't share combs or hats but most of all a buzz haircut gives the little guys no place to hide or attach eggs. You can use several different essential oils such as rosemary or eucalyptus to drive/kill the bugs off or use a shampoo from a pharmacy which is almost as effective but cheaper. kerosene was an old school treatment to kill lice and eggs but the danger of a horrible death in flames should there be a spark makes this method unreasonable to the point of insanity. Vinegar dissolves the glue lice use to secure their eggs but often takes several treatments and then washing with soap or shampoo. A few drops of olive oil combed into long hair prevents the lice from gluing their eggs down. The best all around method is to purchase a lice comb before you start out, they are tiny and if used daily will remove any lice as they hatch and keep them out if you get colonized, lice combs are cheap and available at any pharmacy worldwide.

Giardia

Giarditis is a waterborne illness sometimes found in the wilderness from animals defecating in the water but more commonly in urban areas and places with dysfunctional water and sewer treatment systems. Giardia can be killed with a medication called Metronidazole or Flagyl but you can avoid the cramping and diarrhea by filtering or boiling water form a questionable source. Bottled water is also a good way to avoid this and other waterborne illness but be sure to break the seal yourself some restaurants will refill water bottles from the polluted tap and resell.

Injuries

Injuries are a painful reality for most at some point in most people's lives. Broken bones, cuts, black eyes, concussions all await those who are unlucky, careless, or stupid. Many folks are at a loss of what to do, but since you are reading Free Medical Care, you can be a revolutionary first aid medic.

NOT Getting Injured

A ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Falls are the #1 cause of injury. Watch your step for slippery stuff and hidden obstacles (especially if you are an elder or care for one - falls and old folks is like Colonel Sanders is to chicken. Most die or start going way downhill shortly after if they are frail.)

Do not be drunk and high or be a dumb ass around heavy machinery, weapons, or vehicles.

Avoid stupid fights (if you CAN avoid them)and situations that may put you in fights.

Buckle your seat belt and be certain it's correctly fastened!.

Be careful around workplace hazards like hot fryer grease, chemicals, dangerous equipment, heights, and unsafe conditions. Make sure all equipment is safe and in working order! No paycheck is worth your life. Especially, if the job is not paying your insurance.

Cuts, Punctures, and Lacerations

Good news is that most minor cuts do not need a doctor. Good sized cuts probably need stitches to keep the wound closed and keep infection from getting into the deep tissues. However, for deep lacerations and punctures like knife wounds, you may need surgery if any damage is done to internal organs.

Cuts vary in severity according to how deep past the skin they go and long they are. A cut like this one probably requires stitches. He will even have to wrap the hand in plastic while bathing until the wound has completely closed up, even with stitches.

Cuts and Lacerations in general:

Stop that bleeding!! Most minor cuts will usually stop by themselves. However, sometimes they do not if the cut is across a vein, the patient is diabetic, or the patient has thin blood or low blood platelet count. Apply gentle pressure continuously for 20 to 30 minutes. Elevate the wound, if you can. Don't keep checking to see if the bleeding has stopped as this may damage or dislodge the clot that's forming and cause bleeding to resume. If you see blood spurting out or the bleeding continues even after maintaining pressure, seek a doctor immediately! This may mean a good sized blood vessel or even (in worst cases) organ is hit and requires someone who knows what the hell they are doing with special equipment to go in there (and is out of the scope of Free Medical Care). Never tourniquet especially with improvised things like belts, rags, or cord this could lead to vascular damage and loss of the whole limb, instead apply pressure to the arterial area of the arm or leg if direct pressure is inefective. Bleeding all over the place is not only messy and inconvenient, it can lead to loss of consciousness, low blood pressure and high heart rate, difficulty breathing, and ultimately death. If there is a lot of blood lost, the patient may need a transfusion as soon as possible.

Clean the wound. Once it is sure that no one is going to die in a pool of blood, you need to clean it. Get a sterile cloth and rinse out the wound with clear water. Do not use soap as this can irritate the wound. Never use hydrogen peroxide on a fresh open cut because while it may kill bacteria, it will also kill living cell tissue and may dissolve the clot. If dirt or debris remains in the wound after washing, use sterile tweezers cleaned with alcohol to remove the particles. If you still can not get debris out, or if the debris is something like broken glass, get a doctor. Stuff like that left in after the wound closes can lead to deep infections or worse. Be sure to clean around the wound as well.

With serious, complex lacerations like this, pressure to the area of the wound is not going to stop the bleeding. In this case, apply arterial pressure to the upper part of the limb, armpit area on the arm and the groin area on the legs. Get to a doctor soon, as major blood vessels are severely damaged along with muscle function and bones.

Apply an antibiotic. Neosporin is awesome. As we mentioned in The Free Pharmacy , every serious revolutionary medic should have this in their first aid kit. Contrary to advertisements, neosporin does not make the wound heal faster, but merely kills infection.. Never put any ointments inside a wound or on a deep puncture wound!! We have seen allergic reactions to ointments in the past, but it is rare. If you see a rash, discontinue use.

Bandage. Apply the right sized bandage to the wound. Of course, if no bandage is available, you can wrap it with the cleanest cloth or towel whatever you can find. However, if you do use improvised "bandages", switch to sterile bandages and clean the area again as soon as possible to avoid infection. Try to change the bandage every other day. If it is a newer bad cut or recent surgery, try not to get it wet in the bathtub. Wrap the area up with waterproof plastic as tap water contains numerous bacteria if you absolutely need to bathe. Like with tourniquets never wrap tightly with tape or even tape all the way around an arm or leg, swelling can make this very tight cutting off blood and causing damage or even loss of a limb.

Get stitches if the cut is deep. Deep lacerations often will not close without help. The skin is your best defense against infection and an open wound lets nasty things bypass this. If you cant get stitches right away butterfly bandages available in the same area of the store as bandages will hold many lacerations closed until you get to a doctor, if they wont stick try cleaning the area near the wound with alcohol swabs, you can superglue the edges of a butterfly dressing away from the wound if it will be in use for a few days or it just wont stick.

Watch out for infection. Sometimes even with the best precautions, nasty bugs can get inside the wound. If you see any redness, increasing pain, drainage, warmth, or swelling see a doctor. If the wound is not healing, see a doctor as well.

http://wiki.stealthiswiki.org/wiki/Injuries 2/5

You may need a tetanus shot. Deep wounds or dirty wounds like stepping on rusty nails are particularly bad for this. Even if you may have had this earlier in life, medical professionals recommend you get boosters every 10 years or so. Try to get this as soon as you can after the wound.

Broken Bones

Bones that are shattered in many areas need a special appliance to heal correctly. The example above is an external appliance. Sometimes internal appliances are surgically placed and then removed a few months later after the bones have healed.

Bones that are shattered in many areas need a special appliance to heal correctly. The example above is an external appliance.

Sometimes internal appliances are surgically placed and then removed a few months later after the bones have healed.

The medical term for broken bones is fractures. It is recommended, that a doctor with access to X-rays, appliances and prosthetic devices (if the fracture is really bad), and experience in bone setting is reached as soon as possible. Bones can be broken any number of ways. Sometimes, it is just one clean break in one area which may or may not stick out of the skin. Breaks that stick out of the skin are complex fractures and those that do not are called simple fractures. More serious cases involve where bones can be shattered into many pieces, chipped off into the body or a joint, and even driven into one another!

Of course, if the person is not breathing or there is no heartbeat - begin CPR.

Stop that Bleeding! As we mentioned in Cuts, Punctures, and Lacerations bleeding to death sucks. Sometimes bones can penetrate the skin and cause bleeding. Other times, the patient will have cuts as well as broken bones. Apply a tourniquet if you need to. Light pressure can be used if there is a bone sticking out but be careful.. this hurts like hell.

If you believe a neck is broken or a back, you need some kind of neck brace (pictured) and a back board. Do not attempt this without medical training like EMT-Basic, higher level CNA, or higher training where you can practice the safe way to do this with experienced folks.

Avoid moving the patient to prevent further injury. This is very important if a back or neck has been broken. If the back or neck is broken, you need special equipment like neck braces or back braces to safely move the patient. Otherwise, you may increase the chance of permanent paralysis .

Splints. These can help immobilize some fractures, particularly limb fractures. Grab two thin pieces of wood or whatever and a string or a store bought emergency splint. Apply this splint to the area above and below the fracture sites. Padding the splints can help reduce discomfort. Only do this if there is no professional help, because if done wrong, you can mess someone up.

Get ice packs. This reduces swelling and some discomfort. Plastic ziplock bags or even grocery store bags can make quick ice packs. Wrap these in a towel, though, because if it touches the skin too long it is painful.

Shock. Many times, breaking bones induces shock in patients. You can tell they are in shock because they are feeling faint and breathing rapid, short breaths. lay the patient down with the head slightly lower than the rest of the body. Elevate the legs, if you can.

Traction. If you break a hip, you may need traction to separate the thigh bone from the hip to let it heal.

The time needed for bones to heal varies. With small hairline cracks, this can be a few weeks. For serious stuff like broken hips or shattered bones, you could be looking at months to a year. Even when a serious fracture like that heals, you can still be looking at a limp or arthritis much later in life. Just be careful and try not to let your bones hit anything harder than it.

Burns

Burns come from fire, hot grease, and chemicals. The more serious ones can be permanently scarring and lifethreatening. Burns are categorized according to how much flesh is consumed.

First Degree Burns. This is where just the top layer of the skin is singed. Usually, all the patient has to go through is a bit of redness, some pain and swelling, and being hypersensitive to touching stuff. With minor burns, all that needs to be done is to cool the burn under cold, running water. Then, just bandage it loosely and take an Alleve or aspirin if you need to. There is a slight chance for pigment changes on those with dark skin. If the first degree burn takes up large areas of the body, though... you still need a doctor.

Second Degree Burns. This is where the second layer of skin gets burned into. With second degree, you will start seeing blisters and may have even more pain. Use cold water and bandage just like first degree burns. With these burns, though, your skin which protects you from infections is compromised. You need to look out for signs of infections, too. Also, if it covers large areas of the body, seek help.

Third Degree Burns. This results from extended contact with fire and being nearly burnt alive. Not only is the skin gone, but entire parts of muscles, nerves, and veins may be nothing but black soot and ash. If someone gets this badly burned, they need a doctor immediately! But, until then, remember this:

Make sure nothing is still smoldering on the person like burning clothes. Wet them down or use a fire extinguisher.

Do not pull off the burnt clothing! You could very well pull off pieces of flesh that can be saved. Let a doctor with steady hands and equipment do this.

Unlike with lesser burns, you do not want to soak this in cold water . Doing so can result in hypothermia and shock!

Of course, check for breathing and pulse. If none of these are present, use CPR.

Raise the burnt parts of the body above heart level.

Use cool, moist towels or bandages to cover the burn area.

Do not use creams like neopsporin or aloe vera on a second or third degree burn.

Trench Foot

Affected feet become numb and then turn red or blue. As the condition worsens, they may swell. Advanced immersion foot often involves blisters and open sores, which lead to fungal infections; this is sometimes called jungle rot. If left untreated, immersion foot usually results in gangrene, which can require amputation. If immersion foot is treated properly, complete recovery is normal, though it is marked by severe short-term pain when feeling is returning. Be careful in cold conditions if your feet get wet constantly because this can combine with frostbite and really mess a patient up. Immersion of the foot is easily prevented by keeping the feet warm and dry, and changing socks three to four times a day when the feet cannot be kept dry. As quickly as possible get to a warm dry place where you can keep the feet elevated.

Frost Bite

Frost bite is the result of freezing fluids in the body. Most at risk are the fingers toes and ears followed by other parts of the extremities. DO NOT RUB OR SLAP FROZEN EXTREMITIES this will greatly reduce the chance of successful recovery. Get to a hospital for treatment. If there is no possibility of proper hospital care thaw the frozen areas in lukewarm water only if there is no chance of refreezing , this will be very painful. There is a danger of gangrene and some damage might need to be amputated. There has been some recent clinical success in using leaches to draw blood through damaged capillaries to the finger and toe tips.

Mental Illness

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstien

The Human mind is only now beginning to be slightly understood by psychologists, sociologists, and therapists. Corpgov still prefers to intern most of the severely mentally ill in prison labor camps. BigMed turns it's nose up at any treatment that does not have some pill needed to be "normal" for the rest of one's life. And, Corporations and Landlords still send many to live on The Street . It can help to be well versed about things dealing with the mind and head off most of these before it gets severe. Without one's mind, all other endeavors are futile.

Psychology Basics

Early Psychology should not be taken too seriously. Sigmond Frued was a coke head, Carl Jueng studied dreams too much, and their apprentice Wilhelm Reich got kicked out of all legitimate psychology circles by trying to tie orgasms to health and sell devices increasing "orgone" energy. Most of the early work in the field is now widely regarded as superstition and the occult.

There are still many cases where drugs combined with therapy is the best method. Of course, when we talk of drugs, we are not just talking BigMed drugs. Exercise also releases chemicals that can often straighten out some of the less severe mental conditions! Recent research has now discovered different genetics can predispose some to real, physical abnormalities that cause these "brain locks" and may need medicine or avoid certain foods and activities. If someone is locked into behaviors that they can not snap out of, pop psychology may not be able to help them. They need a professional. For example: There is no "positive thinking" for someone with dementia, and medication is the only thing that helps schizophrenics.

Below, however, are the best tricks in their arsenal and have been "stolen" by some of the best motivational coaches, doctors, and writers of today.

Identity - This is "I Am." It is your internal name tag and can be a source of mental illness if conditions are wired to it. It is the ultimate meme. If you say to yourself "I am a loser, I am an addict, etc" the rest of the wiring in your brain will process this to make this happen. Also, internal statements like "I am a doctor, I am a garbage man, etc" can be bead if a wire goes from that to the wiring controlling happiness. If you lose that, you could be in trouble. On the other hand, "I am" can be used to change undesirable things, too, as long as there is no damage.

Movies - Normal brains can visualize and store any pattern they want and replay this at will. What most do not realize is that, barring no wiring damage, the movies can be altered, created, and erased at will.

State - This is how you feel can affect the way thoughts become actions. Contrary to popular belief, states can be changed at will with practice. States can also be changed with drugs with the disadvantage of not being able to control when the drug wears off. This is also known as "anger management", emotional intelligence, self control, and maturity.

Principles and Beliefs - Hard coded rule sets in the mind that are not changed often.

Thoughts, Actions, Habits, Character. According to Covey, Thoughts become actions. As these actions become done more, the brain makes more wires to make it a habit. After a habit gets wired strong enough over an extended period of time, it becomes part of a person's character and can attach to identity, beliefs, and every other area. These can be helpful, neutral, or life threatening!

Pain and Pleasure. Rational minds always seek to go towards pleasure and away from pain. However, the brain can associate and attach pleasure to things that are ultimately painful.

Associations. The brain wires images and thoughts with feelings, much like a DNS server to a website

Do not read too much into it, though. As we mention in Free College Life the study of psychology is an interesting one, if not delved in too deeply.

A quick word on NLP, PUA, and other pop psychology movements

In the 1980s, Richard Bandler and John Grinder elaborated on the previous Transactional Analysis theories to come up with Nuero Linguistic Programming. It is definitely worth a read into, if you like psychology topics. However, while NLP does have valid points and good insights into motivation and the way people use language, it is no magic fix. Recent repackaged uses include everything from being a foolproof method for single guys to pick up women to ways to increase volume for commission salesmen! Like any "religion", take the good things from NLP and discard the hogwash designed only to sell books. If anything, it is only a way to look at how the brain associates things with each other and changing those associations.

Addiction

Addiction is a compulsive disorder. With some drugs, it is also a physical dependence. Free Dope has more on getting clean, if you are dealing with this. Be aware that many times, the more severe addictions are paired with mental illness.

Depression

Depression can be a real bummer. You can also be depressed and not even know about it. The world takes on a shade of colorless grey, and nothing - even things that used to provide joy, matter. You may find yourself laying in bed and sleeping more than usual. In extreme cases, you may have thoughts of suicide or cry uncontrollably. Let's talk about some of the more common depressions.

Curing Depression in General

Get out! Sunlight produces vitamin D, which is known to fight depression.

Exercise. An aerobic work-out produces endorphines which can counter depression and restore brain chemical balance.

Do not dwell on mistakes. Sometimes, we can play bad movies in our head showing failures over and over. It is possible to change these movies through visualization. Next time you play the bad movie, practice changing the colors and scenes to something humorous.

Yes, life sucks! But, focus on what can be achieved. Do not make rules for yourself like "I can not be happy unless...." Be happy now.

Many drugs like alcohol are depressants. In addition, cocaine and crack have a very high high followed by a severe depression. Avoid these drugs if you are prone to feeling down.

If your mind is trapped and none of these tricks work, a competent doctor can prescribe drugs that can force your mind out of depressive patterns. Make sure to ask the doctor if it is possible to not need this medicine for a lifetime and only use the medicine as an opportunity to re-wire your head.

Remember if you feel shitty at night, your best bet is to go to sleep. Sleeping early is okay: you'll feel better the next day from the rest, and your mind cleans itself up overnight.

Winter Blues

Unless you are in a tropical location winter is the hardest time to survive any of our alternative or low income housing strategies. Besides freezing our asses off and dealing with moisture, mold, and illness there is another problem that often leads to many depression, drug use, and even suicide.

This is why people feel so shitty around late October through November. Work or school combined with daylight savings time means that we get more time to sit in a building under florescent lights while the sun is up. Less daylight means less time spent outside. Do your best to get out!

SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder strikes in the months of the year when clouds, short days, and staying indoors reduces our sunlight exposure. Even worse is when we are often forced to cover over our windows to prevent detection of our squats or to replace broken windows. Alternatively the cheapest apartment rooms often have little natural lighting denying needed sunlight.

SAD may set in so slowly you don't notice your sluggishness until you find yourself almost confined to bed or badly depressed. Here are some non corpgov drug treatments, if these don't work see a competent doctor or natural healer.

Spicy food is thought to increase endorphans giving a temporary break from the depression symptoms.

Full spectrum lighting, find light bulbs that produce full spectrum lighting known to help reduce SAD.

Light box, for the worst sufferers a prescription to spend half an hour or more every morning in front of a light box to stimulate the somatic centers of the brain. We knew a guy who made a portable lightbox setup, he stuck two bright white LED's in a pair of cheap sunglasses, he claimed they really helped when used in the morning during breakfast.

Exercise, we have found this to be the best answer, force yourself out every day for a run or long bike drive up several steep hills(whatever drives up your pulse), exposure to the sun and aerobic activity are both good treatments for SAD.

The English and Cascadians are famous for their rainy winters and their tea and coffee, caffeine runs up the metabolism and helps you wake up. Do not stay awake on caffeine for sustained periods of time.

Watch out if you are working on quitting a drug habit, this will be the hardest time of the year for most drugs even if you have been successful so far, plan ahead coping strategies.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder takes many forms. It is pretty much an anxiety disorder in which the person believes that certain things must be done almost on a ritual basis. It usually takes the form of intrusive thoughts that "urge" the person to do something over and over. Almost everybody has topics that they favor and things they are into or insist must be done, but the sick mind does this to unhealthy levels - sometimes ignoring everything else. The object of obsession can take almost any form! Everything from the old classic of washing hands until the hands bleed to being worried about damnation from the devil to even being unhealthily concerned with sex can all become obsessions. When these obsessions become actions that someone is compulsed or almost forced to do, it becomes OCD.

J^The 'shopping cart homeless" cliche is almost always from homeless suffering from a form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder called hoarding, where they have lost so much that they get violent and agitated if they must throw anything away - even if it is rotten food or trash.

The "shopping cart homeless" cliche is almost always from homeless suffering from a form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder called hoarding, where they have lost so much that they get violent and agitated if they must throw anything away - even if it is rotten food or trash.

Folks that have OCD are definitely not stupid. In fact, higher IQ is often a requirement for OCD.

Severe OCD sufferers often re-enforce the intrusive thoughts they have with delusions to justify their actions. For instance, an obsessive hoarder who can not even see the floor to his house will justify it by claiming to "be able to use this later", even if the item is worthless trash!

Fortunately, if caught early, this can be dealt with fairly easily. If the person can look at the outcome a bad behavior is causing and cope with the anxiety that results from not doing that action, eventually the anxiety goes away. However, if the behavior has gotten so strong that the anxiety is crippling, a doctor may be needed to give drugs to lessen the axiety until that person can overcome it on their own and learn better habits.

Manic-Depression

Manic Depression is a literal roller coaster ride through life. Everybody has highs and lows, but the manic depressives highs and lows are extreme. It is an imbalance affecting mood.

During a "manic" cycle, the person is on top of the world! Creativity is at a high. Less sleep is needed. Speech becomes clear and confident. Sometimes in the manic phase, delusions of grandeur can appear and the person can exhibit quite a bit of unwarranted self-importance. Some of the greatest artists in history like Beetoven suffered from this and created inspiring works of art during their manic cycle. However, at worst, the manic stage can make a few easily agitated and violent, if no controls have been placed.

The depressive side is like any other depression, sometimes worse. Nothing is worth doing. The person may dwell or feel sorry for what he/she has done while they were feeling "up". At worst, this can be a full-blown clinical depression with suicide attempts. The man who wrote the book that inspired this project, Abbie Hoffman, suffered manic depression all his life. In the end, his depressive state is what killed him. Despite being a best selling author and father of a vast culture-jamming movement, he committed suicide using a large amount of prescription pills.

The causes of this are still being looked into. There is evidence that this is genetic and has something to do with sleep patterns and being very sensitive to melatonin (brain chemical affecting sleep) and uppers like caffeine, taurine, and ritalin. If you are noticing cycles between moods, you may want to look at what you are taking in and how you are sleeping.

Doctors do have drugs that can stabilize the moods by blocking certain receptors that affect state. Of course, this is at the cost of losing the manic state. Many manic depressives stop taking their meds, thinking they are cured or believing life has become bland because of this. However, with the more severe sufferers, this just winds them back up in the hospital.

Relocation Stress Disorder/ Stress

Stress is a constant in life, but the worst stress is called Relocation Stress Syndrome. Now, before everyone claims "moving around does not phase me much", let's look at what publications list as the most stressful things in life.

Divorce / Breakup

Bereavement

House moving

Losing job

Wedding planning

Work

Kids / Family

Debt

Commuting

Studying for exams

Notice that most of these are related to or actually involve changing a location or your environment permanently. It can get so bad, that even elders in a nursing home will sometimes go ballistic if forced to move even across a hall in the same facility. The longer an environment has remained the same, the worse the anxiety gets.

Fortunately, there are ways to deal with stress and anxiety. If you breathe and exercise, this will affect you less because of the endorphines work-outs release. Also, if you become accustom to situations and can train your mind in how it deals with change and frustrations, the axiety can become less or nonexistent.

Dementia

We have all read short stories or comic books that talk about the "demented" bad guy. However, when used as a medical term, the word demented has a totally different meaning. If the bad guy was truly medically demented, he would not even know what day it was and may poop in his pants because he forgot how to use the toilet!

Dementia typically only affects older folks that have had strokes or have Alzheimer disease, Parkinsons, or other dementias. However, some drugs have dementia as a temporary side effect.

Symptoms of dementia include:

No short term memory. Long term memory of days past may still be intact.

No ability to keep track of time.

Not remembering names - even close family members.

Getting stuck on one idea and brain locked into not letting go of that idea. Example: Insisting folks are stealing from them, but the item that was "stolen" has not been owned for years or wanting to go home to a place the person has not lived in for decades.

If you find yourself needing to care for a relative or an old-timer revolutionary from a bygone era, constant redirection and constant observation is mandatory. Most folks with this illness must be placed in a locked down psych unit for the rest of their lives as the condition gets worse.

This has become an alarming epidemic amongst the elderly. There are massive lock-down facilities in every major city housing dozens and even hundreds of these patients. There is no cure, but it is believed that the cause of the disease is related to plaque on the brain choking out all stored memories. A vaccine is in the works for a few years away, but any damage that is done already is irreparable.

Delusions and Hallucinations

Delusions are "lies" the brain tells itself. Hallucinations are the lies taking visual form. Normal minds justify themselves all the time to reinforce habits and defend against things that threaten those habits. The delusion is when the reinforcement is totally out of touch with reality. Most of us have a construct of wiring in our head that compares reality to a belief and can sort things out. However, if the logic wiring harness is malfunctioning due to drugs, bad wiring, or brain damage from dementia, delusions can thrive.

A perfect example of malfunctioning wiring and delusions and hallucinations is this:

Imagine a dog sitting in the chair beside you. Some folks have powerful imaginations and can even give to color, size, and even put an odor to the dog. (That is, unless there is brain damage or some sort of mental retardation that affects the center of the brain that controls imagination!) Is the dog real? Of course it is not. Certain wiring in your head knows the difference between a thought and a real dog. If this wiring is suppressed or damaged, delusions and hallucinations come about. You would be unable to tell the dog in your head from an actual, real dog!

Delusions can also "stack" on top of other delusions and inject themselves into other areas of the mind, like the part controlling identity and perception. The guy in a psych ward who thinks he is Jesus is a classic example of a complex delusion that has become part of an identity.

”Magical Thinking" is another delusion. Usually this involves convincing one's self that merely thinking a certain pattern can change something in reality and if this reality does not change, then you need to "think" harder.

Most of the time, though, delusions are a bit more subtle. It is more like having a bad road map and trying to find a location but refusing to ask directions when lost. It is possible to be totally convinced of something and still be wrong. Just remember that no amount of belief can make something right.

Be careful to guard against bad information and delusions. Also, be cautious of what drugs you take as some of them have delusions and hallucinations as side effects... unless you are on some shamanistic journey, then be our guest. Just be sure the journey you embark on, you can come back from.

Beware that use of stimulants, smoking, alcohol, and weed are all going to offset your brain chemistry to increase the possibility of delusions and hallucination. Then again there are people who parachute a half gram of meth and are fine.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is when the brain wiring gets totally mis-wired. Delusions, compulsions, and hallucinations all coexist and thought patterns can not be focused at a single task at many times. The hallucinations are often auditory and can not be shut off. "Voices" which the normal mind associates with the helpful voice that tells them to wake up for work, reminds them to make a needed phone call, or get around to doing laundry can turn into something hostile or spout nonsense. The mental disorganization also carries over to appearance. Many times, someone who suffers from this will dress inappropriately and have disordered speech patterns -often using words out of context.

Usually, this disease onsets in the mid-twenties and can get worse as time goes on. There is no cure, as it is believed to be an actual, physical brain abnormality. However, certain treatments can stabilize this. More often, someone with schizophrenia must spend the rest of their lives on disability as it can severely impact daily life. Schizophrenics must be very careful what drugs they take. Even harmless drugs like pot can trigger episodes.

The cause of this disease is still under hot debate. Most doctors do agree that it is genetic. However, inconclusive studies have also been done implicating everything from early teen heavy alcohol abuse, what time of year born, and even early childhood drug use.

Pregnancy, Abortions, and Child Care

Giving birth is one of the revolutionary miracles of life. It can be source of great pride. However, for those too young or unprepared, can be a source of never ending struggle. Bear in mind, raising a child is VERY expensive. Make sure, if you can, that you use safe sex to avoid getting pregnant or making someone pregnant who will not be in it for the long haul. Having a child with another person ties you to them forever, regardless of how people change. That child will always remember who is mommy and who is daddy.

That said, we at STW have quite a bit of advice to help.

NOT Getting Pregnant

A chart showing the average 28 day period and fertile times. Do remember that sperm can live inside the vagina for up to seven days extending this to seven days before. Other factors can speed up or lengthen the cycle without prior knowledge. It can pay to keep up with this, if pregnancy is a concern.

The best way to not have to use the information on this page is to practice safe sex. Just because you are a male does not get you out of being responsible! If it helps any, it is a bit harder to get pregnant than the sex education classes let on. In fact, women can only get pregnant during certain times in their cycle. There are also fertility issues between both men and women. Some couples have to try hard to get pregnant while others get pregnant easily. Lets talk about the common methods used.

Don't have sex. While it may not be the funnest alternative, it has the added benefit of not attracting bad relationships with emotional attachments, not leaving yourself open to diseases, and not causing pregnancy before you are ready. While it is out of the scope of STW to give you advice on how to get women or men, we do encourage you not to give yourself bad self image or beat yourself up if you have been not getting laid or worse attracting someone who will bring you down. Everyone - even those who may be considered not attractive or shy - will have the chance at least once in life, barring extreme deformities or other rare issues. For the purposes of pregnancy this means oral, anal, and hand jobs for both sexes are not going to get anyone pregnant, but still may risk some STD's and other issues especially with anal.

Withdraw/ Pull out. This can work. However, if the woman is ovulating and any sperm leaks out, there is a possibility of getting pregnant.

Condom. Condoms are easy to get. Not only can you get this no questions asked in any store, they are literally giving these away in clinics and various programs if you look around. While no fun for some guys because of dulled sensations, the condom is readily obtainable and effective. Condoms are one of the few birth control methods that also protect against sexually transmitted diseases. It does have the disadvantages, though. Condoms can slide off if the penis becomes flaccid and is not pulled out right after ejaculation. Some cheaper condoms can also bust. Condoms can also break down if stored for long periods of time in hot places like wallets or car glove compartments. These should always be carried by BOTH boys and girls if sexual activity is likely.

Rhythm Method. If you have a uterus, you can keep track of when you ovulate and when periods arrive. Try not to have sex or use condoms if you do have sex seven days before and during the time you are fertile. This is not foolproof, though. Stress, some drugs, being around new females (it is scientific fact that ladies that work together and live together tend to adjust their cycles to match over time), some medical conditions, and illnesses can change your cycle with little warning. Remember, sperm can live inside the vagina for up to 7 days.

IUD/ Diaphragm. You will need a doctor to place this. It forms a barrier between the sperm and the eggs they try to reach.

Spermicide. Place this in the vagina before sex. Many folks do not like this because it has a nasty taste and discourages oral sex on the lady.

Tube Tie/Vasectomy. The final solution. Vasectomy is out patient. However, this requires a doctor's visit and can get expensive. It is also intended to be PERMANENT and reversing a vasectomy is very expensive and isn't guaranteed to work.

Emergency Contraception

Commonly called 'the Morning After pill', Emergency Contraceptive pills (EC) can be taken up to 120 hours (that's five days) after sex to prevent pregnancy, but the sooner the better! Plan-B and Next Choice are available at Planned Parenthood, drugstores, and health centers without a prescription.

If you are unable to get a hold of EC pills, but do have regular birth control pills, SOME birth control pills can be safely taken in higher doses as EC. This chart contains information on which pills and which doses can be used as EC: http://ec.princeton.edu/questions/dose.html#dose

Symptoms of Pregnancy

The symptoms of pregnancy vary widely from person to person. There are home pregnancy tests of varying accuracy. A pregnancy test from a private doctor is recommended as the doctor has much more accurate tests available.

Missed Period

The most common symptom of pregnancy is a missed menstrual cycle. There are cases of people still having cycles during pregnancy, but it tends to be lighter and shorter. Other causes of missed, delayed, or changed cycles include mental stress, excessive weight gain or loss, ceasing birth control, and some hormonal problems.

Implantation Bleeding

Sometimes around 6 to 12 days after conception, the egg implants itself on the uterine wall. This can cause 'spotting' that can be mistaken for a period. This can also be caused by some infections, changing birth control pills, and abrasion during intercourse.

Morning Sickness

Perhaps the most famous of all symptoms. It usually shows up about a month or so after conception. Some ladies luck up and do not have this. Food poisoning and stomach illnesses can also cause this feeling.

Cravings

The old 'pickles and ice cream' joke is a mainstay in movies with the hapless guy embarking on late night missions to 24 hour grocery markets to appease his lady. The cravings are real, however, and can be anything... not just pickles. Poor diet, depression, stress, and impending cycle can also cause cravings.

Back Pain

A dull back pain is common during pregnancy for many.Improper lifting, sedentary lifestyle, and bad posture can also give back pain.

Headaches

Some experience headaches. Headaches can also be caused by eyestrain, hangovers, stress, diet, some infections, and many other things.

Frequent Urination

People who are pregnant tend to go to the bathroom to urinate more often. However, a diet with lots of fluids and the onset of diabetes can cause this, too.

Nipples darkening and enlarged breasts.

Nipples can darken and breasts can feel swollen. Of course, hormonal issues can cause this, as well.

The need for a good pregnancy test can not be stressed enough due to a fact that many of these symptoms are duplicated by other situations. If you or your lover have missed a period and experience any of these other things, a visit to a doctor is in order.

Abortion

Abortion is not a form of birth control. It is expensive, can have complications, and can cause a feeling of emptiness and depression lasting years afterwords for the ladies. To some, it may also be a moral or religious issue. Please use good birth control to avoid having to resort to this.

That said....Women, and men for that matter, may consider abortion as a solution if the pregnancy is not too far along. Abortions, while expensive, can save you from severe hardship, lost dreams, and a life of poverty as a single parent or worse. With the downfall of Roe vs Wade access to abortion can vary state by state . There are religious groups, social workers, and Planned Parenthood that will be glad to help you make up your mind, of course. But, just like DARE and the drug programs we talk about in Free Dope , these groups often have an agenda as well. Use your own moral compass when making a decision like this. There have even been some groups that claim bias within these groups, encouraging white, suburban kids towards adoption and black, inner city kids towards abortion. We here at STW will leave that to those groups to fight out.

Free abortions are a thing of the past and myth. Only in the rare case of the mom's life being in danger and going to an emergency room will an abortion EVER be given without money up front. Most of the time, you and your mate are going to have to go to an abortion provider. That provider is going to want 500 USD to 1000 USD or more. Because of liability and pressure from the religious right, many states may only have one provider serving a large geographical area. A long road trip may be needed. In addition, some states are going to require if you are a minor that your parents need to sign off on the abortion. Other states will not.

If you are in a state that bans abortion and have decided to get one illegally. DO NOT TEXT OR POST ABOUT IT ONLINE. Even if you think the messaging app you're using is secure, the government can access them with a warrant. In some states you may be charged with murder for getting an abortion. Do not leave any evidence.

In the end, you will have to decide what is best for you. If you are extremely sexually active and never want kids, it may be economical for a vasectomy or tube tie. If you change your mind later, this can sometimes be reversed.

You may in some research come across some links for herbal abortions. However, we here at STW strongly discourage this due to the fact that you can seriously mess yourself and your kid up. Herbal remedies are well known to widely vary in strength and dose potency and are avoided by the medical community for serious issues for good reason. Instead, talk to a social worker or doctor for much better and less dangerous options.

Adoption

If there are real religious or moral objections to abortion and there is no way financially to support a kid, adoption may want to be considered. On the web there are many organizations both secular and church affiliated that can help with this. Sometimes, your pregnancy is paid for.

This can be heart-wrenching on the birth parent to 'lose' a kid. However, the adoption process is very expensive for the adopters and background checks are extreme. Most of the time, the baby will grow up in a more privileged environment.

Most of the time, the adoption court records are sealed to prevent the birth parent or adopted child from finding out each others name until the kid hits 18. However, recent court decisions have been far more lenient in helping people search for their real parents. You may very well have a 'visitor' decades in the future to thank you for sparing their life! And, who knows... that baby could go on to be the person who causes great positive change in the world.

There are sites dedicated as registries for adoptees to find their birth parents, if they wish. If you want to help them with this, go to one of these and put in all the information you know and tie it to a free e-mail like yahho that you will maintain regardless of moves you may make over the next two decades. Avoid the paid registries and go with the better maintained free ones.

Pregnancy

So, the test is back and the symptoms are there. You or your lover is officially pregnant. Now, not only is the health of the mother an issue, but the baby's as well. There are certain things that the mother definitely NOT do, and some things that are merely old myths. We will go through some of the major points that can help.

Get a doctor! Doctors have many high tech tools like sonograms and tests that can determine any issues with the baby months before the baby pops out. A good doctor has seen hundreds of pregnancies and can provide ways to avoid miscarriage. Heads up can be given in the rare case the baby will have severe issues like deformities or developmental disorders which may bring abortion into consideration.

There are CorpGov programs to help with the costs of doctor visits and the pregnancy. Medicaid is issued to low income moms without insurance. Go by your local Social Security office with two IDs and a doctor's paperwork NOW!

If you smoke cigarettes or do drugs, STOP NOW! Most drugs, even BigPharma ones, can really mess your newborn up! Nicotine can lead to low birth weight. Highly addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin can make the baby come out addicted. Even pot can give issues as the hospital automatically drug tests both you and the baby. There is some conflicting evidence that smoking pot (even to relieve morning sickness) while pregnant can cause ADD, but it is inconclusive. Be aware hospitals do employ social workers. These guys can initiate procedures to try to take your kid away if the baby comes out with severe health problems and you tested positive.

TAKE NO DRUGS UNLESS A DOCTOR SAYS IT IS OKAY. Even then, still do your research on any prescribed drug.

It is usually okay to be active by working and doing medium physical activity. You should be okay as long as you are not at risk of taking sharp blows to the stomach or have to do heavy labor like digging. If the job exposes you to vibrations or hazardous chemicals, you may want to take off or ask if they have something less dangerous to the baby. The authors know of some ladies who waited tables up until the last two weeks of pregnancy. Most doctors even encourage keeping an exercise program to help with mood and labor.

The mother needs to eat healthy. This means three good meals and drinking lots of water. Try to avoid raw fish as sometimes these can contain mercury. Avoid alcohol because this can cause fetal alcohol syndrome if to much is had.

Contrary to myths, it is okay to have sex during normal pregnancy. However, in practice sex usually happens less often. Some males can feel this to be weird. Some females may be overly self-conscious about their body or lose desire late in pregnancy. Precaution still needs to be taken against diseases if you are sleeping with someone other than the father to protect against STDs.

If funds are an issue, there is no need to blow money on expensive maternity clothes that will only be worn for a few months. Over size, long tee shirts are perfectly acceptable to go around town or your activist meetings. Designer maternity dresses for more fancy occasions are literally dumped on thrift stores and yard sales.

Water Breaking. The baby is surrounded in a membrane filled with amniotic fluid. The fluid can be clear, pink, brown, or green and has a distinctive ammonia smell to it because it contains fecal urine. Sometimes this happens before labor and sometimes not until during. When the membrane containing the fluid breaks, it can be a sudden gush or a slow trickle wetting many changes of undergarments. Labor is imminent when this happens. If this happens before the 36 weeks gestation, get to a doctor immediately. Many times, breaking water is accompanied by contractions which feels similar to severe menstrual cramping. It is time to get to a doctor.

Birth Preparation

A few weeks before the due date, it can be worthwhile to be prepared. It can pay to befriend other folks who have had kids in the past. They can offer hand-me-downs and other goodies as kids outgrow things pretty fast.

Find a crib.

When you take the baby home, you really need a crib. Some poor moms keep the baby in their own bed with them. But, this is dangerous if the mom tosses and turns a lot or if large dogs or cats are around. The advice from a prominent obstetrics professor is that sleeping with the baby on the mother can reduce the chances of SIDS but if there are any sleeping issues or even worse any alcohol or drug use at all the smothering risk overrides the benefits of co-sleeping and night nursing. Hit up yard sales and thrift stores BEFORE the birth. Fortunately, if you only have a small flat, you will not have to move into a two bedroom for a few years.

Get a car seat.

Cops mess with anyone who has a very young child not in a car seat. Plus, if a wreck happens, the child is much more likely to survive. A car seat is great because it can also double as a mobile get-by crib if you are visiting overnight somewhere or have not found an actual crib, at least for a month or two.

Find a stroller

Small children should never be left unattended. However, there will be times when you must take the kid with you. A stroller makes this much easier.

Have a hospital stay bag ready.

A few days before the birth, pack an extra set of clothes and a few things that may be needed. While most hospital stays for giving birth are only a day or too, complications (like needing a C-section) can leave the mom in there for up to a week.

Research Hospitals

Know where you are going to give birth. This is a step sometimes overlooked. Many hospitals can not handle births and some may not take medicaid, some insurances, or charity. Do not be the mom that has to be driven around from hospital to hospital while a baby is trying to pop out! That is, unless you want to have under trained EMTs in an ambulance or your partner fumble through a dangerous delivery!

Decide between Natural Childbirth and Medicated Childbirth.

There is conflicting evidence that not taking any drugs during childbirth makes for a healthier and smarter baby. Be warned, giving birth hurts like hell! Natural childbirth will not be possible if the staff has to do a C-section. Some midwives will assist a birth for free or on a sliding scale if you tell them your situation, be sure you are in a place with good ambulance and hospital access if there is an emergency.

Childbirth

In modern America childbirth is treated as a major medical and surgical emergency. A c-section is often recommended to give both the doctor and healthy mothers a way to avoid a painful and messy birth that might happen at an inconvenient time. Women are forced to push a baby up into the air so the doctor can easily catch the baby and the glory. Few mention the lasting pain and damage that even the most modern c-section does to a woman.

Home birth is the natural alternative, good medical care through the whole pregnancy is essential, but giving birth to a baby in comfortable and familiar setting is much better for many women in most cases than having a baby in a super-germ infested hospital. Unless you are certain that there is a problem and need to have surgery, giving birth in town near a hospital will have you as close to emergency surgery as someone actually in the hospital.

Find a competent midwife and begin working with her as soon as possible in the pregnancy. Make sure you are getting enough protein and green leafy vegetables. Keep track of your urine output and baby motion. It is a big problem if you start getting high blood pressure, puffy face, or seizures you might have eclampsia. It is nice to have your own quality stethoscope to monitor babies heartbeat.

When the big day comes be sure you have at least one competent helper preferably with pediatric advanced life support training, especially someone who knows what to do in case of a breech birth. Have plastic sheet or tarp and be ready for a mess. Most women like to give birth on their bed but many first time mothers need a gravity assist like pushing while sitting on a stool or toilet. Don't worry about breathing or timing, your body almost always knows what to do especially if you are in good shape. Again it is a good idea to have an experienced midwife and probably a good friend and a apprentice midwife.

It is a good idea to have oxygen and intubation equipment if there is someone skilled in their use (if you are unskilled don't attempt to use a laryngoscope or airway equipment) , airway problems are the most common problem at birth. If baby comes out purple before you panic try rubbing the baby with a towel or blowing at their face forcing them to take a deep breath. In a rare worst case you can start CPR and consider epinepherine IV or in the endotrachial tube. A bulb syringe is good for cleaning out the nostrils and mouth of mucous. If there is black bits in the amniotic fluid it could be an emergency that has to come out if it was sucked into the lungs.

As the baby is born be careful not to pull on either end of the umbilical cord, a few minutes after birth it is time to cut the cord. Keep baby level to the mother so blood doesn't flow back into the placenta from baby, clamp or tie string about three to four inches from baby to close the blood vessels. Cut the cord on the mother side of the knot! To make it easier you might tie or clamp twice an inch or two apart on the cord and cut between the clamps.

Get baby nursing as soon as possible, this will help the uterus contract and slow bleeding. There are herbs and medications that the midwife may give to assist in this contraction as does massaging abdomen over the uterus. Piece together the placenta and look for any missing pieces, if these remain inside they can cause very serious problems.

This information is in no way a substitute to a good midwife or doctor who will walk you through your pregnancy and birth. Talk to your midwife and assemble or buy a basic birth kit. After you experience your bright eyed natural home birth you become an excellent candidate to begin learning the important skills of midwifing and birth coaching. If you feel there is an emergency you can always try to call 911 and hope they show up.

Child Care

Volumes of books have been written about baby care. We here at STW are not about to try to replace classic books like Dr. Spock or some of the excellent advice online. However, there are many key things that need to be discussed.

Nursing

You need to decide if you are going to do natural breast feeding on a regular basis or not. If you do not drain breasts of milk regularly through either commercially available pumps or by feeding, the breasts can feel swollen and be painful. The doctor has medications that can dry you up to alleviate this pain at the cost of not being able to breast feed.

If the baby doesn't want to nurse for up to 36 to 48 hours don't get too stressed, especially in larger babies they have lots of stored food and water, being born is tiring for them. First time mothers might need to manually pop out inverted nipples or use nursing shields at first if baby has trouble latching on. If all fails and formula is needed try to avoid bovine or soy based mixes, we have used a mix of brown rice syrup, goat milk, vitamin drops, flax seed oil, ask your midwife what she recommends. Don't fall for WASP slave propaganda it is OK to nurse for two or three years if you and baby like, many women are without their period during this time and enjoy natural birth control for around a year and a half, it is good for bonding and great nutrition for baby. Keep your nipples clean and if your baby is sick it might be smart to wipe your nipples with vinegar or yogurt culture and then clean after a few minutes before and after nursing to help prevent mastitis, this is also a good cure for thrush for both mother and baby.

If you have issues affording milk and baby food, consider WIC. WIC is a state program that can help with juice, baby formula, and food. More information on this program is here: Food Programs

Diapers

Diapers, at least until the kid is potty trained, is a major expense. Cloth diapers are still sold, and can be a more environmentally friendly solution at the cost of having to scrape poo and the loss of convenience. Be sure to keep specific lined diaper pales and plastic bags around to keep down on smells if you use this. For the store bought, disposable ones the price goes up as the kid needs different sizes. Unfortunately, we know of no programs to help with this extra expense.

Be sure to change diapers frequently as the baby can get diaper rashes. Avoid some baby powders as this can sometimes irritate skin more. Urine is a natural acid that can break down skin. It is also considered abusive to leave a kid in a dirty diaper for extended periods of time.

Child Proof your House!

When the kid is young and still in cribs and chairs, this is not an issue. But, as the kid becomes capable of crawling, this can be a major safety issue! Kids are naturally curious creatures and will explore every nook and cranny of the house. Be sure to straighten up wires around computer and entertainment centers. Keep stuff like bleach, fifths of vodka, your pot stash, and other things you would not want the kid to get out of reach or locked up! Keep the area clutter free so the kid does not trip or fall. (Admittedly, this can be rough with toddlers that spread toys all over the place.)

Drug Use and Kids

Taking care of a kid is a 24 hour job. Do not be the one that has Social Services called to the house because you were passed out drunk or left a newborn in the house in a dirty diaper for 8 hours to find crack! For that matter, you should avoid any drug that puts you 'unavailable' to the kid like hallucinogens, overuse of alcohol, or very addictive drugs like heroin or cocaine derivatives.

Smoking pot or light alcohol use is another matter which is highly debatable. Even though you still are now a parent does not mean there is no possibility of fun. If you still decide to imbibe in herb or drink, you will need to be extremely discreet and responsible. There have been cases of social services being called to 'investigate' for mere casual pot use or accidentally drinking too much by nosy neighbors, grandparents, and others. Keep your place immaculately clean and free of beer can pyramids and bongs on the coffee table. Try not to smoke pot around older kids, as councilors and teachers can be told about your use if the kid wants to lash out for being grounded or disagreements.

If you smoke cigarettes, you may want to institute a 'no smoking in the house' policy. Recent medical research has revealed a direct correlation between cigarette smoke and common childhood maladies such as ear infections and asthma. Smoking outside can save you preventable trips to a doctor with a sick kid.

Anything harder than pot, quit now. You do not have time to be tripping on LSD for 12 hours even if you have a baby sitter. You do not have the money to be snorting coke. Any deviation from a no hard drug policy is asking for a concerned grand parent or neighbor to bring social services down on you. Once again, do not be that parent that got their kid taken away because you were fucked up and left the baby in the car for three hours in the hot sun!

Do not let anyone around your kid that does hard drugs, either - even if these people are 'friends'.

As the kid gets older, be sure to properly educate the kid on drug use. This means responsible use and leading by example.

Potential Pitfalls

Life can sometimes go in bad directions. No discussion of kid related issues can be without a short mention of some of the rougher things that can happen.

Divorce/ Breakup

When the two parents can not get along for whatever reason, a divorce or break up can be imminent. Divorce can be a brutal experience. One or both will probably have to move (especially if an apartment is involved or housing took two incomes). There are, however, rare agreements between estranged couples to still live together for a limited time. Any accumulated stuff like cars, houses, bank accounts, or anything else with real value will need to be divided.

If possible, try to work things out amicably to avoid huge legal fees. For married folks that generally agree to work things out amicably, there are no-fault divorces. These are exponentially cheaper than regular divorces. In many cases, no court appearance is needed.

After the divorce is agreed upon, most states delay the final date of the divorce for many months. This period is called Legal Separation. If a fight is anticipated from the future ex-spouse, some places consider dating someone else during this time to be adultery.

If it is any consequence, the mother usually gets custody of the kid unless it can be proven without a doubt that the mom is a habitual hard drug abuser, has severe medical or clinical mental issues, or is in jail.

Child Support and Visitation

This section is for general observations and informative posts only. It is not a substitute for a knowledgeable lawyer specialized in family law. Family Law is a very complex subject varying widely even county to county!

This is a huge, sticky issue amongst the community. On one side, you have groups telling horror stories of never being able to see their kid yet being chased relentlessly by CorpGov or even jailed for increasing amounts of money. On the other, you have custodial parents forced into welfare, living with parents, and unable to juggle child care and being employed who must constantly case down spouses who openly refuse to pay in times of real need. We are not here to be a soundboard from one group or another since both groups make valid, if not biased, points. Instead, the authors will discuss the facts of Child Support and Visitation

Child Support is a separate issue than visitation. However, forcing an ex-spouse to do this when he/she has not agreed in the past can get expensive due to legal fees. Proven records of abuse, long distances between living addresses, and other things can make this harder or easier.

This also applies to grandparents! There have been successful court cases where grandparents successfully sued the parents to see the grand kid.

Child Support Enforcement only gets involved if the custodial parent goes to the office to claim a case or the custodial parent applies for government assistance programs. It does not automatically get involved. If the two parents are amicable and acceptable terms are agreed to, everything is okay.

Once Child Support Enforcement is involved, all payments are to be made to them. Most states now issue any funds received on a state issued debit card.

If money is not paid, for whatever reason, Child Support Services maintains a database alongside employee withholding databases. Any employer that reports withholding is automatically compared against this list. Some extreme deadbeat type parents will switch from under the radar job to the next trying to avoid paying. However, the balance keeps building and if Child Support Services finds out the job, a garnishment order can be sent anyways. Tax refunds and lottery winnings can also be taken. This can be enforced regardless of state of residence and is enforced empire wide.

Someone can not get a passport if Child Support is more than 3 months behind. US Customs also checks the database.

If you pay Child Support, never pay in cash or money order. Use a check. Rarely, vindictive ex-spouses can claim they did not receive support from you and collect double from the Child Support office.

Some states suspend the driver's license , fishing/hunting license, and even professional licenses (nursing, plumbers, bartender, etc.) if child support is fallen behind on.

Someone way behind on Child Support CAN be put in jail. However, there has to be an actual judgment for support, and the person who owes may get several chances to make repayments at the court. If the one who owes in in another state, the person who owes must be extradited to actually be locked up. Problem is, some states will not pick up or extradite unless vast sums are owed or the case is high profile. Driving while a driver license is suspended for non-payment is another matter.

If you join the military and do not have custody, the government will make child support payments for you without cutting pay.

Moral of the story is that having a child is a big deal not to be taken lightly. We encourage all men to use good sex practices and for ladies to wait for the right guy and make certain she is ready. Always try to get along with your brothers and sisters and keep a secure culture. The survival and vision of future, for all children is at stake. Will this be a corporate police state where the non-elite in society are cattle or a paradise where the workers are equal partners? Do not become a slave to the Empire by getting in a bad position.

Skin Care

Most cosmetics (and by this I mean cleansers and the like as well as makeup) have some really nasty stuff in them. Someone once suggested that if you wouldn't put it in your mouth, don't put it on your skin. It's a good rule of thumb, really. Also, if you're worried about that sort of thing, one could complain about animal testing. If you're so worried that you want a guinea pig to check the chemicals on, why are you even considering smearing it all over your eyelids? Be sure to test any of these recipes on a small part of your skin first to see if you're allergic. These shouldn't set off any allergies, but you never know. Any new skin products, if working properly, will cause acne at first. They're getting all of the ipurities out of your skin. Don't fight that.

Baking Soda

Expensive store bought facial cleansers can be replaced with one simple, cheap chemical: baking soda. A 60 cent box will last you for weeks. Go to a pool supply and get it it bulk, though, if you can. It keeps, and it's useful for everything: clogged drains, cleaning, cooking, odor control... If you're on a budget or on the move, just get a small box at a time and store it in a cleaned and dried soda bottle to keep it from moisture.

For the basic use, soak your skin in really (not dangerously!) warm water or under a washcloth for showers, then form a paste with the soda and water until it's just a little thinner than toothpaste and smear on like normal cleansers. Rinse well, or you'll have itchy white powder all over your face.

Lemon Juice

Warmed lemon juice, just a little in the microwave or over a tea light in an oil diffuser (I put a sauce dish on a baby food jar with a light inside.) is a magnificent astringent. Soak a cotton ball and spread over the face. Technically, any heat will open the pores, but the acid in lemon juice bleaches skin, leaving a nice smooth and even complexion. It soaks into the pores, too, reacting with baking soda cleansers to push gunk out of your skin.

Remember that vinegar and baking soda experiment in first grade? It's the same principle. If you use this, use oatmeal in the baking soda. The reaction stings a little, but it's exothermic and feels really nice after a few seconds.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal in the baking soda, in a 1-1 ratio, will help keep your skin from drying too much during the lemon juice reaction. I recommend grinding it into a nice powder before using it, because whole oats clog drains... which could be useful, depending on where you are. I've experimented with the gel inside aloe leaves mixed in with the soda before, but not enough to recommend it. It's best at this point to just use that as a lotion as needed. A half-inch off of the top of one leaf will do.

Shampoo

Baking soda can be a shampoo, but that gets more expensive than store bought, even in bulk. Don't bother. We have read about chopping a bar of soap up, boiling it until liquid and mixing it with water to make shampoo, have not yet tried it.

You can also just use soap, which will clean your hair just fine for a lot less.

Toner

For a toner, make a very strong tea of one part basil and one part cucumber peels. In a pinch, just basil will do. Make it in decent amounts, then freeze it in ice cubes and store in the freezer in baggies. This stuff spoils within days, so thaw one cube at a time and use quickly. This should be used cool to close the pores, but not too cold, and applied just like the astringent.

Egg Mask

A beaten egg is one of my favorite facial masks. Beat the egg, then pour out just enough to coat your face and divide the rest into an ice cube tray for freezing. They'll keep in baggies too. After cleansing, smear onto the face (or whatever) and let it dry for a few minutes. Rinse off. There's all sorts of vitamins in egg that does wonders for the skin. Honey can be used instead. I don't currently have any suggestions for vegan masks, but I welcome input.

Powdered Milk Bath

Throw a cup of powdered milk under a running faucet for a milk bath. If one can only find it in pre-wrapped packets, one packet is perfect.

Stocking List

For those who are more luxuriously minded, here is a list of things to keep on hand:

Powdered milk

Baking soda

Lemon juice (Don't bother with concentrate, just get the big bottles.)

Eggs

Honey

Dried basil, or get a plant (Any house plant lowers your carbon footprint AND freshens your air.)

If you can get an aloe vera plant or five, do so. Every household should have one of these.

Cucumber peels (When you eat cukes, Dry the peels for storage, or use fresh)

Plain oatmeal (NOT quick oats)

Small bowls (I use Asian style sauce dishes, but if you have access to a ceramics studio this could get pretty)

Mortar and pestle (Once again, everyone should have one of these.)

Ice cube tray

Ziplock baggies

Cotton balls or a small cotton cloth

Sunburn

Baking soda in cool bathwater is nice and soothing, or for a lotion use the gel inside the leaf of an aloe vera plant. Don't make this mistake: nonstop ice packs on a bad sunburn. the woman got frostbite on top of the burn (The doctor was baffled!), and the cold-on-hot made for huge blisters and skin peels the size of her palm. Nasty. The best suggestion is to wear block (Only storeboughts or zinc oxide cream can get strong enough for the most sensitive, but there are weaker recipes around.) or stay in the shade. A grave shift job is useful there.

Chapped Lips

Most recipes mostly boil down to beeswax, oils, and sometimes menthol or camphor. Some like the aromatic coolness of menthol and camphor, while others hate the smell. Some people claim that the camphor or menthol make for softer lips, but when you stop using it actually makes you more susceptible to chapping for a while.

Chapped Hands

Aloe would work on chapped hands too, but use sparingly. The gel doesn't store well, and a little pinch goes a long way. Every household with a window should have an aloe cactus or three. They'll fix just about any skin damage. If you can't get a plant then look at a natural foods store or even a corpgov pharmacy for aloe gel with a high percentage of real aloe vera, many shaving gels now also contain aloe and other helpful vitamins and herbals.

Another tact is to visit a farm store and look for the udder softening cream used on cows and goats, many people swear by this for their own hands.

Note for the inked: one trusted piercer says he tells the newly tattooed to rub personal(sex) lubricant on the healing tat. It's good for delicate skin.

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