Regardless of your stage of life (parent, grandparent, friend of the family), being prepared for life’s emergencies is a great investment of time!
This past week-end, Ed and I took a First Aid/CPR/AED course taught by Deanne Young of Staying Alive, LLC. (BTW, I would highly recommend that anyone here in the Phoenix Valley dealing with people, take this course with Deanna.) Taking the course reminded me of times when being prepared for a physical emergency was critical to everyone involved.
One of those times occurred when we were living in San Tan Valley, having moved here in 2012 from Columbus, OH. While I was hiking with friends one morning, Ed was having his own adventure. Actually, he called me 15 times to share it with me—and my phone wasn’t on.
You see, Ed wanted to tell me that he had been stung 5 times by a bark scorpion, a small venomous creature that had rested overnight in his jeans. Because the scorpion’s resting place was disrupted, it fought back- viciously!
What I Did
By the time I got home shortly after noon, he was already 4 hours into his experience. Putting baking soda compresses on the sites of the sting immediately decreased the intensity of his pain. Then I gave him multiple servings of our products to boost his immune system: Ambrotose, ImmunoStart as well as his daily supplements. He did an epsom salts bath- which was very calming- and throughout the day, drank lots of water. By evening we added Emprizone topically (the stabbing pain was gone; it felt like a ‘carpet burn’), and then FIRM.
Ed slept normally Saturday night, and was his usual self as pastor in the morning. By noon, Ed was experiencing no ill effects from the experience. From the reports of others, Ed fared very well in his response—and for that we are most thankful!
Why didn’t Ed go to the emergency room? Ed knew it was not necessary- there is no specific treatment given when you show up with a scorpion sting (friends’ reports).
What was the most important step for recovery? Everything! Each action we took contributed to overall improvement.
Being Prepared Includes Many Activities
Here are a couple of other thoughts about this experience. When we relocated to Phoenix, we started hiking in the desert. We attended several programs at San Tan Regional Park including one about scorpions. We knew the basics about scorpions and did not panic about being stung by one (although Ed verified the pain of the sting was second only to his colon bursting 10+ years ago- and that brought him to his knees!).
I am thankful for training I have had as a physical education teacher, coach and mom—-and more training as a Personal Wellness Coach via Continuing Education. One of the most important contributions you can make in a crisis is to have a calm spirit, and very often that comes with increased training.
I am thankful for health care professional friends who have allowed me to ask questions along the way (Dr. Gina, Dr. Kim, Dr. Judy, and others). I am also thankful for effective products on hand: Ambrotose, Immunostart and MannaBoom for bolstering the immune system; Optimal Health System packets for daily wellness support; Emprizone (high-tech aloe in a tube) for topical challenges; FIRM for deep tissue help.
The Role of Optimal Wellness for Emergency Preparedness
Optimal wellness practices serve us every day. Ed’s better-than-average response to the scorpion stings is, I believe, reflective of our commitment to optimal wellness lifestyle habits. Preparation for one-time emergencies includes a healthy body, education from a variety of sources, confidence that leads to having a calm spirit, as well as proper supplies on hand to cope with the emergency.
How Prepared Are You?
You may not live in Phoenix and have to deal with scorpions, but are you prepared to deal with emergencies right where you live? Do you know what to do? Do you have the necessary ‘equipment’ on hand to help you meet emergencies? Is everyone in your home trained to know how to handle basic emergencies? Are you keeping your immune system in peak condition so that you are physically ready to respond to any emergency? Give me a call (480.382.8255) if you feel you are in need of an ‘upgrade’ to being physically ready for any emergency!
My best suggestion: be prepared. I learned this mindset as a Brownie Girl Scout in second grade and it has stood the test of time.
What’s your worst nightmare of a time when you weren’t prepared? What’s your best story of being prepared? Feel free to share it below!
