Saturday, June 22, 2019

A Granny on a Mission

Every morning the first thing I do is swallow a handful of pills.  Every night at bedtime I swallow a couple more.

How am I going to deal with the medical issues these pills address when I can no longer just go to the drugstore and buy them.

Lately I have been spending some time online researching alternative herbal remedies.  I am finding that many require exotic herbs or plants that do not grow in our climate.  No problem...I can just order ...... no, wait.  If there are no prescription medicines available, if the lights are out, if the Internet has gone away.....what then?

I live in a small, downtown apartment.  There is no space for a garden to grow my own herbs .  So my focus has changed to learning all I can about herbal remedies that can be made from either herbs that can be grown in pots on a window sill or foods that are readily available now that can be dehydrated and stored for future use. 

Blueberries are good for many ailments.  If I can lots of blueberries or dehydrate them to be ground into a powder, will they retain their usefulness?  Strawberries and their leaves have properties beneficial to good health.  If dried, do they retain their benefits?  What vegetables can be dried and powdered for use in medicinal teas or salves or in other ways to treat medical issues.

The answer is...I don't know.  But I am on a mission to find out.  My prepping focus has been on food and water.  Still is.  But having shelves full of stored food will do me no good at all if I die from a condition I can no longer treat with prescription meds. 

And I have way more living to do to allow that to happen if I can prevent it.

6 comments:

  1. I'm not a big pill-popper. My doctor knows that and suggests herbal and other holistic options. Suggestion; order what you can while you can. Even if the herbs only give you six more months below Heaven, it's six months more than you would have had otherwise.

    Honestly, there will be "black swans" facing all of us come TEOTWAWKI. Every day is a gift right now. It'll be even more so after the SHTF. In many ways, you're well ahead of us in the prepping game, Vicki. Keep going 'till God says "STOP." That's all ANY of us can do!

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    1. Pete...Sometimes a person has to pick their battles. My doctor is long on writing prescriptions and short on everything else, but he is the only one in the clinic I could con into renewing prescriptions for a year without having to see me in the office. Because it is difficult for me to leave my apartment, the yearly visit works for me. When I have tried to talk to him about herbal remedies or other options, I get the look that says he thinks I just landed from Mars and have an extra eye on my forehead. Sigh.

      I do my own research on the meds I take, finding out what the side effects are and whether they can be stopped or if I need to wean myself off them. I know that finding alternatives will not lengthen my life span by much, but hey...I will take it. I figure each morning when I wake up means God isn't done with me just yet, and I consider each day a gift.

      Most of my meds are not for really bad life threatening problems, but I have family who depend on drugs like blood thinners to prevent strokes and who need insulin. These will eventually be unavailable. I want them to live, so I search for alternatives.

      You are right, Pete...all we can do is continue to prepare...and pray.

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  2. Hi, Vicki. This link goes to an article I wrote on some of the books we have. Most do not relate to your article, but one section is about the herbal books I have. I thought you might find it useful. Good luck in your search.

    Fern

    https://thoughtsfromfrankandfern.blogspot.com/2015/09/books-are-amazing-tools.html

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    1. Fern...Many of your books do not relate to this post, but they are well within my fields of interest. For instance, just because I can not garden doesn't mean one of my kids or grands wouldn't find books on the subject useful. Your link is full of great suggestions for books and I truly appreciate your sharing it with me. And by the way - I love my Kindle but am fully aware of the limitations. Paper books are my personal preference and I hope to add to them shortly.

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  3. I was going to post a sarcastic answer, but my feel good drugs won't let me.

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    1. Probably just as well, Rob...I'm way too tired tonight for a snappy comeback. :)

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