I got stung several times on the lower leg yesterday while at the
park. A wasp crawled up my pants leg and got me a number of times before I was
able to get him out. I tried my best to get him! Luckily I am not
allergic, but it sure made for a painful walk home.
It's that time of year again, so if you or a loved one is severely
allergic to stings, make sure you always have an Epi pen or at least some
Benadryl (or some other doctor approved allergic reaction medication) to keep
on hand in case you are stung and your throat begins to swell. Learn what
to do and be prepared.
My mother said she feared no disaster
as long as her purse was within reach.
My father always said to hope and pray
for the best, but be prepared for the worst.
I always like to be prepared for emergencies.
How prepared are you?
First aid kits, allergic reaction supplies, food and water carried
in the car with you or in a backpack if you are hiking, are all very important
to have on hand. I also have a change of clothes for everyone in the main car
in case we get stuck out somewhere or need a change of clothes if one of us
falls in the creek! Ha ha.
But how prepared are you? We laugh
about needing to change wet clothes if we fall into a creek, but true accidents
or disasters are no laughing matter and how prepared we are can make a huge
difference in how we come through those incidents or disasters.
What about severe weather? Do you have
supplies such as, flashlights, batteries, radios. Do you have a plan of action
like knowing where to go? Do your children know what to do if severe weather
breaks out and you are not with them?
How about a different sort of disaster? Could you and your family
be packed up and ready to leave in 5-10 minutes if disaster struck your area and you were forced to leave your
home? That is often all the time you will have to get out. Many people think it
could never happen to them where they live, but it can and you just never know. You need to
be prepared.
You can go to any one of Internet sites out there that can tell
you how to build a kit. FEMA's site, http://www.ready.gov/ is one of them. On
that site are instructions on how to build a disaster kit, how to make a family
plan and tips on what to do before, during and after a disaster strikes.
It may be time to get the information, sit down to
a family meeting to discuss the how’s and what to do’s and then get the necessary
items. As a family you need to discuss the plan on each possible scenario and
do drills at least once a month to make sure everyone, even the youngest child
knows what to do automatically.
Remember, during an emergency cell phone access may be limited or
cut off completely, so you cannot rely on that form of communication.
I thought about going into detail all the different things we
should do for each possible scenario, but there are many good places you can go
to get this information. Print it out, go over it with each family member, pin it to your
kits and practice it.
So read up, learn what to do and how to do it. Build disaster and
readiness kits. Take a class in CPR and first aid. Get
prepared. God willing, you may never need those skills or supplies, but if
you do, you will never be sorry that you made the effort.
Knowledge is power. Preparedness is
confidence. Knowing what to do can be lifesaving.
Are you ready?
