Seize The Moment

Some conditions that may arise when you are at your site may be very scary and hard to control. Seizures are a very real, and very scary situation. There is very little you can do while it is happening. Here are a few Do's and Don'ts.

Do:

Clear the area around the person seizing of all objects and people.

     -When a person is seizing, you need to remove anyone who may be hurt by them and any objects that may cause more harm to them. The last thing you need is a seizing person with lacerations and a new patient.

Cushion under their head.    

     -Protecting their skull is vital to keeping their condition from getting worse. When you do this, try to have someone stay with them to help if they become conscious.

Wait for them to stop seizing before you try to help.

      -ANYTHING you do to their body at this point will hurt them more and put you at risk. I only ever want one patient at a time. If it starts out at a higher number, it must stay at that number. Period.

Protect their dignity

     -A lot of times during a seizure people will lose control of their bowels, and may need a fresh set of clothing. Try to keep others from coming over if they are not actively helping.

DO NOT:

Put anything in the person's mouth.

     -Doing this will ONLY give the person something to choke on and no way to retrieve it. 

Restrain them.

     -When you deal with someone who is having a seizure you have to remember two very important things. 1) That person is spasming as hard as they are capable of without regard to their own safety or yours. 2) Holding them back adds extra resistance to their muscles to fight against. You could rip muscles, constrict airflow, or even snap bone by holding them down.

Give them food or water

     -It's very difficult to deny someone water who was not feeling well, and our first instinct is to hydrate people who are sick. However, we need to make sure that this person will not begin seizing in the near future, and food/water will cut off their airway should that be the case. Wait a few minutes and see how they are.

~*~

Remember that seizures are always caused by something, and in the event that you encounter someone seizing they need PROFESSIONAL medical help. Only a doctor can truly find out what is causing these episodes to happen. Although I wish I could tell you there were a cure-all for this condition, there is not.

If the person doesn't become conscious instantaneously, gently roll them onto their side so they can keep a good airway. Make sure to write down everything that happened during the episode, and how long it lasted. Did something trigger it? Make sure to reassure them that everything is okay, and explain what happened if they aren't sure. Have them stay still for a bit before they get up and move around. If they have a history of seizures, then it is not an emergency, but if they don't they need to be evacuated, but you can still take your time unless there are breathing problems.

An Update!

Since our last encounter I have been doing so many new things, and after having my husband push me a little more have found the time to write. I now have a job! Yes a job! And after 2 short weeks was promoted to assistant manager! YAY! This means I'm working 40 hours a week and making a little over $10 an hour. I really love my job at my (yes, temporary) halloween store, and am looking forward to (hopefully!) working for their main company which runs year round.

With this new found money, we have been doing more experimenting in our prepping! We've recently starting trying some dehydrated soups from Bear Creek. We're incredibly lazy, and just adding water is a perfect for our current family schedule anyway. Our favorite so far is the cheddar broccoli. It's pretty good, but to me it seems almost... maybe sweet..? It's a little different than what I like, but my husband loves it. I just add a little salt, and I'm fine. We've tried the minestrone as well, and I'm a big fan, but an impatient cook, so if I had let it sit longer, the veggies would have been much more hydrated. And the chicken noodle is also wonderful. With our food prepping we're still in our very early stages. Right now we're just buying more of what we already do and working from there.

So, my husband is exploring more job opportunities. We're looking into an option that would have my husband be out on business more than I'd like, but he'd be making double the salary. I'm not sure how I feel about this, but it's his dream job, and I can't make the decision for him. We'll see what ends up happening.

Another big change is that my husband is getting better medically! YAY! We have found the magic medication concoction to make him seem much more normal, and not nearly as shaky! After having almost 2 years of tests and worry, we have finally found a way to make him be much better. Although it's not a cure, it's a huge leap in the right direction. WOOT!

I must be off! I have to get ready for work!

-PrepperKat