# Bugging out with the disabled



## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

My mom has epilepsy, my sister has Spina Bifida, my grandfather has heart problems and my husband has back and nerve issues. We have a plan in place and everyone knows their roll in it, we just haven't had time to run through it yet.

Anyone else have this issue to think about?


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

Me.I have a really bad back, my brother is held together with steel rods and has artificial joints, my aunt has epilepsy and my uncle is just real old.
we're bugging in.


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## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

Yep, bugging in the only option in that situation


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## bacpacker (Jul 15, 2011)

Yep, Wife has had a broken neck and though she is still pretty much fully functional. She has permanent nerve damage and almost constant pain.

Mom has a back back, 1 knee replaced and the other needs to be. And has pretty bad arthritus. Luckily my step dad is in really good shape. 

My self, I have two herniated disk in my back that comes and goes. Mostly it's ok, just not real flexible. But when it's acting up, I'm not much worth shooting.

We'll be buggin in under most all causes.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

Back and nerve issues here as well, Diabetes though manageable. Fiance has a poorly healed fot fracture that is a difficulty and is also diabetic and hers is much more radical than mine. So bugging in here I will need a producing herb garden to maintain anything resembling functionality gonna try some stuff this next spring have high hope but practical expectations.


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## mma800 (May 7, 2012)

My dh has bad asthma, we have 3 kids and 2 have autism, my 94 yo grandmother is living with us and I am just plain old fat.
Bugging Out would be a nightmare, but we will do whatever if necessary.
Plan is to go to my brothers house in NH if we had to BO.


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## stayingthegame (Mar 22, 2011)

due to health problems DH and i can only walk about two miles a day. and that would be pushing it. I can't carry much so that makes it harder. we will bug in and hope our skill sets give us an edge. also I am trying to come up with a dog cart to carry things if we should have to leave.


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

If I were you, I would plan to either stay put or move permanently to your BOL. You need to start stockpiling medications now. 

Patriot Nurse has addressed this issue in a video on YouTube that talks about the elderly and disabled when the SHTF. The fact is a lot of people are going to die. This has been proven with Rita, Ike, Katrina and Sandy. These were only local events, yet look at how long it took for "help" to arrive and how many people died waiting. If there is a nationwide catastrophe and no help is coming, the simple fact is that millions of people are going to die for lack of insulin, heart medications, BP medications, etc.


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

I might also add that anyone who plans on bugging out needs to be able to walk a minimum of 10 miles. If you can't do that for health reasons, then you need to make plans to stay put! Don't plan to bug out when it isn't possible. Instead, focus your energy on a realistic plan.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

Unfortunately, some of our group can't walk that far. What we are prepping for are things we wld have notice of a few days. I know that isn't the most realistic but even if the economy collapsed, we wld have time to get there. As I said, it's 2.5 hours from our house and the rest of our group is on our way and will be ready to BO when the time is right. 

Thankfully, my mothers epilepsy has been controlled by meds and her doc has mentioned weaning her off them since they appear to be hormone controlled (menopause drastically cut the amount and severity). That's a plus. Hubs is on pain meds which we are stocking now. No one else is on anything that can't be controlled naturally.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Don't toss the baby out with the bath water ...

Alright you have a person with special needs ... just put that into the plan. If they need extra ... A ... get extra A

If they need extra B ... get extra B

If they need extra C then plan for it.

To be honest it is that simple. (No Joke)

Make a plan, have a plan and go for it!

Or toss them out with the bath water ... It is up to you/yours ...


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## Startingout-Blair (Aug 28, 2012)

dixiemama said:


> Unfortunately, some of our group can't walk that far. What we are prepping for are things we wld have notice of a few days. I know that isn't the most realistic but even if the economy collapsed, we wld have time to get there. As I said, it's 2.5 hours from our house and the rest of our group is on our way and will be ready to BO when the time is right.
> 
> Thankfully, my mothers epilepsy has been controlled by meds and her doc has mentioned weaning her off them since they appear to be hormone controlled (menopause drastically cut the amount and severity). That's a plus. Hubs is on pain meds which we are stocking now. No one else is on anything that can't be controlled naturally.


How do you stock pain meds? I need to find out!


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

YOu don't unless they are over the counter I"m sure that is what dixiemamma meant  Keeping narcotics beyond your prescribed amount for the prescribed period is illegal. So skimping now so you can save some up would do you no good as you would be required to dispose of any extras you built up.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

Exactly jsriley5, we do NOT stock any narcotics and my husband is not prescribed any (he wldnt take them if he was), we are stocking naproxen, ibuprofen, Tylenol. Granted, these are not what he actually needs to control his pain, but its all he will take. 

The purpose of this thread was to get people thinking that IF they had to bug out with the disabled or elderly, how they cld do that. Like I said, even with 4 hours notice we cld all safely get to our BOL bc everyone is relatively healthy.


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## Glock4myEMT (Dec 15, 2012)

Heres a good idea i read about in an EMS MAGAZINE, if you are bugging in with a disability get a .99 cent can of paint write on your garage door " 4 dead inside bio-hazard - skull & bones etc. ". it will keep people away as no one wants a virus. Just remember if you get hurt bugging out 911 - EMS may not arrive.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

Husband has received bad news from neurosurgeon; surgery will not help his herniated discs an pinched nerves. His BOB will now become a rolling tote since he can't carry anything. The tote is larger than his bag so we can add more preps, but we will be moving slower in the event we have to BO.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

It's not easy to stockpile meds. Depending on what you have, skipping doses isn't a good idea. I have some extra meds due to switching pharmacies and insurance plans. Unfortunately, my wife had a chance to get an extra 3 months of lipitor but she didn't think about it and I didn't know about it until it was too late.

I'm a diabetic on 7 prescription medications and 3 over the counter medications. I have no idea what will happen to my diabetes when my medications run out. I have a health club quality exercise bike that I can use without electricity. I'll just have to bike for 20 minutes after every meal and do that every single day.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

He refuses to take meds for the pain and is managing it with rest and stretches. He still works everyday (stacking pop for Pepsi, 100lbs multiple times a day) and I don't know how much more he can take before he's on disability. We're taking it one day at a time and will thankfully pay off 3 credit cards when out taxes come back.


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## Startingout-Blair (Aug 28, 2012)

dixiemama said:


> He refuses to take meds for the pain and is managing it with rest and stretches. He still works everyday (stacking pop for Pepsi, 100lbs multiple times a day) and I don't know how much more he can take before he's on disability. We're taking it one day at a time and will thankfully pay off 3 credit cards when out taxes come back.


I wish him well. I am disabled since December 2008. I had back surgery on the T12/L1 disk and somehow they severed a nerve for the quad muscles of my left leg. Now permanently paralyzed in upper left leg. I have about 5 more disks needing surgery, but after the last situation, I haven't gone through with it. I take pain medication several times daily. I tried going back to work, but my company fired me because I was a dangerous fall risk. I have long term insurance and SSD and Medicare. But it doesn't go very far


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

dixiemama said:


> Husband has received bad news from neurosurgeon; surgery will not help his herniated discs an pinched nerves. His BOB will now become a rolling tote since he can't carry anything. The tote is larger than his bag so we can add more preps, but we will be moving slower in the event we have to BO.


Did the doctor suggest anything he can do to improve the situation? Exercise? Chiropractor? Anti-inflammatory meds?

A rolling tote will probably not last long. I doubt it is sturdy enough. You might look at a landscaping wagon or something with sturdy tires.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

We have a lot of new stuff on the market now a days to help with packs and such, as kejmack posted ... check them out.


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## sevensix (Oct 24, 2010)

*Abled not*

This topic is timely and vitally important especialy for me. This Thursday (1-31-13) I check into Portland hospital for spine surgery #6. This time upper thoracic, lower cervical for pain relieving structural enhancements. From my soon-to-be-horizontal-position; let's see: Hospitals have evacuation plans, backup generators, everyone at work or on call, patient comfort and safety job #1. I will be going nowhere anytime soon. This might make for a very biased after action report providing I am still intact should the SHTF. Being a wheelchair user compounds an already complex matrix for my own personal security and providing husbandly protection for my wife who is also my 24/7 care giver. At this juncture mobility is a non-issue. Can you spell v-u-l-n-e-r-a-b-i-l-t-y ? I do not know what works and is favorable to patient survival, or what is a diaster during the aftermath. Solid decisions are important. Battling with hosital staff may be problematic because decisions and actions will likely not be negoitiable. Decisions will be time sensitive. Strapped to a bed might solve that potential problem, however. I hope to report on my experiences and what may be shared with you who have responsibilities to care for medically dependent patients and loved ones. See ya in a couple of weeks.

-sevensix


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## Startingout-Blair (Aug 28, 2012)

sevensix said:


> This topic is timely and vitally important especialy for me. This Thursday (1-31-13) I check into Portland hospital for spine surgery #6. This time upper thoracic, lower cervical for pain relieving structural enhancements. From my soon-to-be-horizontal-position; let's see: Hospitals have evacuation plans, backup generators, everyone at work or on call, patient comfort and safety job #1. I will be going nowhere anytime soon. This might make for a very biased after action report providing I am still intact should the SHTF. Being a wheelchair user compounds an already complex matrix for my own personal security and providing husbandly protection for my wife who is also my 24/7 care giver. At this juncture mobility is a non-issue. Can you spell v-u-l-n-e-r-a-b-i-l-t-y ? I do not know what works and is favorable to patient survival, or what is a diaster during the aftermath. Solid decisions are important. Battling with hosital staff may be problematic because decisions and actions will likely not be negoitiable. Decisions will be time sensitive. Strapped to a bed might solve that potential problem, however. I hope to report on my experiences and what may be shared with you who have responsibilities to care for medically dependent patients and loved ones. See ya in a couple of weeks.
> 
> -sevensix


If I may suggest, if you have any family, friends or neighbors that are nurses, medics, or doctors, get them involved with your hospital time. The hospital admin will ignore you and your wife possibly, but will not ignore other medical personnel so easily. My (soon to be ex) wide is a nurse and she ensured they treated me right. If they made any mistakes or anything, she was right on them. Although we couldn't get along, I must give my wife full credit for her nursing abilities and knowledge. She was wonderful!


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

Blair is right! Sic some medical people on them! LOL I have added you (sevensix) to my prayer list for a safe and rapid recovery. Do you have any idea how long you will be hospitalized? Will you be able to update us on your progress from your bed? Is your wife into prepping?


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