Serious illnesses while living in van?

[offroad]

Along with two meter radio always get a frequency reference book. To tell you what channels (2 meter repeaters) might be available wherever you are.

 

[Bela's Mom]

Wow, Rogue, so sorry to hear about your heart attack. And I'm glad that you were not out in the boonies too! I know how it is to have things that need doing but be physically unable to do them. Try not to let the depression take hold. You will get stronger everyday.

Thank you for the information about the radios. Sounds like a good way to get help in an emergency.

Take good care of yourself and allow yourself to heal. And let us know how it's going when you can or feel like it.

 

[RogueRV2]

I use the CHIRP program that has most of the repeaters available around the country, but the best way to go is a hard copy:
http://www.amazon.com/ARRL-Repeater-Directory-2011-Pocket/dp/087259176X

If I'm going to be in a state for awhile I will download or reprogram the radio with all the repeaters for that state or region. With the handbook one does not need to remember do this and be dependent upon a computer. I would definitely get a mobile first. If you are in a bad area, you'll need all the power out you can get.

Hi Bella,
Thank you. I feel stronger everyday. The timing on this is not all bad and it will work out. Better now than when on the road. A local friend was able to take care of my dog and other business when I was not able. One should give some thought about how to handle something like this, yet there are so many variables to consider. There is more to my 'story'. It seems that everything happens all at once. Worst case scenarios can become a reality. One's attitude is the key to surviving such situations better than otherwise. Depression is something that must be avoided with every trick you can come up with. This has certainly changed me in big way. God not only would not allow me to die, but He preserved my heart undamaged. Amazing. I should of been messed up bad, crippled cardiovascular wise for life, but will recover completely instead.

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

Folks should consider getting their 'tech' license (entry level ham licenses) and have a mobile 2 meter radio on board.

I totally agree. I've passed ever test the FCC gives, in fact I'm a licensed maritime distress and safety system operator/maintainer with radar endorsement. Ham radio operators are class people. There's a huge difference in ham radio and CB. With CB, everyone makes up a fake name. With ham radio, you're required to give your call sign every 10 minutes. Be careful when talking on the radio. I've run my battery dead just talking on repeaters. I'm W8BBS.

 

[offroad]

Harmonica - bbs bulletin board system. Easy to remember.

Off-road - N1KCG 73s lol

 

[LucyImHome]

Another issue to cover in relation to getting sick....... what about your rig? If you end up in the hospital, what happens to your "home"? If you're able, you can make arrangements to have it moved to storage of some sort. But what if you're stealthing and aren't conscious? It could end up towed, an expensive proposition. And then there's pets. With pets, you could have your wishes in writing in a prominent place in the rig, like who to contact, etc.

 

[Almost There]

Another issue to cover in relation to getting sick....... what about your rig? If you end up in the hospital, what happens to your "home"? If you're able, you can make arrangements to have it moved to storage of some sort. But what if you're stealthing and aren't conscious? It could end up towed, an expensive proposition. And then there's pets. With pets, you could have your wishes in writing in a prominent place in the rig, like who to contact, etc.

That's where you need to have a listing on your cell phone under ICE - In Case of Emergency - and have someone aware and willing to move heaven and earth to take care of things - whether it be arranging for your vehicle(s) to be placed in storage, arranging for your care or your pets.

With today's widespread use of cell phones, it's where first responders will look first if you're not in S&B where they look in the fridge for a 'Vial of Life'.

Which just reminded me that I should update my own cell list ICE.

 

[RogueRV2]

LucyImHome,
The very kind and unbelievable compassionate doctors and nurses who saved me would have help me find solutions. And I was a charity case, no insurance. Had I been on the road I would have simply pulled into the patient parking lot and left the rig there. I drove my car to the hospital and left in the lot undisturbed for nearly 2 weeks. A motor home would probably be accepted. Hospital staff would likely leave a note on it for parking lot security folks if need be. My dog might have ended up in the pound and had to suffer there until I was released. Of course my stay was just less than 2 weeks, but when released I was barely able to take care of myself. I could have stayed in the motorhome in the hospital parking lot with the blessings and watchful eye of the staff. Heating it with propane in the winter in Montana would require some one to bring it to you, or in my case require someone to drive your rig to a propane station. I was unable to drive a vehicle for 6 weeks, but I cheated and started driving after only 3 weeks. Some folks can be wonderfully help in your time of need and solutions to seemingly impossible problems will be found. The best kind of folks are in health care/medical world.

 

[LucyImHome]

I'm so glad for this thread. I dwell on and think about a lot of things, but hadn't really given this much thought. You see, I am invincible with super powers. lol
Didn't even think about ICE on the phone. Haven't had one for a year now!
For those without family/friends..... for pets, local rescue groups or national breed clubs would be a resource for temporary housing. Or even local groomers. Shelters can be okay, but many are grossly underfunded and the stressful environment, risk of disease, or worse. Groups related to a hobby, profession, interest would likely help. Like the fellow van dwellers on here, and various rv groups like glampers, tin canners, etc.
If you end up sick but not in hospital type sick, just stuck in your rig, advance prep would be critical. It'd suck if you're stealth though, still having to move the vehicle. Everyone's situation would be different, but a wise exercise.

 

[RogueRV2]

I'm totally unqualified to give advice, but some advice is better than nothing. One day I hope to take an EMT course. If one is serious about taking care of themselves, get and read a book called Where There is No Doctor. I believe there are free PDF versions on line. Also get Where There is No Dentist.

I carry lots of medical gear for emergency and supplies longer term wound care, many types of bandages, antiseptics, sutures, several tourniquets etc. and a full on military medics pack. Disposable baby dippers make for good sponges for soaking up blood. Tampax is good for punctures. Duct tape and soft cotton/flannel make good cheap bandages. Good and cheap antiseptics can be had at a feed store, the two best for the least money are benedyne, and Furazone (used during Vietnam on humans not horses). Of course iodine, and hydrogen peroxide, and a triple antibiotic will work good too. However I like lots and lots so I can hose out or pack a wound if need be and a small tube of antibiotic ointment is expensive, $6 for 1/2 ounce. A half pound of Furazone is $8. First thing however is be prepared to stop the bleeding fast. Applying pressure on one's self is not usually good enough. If there is only one piece of gear to have handi, it is two good tourniquets, and a $25 package of Quick Clot if you can. Also carry a basic selection of 5 or more different antibiotics for fish purchased through on line pet store. Don't worry. It is the same high quality that they give to humans. I've kept myself and others out of the hospital many times using the stuff. For about $150 you can have enough antibiotics on hand to handle most, but the toughest bugs. Get Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, Erythromycin, Doxycycline, and Ciproflaxin to start and in the highest dosages. Follow protocol. :
http://www.campingsurvival.com/ficiam25100c.html


Suggest, pain killers of various sorts that can be purchased through one of the many Canadian Pharmacy. They will issue a prescription from an on-line pharmacist to make the sale. One can legally buy a 30 day supply on line. Tramadol works good at taking the edge off and not make you too drowsy. Try to find codeine, Darvocet, or Oxycodone acetaminophen (Percocet). One can legally purchase on line, poppy seeds and grow your own. Booze for medicinal purposes does work and it can clean out wounds too. And of course aspirin for heart attacks, ibuprofen, acetaminophen (Tylenol) and a anti-diarrheal, Benadryl etc... I also make my own colloidal and ionic silver for use as a broad spectrum antibiotic and antiseptic. Ionic Silver delivered via a nebulizer is the best way to deliver it into the blood stream. And it will penetrate deep into the lungs at the same time. Study up on Essential Oils too. Oregano is one of the best for supporting the immune system and is a very effect antibacterial and anti-fungal......

I believe many aliments/wounds can be handled cheaply and on your own. It is one's lack of knowledge that does the most harm. Best money spent is reading the book Where There is No Doctor.

 

[Hereandthere]

Here's the link to the book, free but you need to download it chapter by chapter... it's a revised edition and this is the publisher's website: http://hesperian.org/books-and-resources/

The publisher also links to the Kindle edition but heck it's $17 and change.

 

[anewbiewannabe]

So, something I just read about having a cough and fever made me think of something. I don't know if it's possible, but I'm wondering if someone was out somewhere with the 14 day or whatever parking limits and felt a sickness coming on that might require bedrest and make it hard to comply after it fully hit, what about checking with a police station or hospital about parking there while dealing with it? Around here the hospital lots in the bigger cities charge for parking, but in smaller towns they don't, but this is the midwest.

I wonder if anyone has ever done something like this? What do you all think about it as a possibility? This would be for semi-serious illnesses that had the chance of interfering with driving soon or where there's a possibility that a visit to a doctor or hospital might be in order, but isn't just yet.

This wouldn't work for injuries or things that one can't prepare for, but maybe for ones that could be predicted.

 

[LeeRevell]

I have found that our local hospital parking garage, in which you get a parking ticket to be presented when you leave, IF you leave very early you can get out free. The booth is only manned during daylight hours. Of course, a hightop van won't fit, but a minivan or standard roof van can.

 

[SoulRaven]

I'm trying to think of how to reply to this thread without writing a book. You all speak of serious illness as if it's something that occurs once in a blue moon. For me, it's a daily occurrence to varying degrees.

Re: calling 911 - you must know your address. Woken up in the middle of the night by a medical emergency you must be able to tell them where you are. You may be too far gone to look it up on your phone's GPS or walk to the nearest intersection.

I actually ran into this problem earlier today. I could see the sign for the street at the intersection, I could name the businesses I was parked beside and the neighborhood I was in, and as it turns out I even guessed the street name from memory, but without a for certain exact address they wouldn't send anybody out. My pain was so extreme and my mouth so dry from dehydration I was barely coherent, dryheaving, I was far too ill to drive and couldn't walk so I opened my door and began calling out to people passing by and attempting to flag down vehicles. After a couple minutes without success they said I was tying up the line, call back when I have an address.

New plan: Writing the intersection I settle in at for the night on a slip of paper and keeping it within easy reach. Phone works too, in theory, assuming there's no conflict with talking on the line and navigating to it at the same time. Shaky and/or wet hands don't mesh too well with touchscreens, I've found.

I'd definitely invest in a PLB if I could afford it. Research them first - I'd strongly recommend getting something with an additional option to send a text or signal to an emergency contact instead of the "bring in the cavalry" type message in case a situation calls for the former but not necessarily the latter. Last I looked into it the main concern with those was battery usage.

Remember, even if your phone isn't getting signal, it might still be able to dial 911. It's always worth a shot.

Mess containment is a major factor with severe illness. How much vomit and diarrhea can your containers hold...or were you assuming you'd be well enough to go out and empty them?

Furthermore, were you assuming you'd have the strength and coordination to actually make sure the mess gets into them?

My worst stuff involves inability to so much as raise my head off the ground, let alone sit or stand up as vomit and diarrhea pour out of me without any semblance of control as I writhe. For that, you need a tarp or some similar type of barrier to contain everything on. You need water, electrolytes, and communications within easy reach but protected from the mess. You need an easy way to clean yourself up afterwards and a clean place to rest inbetween recovery time and full clean-up. And you'll need to be able to whip out this mess containment setup easily because you'll probably already be quite ill by the time you realize you need it.

I recommend the floor for the messy tarp area, keeping your bed as your clean retreat. Sometimes I can keep in bed and then roll off to the floor with everything goes out of control, clean myself up and get back into bed. This is much more comfortable when possible.

A quality tympanic thermometer has been a godsend to me, like this one I got a year ago when it was $40. When I'm extremely ill I'm not capable of holding a thermometer under my tongue or armpit or fancy forehead waves, but holding this to my ear for literally just a second or two is often doable. It's fast and easy enough that I actually track my temperature like I should. This is also especially important during recovery, when too much activity can bring the fever back.

I'm wondering if someone was out somewhere with the 14 day or whatever parking limits and felt a sickness coming on that might require bedrest and make it hard to comply after it fully hit, what about checking with a police station or hospital about parking there while dealing with it?

This would be for semi-serious illnesses that had the chance of interfering with driving soon or where there's a possibility that a visit to a doctor or hospital might be in order, but isn't just yet.

This is going to sound a bit harsh: "hard to comply" = suck it up and do it. Impossible to comply = risk it, possibly put a note up on the dash, or call whomever to try to get special permission. But that's only after driving has been deemed out of the question and there's no one with you or nearby to lend a hand. Chances are though if it's entirely impossible to safely move your rig to a new spot for several days straight you require medical attention. I know for me the longest I've absolutely unable to drive has all been less than 24 hours at a time, though I require longer blocks of bedrest to recover.

The thought process behind your ideas is good, though. The way it more realistically pans out is if I suspect I'm headed towards a downspin I find a spot as close as I can get to a hospital or clinic that's 1) free and 2) unlikely to bother someone if I stay several nights in a row. Then begins a bit of a game - you need to maximize bedrest, while also changing spots before you absolutely have to while you're still able. Here in Seattle even 7 days would be way too long, but lets just use that number hypothetically. If I had a 7 day parking limit, I'd be moving every 3-4 days while sick as a dog but still capable of doing it. That way, if I become incapable on day 3 in a spot, then I'd still have a whole 4 days to get over it before I run into potential problems. Whereas if the worst of it hits on day 6, then the situation is dicier and I had the stress of ticketing on top of whatever's incapacitating me.

Keeping nearby is good enough for me - if I feel a major downturn I'll occasionally crawl my rig into the hospital or clinic parking lot and wait out the worst of it there. But I won't stay, not even for recovery when rest is badly needed. I move elsewhere to avoid wearing out my welcome until the times I actually have no choice in the matter. If something happens while I'm a few blocks away that renders me incapable of driving without enough warning, and I require medical attention I cannot administer on my own, then it's typically time for an ambulance.

 

[blars]

While I have not had a medical emergency requiring responce, I've had trouble getting coach-net roadside assistance to accept my location. They don't take lat/lon or highway milepost numbers, and do not have BLM maps with the numbered BLM roads. Hopefully emergency medical would be better.
(I've so far gotten them to figure out where I am somehow, but I don't always remember the name of the dirt road I passed 10 miles back -- the local tow-truck drivers they send are sometimes better if you can get them on the phone.)

 

[Almost There]

While I have not had a medical emergency requiring responce, I've had trouble getting coach-net roadside assistance to accept my location.  They don't take lat/lon or highway milepost numbers, and do not have BLM maps with the numbered BLM roads.  Hopefully emergency medical would be better.
(I've so far gotten them to figure out where I am somehow, but I don't always remember the name of the dirt road I passed 10 miles back -- the local tow-truck drivers they send are sometimes better if you can get them on the phone.)

I've had the same problem with my road side assistance service. One time it was so bad that they finally just accepted my description of where the van was - several miles from the closest telephone and nowhere near cell service... . They finally just agreed to have the local towing company call me for directions after armwrestling with me for 45 minutes over where the van was. The driver knew exactly where I was, he knew the hiking trailhead where the van was.

He also agreed that we'd all be better off if everybody started using GPS co-ordinates...I could have gotten him to within 5 feet of the van with no problem....

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

After reading some of these posts, I'm going to thank god for my excellent health, which I don't deserve. But, what if I have a heart attack while I'm on the road? When I get sick, I don't think as well as I do when I'm not sick. Having someone to travel with could be a life saver. Or she might douse me in gasoline and set me on fire while I sleep.

 

[SoulRaven]

Bitty,

I don't know whether this is applicable or not, but I believe many cell phones can be set up to give out your GPS coordinates. If this can be done with yours, maybe that could be of help to you.

Wishing you the best ALWAYS!

 

[Matt71]

I'm trying to think of how to reply to this thread without writing a book. You all speak of serious illness as if it's something that occurs once in a blue moon. For me, it's a daily occurrence to varying degrees.

Re: calling 911 - you must know your address. Woken up in the middle of the night by a medical emergency you must be able to tell them where you are. You may be too far gone to look it up on your phone's GPS or walk to the nearest intersection.

I don't get how this can happen. People get in car accidents all the time and don't know the exact street address. Heck, if you were in an accident you may not even be coherent beyond being able to dial 911. Surely they take these things into account and don't leave people dying on the roadway.

 

[rvwandering]

I don't get how this can happen. People get in car accidents all the time and don't know the exact street address. Heck, if you were in an accident you may not even be coherent beyond being able to dial 911. Surely they take these things into account and don't leave people dying on the roadway.

   Smaller communities often don't have the equipment to track calls but this is also a problem in big cities too. News story from Seattle - http://www.king5.com/story/news/201...washington-state-wireless-emergency/23855321/