Ask Dr Apocalypse

[Arzosah]

holidays are good! Are you digging over some of that garden?

[DrApocalypse]

We are house sitting for some friends in Kent. They have 4 acres, geese, chickens, goats and horses. 2 big polytunnels, raised beds and 3 woodburning stoves with a copse for wood.

It's prepper's paradise! I've been working out how we might afford something like it but the sums don't seem to be coming out in my favour. Oh well!

[Decaff]

What no partridge? No pear tree?

Seriously though it sounds fabulous!

[Arzosah]

It seriously does! Though I remember visiting lots of sets of stables in one job, and that the ones with the geese were always difficult partly because they're quite aggressive, and partly cos of all the geese poo underfoot

Hope you're having a great time.

[ForgeCorvus]

We are house sitting for some friends in Kent. They have 4 acres, geese, chickens, goats and horses. 2 big polytunnels, raised beds and 3 woodburning stoves with a copse for wood.

It's prepper's paradise! I've been working out how we might afford something like it but the sums don't seem to be coming out in my favour. Oh well!

Have you warned them that they're now your BOL


A "What-If" question for you if I may?
What is the one item you'd want in your pocket in an 'Event' ?

[DrApocalypse]

My personal one-item in the case of an event would be my Swiss Army knife. Mainly because there is no single device that I think is going to be an immediate game changer so the functionality of the knife means I can be as versatile as possible in terms of survival.

If we changed the question to which one piece of medical equipment I would carry, this is really hard. I think I would have to choose something that is durable, has multiple uses and also would be something I can use as a bartering chip with other survivors. I think it would have to be my stethoscope. Not in itself particularly valuable but it enhances my ability to diagnose and also is a symbol of my profession that people recognise and might take comfort in times of peril and may help me sing for my supper in a tight spot!

[Selkie]

Wow thanks! I was only on the site for a bit of a skive while I had a cup of tea. I didn't expect to cover some of my Med Science exam (Monday) while I was here.

I'm interested in something you said regarding medication:

Please correct me if I'm wrong but you advised that if you had a chronic condition to get to know about your medication. If I am correct there I this is an excellent idea; far too many people just take the pills ad infinitum. However you advised that you should stockpile one month of drugs. Really, just one month?

Whatever problem it may be that my medication is stockpiled for, something tells me that whether it be a simple power outage, dramatic flood or worse the powers that be have greater things to concern themselves with than the control of my seizures or anyone elses chronic conditions for that matter.

I would sincerely like to think that this was not the case but given that my new medical practise cannot even get a script to the pharmacy as arranged how can we put much hope in the machinations of a system that will roll into place to support the many types of chronic conditions should the SHTF.

I'm not advocating some sort of horror scenario but surely for stability, wouldn't it be best to go for something like 3 to 6 months, unless of course your medication was live.

Apologies for the paradox, as a pharmacology student, of course I have faith in the medical profession; as someone with epilepsy I've crossed swords with the medical profession on more than a few occasions.

[kernewek]

We are house sitting for some friends in Kent. They have 4 acres, geese, chickens, goats and horses. 2 big polytunnels, raised beds and 3 woodburning stoves with a copse for wood.

It's prepper's paradise! I've been working out how we might afford something like it but the sums don't seem to be coming out in my favour. Oh well!

Remember backpacking in Scotland looking at how cheap houses and land were a few years back. Does make you think.

[kernewek]

I think it would have to be my stethoscope. Not in itself particularly valuable but it enhances my ability to diagnose and also is a symbol of my profession that people recognise and might take comfort in times of peril and may help me sing for my supper in a tight spot!

Very clever thought that. Something you could actually have on display that tells people straight away how valuable you might be.

[Plymtom]

My personal one-item in the case of an event would be my Swiss Army knife. Mainly because there is no single device that I think is going to be an immediate game changer so the functionality of the knife means I can be as versatile as possible in terms of survival.

If we changed the question to which one piece of medical equipment I would carry, this is really hard. I think I would have to choose something that is durable, has multiple uses and also would be something I can use as a bartering chip with other survivors. I think it would have to be my stethoscope. Not in itself particularly valuable but it enhances my ability to diagnose and also is a symbol of my profession that people recognise and might take comfort in times of peril and may help me sing for my supper in a tight spot!

I like that, it speaks volumes.