Do you have these life-saving items at home?

Get these essentials in your medicine cabinet.

This is your reminder to check the expiration dates of your medicine.

Between the food in my fridge is my life saving infusion medicine ready to help me survive the next 8 weeks. But there are other crucial life-saving meds we should all have at home if catastrophe strikes that don’t cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Good morning, my dearest RDG readers!

I’m back with some life saving tips - but first, some advocacy as this budget bill heats up.

Aside from the gutting of Medicaid, this bill also guts funding for medical research. It cuts half the budget for the National Institute of Health including $2.7 billion in cuts to cancer research, all while adding $2.4 trillion to the deficit.

I never forget I’m a walking miracle of science. Had my disease flared ten years ago, I’d be dead. I’m so lucky to have a treatment that allows me to continue to be here for my family and my mission.

Innovation is a direct path to happy ever after.

The budget bill is in the Senate. Reach out and share that funding medical research matters to you (along with possibly any comments about deploying Marines where they aren’t needed). Especially reach out if you’re represented by Collins (ME), Willis (NC), Sullivan (AK), Husted (OH), Moody (FL), Cornyn (TX), and Joni Ernst (IA). These are the most vulnerable Republicans in the Senate.

Call or email or both: 1-202-224-3121

I made a video on IG- feel free to share. It tells the story of my survival and how I’m a miracle of medical science to remind folks of the direct impact.

taylorcoffmanmade

A post shared by @taylorcoffmanmade

In GOOD NEWS, North Carolina passed a bipartisan healthcare bill! It guts the prior authorization denial and delay hellscape, surprise fees, price clarity (or fines), and more!

This is an amazing sign sweeping reform can happen. Keep pushing! More on this soon.

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Medicine Cabinet Audit

A few years ago, my workplace deemed me and a handful of other folks to help should a medical emergency occur. We were certified in CPR and taught all sorts of life-saving tactics to aid in a catastrophe before paramedics got to the scene. But most folks never get this kind of training.

In an emergency, call 911 FIRST. Put it on speaker if you need your hands, you can make this call multitasking.

But otherwise, here are some items it’s important to have around just in case, aside from the normal Tums and cold medicine. Disclaimer - check side-effects, dosage instructions, and drug interaction warnings before taking any medicine.

Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death for ages 1-44. These tools could help save a life.

Aspirin

One piece of the training I received, if someone is having a heart attack - giving the person aspirin to chew on may help. It can prevent clotting and encourages blood flow to the heart. If you worry you’re at all at risk for a heart attack, consult your doctor ahead of time about taking aspirin during an attack.

One caveat, if you are by yourself, AHA doesn’t suggest taking it alone just in case you aren’t having a heart attack. It could complicate other issues.

Acetaminophen

Known commonly as Tylenol, this med helps with pain but it’s also an effective tool in reducing a high fever. If you have children, be sure to have the kid’s version on hand. Not all fevers need treatment, especially low grade, but familiarize yourself with the fever chart to know when to act.

Antihistamine: Diphenhydramine plus an EpiPen if you have a prescription

Known as Benadryl, this med is an antihistamine and helps should an allergy begin. If someone is going into anaphylaxis (or severe allergy attack) then the best route is an EpiPen (Diphenhydramine takes roughly 30 minutes to work). Make sure you have up-to-date EpiPens available and ready.

Wound Care Essentials including alcohol and topical antibiotic

I know first hand UNFORTUNATELY wounds happen from burns to deep cuts that bleed heavily. It’s just part of life. Gauze and medical tape play an important role, but from my experience having nonstick wound dressing pads are the best option. You don’t want the wound to stick to the dressings if you can help it. Also get some self-adhesive wrap. It’ll really help hold it all together should catastrophe strike. Alcohol wipes as well as a topical antibiotic, like Bacitracin, are crucial.

When July had her dramatic finger wound, I squirted a bunch of Bacitracin on the gash (working fast) and wrapped the wound quickly before heading to the ER (which was 45 mins away from our campsite). Mama Tay got props from the ER doctor for getting a scene from The Shining all wrapped up, no leaks, and protected in the middle of the desert.

Narcan

This one might seem extreme to some folks, but honestly - the world can be an extreme place and opioid overdoses happen in many families. Overdosing is a major contributor to the leading cause of accidental death. Narcan is a nasal spray that can reverse an overdose in 2-3 minutes. The average response time for EMS is close to 13 minutes - this med could save a loved one.

Poison Control Hotline

It’s not a physical medicine, but the poison control hotline number should be easy to find in your home. Somewhere handy, write this phone number: 1-800-222-1222. If you or a someone consumed, inhaled, or otherwise exposed themselves to poison - call them. If the person is not breathing, call 911. If the person inhaled poison, get them fresh air right away. If the person has poison on the skin, take off any clothing the poison touched. Rinse skin with running water for 15 to 20 minutes. If the person has poison in the eyes, rinse eyes with running water for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not use activated charcoal when you think someone may have been poisoned.

Radiolab had an amazing episode I recommend about poison control.

TIP: EVERY SIX MONTHS, check expiration dates. Mark your calendars Thanksgiving Weekend and Memorial Day Weekend for a quick audit.

My Bonus Suggestions

Some of my handy go-to meds, which may not be required for life-saving, but super helpful for saving the day!

1. VOLTAREN - Marketed for arthritis, this topical pain gel is THE BEST. The only topical pain med besides lidocaine that has worked for me. So if you have pain somewhere, just rub it on. I wished someone had clued me into this much earlier. It’s amazing.

2. Loperamide - Mostly known as the active ingredient in Imodium, this med has saved the day plenty of times when digestion is on a full-scale revolt and say, you need to get on a plane or you can’t miss your kid’s graduation. It slows everything down.

3. Zofran - This drug is prescription only, but it’s worth asking your doctor about if nausea and vomiting is causing life to be wretched. (Puns are always intended). Wow, has it saved many a vacation.

4. Pseudoephedrine - This cold drug packs a punch and is often used to make meth, so it’s controlled and you need to show your ID to the pharmacist in the states to buy it, but it’s the ONLY cold med in my experience that works. It constricts blood vessels in the nasal passages and reduces swelling. It’s not recommended for every patient and there are side effects, like I can’t take it after 2pm or I won’t sleep. In comparison, it puts all the other cold medicines in the aisle to shame as far as effectiveness. The others are junk and it’s almost criminal they sell them, in my opinion.

5. Dramamine - Full disclosure, I’ve never taken Dramamine ( I don’t get motion sickness), but I’ve been around people with motion sickness who have taken it and (DUN DUN DUN) those who haven’t and regretted it. It works for many to help the body maintain their sense of balance. In our house, I’ve seen it make the most adventureous days more fun.

What are your go-to favorite must-haves for the medicine cabinet??

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If you’re new here and wondering, “what happened to this lady?” read:

I started writing this when I was on dialysis. It’s intended to be both memoir and a practical tool to help folks who might be going through something similar or those caregivers and family supporting someone with a challenging diagnosis. NOTE: This is not intended to replace actual medical guidance. Please consult your doctors on your individual challenges and situations. Please talk to your clinicians before adjusting any of your care protocols. Also names have been changed for most of my medical staff.

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Thank you to Katie McUpton, Dienna D’Olimpio Harada, CC Couchois, Roy Lenn, and Dr. Richard Burwick for your founding level donation.