A Stitch In Time

     I owe today's post to our friend "Lisa" who is sharing the activities of her preparedness group.  Through her ingenuity, she has forged a community of people who are interested in teaching others time-honored skills.  Those willing to teach have come together with those yearning to learn, and together they are encouraging each other.  Lisa recently sent me this email, and the personal experience she has to share will surely light a few lightbulbs above some heads across the land.  Here's what Lisa had to say:


     Belle, thank you so much for bringing our little group to your reader's attention, and I'm hoping and praying that someone will take off with what we're doing and make a difference for themselves, their families, friends and neighbors. I just want to say that it takes a team effort and those that are in our group really do pull together to help make things happen. Even a very small group can make a difference.  Little by little, we move ahead!
     We've had a very busy three days here on the farm.  It's shearing time, and since last year, we have decided to save ourselves some money and do the shearing ourselves.  We ended up saving quite a bit, but it can also be a trade-off --- it takes a lot of practice and strength.  Last year I sheared two of our animals myself, but the clippers get heavy after a while.  Though they don't look like it, they are!  They are deadly dangerous, and they can practically take your finger off, so you have to be very aware of how and where they are being moved around.  We have sixteen animals at this time, having lost two through age and illness.   I had the help of my son Jason and his girlfriend, as well as my friend Myrna in getting them onto the shearing table.   My husband then did the shearing as I controlled the head of each animal.   They were extremely strong for their size and this leads me to the point of my story, and the lesson for your readers.

     We ended up having to call our vet out the first day, as my dear husband cut one of our males pretty good.   "Princeton" (yes, we name them!) jumped and the clippers went into his skin and opened up a six-inch gash.  Though it was an open skin cut, it freaked everyone out of course, except me.  It was on the flank-belly area. I worked for a couple of vets years ago and I did some help with suturing, but I couldn't remember how to do it when the question came up...."Okay, so now what?".... everyone was looking at me and saying that I should sew it up.  Oh no... that wasn't going to be!  I made it clear that the vet should be called because I told them that I truly didn't remember how, though I had all the supplies on hand to do it.  That sent a bell off in my head at that very moment!  
     I knew then that I needed to re-learn how to do it (and properly) as a skill for just such an event in the future.  We have the ability to call a vet today, and have him come and do the suturing.  But as I hung up the phone and walked back to the barn to inform everyone the vet would be there quickly, and all was well;  I knew that I could be put in that same position if something in the future happened to a person and there was no medical help available.  There were four people standing there, and none of us felt competent to take care of that wound.  That told me we had a problem!
     Well, the vet came and we got "Princeton" all taken care of and he is doing well. The doc brought out a surgical staple gun which I've seen, but never used myself until that morning. It was a super little gadget to have on hand and super easy to use.  He left me with one that was new; still in the package, if we needed it in the future.  I will be buying a few more of those dandy little devices to have stored in my emergency medical supplies to have on hand for either our own use or for our pets/livestock, if for some reason medical services aren't available. 
     And I'm taking it a step further .... I am going to go to my friend's vet clinic and have him let me stand in on a couple of surgeries --- to at least observe, and hopefully, to recall the suturing technique.  I want to know that I "can" do it, and if needed, I can step up to the plate. 
     I understand that I can handle a minor wound like "Princeton's", but any serious deep wound; that would would have to be cared for by a doctor.
     I would also suggest that folks keep Betadine solution on hand to go along with this tool. Because I have livestock, I always get the livestock medical supply catalogs and I can tell you that you can get so many items in there for a much cheaper price than you can elsewhere.   A few years ago I ordered a lot of supplies from one particular company, and the woman on the other end told me we must have a lot going on at the farm and I told her things "do happen" and I was more or less preparing for the future!   She laughed, but she didn't get it. The less they know, the better!


     So, as you can see by Lisa's letter, day-to-day tasks can reveal areas that you need to consider should the SHTF.  As you go about your day, evaluate how your life would be effected if the unexpected happened.  Do you have an extra pair of tennis shoes, a ball cap, and extra water stored in your car if you get stranded and have to walk?  Do you have extra medication stored, in case you were unable to fill next month's prescription for your thyroid or heart medicine?  Have you talked to your children, or your parents, about a plan to meet up at a safe location?  These are times that cannot be taken for granted!  Nothing is to be assumed.  Our senses need to be sharp and our minds aware of all kinds of possibilities.  But through sharing our experiences and our knowledge, we can grow and improve our state of readiness.  As Lisa found out, we can do it!  The closing sentence of her letter to me says it all:  Thanks, Belle, for letting me share my story.  It's great trying to reach people with the Spirit of our Lord leading and guiding us along our way!


FYI, you can purchase a disposable skin stapler from Amazon, for under $10.  Buy several to keep on hand.  They are a great supplement to your medical kit.


1 Peter 2:24      "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed."