I have been lucky enough to have adequate medical care for most of my life. When Fred retired however, I was thrust into the scary world of zero health insurance, zero money to go to the doctor, and quite a few chronic conditions that I was not prepared to manage on my own. It was a sobering experience. It kept me awake at night. I spent a lot of time in prayer over it.
It was this fear of having no way to manage my own health that finally frightened me into taking my health and my obesity seriously. It was a terribly uncertain time for me, but God used it to urge me to make changes that inevitably benefited both my own health and my family’s as well. In my experience, God never wastes a hurt. He always finds a way to use it for good.
I currently have an Obama Care Plan that gives me slightly more than minimal health care for the price of $142 a month. I also have to pay $25 for each doctor’s appointment, of which I have a limited number per year, before it costs me more money. That plus a twelve-thousand dollar deductible. It’s not pretty.
So anyway, I am especially motivated to provide my own home-health-care as often as possible. I have used the following free Hesperian Health Guides a great deal over the past few years and they have saved me loads of cash as well as educated me about my own health so that I am better equipped to manage it myself. Now I know when I need a doctor and when I can simply manage my condition on my own.
Hesperian Heath Guides
Most of these are available for free download as PDF files. Titles include:
- Where There Is No Doctor
- Where There Is No Dentist
- Where Women Have No Doctor
- A Book For Midwives
- And many others including specific disabilities such as blindness, deafness, and physical limitations
These books are A W E S O M E! They are written for people who live in villages and towns who do not have access to health care. The information is concise, thorough and easy to understand. They even tell you when you’re in over your head and need a professional doctor asap. There are some simple home remedies, and also dosing instructions for common problems such as infections and wound care.
One of the BIGGEST problems I faced was that in the U.S. I am not able to access antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription. I understand that part of the reason is because people tend to take antibiotics for things they shouldn’t such as the common cold, and that can create antibiotic resistance which is a global problem we should all cooperate to avoid. However, there are times, such as when I have a urinary tract infection, or strep throat, when I believe I should have easy access to antibiotics. When I have to pay $150 minimum for a doctor’s visit and then another $50 or more for the antibiotic, that adds up to at least $200, which I’ll be honest, I really cannot afford, especially if everyone in the house catches the same infection–like strep throat.
It turns out that it is legal to by antibiotics in the United States, but only if you buy them for your fish. Simply google Fish Mox or Fish Pen, and you will find amoxicillin or penicillin for fish tanks. They come in common dosage amounts such as 250mg or 500mg capsules, and the bottles have 30 to 60 capsules each. They are human grade antibiotics, that you can buy legally, because they are intended for fish tanks. They are readily available at Amazon, pet stores and other online sources.
Do your own research on them. Fish Antibiotics In Survival Settings, is a good article. Read it, and other articles, and then make your own choices based on your circumstances and your resources.
This is one of those ideas where you really have to do your own research and weigh the pros and cons before you make your choice. I really like the ability to buy antibiotics myself, without a prescription. In our home we might use antibiotics once or twice a year, depending on the prevalence of strep throat in our area. We have gone entire years without any of us requiring antibiotics. But it’s the sort of thing, that when you need it, you need it now, so I have chosen to keep some on hand, in the medicine cabinet. If someone in the family is really sick, I consult Where There Is No Doctor, and if the condition is one that requires antibiotics, I have them available and ready to use.
Even if you choose not to use fish antibiotics for people, take a look at the Hesperian Health Care Books. You will still get a lot of practical, logical, expert information that absolutely empowers you to make your own choices regarding your own general health-care.