When You Can't Get a Doctor Appointment . . .

You're sick, really sick this time ..  and your doctor's office has no available appointments . . 

Or your doctor won't listen . . won't acknowledge the symptoms you're describing . . 

Inevitably the ER becomes the only option. 

But, does it have to? 

Isn't it possible for us to keep a stocked medicine cabinet and first aid kit to handle all but major surgery? 

I, myself, would like to have a better first aid kit. We have several we put together while Matt was in scouts. I'd like to see these sorted and recombined/consolidated. . . 

I'd also like to have a way way more extensive set of first aid skills. It seems like I've been taking some sort of classes in this forever . . babysitting class in 1976 . . Girl Scouts . . Then, years and years later, I began prepping and needed to brush up on skills . . Matt joined Cub Scouts then Boy Scouts and I sat through multiple first aid lessons . . Zoom ahead again to my current job with Visiting Angels and so so many classes including first aid, nutrition, etcetera . . 
And I seriously crave more .  . . 
Okay, so I have to admit I LOVE learning .   . . Can't deny that . .  
Don't want to become a nurse . . I don't think so anyways . . Not right now . . Too many hours away from home . . Yeah, okay, maybe I'll just check into that a bit more . .  
But meanwhile . . 
IMHO, we each need to be able to be responsible for the majority of our own healthcare needs. Yes, there will always be some things we'll absolutely have to rely on a doctor for . . 
But . . 
Times are changing. 
This is not the world we grew up in or our parents grew up in. 
🌀Remember Katrina?!?! 🌊 
Remember how badly our government failed us? And what about the most recent failure after Maria hit Puerto Rico?!?! 
As we sit here and now we should not by any means be relying on others for our own survival. 
We need to look back at how self-reliant pioneers were. Take a couple first aid and CPR classes. Restock our first aid kits. Learn some herbal medicine then plant a nice herb garden. 
One step at time . . 
Learn a skill and put it to use . . 
Then learn another. 
Be prepared to be self-sufficient!! 

In a disaster there may not be a doctor nearby for months.