I just had surgery, what if SHTF right now?

[duodecima]

If something happened right after surgery, I can probably see it going one of two ways.

If they used general anaesthetic, I'd be pretty damn useless for quite a while. I could hardly lift my arm for the first couple minutes after waking up, and for some time afterwards. Three to four hours later, I'd probably be okay to get up and walk moderate distances, but not with any sort of load on my back. Maybe be able to handle a weapon, albeit not well. I probably wouldn't be considered combat or evac-ready for a good 6 hours after waking up.

Local anaesthetic: Depending on the surgery (I've only had eye operations, so take this all with a grain of salt) I'd probably be able to handle myself, a pack, or a weapon ten to twenty minutes afterwards. Probably be a little groggy, but be able to move out in less than an hour, if I'm careful.

Just FYI, watch out for the conscious sedation stuff. Husband seemed to have recovered well after about 30 min, was saying he thought he could drive home (directions said NOT!). He doesn't recall anything whatsoever about that time period, including being left to watch our 2yo by himself in a lounge area, until we are on the road partway home. He seemed fine but clearly wasn't all back yet...

[KnightoftheRoc]

While I wasn't worried about zombies, per se, in 2006 I was laid up with three herniated disks in my lower back. Just walking to the bathroom was an adventure, and took FOREVER. I had to cross my bedroom, and half of another room to get there- seemed like miles. If I'd had to handle a bout of diarrhea as well, things woulda got ugly fast. I lived in a second floor apartment, and started out with regular crutches, under the armpits, to help support the body weight above the injury, and minimize additional compression. Ever try to go DOWN stairs supported on those type crutches? The term "took a header" comes to mind pretty quick as you try to get out for a doctor appointment.

I spent nearly 8 months like that, with the only change being to what I've always heard called "Canadian Crutches", that have a cuff around the forearm, and a much shorter profile. With those, at least, I could manage the stairs without losing balance. My big concern during all this, was a fire. If the smoke alarm went off, all I could picture was the FD finding my charred, crippled corpse in the wreckage.

As they say, "time heals all wounds", and eventually, I was able to trade in the crutches for a cane, and eventually, even that got put away. Took two years. That was because I ended up with NO medical attention or insurance, because my job totally hosed me, Hopefully, you'll be treated better by insurance, etc. Hope you have a speedy recovery!

[Shiloh]

If something happened right after surgery, I can probably see it going one of two ways.

If they used general anaesthetic, I'd be pretty damn useless for quite a while. I could hardly lift my arm for the first couple minutes after waking up, and for some time afterwards. Three to four hours later, I'd probably be okay to get up and walk moderate distances, but not with any sort of load on my back. Maybe be able to handle a weapon, albeit not well. I probably wouldn't be considered combat or evac-ready for a good 6 hours after waking up.

Local anaesthetic: Depending on the surgery (I've only had eye operations, so take this all with a grain of salt) I'd probably be able to handle myself, a pack, or a weapon ten to twenty minutes afterwards. Probably be a little groggy, but be able to move out in less than an hour, if I'm careful.

Just FYI, watch out for the conscious sedation stuff. Husband seemed to have recovered well after about 30 min, was saying he thought he could drive home (directions said NOT!). He doesn't recall anything whatsoever about that time period, including being left to watch our 2yo by himself in a lounge area, until we are on the road partway home. He seemed fine but clearly wasn't all back yet...

I had a similar experience, though I had someone to drive me home. I can remember little snippets of the surgery, getting dressed, getting in the car, and then suddenly I'm at home eating dinner. It's kinda weird.

[williaty]

This is a topic near and dear to me, though more similar to Knight's than to yours.

The short answer is "I would die".

Note that I said "I would die." not " I would lay down and die." There's a difference between accepting the reality that you have a near 0 chance of survival and just giving up. For some amount of time between the disaster and the point at which I die, I would likely have food, water, heat, shelter, etc while others who didn't try to fend for themselves didn't. If I'm lucky, a societal support structure returns before I run out of the supplies I've got within crawling distance. If the disruption is longer than that, I die.

You prep for the things you can survive and make your peace with the things you can't. For all of us, regardless of physical condition, budget, intelligence, skill level, or will, there is a limit to what we can survive. Prep for things on this side of it. Accept the things on the other side of it.


In the "prep for what you can survive" school, we've taken steps to alter how we do some of what we do in order to work around the things that go wrong we me. ATM, we have 56 gallons of water stored but it's stored in 3.5 gallon WaterBricks. This is substantially more expensive than a 55 gallon drum, but it's the only realistic option for us. On a Good Day, I can pick up two Bricks at a time and move them anywhere around the house and property and even load them into the car. On a Bad Day, I can pick up one and move it a short distance. The worst I've ever been, I'm pretty sure I could shove one across the floor while screaming in pain. The Bricks have a handle on one end. I can turn the Brick onto the other end, which places the handle almost 2 feet off the floor. This makes it easier to pick up. The food is stored in containers I can move even on a Bad Day. The weapons we've chosen are lower recoil even though this means lower impact. We made a choice between something I can train with on a regular basis and something I can only train with twice a year because 100 rounds leaves me bed-bound for 3 days afterwards. We bought a light weight generator that has an external fuel storage so they can be moved independently. Several of our heat and cooking options use round fuel containers so I can roll them from place to place if I have to. Almost all our plans revolve around sheltering in place rather than bugging out because there's a very real chance that the decision won't be "Stay or Go", it'll be "Stay together or send my wife on alone".

[septithol]

My suggestions:

1. If it looks to be a SHTF situation, rather than a temporary natural disaster, and the hospital staff has reason to assume that both their jobs, and any permanent records are gone, do NOT count on them to help you.
2. Try to have as many friends and/or relatives who would be willing to help you out of the hospital, as possible. Try to make sure that they have good reasons to help you, such as having a valuable set of skills and being a good protector.
3. Have a fully charged cell phone with you, so you can contact or be contacted by said friends and relatives.
4. Prior to your surgery, go on a tour of the hospital. With said friends and relatives, if possible. Try to figure out what the closest exit is to your room, and how you would get there, even if there were such difficulties as being unable to walk, no wheelchairs, no elevators, locked stairway doors, etc. Find out where the keys are kept, or who has the keys.
5. Most hospital rooms have windows. If you are too decrepit to get out of the hospital, because of the conditions described in #4, make sure you have means of signalling out the window to your friends and relatives, so they know where you are. Easiest way is probably to hand a bedsheet out the window with some sort of previously agreed on markings or knots on it.

[duodecima]

5. Most hospital rooms have windows. If you are too decrepit to get out of the hospital, because of the conditions described in #4, make sure you have means of signalling out the window to your friends and relatives, so they know where you are. Easiest way is probably to hand a bedsheet out the window with some sort of previously agreed on markings or knots on it.

Bar of soap? Could just write the message then, friends might need binoculars.

[KnightoftheRoc]

5. Most hospital rooms have windows. If you are too decrepit to get out of the hospital, because of the conditions described in #4, make sure you have means of signalling out the window to your friends and relatives, so they know where you are. Easiest way is probably to hand a bedsheet out the window with some sort of previously agreed on markings or knots on it.

Bar of soap? Could just write the message then, friends might need binoculars.

A thought occurs to me on this approach- what if your room happens to be on a floor known to be for mental patients? Not the entire floor, but, one of the two hospitals where I live has, for a very long time, had the fourth floor of the largest wing set aside for the psych ward, ironically known as the flight deck, based on a few people who tried to "take off" out a hallway window that faced onto the parking lot. The same floor, in a different wing, also housed the maternity ward, but the floor was most well known for the psych ward.

If I were to see a sign hanging from, or written on, a window of that floor of that hospital, I'd likely ignore it as the 'acting out' of a psych patient. Most people would, especially if the word ZOMBIES were to be included.

I'm not saying that signalling is a bad idea, just that it may not be effective for whatever reason, and you should probably try to come up with a secondary plan that's less passive in nature.

[Tater Raider]

5. Most hospital rooms have windows. If you are too decrepit to get out of the hospital, because of the conditions described in #4, make sure you have means of signalling out the window to your friends and relatives, so they know where you are. Easiest way is probably to hand a bedsheet out the window with some sort of previously agreed on markings or knots on it.

Bar of soap? Could just write the message then, friends might need binoculars.

Just don't drop it.

Wait... hospital... nevermind.

[Tetra Grammaton Cleric]

Hey assholes, this read is about me! [YouTube]http://youtu.be/1tpZw6L59t4[/YouTube]

ETA: Fuck, how do you imbed videos?

Like this...





protip: hit the share button under the ytplayer, click long link, copypasta that link into your zs post a reply window and wrap it with [youtube] tags

-

[Tetra Grammaton Cleric]

Also, I wouldn't worry too much...

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi4071817497/

...If you can put yourself in some sort of coma for about 28 days you'll be fine. Eventually.

-

[septithol]

A thought occurs to me on this approach- what if your room happens to be on a floor known to be for mental patients? Not the entire floor, but, one of the two hospitals where I live has, for a very long time, had the fourth floor of the largest wing set aside for the psych ward, ironically known as the flight deck, based on a few people who tried to "take off" out a hallway window that faced onto the parking lot. The same floor, in a different wing, also housed the maternity ward, but the floor was most well known for the psych ward.

If I were to see a sign hanging from, or written on, a window of that floor of that hospital, I'd likely ignore it as the 'acting out' of a psych patient. Most people would, especially if the word ZOMBIES were to be included.

I'm not saying that signalling is a bad idea, just that it may not be effective for whatever reason, and you should probably try to come up with a secondary plan that's less passive in nature.

Knight, the signal is intended specifically for your friends and/or relatives, with whom you have previously made arrangements, including telling them about the possible signal, to get you out of the hospital, in the event of an emergency. That being the case, they are unlikely to ignore your signal.

[KnightoftheRoc]

A thought occurs to me on this approach- what if your room happens to be on a floor known to be for mental patients? Not the entire floor, but, one of the two hospitals where I live has, for a very long time, had the fourth floor of the largest wing set aside for the psych ward, ironically known as the flight deck, based on a few people who tried to "take off" out a hallway window that faced onto the parking lot. The same floor, in a different wing, also housed the maternity ward, but the floor was most well known for the psych ward.

If I were to see a sign hanging from, or written on, a window of that floor of that hospital, I'd likely ignore it as the 'acting out' of a psych patient. Most people would, especially if the word ZOMBIES were to be included.

I'm not saying that signalling is a bad idea, just that it may not be effective for whatever reason, and you should probably try to come up with a secondary plan that's less passive in nature.

Knight, the signal is intended specifically for your friends and/or relatives, with whom you have previously made arrangements, including telling them about the possible signal, to get you out of the hospital, in the event of an emergency. That being the case, they are unlikely to ignore your signal.

Yeah, I got that. What happens if they don't show, for whatever reason? You're still gonna want 'out', and I doubt anyone would pass up the help if it arrived. Just pull down the signal before going.

[tookieblueeyes]

Don't feel so useless my friend!
on 2/23/12 I was in a car accident that ended in my hip having to be repaired so I have a nice bit of titanium implanted in my hip and right femur. I also suffered 9 broken ribs which are for the most part all healed, just a little sore, and if that were not enough... in another month I am looking forward to surgery to repair some torn tendons in my left knee thanks to the dashboard If SHTF and zombies were attacking, I too feel as though I would be a little bit useless, but that is why I have been stockpiling ammunition for my 30-06 rifle and getting the scope in line because I have no desire of becoming a victim to the zombies or whom ever else should show up at my home.
Thankfully I live out in the country and there is a good 360 degree view around my house so I feel that I could adequetly defend myself and my stores. However, should I have to bugout... that might serve to be a bit of a problem but I am sure if the need were great enough, I would find a way to find my way out of a situation.
I think that everyones flight or fight drives are in working order so you too would fight to defend yourself or find a way out as well if needed to.

[septithol]

Yeah, I got that. What happens if they don't show, for whatever reason? You're still gonna want 'out', and I doubt anyone would pass up the help if it arrived. Just pull down the signal before going.

It depends on the circumstances. If it's some sort of temporary natural disaster, and there aren't a whole lot of idiots where you live, then signalling for help out the hospital window, to anyone passing by, is probably a good idea. If the problem is either long term (TEOTWAKI), or caused by social disorder, or there are a lot of idiots where you live, then you probably don't really want to advertise your presence as semi-helpless prey to just anyone.