Icemageddon

The leaves were frozen in the same direction that the wind blew. Photo from Dec 2013.

Confession

I am a warm weather gal.

Broken branches everywhere. Photo from Dec 2013.

I have survived Texas summers, Georgia summers, Florida summers, Iowa summers, and Arizona summers. The only way I survived my first Seattle summer was through the frequent use of our fireplace.

That’s right. Our first summer in Seattle, our fireplace was constantly on.

I bet he wished that he had parked his car in the garage! Photo from Dec 2013.

100 degrees with stupidly high humidity? Bring it on Florida! 115 degrees with no humidity? I laugh at you Arizona! I can take the heat! As for winter?

22 degrees with 10 degree windchill? TEXAS! What are you doing to me?

Trees are not supposed to touch the road. Photo from Dec 2013.

The weatherman tried to warn us that the ice storm would be bad. Our weatherman had also cried wolf only two weeks prior to have nothing happen.

If you remember the original story of the boy who cried wolf, when the wolf finally made an appearance the villagers were completely unprepared.

The leaves on the tree were still green! Photo from Dec 2013.

Cleon, you wolf of a winter storm, I was unprepared.

Poor rose bud. So much ice covers you. Photo from Dec 2013.

I was almost out of my fludrocortisone (FC).

In my mind, I knew I had enough of my other steroids. I did not even think of double checking all of my medicine before Icemageddon hit. Friday morning, I looked outside and thought, “Uh oh.” I then went over to my medicine cabinet and thought, “Really big uh oh!”

I had one day of FC left.

FC works alongside my Cortef to regulate my sodium levels, potassium levels, and blood pressure. Without it, my sodium tanks, potassium sky rockets, and blood pressure drops so low that I will regularly pass out.

In summary, this medicine is important, and I was out of it.

What do I do?

Various scenarios started running through my mind. Would I have to drive on three inches of solid ice? Would I have to walk three miles round trip on that same ice in ridiculously cold weather? Would I have to ration out my FC and hope for the best?

Thankfully, none of the above!

I have a last resort, emergency use only, back up stash of all of my medicine. I carry it with me everywhere I go in the same pouch that holds my solu-cortef injection. I didn’t think to check it before Icemageddon, but I was frantically checking it that morning!

Six days.

I had a six day back up of FC. That was enough to last me through being iced in.

The weight of the ice caused the tree to snap in half. Photo from Dec 2013.

Do you have a back-up supply of your medicine?

Do you have a medical condition that requires life saving medicine? Do you have an emergency back up for all of that medicine? If you don’t, create one now!

If you do not have enough medicine to create an emergency back up, ask your doctor to write out a script for a two week supply of all of your critical meds. Get it filled now. Carry it with you at all times. You never know when it could save your life.

My hidden stash of FC saved me during Icemageddon. As soon as I am able to, I will restock it to be prepared for next time. And it will have at least fourteen days worth. Not six.

Buddy spent a few minutes outside exploring the ice. Photo from Dec 2013.

I plan on remaining Clearly Alive.