Knowing your condition

Knowing your condition and treatment
In disaster situations, it will be extremely difficult to continue receiving medical treatment as you normally do, due to the collapse of your hospital or other circumstances that prevent you from going to the hospital. If you can explain your medical condition, however, you will be able to receive similar treatment or care even in places other than your home or hospital, for example, at a hospital or institution that is still functioning after the disaster. Even in normal situations, it is an effective way of controlling symptoms to have a full understanding of your condition and treatment or care you are receiving. You need to get to know your condition and treatment on a routine basis so you will be able to explain it in emergency situations. It is important to talk thoroughly about your condition and treatment with your doctor or nurse. Even if you understand your condition and treatment, you may not be able to explain your condition well in emergency situations due to stress and anxiety. To avoid this, it may be a good idea to write down notes about your condition, and any prescription drugs and other treatments you are receiving, and then put the memo in your emergency bag.

Knowing your pain medicines
In disaster situations, you may run short of pain medicine, since you can’t go to the hospital, or because your medicines have been washed away by mudslide or flood.
In such a case, if you know the name and dosage of pain medicines you are taking, you will be able to more easily obtain the medicine by asking a volunteer nurse available to get medicines or by getting a prescription from a doctor in another hospital.

Write about your present medical condition.

Write the name, dosage and use of each pain medicine you are taking.

Write about the symptoms you are concerned about.