This site is Gunny Approved

Author Topic: Dealing with modern medical issues while reenacting.  (Read 5090 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline historymuseum2000

  • Plebe
  • *
  • Posts: 21
  • Karma: +1/-0
  • "A noble heart embiggens the smallest man"
    • II. FJR. 6
Dealing with modern medical issues while reenacting.
« on: September 04, 2007, 01:58:39 AM »
I have been a diabetic for over 30 years now, since I was 7 and a reenactor since i was 14. I have had various ways to deal with the multitude of complications of being a diabetic and pretending to be either a CW soldier or WWII GI or Kraut, or WWI Doughboy.

These have ranged from ( and I am not kidding here.) having my Mom come give me my shot in the morning at a near by reenactment :-[ to being positively sick because I let my blood sugars go to hell for 2 days.  :O>@

Now I am on an insulin pump and I tell ya what it has made doing this crazy stuff so much easier and still keep control of my blood sugars. These thing are darn near indestructible and easy to carry in you pocket. Just have to make sure you load it up before you go to the event and of course stash your gluclometer somewhere in your kit. I have always been sensitive to ruining others "moments" and try to be discrete as possible.

I could tell you all kinds of stories of low blood sugar episodes and reenacting. ( At my first GW event my trench mate had to explain to 2 Huns that i was "stalking" that my blood sugar was low...I was doing an Elmer Fudd imitation. My apologies to those guys.  ;D) I have been dragged off the field by EMT's thinking I was having heat stroke when all I needed was some pick me up sugar..that was at the 135th of Chickamauga, I had to walk back from the aid station with no shoes, they had stripped them and dragged me off before I or my pards could explain that it all was under control!)

Anyways the Insulin pump has changed much of that, now even if I only eat a bit I can immediately control the amount of insulin and I can adjust it to take in consideration the increased physical activity.

I would like to hear form other reenactors and what they have done to deal with their medical issues and how they accommodate them.

Maybe we can all compare notes and help each other with ways to make it easier, be it Asthma diabetes, you name it.

Lee
Lee Drake

Jaeger Leopold Kloepper 7./FJR.6

Offline Sturmkatze

  • -=r.Net Actual=-
  • Administrator
  • Reenactor
  • *
  • Posts: 488
  • Karma: +6/-0
  • Oft muß Mann zum Teufel damit!
    • reenactor.Net
Re: Dealing with modern medical issues while reenacting.
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2007, 11:36:31 AM »
Sounds like you have found a way to deal with this. My father now has diabetes and I can see how it really affects him if he doesn't eat, etc.
Best, Marsh
Marsh Wise
www.reenactor.net
My blog (boring!!): www.reppledepple.com
-1./J.R. 23 www.ir23.org
-Legio IX Hispana www.legioix.org

Alteris renumera duplum de quoquo tibi numeraverunt

Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress... But then I repeat myself.

Offline tleve

  • Reenactor
  • *
  • Posts: 137
  • Karma: +3/-0
    • the living history alliance
Re: Dealing with modern medical issues while reenacting.
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2007, 08:59:27 PM »
i have been a diabetic for 19 years , i was 7 also . i guess it is easier for me since i do only women roles . I can take my insulin when i need to ( i built a wooden chest that i place a small cooler in that holds my insulin / for local events i have a "pen" that doesn't need to be kept cool ) i can take my insulin shots by just pulling it in my or one of the boys tents and then because most of my outfits our two or more pieaces i can pull up or un-tuck my shirt take it and then re-tuck.

I had a period where i would go into seizures (sp) when my sugar was to low , i had one at an event but lucky me i had my group around and know what to do . it was kind of hard to explain why the Lt. was flipping my skirt and hoops up to shot me with the "crash " shot ( that's wht we call it , it is the glucose shot ) but most people understand if you explain.

that was really the only real problem i have had .
" No Good Deed Goes Unpunished "

Offline historymuseum2000

  • Plebe
  • *
  • Posts: 21
  • Karma: +1/-0
  • "A noble heart embiggens the smallest man"
    • II. FJR. 6
Re: Dealing with modern medical issues while reenacting.
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2007, 10:12:57 PM »
That was something I learned to do early and is a good point to make, be sure to let the unit and group one is with know about any medical issues that they should know about.

i was on the pen before my pump ( in fact it was a prerequisite for going on the pump.) and that in itself made reenacting life a lot easier.When I first got into reenacting I was still using the old Squibb pork based insulin!

Good to know your comrades were looking out for you, I think generally speaking reenactors have each others backs.

Lee
Lee Drake

Jaeger Leopold Kloepper 7./FJR.6

Offline tleve

  • Reenactor
  • *
  • Posts: 137
  • Karma: +3/-0
    • the living history alliance
Re: Dealing with modern medical issues while reenacting.
« Reply #4 on: September 05, 2007, 10:26:35 PM »
yeah it was one of the first things i told the group when they asked me to jion , at first it was a lot of worried looks , but alot of them went on line and learned about it . some of them are better at knowing when i am having a problem then my husband does . LOL . i am also the only "girl" in camp so they look out for me .

right now i'm on humalin N and Humalog pen , it is pretty good . alot better then the others i have been on.
« Last Edit: September 06, 2007, 10:24:20 AM by tleve »
" No Good Deed Goes Unpunished "

Offline Flamingos.r.us.

  • Plebe
  • *
  • Posts: 49
  • Karma: +5/-0
Re: Dealing with modern medical issues while reenacting.
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2007, 04:53:16 PM »
My husband's on Lantus (diabetes) and has been a diabetic for over 30 years. One regiment we belonged to had everyone fill out a form upon joining to fill everyone in on potential health problems at events, and also, to let everyone know who was qualified to do what...(first aide, cpr) it's funny, it's not until an emergency arrises at an event do you realize who is a doctor, a nurse, or a paramedic.
the flamingos are my minions.