Lupus Preparation Kit: Being Prepared in Lupus Emergencies

How many times have you had to be rushed to the emergency room due to a lupus situation? You aren’t feeling well and as usual, lupus strikes out of the blue. You take the pain as long as you can, but you can’t do it any longer and have to be taken to the emergency room. Are you prepared? Do you have things in place that will help you advocate for yourself if you have to go it alone? Do you have everything in place to help the person who may have to take you to the emergency room? Think about it. What do you have in place to make sure you are well taken care of and understood during a lupus emergency?

Being your own best advocate

As you battle lupus, part of being your own best advocate is preparing properly for lupus emergencies. Even though we know lupus can strike with no warning, it is still important to work on being well-prepared when it does. Being properly prepared takes some planning and isn’t as hard as you believe it to be. Below, let’s get into what I believe is needed to prepare in case of that lupus emergency.

Lupus preparation kit

I am a preparer and planner. I have learned since lupus can strike at any time, I have to be prepared to help myself even when I can’t verbalize it to those around me. Here are some items I put in my lupus preparation kit.

1. List of medications. The first thing I have is a list of all of my current medicines and allergies. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medications. This is important especially when you aren’t able to remember what medications you are on when you are in pain.
2. Emergency bag.This bag has a change of clothes, current medicines, my favorite book, a music player with headphones, and any other comfort items I need to pass the time. Remember, most emergency rooms can be crowded and it’s important to have comfort items to take your mind off of your issue and the possible long wait.
3. Medical bracelet/medical card. This bracelet and card repeat what my list has and tells my exact issues and what medicine allergies I have.
4. Copy of medical directives and my living will. This is not said to scare you. In reality, when I am sick enough to actually go to the emergency room, I may not be able to verbalize what my wishes are. Having these items on me is beneficial to me or the person who is with me in the emergency room. I make it a point to entrust certain people who I know are my supporters with my medical wishes. I inform them what to do in an emergency situation.

Why is preparation so important?

Preparing to advocate for yourself in ways other than verbally is important to me. I believe in the adage, “if you fail to plan you plan to fail.” I feel if you take the time to have things in order it can take a little stress off of you as you deal with your health emergency.

What would you put in your lupus preparation kit? Let me know in the comments.