Family
One More Reason To Keep Purell On Hand
A few months back, my wife and I took a much needed vacation… but it didn’t turn out so well…
but it did leave me with a little extra knowledge that could help you in a time of need!
Day three of the cruise started early and abruptly.
At 5:00 am my wife jumped out of bed and made a break for the restroom; and it only got worse from there.
My wife had a stomach surgery recently that left her much more prone to dehydration than a normal person, and I always worry about how much water she has drank.
So needless to say after 12 hours of her not being able to keep down anything, not even ice chips, I was a very worried.
I found my way to the medical center to see if they had any pepto bismol or anything the help settle her stomach.
As soon as I mentioned an upset stomach the nurse got very serious and asked me what the symptoms were.
After I dragged her down to the sick bay and she was treated they sent us back to our room (with her under a 24 hour quarantine).
The nurse and the doctor wouldn’t tell me what was wrong with my wife, but when we returned to our room there was a letter waiting for us explaining that they believed she had been infected with the Norovirus or as she not so affectionately called it, the plague.
After the quarantine we were headed back to the medical cabin for a follow up exam and (hopefully) a removal of the quarantine.
Unfortunately, my wife is stubborn, so before we headed the one floor down to get everything taken care of, she had to go up on deck to get some fresh air.
On the ride back down, I noticed her skin flush and then immediately go pale as she began pouring sweat.
She convulsed several times before going limp.
I managed to grab her before she hit the floor, but not before she smashed her shoulder into the hand rail.
I picked her up and she convulsed again.
The elevator was PACKED but no one moved to help me, save for one couple.
A man and his wife both covered head to toe in tattoos.
I wish that I had gotten his name so that I could thank him.
This is the tip that he left me with.
If anyone is ever fainting, you can use hand sanitizer to snap them out of it.
As I carried my wife’s limp body to a wheelchair on the medical bay we passed by an automatic hand sanitizer dispenser.
He told me that I needed to soak my hands in the stuff and then rub it all over her face, especially on her nose and upper lip.
I was confused, scared, angry, and just about everything else but I complied.
I don’t know which was worse, the sight of my wife sitting limp in that wheelchair with her head lolling, or the look she gave me after I rubbed that sanitzer on her…
It was pure evil.
But it worked, she snapped right out of it and immediately came back around.
After all was said and done I asked my tattoo covered savior where he learned that trick, he said that he owned a tattoo parlor and it was passed down to him from his mentor.
I still haven’t figured out how this works and I can’t find anything to back it up.
BUT I have seen it work first hand.
This is just one more reason to keep that little bottle of Purell handy.
Pass this on, share it, do whatever you can to get this message out.
Do you know something else that might work for this type of emergency?
Let me know.
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Sarah
May 13, 2013 at 7:18 AM
I always keep a bottle of Advantage Liquid Concentrate with me wherever I go. It’s by Wisdom of the Ages and is only sold by health professionals. I get mine from this website. http://www.hisdesignforhealth.com.
ALC is the absolute best way to kill germs, bacteria, viruses, etc. It’s often called “medicine cabinet in a bottle”. Get that little book with your order and it’ll give you details on how to stop diarrhea, keep your hands clean, sanitize food, etc, etc. Also, ask Donna what she has to protect you and your wife when you travel. She goes to a lot of conferences for alternative medicine and learns from the best in their fields. She is fast becoming a “Dr. House” in the alternative medicine world.
God bless you, I love your website!
Kathleen
May 13, 2013 at 11:44 AM
What a traumatic experience! There is nothing worse than being away from home and so sick. I feel your pain, both of you. Just terrible, and I hope she is feeling better now? It is awful to just read, let alone live. Norovirus is a bad’n. Apparently cruise ships are susceptible, one reason I wouldn’t go. They just can’t really clean all surfaces. I love the Purell use to rouse a fainting person!
I’m guessing it has to do with the bracing effect of the cool alcohol, the strong smell, and so on. whatever it is, that is awesome, and, good info to have. God provided you some angels in tattoos. 🙂 you never know where help may come from.
Joe
May 13, 2013 at 12:00 PM
Hi Kathleen, thank you for your kind words!
She is doing much better now (minus a lack of energy, she was ok before we made it back home).
Ken
May 13, 2013 at 8:18 PM
I had never heard of this use before, but with the other uses, it is already part of my EDC. Hopefully I’ll never need to apply this knowledge, but it is nice to know. Glad your wife is recovering well.
Suzi-Q
May 14, 2013 at 9:02 AM
It is the alcohol in the hand sanitizer that roused the fainting woman.
captain mike
May 16, 2013 at 7:03 AM
I hear it’s also a dandy firestarter. Sort of a civilian napalm.
Elizabeth
May 16, 2013 at 7:14 AM
Sorry, all, but, I’m going to have to disagree about promoting the “good” of Purell. None of these “sticky” sanitizers should be used or promoted, IMHO. Science has proven that using the “sticky” type sanitizers is worse than doing nothing at all, as far as sanitizing hands; they are so sticky and gummy that once you use them, everything you touch “sticks” to your skin, and you become a magnet for all kinds of things you do not want to carry around. A better choice is disposable hand wipes, IMHO, and you can make your own. Take a look here: http://www.stacymakescents.com/homemade-hand-sanitizer-wipes
Or, just buy them in convenient travel paks; but use and throw away. No, I’m not an advocate of filling the landfills or oceans with our trash – quite the contrary; however, this is one I think merits endorsement over the gels.
Many of these disposables contain alcohol and might, in fact, have the same effect as the gels.
Joe
May 16, 2013 at 7:18 AM
Hi Elizabeth,
Than you for your opinion but the article was about a personal experience that helped my wife recover from fainting after a terrible bout with a virus…. not about the effectiveness of purell at killing germs.
Thanks again
Joe
ChrisC
June 1, 2013 at 4:17 PM
Strangely, disposable hand wipes have always left my hands feeling a bit sticky. No hand sanitizer I’ve ever used, whether it’s the gel type or the alcohol-free foaming type, has ever left my hands feeling sticky. The gel is just glycerin and alcohol with some fragrance mixed in.
bub
November 24, 2014 at 1:30 AM
Sorry, Elizabeth, but that is not the reason why studies have questioned their use. The reason is the same one they give for not using antibiotics unless really needed … that supposedly they lead to germs which are resistant to anti-pathogens. In the case of Purell, then antibiotic agent is 63% Ethyl Alcohol (basically 63% grain alcohol).
I personally would rather store 190 Proof grain alcohol, which around here costs about $30/gallon. It also has more uses, and can be made into a portable, homemade “Purell-like” hand cleaner.
pfwag
May 16, 2013 at 1:07 PM
There are very few drugs that will kill a virus. However, silver will. When ever I travel I take a bottle of colloidal silver with me. From my anecdotal experiences, it will stop a stomach flu real quick and dramatically shortens recovery time from other infections. CAUTION: most of the “colloidal silver” stuff out there is junk. Get Sovereign Silver, which, like most “colloidal silver” is actually an ionic silver or Meso Silver which is actually a true colloidal silver. Since they are slightly different we keep a bottle of both around for in the event – WHEN not IF – H5N1 or H7N9 or SARS goes pandemic.
Rachel Henderson
May 20, 2013 at 8:31 AM
Yes! Colloidal Silver is amazing!!!! I buy mine either from Utopia Silver or from Herbal Healer. Both are very effective. Ben Taylor is the owner of Utopia Silver and offers the CS in two forms. One for just topical and one for oral use. I always buy the Advanced Care for oral/topical use.
We also keep Elderberry Extract and Olive Leaf Extract (liquid form) on hand as well. They both have amazing anti-viral properties and to some degree even anti-bacterial. Before I knew about CS I cured my strep throat overnight with the liquid Olive Leaf! It only took two droppers.
Jill
May 16, 2013 at 5:03 PM
Once my son took my non-swimming daughter up on a slide at a pool and wasn’t thinking and let her go when my husband and I weren’t close enough to catch her. She went under and I was trying to reach her when a tattooed guy picked her up out of the water and possibly saved her life.
Rachel Henderson
May 20, 2013 at 8:27 AM
I personally avoid commercial hand sanitizers due to their toxicity. There has been a lot of studies done on most of the ingredients. It is possible to get hand sanitizers that are non-toxic or you can make your own.
http://www.virginiahopkinstestkits.com/hand_sanitizers.html
DocDIY
May 20, 2013 at 2:53 PM
(I am a physician.) First, what NOT to do: don’t use “anti-diarrheal” OTC meds or opioids (in an attempt to “stop” the diarrhea, unless it has caused significant volume loss for 2-3 days; an experienced ER physician would probably be in the best position to judge this…because the gut is trying to rid itself of the offending agent – virus, food poisoning, an anti-biotic (yes, an antibiotic can overwhem the normal flora, allowing clostridium difficile to grow!), bacteria or protozoan, and you don’t want to inhibit the exit of this stuff. Giving oral fluids (water with electrolytes, or Gatorade until an IV is available if it is that serious) is the best immediate remedy.
Now consider basic causes. Abdominal symptoms can have many causes, like pancreatitis, hepatitis or appendicitis (“the great masquerader”), which we’ll exclude.
We’ll limit ourselves to the more common GI symptoms – those due to acquired pathogens. These can include giardiasis (“traveler’s diarrhea, which is the most common protozoan in the world), viruses, bacteria (think toxigenic E-coli, heat-stabile staph, samonella, shigella, listeria [a major problem with “deli” meat & salad products, which can infect 15-85% of such items] and rarely, but importantly, botulism]). Even without travel, one can experience toxin ingestion from scromboid and ciguatera poisoning (from fish): the former is a histamine reaction from “spoiled fish), lasting for hours, the latter can last days to months – from bottom-dwelling fish, usually due to larger fish ingesting industrial (?) toxins after eating smaller fish that already ate smaller ones eating the same toxin/poison.
Now, don’t get paranoid – being forewarned is being forearmed. The more we reasonably educate ourselves, the more we will survive…God willing. This, of course cannot hope to answer all questions. Just don’t think that “Pepto-bismol” will be the solution to all problems. However, Pepto-Bismol TAKEN IN ADVANCE and continued during any foreign travel has been noted to prevent certain bacterial infections. You can take it in tablet form – it’s obviously more practical. (Hint: you can’t refund the “empties”;-) I hope this will be of some help. When in doubt, go to the ER -with this information in hand, and an accurate log of the history of onset, foods ingested, time elapsed and symptoms; 24-48 hours can make a huge difference. Survive!
Laurie
July 15, 2013 at 6:02 PM
DocDIY, My son and I have Von Willebrands TypeI bleeding disorder; as a result, any episode of nausea and vomiting can be a major issue, especially for my son because he does not have female hormones that can correct his bleeding disorder. I can take birth control pills and it will increase my Von Willebrand factor. In Type I Von Willebrands disease it is the most mild form, but also the most unpredictable. My son’s Von Willebrand factor can be so low at certain times and that makes him a high risk for bleeding issues during these times. Then there are times when his Von Willebrand factor is still low but closer to normal and at these times, his bleeding disorder is not that much of an issue. 1% of the population have some form of Von Willebrands disease and do not know it. These people usually get diagnosed when they have a major surgery, or a major car accident. My son and I found out we had Von Willebrands disease when he was 2 1/2 years old due to a very good and observant Pediatrician. I mentioned at one of my son’s check ups that Ryan had bruises on his legs just from me changing his diaper. The physician asked some post partum bleeding questions and was shocked to hear I bled for 3 months after my son’s birth. I thought it was normal because my OBGYN didn’t say a word about it. The Pediatrician referred us both out to a Pedi Hematologist and an Adult Hematologist which confirmed the Von Willebrands Type I diagnosis. My son is now 19 years old and we have been to the ER many times because he gets dehydrated very quikly. My son is about 5’11 and weighs about 110 wet. We currently keep Compro Suppositories in the refrigerator, an oral anti-nausea med and as a last resort Ativan. If all fails we end up in the ER trying to get him on IV’s. His last episode in April 2011 his Pedi Hematologist abandoned us in the Adult ER stating he can’t write orders on the Adult side of the hospital. (my son had his wisdom teeth removed 4 months earlier in the Adult OR setting, where the Pedi Hem/Onc physician wrote orders for surgery, then wrote orders while my son was staying on the Adult Oral Surgery floor. Needless to say we changed Hematologists and we now see the same physician. She is concerned about his dramatic fluctuations of his Von Willebrand Factor that she has given us her cell phone number to call her directly so if he has to go to the ER he will be taken back immediately and put on IV’s.
Do you have any suggestions on what I should keep on hand in the event of issues where we can’t access a hospital or pharmacy? I have a brother and a sister who are both RN’s. My sister has a variety of skills. She has worked ICU, Telemetry, Oncology, ER, worked for a Hem/Onc group. My brother has worked in the ER and is currently a Cath Lab Nurse. Is it possible to keep Saline IV bags to administer at home? I look forward to your response.
Thank you,
Laurie
DocDIY
May 20, 2013 at 3:17 PM
One more thing – an individual can become prostrate/ severely weak in cases where there is a food poisoning WITHOUT diarrhea, such as with toxigenic E-coli. This organism (a bacterium) acquired notoriety a few years back in the northwest, I think, which involved poorly-cooked hamburger meats; salads & veggies can be involved.
Other non-microbial pathogens can cause self-limiting GI symptoms of nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps – such as heavy metals (tin, copper, zinc and cadmium). The symptoms develop within 5-15 minutes of ingesting the contaminated food and usually resolve within several hours after vomiting the offending agent.
It’s always nice to have a nurse, EMT, PA (etc) around or in your survival group- certainly someone who can aseptically start IV fluids (like saline or half-normal saline).
Teresa
September 2, 2014 at 4:05 PM
Than you for sharing that Purell story. I have some in the basement waiting for emergencies and I will pass the information on to an Emergency Response Team in my area – and to my friends and relatives.
kaelgee
December 11, 2014 at 5:59 PM
The germicidal has a strong smell to it. Works similarly to old time smelling salts which is an ammonia ampule. A strong denatured alcohol may do the same thing.
Bring 10 ppm colloidal silver along with you the next time you’re on a cruise or better yet, a colloidal silver generator. It’s a great way to avoid the crud.
Robert Adams
December 30, 2014 at 8:39 AM
Last November I purchased a “go-bag”. My card was charged about Nov. 24th. I have not received the bag or notification of why. Could you please explain this or direct me to someone who can?
Thank you
Robert Adams
'Above Average' Joe
December 30, 2014 at 9:13 AM
Hi Robert. You can call our customer service line at 512 366 3332 or email support@survivallife.com and one of my reps will get back to you ASAP.