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Prepping for a Physical Health Crisis (Part 1): The Body Blueprint

By The SHTF App Team

In an emergency, you may be unconscious, confused, or simply unable to recall the dosage of a specific medication you take daily.

⚠️ Silence can be deadly. If a paramedic doesn’t know you are allergic to Penicillin or taking blood thinners, standard treatments could kill you. A health baseline provides critical, life-saving information when you cannot speak for yourself. A comprehensive health profile allows you to spot deviations from your “normal” early and acts as your voice in a crisis. It turns medical chaos into a manageable situation.

The Readiness Audit

If you ended up in the E.R. tonight, do you have a single document ready to hand to the doctor?

  • 🟢 Green: You have a digital and physical copy of your “Health Profile” containing meds, allergies, and recent lab work.
  • 🟡 Yellow: You know your meds, but you don’t know the dosages, and your vaccination records are lost in a drawer somewhere.
  • 🔴 Red: You rely entirely on your memory. You don’t know your blood type or your doctor’s phone number.

If you are Yellow or Red, execute Phase 1 immediately.

Documenting Your Normal Baseline

Your goal is to create a single, comprehensive document—digital or physical—that contains all of your vital health information. It should be clear, concise, and easy for someone else to read in an emergency. A health baseline allows you to spot deviations from your “normal” early, and it provides critical, life-saving information to first responders or doctors when you might not be able to speak for yourself.

Part A: Vitals & Contacts

  • 👤 Personal Information: Full legal name, date of birth, and blood type (if you know it).
  • 📞 Emergency Contacts: List at least two trusted people. Include their full name, relationship to you, and multiple contact numbers (mobile and home). Prioritize at least one contact who lives nearby.
  • 👩‍⚕️ Your Medical Team: List all your healthcare providers.
    • Primary Care Physician (PCP): Doctor’s Name, Practice/Hospital Name, and Phone Number.
    • Specialists: List any specialists you see (e.g., cardiologist, endocrinologist, psychiatrist), including their name, specialty, and phone number.
    • Dentist & Pharmacy: Name and phone number for both.

Part B: Critical Medical Details

  • 💊 Medication List: This is one of the most important sections. For every prescription, over-the-counter drug, and supplement you take regularly, list the:
    • Drug Name: (e.g., Lisinopril)
    • Dosage: (e.g., 10mg)
    • Frequency: (e.g., Once daily)
    • Reason for Taking: (e.g., High blood pressure)
  • ⚠️ Allergies & Adverse Reactions: Be specific.
    • Medication Allergies: (e.g., Penicillin, Sulfa drugs) and the specific reaction (e.g., “hives,” “anaphylaxis”).
    • Food & Environmental Allergies: (e.g., Peanuts, shellfish, bee stings).
  • 🩺 Chronic Conditions: List any ongoing health issues you manage, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), Type 2 Diabetes, asthma, thyroid disease, depression, etc. Include the approximate date of diagnosis.
  • 🗓️ Significant Medical History: A bulleted list of major health events.
    • Surgeries: (e.g., Appendectomy - 2018, Knee replacement - 2022).
    • Major Illnesses: (e.g., Pneumonia hospitalization - 2020, Cancer diagnosis/remission).
    • Significant Injuries: (e.g., Broken arm from car accident - 2019).

Part C: Key Numbers & Records

  • 📈 Your Key Metrics: Your most recent lab results give a snapshot of your health.
    • Blood Pressure (e.g., 120/80 mmHg)
    • Resting Heart Rate
    • Cholesterol (Total, HDL, LDL)
    • A1c (if diabetic or pre-diabetic)
  • 💉 Vaccination Record: List key immunizations and the year you received them, especially Tetanus, MMR, Flu, and COVID-19.
  • 📄 Insurance Details: Your insurance company, policy number, and group number.

Gathering Your Baseline Information

Collecting your health data requires a proactive approach. You can’t wait for the information to come to you; you need to actively seek it out. Using a combination of the following methods will ensure you build the most complete and accurate health profile possible.

1. The Annual Physical: Your Proactive Data-Gathering Mission

Your routine check-up is the single best opportunity to gather a wealth of information. Don’t treat it as a passive event; go in prepared like you’re conducting an interview.

Before Your Visit:

  • ❓ Prepare a Question List: Write down specific questions for your doctor. This shows you are an engaged partner in your health. Examples include:
    • “Based on my age and family history, what specific screenings do you recommend this year?”
    • “Can we review my current medication list? I’d like to understand the purpose of each one.”
    • “What do my recent lab results for cholesterol and blood pressure mean for my long-term health goals?”
  • 📋 Document Your Symptoms: Make a short, bulleted list of any new or ongoing symptoms, changes in sleep or energy levels, or any other health concerns you’ve had over the past year.

During Your Visit:

  • 📓 Take Notes: Bring a notebook or use your phone to jot down your doctor’s answers and recommendations.
  • 🖨️ Request Printouts: Before you leave the office, ask the staff for a printed “After Visit Summary.” This document is a goldmine—it typically includes your updated medication list, vital signs from that day’s visit, and a summary of your doctor’s orders.

2. The Patient Portal: Your 24/7 Digital Filing Cabinet

Most modern healthcare systems offer online patient portals. These are secure websites that give you direct access to your own medical records.

  • How to Get Access: If you haven’t already signed up, visit your doctor’s or hospital’s website and look for a “Patient Portal” or “MyChart” link. The sign-up process is usually quick and may require information from a recent visit.
  • What to Look For: Once you log in, navigate to these common sections:
    • “Health Record” or “Health Summary”: This gives you a snapshot of your allergies, current conditions, and medications.
    • “Test Results” or “Labs”: Here you can find the specific numbers from all your recent bloodwork and other tests.
    • “Medications”: This section will list all the prescriptions your doctor has on file for you.
  • Your Action: Don’t just view the information online. Download or print key sections as PDF files. This creates a personal, offline backup that you control and can access even if the portal is down or you switch healthcare providers.

3. Formal Records Request: The Official Approach

This method is best for getting a complete historical record, especially if you need information from a past hospital stay, a surgical procedure, or from a doctor you no longer see.

The Process:

  • Go to the website of the hospital or clinic where you received care. Find the “Medical Records Department” page.
  • You will need to fill out an “Authorization for Release of Information” form. This is a standard legal document required by HIPAA.
  • On the form, be specific about what you need. For example: “Discharge summary from my hospital stay on May 10-12, 2024,” or “Surgical report for knee surgery performed by Dr. Smith on January 15, 2023.”
  • Submit the form as directed (often via fax, mail, or a secure online portal). Be aware that there may be a small administrative fee for copying and sending the records.

4. Family Health History: The Genetic Approach

Understanding the health of your close relatives is crucial for assessing your own genetic risks. This conversation can be sensitive, so approach it with care.

How to Frame the Conversation: Explain why you’re asking. A good way to start is: “I’m trying to put together a complete health history for my doctor, and it would be really helpful for both of us to know if there’s a history of certain conditions in our family.”

👪 Who to Ask: Your parents, siblings, and if possible, your grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

What to Ask: Focus on major, chronic conditions. Specifically ask about any family history of:

  • Heart Disease (and at what age it appeared)
  • High Blood Pressure or High Cholesterol
  • Specific types of Cancer (and at what age it appeared)
  • Diabetes (Type 1 or Type 2)
  • Autoimmune diseases (like Lupus or Rheumatoid Arthritis)
  • Neurological conditions (like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s)

The “Essential Kit” Checklist

  • The Master Document: A printed “Personal Health Profile” combining Phase 1 data.
  • The USB Drive: A digital backup of your downloaded Patient Portal records.
  • The Wallet Card: A condensed version of your meds/allergies kept behind your ID.
  • The Insurance Card: A physical copy front-and-back.

The Scenario Planner (Contingencies)

Murphy’s Law Variation 1: “The portal is down during the emergency.”

  • The Trap: Relying 100% on cloud access.
  • The Fix: The Hard Copy Rule. Keep one physical copy of your health profile in your wallet or “Go-Bag.” Technology fails; paper does not.

Murphy’s Law Variation 2: “I switched doctors and lost my records.”

  • The Trap: Leaving data behind with the old provider.
  • The Fix: Formal Records Request. Submit an “Authorization for Release of Information” form to your old provider to get historical surgical reports or discharge summaries.

This is Part 1 of our Physical Health Crisis series. Continue reading:

  • Prepping for a Physical Health Crisis — Overview
  • Part 2: Build a Robust Home Medical Kit (Coming Soon)
  • Part 3: Learn Basic First Aid and Emergency Response Skills (Coming Soon)
  • Part 4: Develop a Health Maintenance Plan and Medical Communication Plan (Coming Soon)