Are You Prepared to Handle Exposure to Radiation?

Radiation poisoning is both deadly and silent. Once exposed to enough radiation, a person develops radiation sickness within a few days -- sometimes within a few hours. But they may have no idea they have it, until the symptoms show themselves.

In today's radical world the possibility of being exposed to radiation from a so-called terrorist 'dirty' bomb is increasing.

There are currently 66 commercially operated nuclear power plants in the United States. Any one of them may experience an accident or be subject to a natural disaster.

Hikingware.com wants you to be aware of the symptoms or radiation sickness, and what you might be able to do to lessen the impact of exposure to large amounts of radiation in case of an attack or an accident.

What is radiation sickness?

According to the Mayo Clinic:  Radiation sickness is damage to your body caused by a large dose of radiation often received over a short period of time (acute). The amount of radiation absorbed by the body — the absorbed dose — determines how sick you'll be.

Radiation sickness is also called acute radiation sickness, acute radiation syndrome or radiation poisoning. Common exposures to low-dose radiation, such as X-ray or CT examinations, don't cause radiation sickness.

Although radiation sickness is serious and often fatal, it has otherwise been rare. Since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, during World War II, most cases of radiation sickness have occurred after nuclear industrial accidents, such as the 1986 fire that damaged the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl, Ukraine.

What are the symptoms?

The severity of signs and symptoms of radiation sickness depends on how much radiation you've absorbed. How much you absorb depends on the strength of the radiated energy and the distance between you and the source of radiation.

Signs and symptoms also are affected by the type of exposure — such as total or partial body and whether contamination is internal or external — and how sensitive to radiation the affected tissue is. For instance, the gastrointestinal system and bone marrow are highly sensitive to radiation.

Absorbed dose and duration of exposure

The absorbed dose of radiation is measured in a unit called a gray (Gy). Diagnostic tests that use radiation, such as an X-ray, result in a small dose of radiation — typically well below 0.1 Gy — focused on a few organs or small amount of tissue.

Signs and symptoms of radiation sickness usually appear when the entire body receives an absorbed dose of at least 1 Gy. Doses greater than 10 Gy to the whole body are generally not treatable and usually lead to death within two days to two weeks, depending on the dose and duration of the exposure.

Initial signs and symptoms

The initial signs and symptoms of treatable radiation sickness are usually nausea and vomiting. The amount of time between exposure and when these symptoms develop is an indicator of how much radiation a person has absorbed.

After the first round of signs and symptoms, a person with radiation sickness may have a brief period with no apparent illness, followed by the onset of new, more-serious symptoms.

In general, the greater your radiation exposure, the more rapid and more severe your symptoms will be.

Is there anything I can do to decontaminate myself or my family after radiation exposure?

The answer might surprise you.

"Decontamination is very simple," says Dr. Eric Toner of the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Biosecurity, who has studied what might happen in the wake of a terrorist's "dirty bomb" attack.

"As a rule of thumb, 80 percent of decontamination is removing your clothes," says Toner, an emergency physician. "And 95 percent is removing your clothes and taking a shower — if possible, shampooing your hair. That's all that's involved. No fancy chemicals."

That's because radiation is carried on dust particles. "The air isn't radioactive, but small dust particles are," Toner explains. "You're essentially washing off the dust."

So a rain is a good thing at the time of, or after, a radiation leak. Rain washes the dust from the air, diluting it in runoff. (Yes, the runoff would be radioactive, but diluted — and presumably, the ground would also be getting radiation exposure already.)

Dry air, when dust gets kicked up in the air and disbursed over longer distances, is bad.

By the way, the dusty clothes can often be decontaminated simply by washing them, but it depends on the amount of radiation detected. "If you have reason to think they're heavily contaminated, they should be disposed of properly," Toner says. That means put in a plastic bag and, if possible, taking them to authorities for disposal.

We None of Us are Orphans

"A God who cares about us as tenderly as a parent cares for a child cannot be an ethereal mist or a vague philosophical First Cause or a deistic absentee landlord. He must be recognized for what He truly is—a merciful, compassionate Father . . . "   Jeffrey R. Holland.

A broken arm, or broken heart; the swipe of poverty --
nothing that occurs in life can disprove God loves me.
This ever-dawning insight, this amazing comfort spurs 
my poor attempts to testify against the devil's slurs.
We none of us are orphans, but are in God's warm embrace;
 His tender voice will heal us when we look upon His face. 

The Benefits of Freeze Dried Food for Emergency Preparedness

Freeze-dried foods aren’t just relevant to you when you buy Astronaut Ice Cream for your kids at the amusement park. This is a food preservation process used for removing the moisture from foods, such as fruits, vegetables, meat, and almost any other ingredient, food item, or meal. Because these foods are lighter and much less likely to rot or spoil, they are used for emergency preparedness, quick-prep meals, and backpacking.
Hikingware.com offers a fine selection of freeze dried items on their food storage website page.  

History
Modern freeze-drying was developed during WWII. Blood serum being sent to Europe from the US for medical treatment of the wounded required refrigeration, but because of the lack of simultaneous refrigeration and transport, many serum supplies were spoiling before reaching their intended recipients. The freeze-drying process was developed as a commercial technique that enabled serum to be rendered chemically stable and viable without having to be refrigerated. Shortly thereafter, the freeze-dry process was applied to penicillin and bone, and lyophilization became recognized as an important technique for preservation of biologicals. Since that time, freeze-drying has been used as a preservation or processing technique for a wide variety of products.

How it works

If a freeze-dried substance is sealed to prevent the reabsorption of moisture, the substance may be stored at room temperature without refrigeration, and be protected against spoilage for many years. Preservation is possible because the greatly reduced water content inhibits the action of microorganisms and enzymes that would normally spoil or degrade the substance.

Freeze-drying also causes less damage to the substance than other dehydration methods using higher temperatures. Freeze-drying does not usually cause shrinkage or toughening of the material being dried. In addition, flavours, smells and nutritional content generally remain unchanged, making the process popular for preserving food. However, water is not the only chemical capable of sublimation, and the loss of other volatile compounds such as acetic acid (vinegar) and alcohols can yield undesirable results.

Freeze-dried products can be rehydrated (reconstituted) much more quickly and easily because the process leaves microscopic pores. The pores are created by the ice crystals that sublimate, leaving gaps or pores in their place.

Can I freeze dry my own food?

You can purchase a home freeze dryer -- but they are pricey, and you'll need to spend a goodly amount of time prepping your food, and then sticking around for several hours to make sure the process goes smoothly. If you have a large family and a strong wallet, plus plenty of free time, it might be worth your while.  A good freeze dryer will run you anywhere from four-hundred to twelve-hundred dollars.

But again, you needn't invest a lot of time and money in freeze drying; you can purchase quality freeze dried food items from companies like Hikingware.com. Once the items are placed in a cool, dark, and dry place, you can forget about them until you need them. 

2 Nephi 17: 11

 "Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depths, or in the heights above."

We worry so of sacrifices that we may be asked to give,
that sometimes we are not prepared when God just wants us well to live.
Mysterious He is, and wise -- but also, like a father He
might give us gifts because He wants to see our pure vivacity.
Ask for honey on the tongue; solicit grander views;
desire what you will of God -- you might receive great news!  

Look Up!

"Men and women in many circles are clever, interesting, or brilliant, but they lack one crucial element in a complete life. They do not look up."   Howard W. Hunter. 

Tis the simplest of suggestions, and so easy to perform;
just stretch your neck a little and look up above the storm.
The ground can be depressing, full of dust and mud and strife;
so raise your eyes to heaven, to the Lord of love and life.
The funny thing is you won't stumble when your eyes are set
on the highest level -- and you'll leave behind regret.
Look up, my friend, and do not waste a minute of your day
listening to those whose views reflect the sodden clay.

Luke 6: 28

"Bless them that curse you, and pray for them who despitefully use you."

My enemy pressed hard upon my life in many ways;
he made my nights go sleepless and destroyed my happy days.
I hated him for murdering my hopes and dreams and prayers,
for all the stumbling blocks he added to my daily cares.

But then, by invitation of the spirit, I invoked
the blessings of Jehovah on this traitor so provoked.
In time, I came to find that all my anger was mislaid --
my enemy is gone because for him I daily prayed.