Last night a student asked me about sanitizing apothecary tools using a high tech setting in their dishwasher, and I responded with an affirmative, while explaining that my current experience has been so different recently, living in a 1940s adobe farmhouse in the mountains of New Mexico.
At 7,600 feet, everything up here is just a little different, including the water pressure, and we often feel like we’ve gone back in time from the easy availability of modern conveniences in daily life in a city setting.
Another student in the same class asked me about how to process heat-based formulas without a stove and immediately I had ideas! Heat retention cooker! Jet Boil! Camp stove! Camp fire!
I explained to the class that it might sound a little unusual, but we’ve always approached field medicine from the standpoint of working with less, and making whatever tools we had available to do the job.
Helping people feel comfortable with being ‘better than ok’ with remote or austere situations has always been something that I’ve enjoyed doing and experiencing. I guess it’s the optimist in me.
It’s not perfect, but boy does having energy bars when there isn’t enough food on this trip feels divine …. the water isn’t very hot, but it feels so nice to get clean! —The Optimist’s Inner Dialogue
Creating happiness from small comforts or measures is my specialty.
We did one of our clinical trips in Nicaragua about 12 years ago, and stayed in a jungle village while we worked on a slow sand water filtration system for their well, set up improvised showers for the team, ran a 5-day herbal clinic for the region, and worked with limited rations for the team around mealtime. It was challenging for those who were accustomed to easy accessibility to the things we’re used to — such as NOT having bats fly up out of the latrines in the dark — but our team was really strong and upbeat.
But I won’t deny we didn’t all collectively swoon when we returned to the larger coastal town with hot showers, plenty of food and beds to replace hammocks and night chorus of howler monkeys.
Making use of great gear when you’ve got it can make life easier and work go faster, and I’m all for it. However one of the greatest feelings is knowing you’ll be ok if you can make the tools you’ve got also work for you too!
Work with what you’ve got, but if you’ve got the equipment … use it and relish it!
Upcoming Opportunities to do more with less….
the homestead basics course, beginning April 15th
The Medical Advance Party course, starts March 24th