Rotate the Meds in Your First Aid Kit

 
At the Holiday Paddle and Canoe Club Christmas get-together on Lake Charlotte, one of us got stung by a bee.

I leaped to the rescue and ran to my truck to get my First Aid kit to get the Benedryl.

It took a few minutes to find it.

Not the First Aid kit – I try to pack it prominently so when needed, it is easy to find.

But the Benedryl capsules took some finding.

Meanwhile, the stungee had gone to his car, and found his Benedryl to use to assuage his bee sting pain.

But - shockingly – The Benedryl in my First Aid kit had dried up and congealed, and was probably no good anymore.

How long had it been since I went through my First Aid kits and replaced the “past due” medications with fresh ones?

Let me think back. Not this year. Hmmm. Not last year. Hmmm. The year before that? Uh. No, I don’t think so. Maybe 5 years ago? Maybe longer?

Yikes!

Some meds lose their effectiveness over time. And some of them actually decay and become dangerous.

Notice in the picture, the new Benedryl capsules are clear. The old ones are yellow, and congealed, and have obviously undergone a chemical change. I would not feel safe using the dried, congealed capsules.

So evidently, I need to go through all my First Aid kits, and replace the expired meds and Band-Aids and supplies with fresh ones so the next time I need to use something, the supplies will be useful, and not in themselves dangerous.

And I suggest you go through your First Aid kits, and do the same.

Or you could end up like me, with a kit that could do more harm than good.

It might be a pretty good way to start the new year.

Stay safe out there!

See you On The Water!

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The author, Harmon Everett