Wilderness First Responder

So I’m on the outskirts of Conway, New Hampshire, for about 8 days. I’m getting my Wilderness First Responder certification at a wilderness medicine school. That means I’m learning how to stabilize fractures, treat hypothermia, dress lacerations, etc., all improvised with what you can find in the wilderness or in a camper’s pack.

Yep, that’s me, a tough outdoorsman. The kind of manly roughneck that can survive on twigs and morning dew for a month if he needs to. The kind of guy who can wrestle a bear and catch salmon in his teeth.

Or at least that’s the plan.

Because I seem to have a ways to go. I’m not in the wilderness per se . . . if I was I wouldn’t be posting this blog. I’m moving between rustic three buildings: a classroom, a dining hall/administration office, and a dorm, all a few yards from each other in the New Hampshire woods.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I’ve been battling a face rash all year. It comes and goes, and when it comes, it’s a real drag: itchy, painful, inflamed, red, rough skin. All over my face. The only thing that helps a very powerful steroid cream. Which I didn’t bring with me.

Two days into the wilderness course it started to flare up in a serious way, so I had my roommate find the cream and overnight it to the camp. Yep, I was being trained to survive in the wilderness, and I needed a face cream mailed to me. What a mountain man.

Superman’s downfall was kryptonite. Mine is ketoconazole cream. For dermatologic use only.