Day 11 - About medical care

Today was a good skiing day. Not fast nor easy, but good considering the conditions. We got some good and slightly sticky snow, some downhill and uphill. On the right, you can see one mountain very far away, but otherwise, the view is starting to level off to "normal": just glaciers all the way to the horizon.

Nickname "Laura from Muijala" asked about the diseases found here. You can't really get any new contagious diseases here because we won’t meet anyone and the environment is the cleanest (and most hostile) freezer in the world. That is, cases of flu etc., that were going away will not come back anymore.

Instead, we have to be prepared for many other things. We are completely self-sufficient for 50 days, so we carry a warehouse the size of a small village pharmacy. Our medical care was designed by Finland's best expedition doctor Heikki Karinen, and in addition to that, the local ALE doctors made a couple of additions. Naturally, we try to prevent all troubles, but if it doesn't work out, the stuff is roughly as follows (the list is not comprehensive):

• infections: different courses of antibiotics
• pain, joint problems: painkiller, anti-inflammatory
• bad pain: strong, and criminally strong painkillers
• wounds: plasters, sewing supplies, tape
• sprains: bandages
• abrasions, sunburns: baby wipes, talc, Bacibact cream, various other creams (including the classic Elisabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream), tape, artificial skin
• Polar thigh syndrome: steroid cream, artificial leather
• snow blindness: numbing drops
• scalds: grease patches
• insomnia: sleeping pills, earplugs
• attic problems: psychiatric drugs
• stomach and intestines: decongestants and sedatives.

Naturally, both Mikko and Tero are certified specialists in all possible fields of science, so the correct use of the above arsenal comes naturally.

Today's picture shows patient Vermas waiting for the installation of a new Compeed bandaid.