Tuesday, May 3, 2011

PSA: Medical Conditions

This is not in response to any specific incident, as nothing has come up recently. However, I thought that this is important and should be mentioned at some point in time.

LARPing can be serious business. When you LARP, you're out in the woods, running around in the Sun or in the Cold, and for many younger LARPers, may find yourself with a bit more independence than you're used to. It can be a lot to take in, especially if you're a newer player. Due to these facts, the following cannot be said enough.

Know your limits and let the staff know if you have any serious medical conditions.

I have been present at a few serious diabetic issues as well as countless dehydration incidents in the past. They're never pretty. And a lot of times, friends or staff members could have stopped it if they known. On top of that, there if your friends or staff members say you don't look to good and you should probably take your medication or drink some water, do it.

And most of all, if a Medic tells you to do something (like sit out for a bit), you do it. Don't argue with them.

I know it sucks to miss out on moments that only come once in a while. But when you put yourself at risk, you put the game at risk as well. Some of the insurances that they use are limited, and a serious accident like this could cause some games to go under.

So do yourself and everyone else a service and know your limits.

4 comments:

  1. A number of years ago a friend of mine, Justin, came to visit a chapter he hadn't played before, though I had. At opening ceremonies they explain to everyone that a PC had had open heart surgery within the last few weeks so *don't hit him in the chest or he might die*.

    Justin raises his hand and asks who the PC is as he doesn't recognize the name. The staff tells him that he also plays some NPC Justin has never seen. Justin tells them this and they respond with "You'll know him when you see him..."

    So Justin spent the rest of the weekend worried that he'd accidentally kill some guy. Note, the guy in question? Yeah, it's not like he was a page for the weekend (bad enough). No, he was a fully combat actie Celestial scholar. The kind a monster might run at, call some returns, and drill into to put down. Or the kind that gets jostled in a big field fight whent he front line falls back. You know, a normal PC.

    Don't be that guy.

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  2. That story is ridiculous. I find LARPers are particularly bad about sacrificing real life health, particularly when their character's life is at stake.

    I've seen people jump off porches to get away. I can just imagine someone with heart issues running full bore until their heart explodes.

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  3. This goes for people who do not have medical issues as well. We don't take as much care of ourselves at LARP events. Dehydration is by far the situation I've seen the most. And, that's the sort of thing you need to take care of yourself. Nobody else will be keeping track of how much water you drink. And, unless you ask them, nobody else will get you a drink or even know that you need one.

    I also wanted to mention that I had a player at his first LARP event who said he was feeling sick. It turns out, he hadn't brought any food, and he was drinking those "5 Hour Energy" drinks. Those things are caffeine and B-vitamins, people. B-vitamins give you energy because they help your body break down food! So, this kid had a stomach full of those with no food. No wonder he felt sick!

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