this might be of slight use to you:
http://www.angelfire.com/ult/td/tuts.html#jump
just like instead of adding the health, just make the call like
if (self.items = self.items & IT_SUPER_NAILGUN)
{
......
or something, don't use my code as example i think i messed up [tutorial s not mine, i think it belongs to a guy who calls himself Root?]