Info on medic alert bracelets

[Desert Dancer]

Hi, MooseMom -

I just thought I'd chime in one more time. I wanted to get one of those really pretty bracelets (i.e: one that doesn't LOOK like a medic alert bracelet) but the EMTs over at EMTlife said that's the best way for it to be missed. They said you really want it to look like a medic alert bracelet, not regular jewelry, because that defeats the purpose. I know, right?

Just another  !!

[MooseMom]

DD, but they're so UGLY!!!  And there are so many styles out there that I am not sure what a standard ID bracelet looks like!  Can you show me a link to what a bracelet should look like to ensure that someone will look at it?  Is the one I'm thinking about getting really so gorgeous that a paramedic wouldn't look at it?  What WOULD s/he look at?   Thanks...I do see your point and think it's very important.

BTW, as cariad pointed out to me, it's "caduceus", not "meniscus" which is what NFL players frequently tear!

[Desert Dancer]

MooseMom -

Here's a link to the one I got (or close to it): http://www.americanmedical-id.com/marketplace/category.php?sel_pullid=10

You're right, it IS ugly; it's just like the one my grandfather had. I suppose it's a small price to pay in vanity to protect my sole access!

[MooseMom]

DD, do you think your bracelet is really that much different than the one I'm thinking of getting?  The one I'm considering just has a smaller chain; I'm a rather small lady and am not comfortable with something too chunky...it's not just a matter of aesthetics but also one of physical comfort.  I'm wondering if a paramedic really would be more likely to read a stainless steel bracelet than he would a sterling silver one since the one I like has the plate with the caduceus on it.  The one you have comes in sterling silver, too, so maybe that would be a good compromise.  Thanks for that!

[Desert Dancer]

MM - No, it's not that much different at all. My only concern would be that if the bracelet slid around to the underside of your wrist and only the chain was showing, then it looks like a plain sterling rope. What I'd probably do if I bought that one is get a small caduceus charm to clip on near the clasp.

It's a shame, isn't it, when there are so many really beautiful ones out there?

[Riki]

Riki, I take it you subscribe to some sort of medical alert service where emergency personnel just call the number on your bracelet and get all of the info they need because I can see how ALL of my info wouldn't fit in a small novel, much less a bracelet!

yep..  http://www.medicalert.org/  the Canadian version has a yearly fee for the service, $39, I think, but I let it go years ago.  I still wear the bracelet, but am thinking of getting a new one, and updating the info that they have.  Anything they have on me now is probably about 15 years old.  I still wear the bracelet.  I've worn it so long that I feel weird without it.  I think mine is sterling silver

[Chris]

With Medic Alert, if you qualify, you do not have to owe a yearly fee. At the time I was diagnosed with renal failure when I applied, my social worker had made it where I do not have to owe aa fee except when getting a new bracelet or necklace. The last time I read, the yearly fee allows you to update information, receive discounts, and maybe something else. However I don't think they erase your information so if an emrgency occurs, they can give the information on file, but it maybe old and out of date. I think it is a $25 yearly fee, but never paid attention since I have a life long membership.

[Riki]

They stopped sending me their mailouts years ago.  i used to try and keep it up to date, but I hate filling out forms.  I tried registering through their website the other night, but it didn't recognize my id number.  I'm thinking that maybe my id number is too old for their system, since I got it before the internet was available for public use

[Chris]

Riki, you should be able to update your infor. Have you tried calling to update infor?
Which reminds me that I need to update info.

[Chris]

I looked up Medic Alerts website to see fees. For firsttime setup it is $39.95 and then each year is $30.00, and then there is a 3 year deal for $84.95.
 
Boy am I lucky not to be charged $30.00

[RightSide]

 I was in Walgreens, the other Day, at the Pharmacy Counter. They now have lots of Keychains, one of them said, " Dialysis Patient " They were Inexpensive.

Yep.  My bracelet just says "HEMODIALYSIS," not "KIDNEY FAILURE."

With limited space to write my other health problems,
I figured that if it said "HEMODIALYSIS," anyone ought to be able to figure out that I've got kidney failure.

[Riki]

Chris, mine was paid for by the kidney foundation when I was a child.  I had 2 different bracelets before I turned 18.  My first one actually had to have links taken out of the chain because it was too big for my small wrist.  I'd like to get a new bracelet, but I think now that I'm an adult, I'd probably have to pay for it myself.  $30 a year isn't too much to pay for peace of mind

[kitkatz]

Where are these keychains in Walgreens? i want one.

[MooseMom]

UPDATE:

My husband is a city attorney, and he contacted their paramedics and asked about what kind of medical ID would be good.  They gave some interesting information.  They said that if, say, you are in a car accident and are unconscious (the scenario I was most concerned about), the first thing they do is look at your left wrist for any kind of medical id bracelet.  They also suggested that if you drive a lot and in the case of an accident, you'd probably be the driver, wearing an id on your left wrist is best because it is the arm that is nearest the door and is therefore more accessible.  Obviously, the opposite would be the case if you live in one of those freaky countries where the steering wheel is on the right.

So, I got a sterling silver medical ID bracelet from Oneida that says on the front:

MooseMom
Kidney patient
AV fistula
Left arm
Do Not Use

On the reverse, it just has my neph's name and phone number.

They also told me something else that was interesting.  If the emergency services are called to your home and they find you unconscious, the first thing they try to do is look at your fridge door.  It seems that you can get a plastic pouch with a magnetic back that can hold your important medical information.  Fill it out and just stick it on the fridge.  The fire dept gave me one.  It's ugly.

Anyway, I hope this helps someone.

Oh...the bracelet was kinda expensive, but I wanted something nice.  For an extra $12, they sent me a stainless steel bracelet with the same medical info for every day use.  I do a lot of swimming in the summer, so this is an ideal arrangement for me.  The service at Oneida was very efficient and very nice.

[boswife]

great info moosemom!  Thanks! 

[Brightsky69]

I just got a medical ID watch. It's engraved on the back and has a red medical alert emblem on the watch face.
I kept breaking the medical ID bracelets.

[iketchum]

I have a bracelet that says' my name, ssn, dialysis patient, fistuls left arm'. I got it from the VA.

[Brightsky69]

iketchum - Ouch name and ssn?? What if you lose your bracelet and some low life finds it. Boom...your idenity is stolen.

[keefbeer]

Do staff actually note these bracelets ? the following is from our current patient associations newsletter.........

" A patient who was put into a non-renal ward had to stop staff taking blood pressure on the arm with a fistula. That is despite the fact he was wearing a wristband. We are seeking to publicise the risk in the hospital "

[rsudock]

Moosemom I LOVE LOVE LOVE that you put your IHD user name on your medical bracelet...that is great!!

Not trying to hijack the conversation but I was wondering if you work would you wear one of those ID bracelets? I NEVER wore one of the id bracelets b/c I didn't want people to be nosy about my health while I was working as a teacher. It was/is hard enough to find a teaching job so I wanted to be judge on my teaching ability not have my teaching ability judge through the lens of sickness....

I did have a tag hanging in my car rearview mirror though....

xo,
R

[Chris]

I did have a tag hanging in my car rearview mirror though....

R

Medic Alert gives ones that you can stick to the windshield and restick somewhere else if needed.

[pagandialysis]

I didn't think starting a new topic would be wise so I decided to post it here, I hope thats okay.

I got my new and first medical ID bracelet today! I thought I would share it with everyone. The thing I like about it the most is that its the kind that has paper inside of it so you can update it with new information by just adding a new piece of paper.

I have the default silver and black one.

http://www.idonme.com/medical-bracelets.php

What do you think about this?

Name
Wife's Name/Wife/cell number
Hemo-Dialysis, Renal Failure, IgA Nephropathy,
Hypertension,  No Contrast Dye, AV Fistula L arm/DO NOT USE

[Desert Dancer]

It's a good thing you revived this thread, pagandialysis, because I have an update to it as well.

The medic alert bracelet I got from americanmedical-id.com is crap, crap, crap. It's supposed to be engraved but it isn't; it's apparently just surface printed 'cause you can't feel the lettering at all. It is now so scratched up that you can't read it at all, and all the red coloring in the cadeceus has chipped off. I would have thought the quality of these things would have been about equal (especially given the price!) but I guess not! So, just a warning to stay away from americanmedical-id.com.

I've decided to get a medic alert tattoo on the inside of my fistula arm instead, and hope to have it before Vegas.

[HILINE]

I got mine from  the State of Maryland  (free) it's real nice, I was replaced when my info changed 

[jbeany]

While we're on the subject of emergencies - has everyone with a cell got an ICE number programmed in it?  Mine came with a whole section that let me put names, numbers, work places, and family relationships in.  The medics are learning to check these as well.