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Does Anyone Wear A Medical Bracelet?

lindalee

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lindalee Enthusiast
lindalee
Posted

I have been wondering if a medical bracelet might be a good idea in case of emergency. What are your views on wearing one or needing to wear one? Thanks, LindaLee

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Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

I wear one. But I have potentially life threatening issues, besides celiac disease as well. Mine says: Asthma, celiac disease; allergies: Theo-Dur, morphine, Aspirin.

An asthma attack could kill me, and the asthma medication Theo-Dur (which doctors are fond of using in the hospital in an asthma emergency) could potentially kill me as well. I am severely intolerant to salicylates, and since that is all Aspirin is, it could put me into anaphylactic shock. So, if I should ever happen to have a heart attack and they'd give me Aspirin, it would likely kill me, if the heart attack wouldn't. And one shot of morphine will make me vomit for three days straight (which is the med of choice for severe pain in hospitals).

Anyway, so you see that I have very good reasons for wearing a medic alert bracelet.

I am not sure if I'd wear one for celiac disease alone. But I would consider it for a child.

Kaycee Collaborator
Kaycee
Posted

I have wondered about that too.

Coeliac is a serious disease, and thankfully we are not resucitated with any form of gluten. Well I don't think so.

But it would be handy at times to have a medic alert bracelet for all of those people who can not identify with the seriousness of the disease. Maybe it could be handy for when eating out, so that restuarant staff might take us more seriously. But then that won't cure some peoples ignorance. If they don't get it, they just won't get it.

I am not too sure on this matter, but it will be interesting to hear what people think.

Cathy

lindalee Enthusiast
lindalee
Posted
  • Author
I have wondered about that too.

Coeliac is a serious disease, and thankfully we are not resucitated with any form of gluten. Well I don't think so.

But it would be handy at times to have a medic alert bracelet for all of those people who can not identify with the seriousness of the disease. Maybe it could be handy for when eating out, so that restuarant staff might take us more seriously. But then that won't cure some peoples ignorance. If they don't get it, they just won't get it.

I am not too sure on this matter, but it will be interesting to hear what people think.

Cathy

A client told me one of her friends she worked with-both nurses died in the hospital last week due to celiac- they did not know she was celiac . She didn't know if the medication did it or what but said it was due to celiac. LindaLee

lovegrov Collaborator
lovegrov
Posted

The type of medication used in an emergency is not going to have gluten, and even if it did, a dose is not going to kill us. People who die of celiac have been suffering untreated for a long time.

Getting a bracelet is obviously a personal choice and if getting one makes you feel safer, you should. I choose not to get one because I don't have any immediately life-threatening conditions. And if I'm truly in an emergency situation, I want them doing everything they can to save me, even if that includes giving me a vital gluten IV or stuffing bread down my throat.

richard

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

I have worn a Medic Alert for 20 years due to my insulin dependent diabetes. When I was diagnosed as a celiac, I had that added to the engraved information. But I don't know that I would wear one just for the celiac disease by itself.

flagbabyds Collaborator
flagbabyds
Posted

Its good for kids to wear it, when i was younger i would wear it, and then subs or other teachers would look at it and know that it is serious and they neeed to be aware of what it wrong.

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ehrin Explorer
ehrin
Posted
I have worn a Medic Alert for 20 years due to my insulin dependent diabetes. When I was diagnosed as a celiac, I had that added to the engraved information. But I don't know that I would wear one just for the celiac disease by itself.

I agree! I also have one for diabetes and will be adding celiac to it, but don't think it'd be necessary for just celiac alone...my thought is that since I wear one I might as well -

question - do you have on yours that you are insulin dependant?

I got a rash of crap from the medic alert staff because they said it wasn't necessary.

I informed them that for me it was and they reluctantly added it.

Guest Educator
Guest Educator
Posted
I have been wondering if a medical bracelet might be a good idea in case of emergency. What are your views on wearing one or needing to wear one? Thanks, LindaLee

I have a necklace and a bracelet with diseases, diet, and medication on it, along with my name. I can change off according to my dress for that day. I was found in the ditch on Christmas Day last year due to low blood sugar, it was 13. I was passed out and convulsing. The medic alert bracelet saved my life! Of course I have limited my driving now to local only as I no longer have the low blood sugar warnings. Celiac is listed on there cuz I was told people die from being given medication with gluten.

lindalee Enthusiast
lindalee
Posted
  • Author
The type of medication used in an emergency is not going to have gluten, and even if it did, a dose is not going to kill us. People who die of celiac have been suffering untreated for a long time.

Getting a bracelet is obviously a personal choice and if getting one makes you feel safer, you should. I choose not to get one because I don't have any immediately life-threatening conditions. And if I'm truly in an emergency situation, I want them doing everything they can to save me, even if that includes giving me a vital gluten IV or stuffing bread down my throat.

richard

That is good to know. I didn't know if the iv would kill you. " People who die have been suffering untreated"- what is the treatment? I thought it was just not eating gluten. Could you explain? Thanks, LLee

lovegrov Collaborator
lovegrov
Posted

Yes, the "treatment" is not eating gluten. I guess undiagnosed celiac would be the more proper term, but I also think of it as untreated.

richard

luvs2eat Collaborator
luvs2eat
Posted

Really good sounding idea for kids. Teachers and parents are so much more likely to believe an Emergency ID bracelet than just saying your child can't eat wheat, etc. How many say, "Oh, just a little won't hurt."

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted
question - do you have on yours that you are insulin dependant?

I got a rash of crap from the medic alert staff because they said it wasn't necessary.

I informed them that for me it was and they reluctantly added it.

My bracelet reads:

"NO GLUTEN

CELIAC DISEASE

INSULIN DEPENDENT

DIABETES MELLITUS"

I had no trouble at all with getting the IDDM wording, neither when the bracelet was first ordered in 1986, nor when it was replaced in 2000. I'm in Canada though, and there is a seperate adminstrative office for Canada located in Toronto.

Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

Yes, the people in Toronto are great. When I got my new bracelet a couple of months ago, they e-mailed me, and then called me on the phone to make sure they got it right. They wanted to make very sure that I would be safe in an emergency, and that all the angles were covered. They even left one line blank, in case I would need something else added at some point. Their reasoning was, that it would cost me $85.00 to get a new silver bracelet, but that they could add another line for just $5.00. I was impressed with that, they are actually concerned about saving me money!

shai76 Explorer
shai76
Posted

I wear one because I have life threatening food and drug allergies. It's a necklace that just says "food and drug allergies" nn the back. I have a wallet card that goes into more detail about what I am allergic to.

tiffjake Enthusiast
tiffjake
Posted

I am really thinking about getting one because I have passed out before after eating "hidden" gluten. I am much more diligant than I was then, but I still want to make sure the Emergency Professionals know something important like that. I agree, that Celiac is not as life threatening as some other issues, but the Fire Department that came to my car in the median that night might have been helped by the information. Perhaps not, but maybe so. I would rather be safe than sorry(er).

BRUMI1968 Collaborator
BRUMI1968
Posted

I used to have one for my ITP, saying "No Blood Thinners". I think I might get one again; here's why. What if you are unconscious for some time in the hospital and whatever is in the bag of "food" they are feeding you through tubes has gluten in it. It seems like that might be bad. Or what if you are in some kind of mental fog or mental coma or something and can't tell them not to even though you're able to eat.

Maybe a long shot, but I also don't want any vaccinations, blood thinnners, or exorcisms. Okay, an exorcism might be okay (remember, today is 06/06/06).

lindalee Enthusiast
lindalee
Posted
  • Author
I have a necklace and a bracelet with diseases, diet, and medication on it, along with my name. I can change off according to my dress for that day. I was found in the ditch on Christmas Day last year due to low blood sugar, it was 13. I was passed out and convulsing. The medic alert bracelet saved my life! Of course I have limited my driving now to local only as I no longer have the low blood sugar warnings. Celiac is listed on there cuz I was told people die from being given medication with gluten.

Gosh, I'm glad you had the bracelett. That's what this nurse was telliing me - to be careful because evidently she was getting something in the hospital that killed her. LindaLee

lindalee Enthusiast
lindalee
Posted
  • Author
I have a necklace and a bracelet with diseases, diet, and medication on it, along with my name. I can change off according to my dress for that day. I was found in the ditch on Christmas Day last year due to low blood sugar, it was 13. I was passed out and convulsing. The medic alert bracelet saved my life! Of course I have limited my driving now to local only as I no longer have the low blood sugar warnings. Celiac is listed on there cuz I was told people die from being given medication with gluten.

That is great. I've never seen a necklace. Do they have a web site? I'd like to see what both look like. LLee

aorona Rookie
aorona
Posted
Really good sounding idea for kids. Teachers and parents are so much more likely to believe an Emergency ID bracelet than just saying your child can't eat wheat, etc. How many say, "Oh, just a little won't hurt."

I agree, many people including relatives think celiac children are being deprived because they can't have cake, cookies, etc. They give them a bite here and there not thinking anything of it. They don't realize the child then gets sick from eating the cake, and since they don't have to take care of the child, it's no big deal. I think wearing a medical bracelet in certain situations is good. Going out to restaraunts, barbeques, pot-lucks, birthday parties. Basically anywhere where you know food will be served and you or your children are going to eat. A medical bracelet lets people know this disease is serious. I have had many restaraunt owners/managers come speak to me because I am asking the server too many questions and they think I am being picky or a difficult customer (before I got a medical bracelet). The reality is I was only trying to find something on the menu that wouldn't make me or my kids sick. I have had relatives & friends laugh at me when I wear the bracelet, but they do not understand what happens to me when I do get glutened. It is a personal choice and depends on the circumstances. I do wear one when going out to eat. My kids are only 2 & 5, so they will be getting one when they start school.

shai76 Explorer
shai76
Posted

I bought mine on Ebay from this seller: Open Original Shared Link. Engraving is free, and the price is very reasonable. They are just a simple alert with an engraving. I got one of the kids necklaces for myself because it is smaller. I think most women would like it better then the adult ones.

schuyler Apprentice
schuyler
Posted
I bought mine on Ebay from this seller: Open Original Shared Link. Engraving is free, and the price is very reasonable. They are just a simple alert with an engraving. I got one of the kids necklaces for myself because it is smaller. I think most women would like it better then the adult ones.

Thanks. I'm going to order one from them, but I wanted to know what you had them engrave on it. I was thinking something like my name, Celiac Disease (or should I put Gluten intolerant, or both?), dairy intolerant.

lindalee Enthusiast
lindalee
Posted
  • Author
I bought mine on Ebay from this seller: Open Original Shared Link. Engraving is free, and the price is very reasonable. They are just a simple alert with an engraving. I got one of the kids necklaces for myself because it is smaller. I think most women would like it better then the adult ones.

Thanks, I will check it out. The necklace sounds good. LindaLee

penguin Community Regular
penguin
Posted

So if you're celiac and hypoglycemic, would it be a good plan to get a bracelet?

shai76 Explorer
shai76
Posted

I just had "Food & Drug Allergies" engraved on mine. I have a wallet card that goes into more detail about what I am allergic to, gluten intolerance, asthmatic, what medicines I am on. You want to be as short and specific as you can on the necklace so emergency workers can just glance and know your major medical problems. Celiac disease is very serious for lots of people, and hypoglycemia is too, so I would have one for that.

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