Medical Alert IDs
Today I want to write about something that has been on my mind for a while: Medical ID Cards and Medical ID Jewelry. I highly recommend you consider investing in a Medical Alert ID of some kind.
After being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, it never occurred to me to consider carrying around a list of medications. Let alone a Medical Alert ID bracelet or card with information about my condition. But as time went on, and my condition got worse and worse, I really started thinking more seriously about my health.
After Surgery
After my J-Pouch surgery, I worried even more about my health. I am no longer on Prednisone or other harsh medications, but what if…? What if I ended up in a horrible accident? I could end up unconscious! What if they inserted something rectally and punctured my J-Pouch? I couldn’t risk that. I knew it was time to seriously consider buying a Medical Alert ID. My J-Pouch is important to me and I need to protect it.
I began researching Medical Alert ID bracelets and became discouraged. Medical Alert ID bracelets can be somewhat pricey. And, being a chronic illness patient, I can’t throw around $35-$90 for something like that. My iPhone came with a cool Medical Alert ID feature. Something that eased my mind for the time being.
The Patient’s Playbook
I put the idea far from my mind until joining the Chronic Illness Bloggers Network. They gave me the opportunity to read The Patient’s Playbook. This book is incredible! It contains so much information that could benefit many in the IBD community (I’m writing a review about it). In this book, the author discusses the importance of having your medical records at your fingertips.
Mr. Leslie D. Michelson, author and professional patient advocate, talks about carrying around a USB containing your medical history. He also mentions the importance of having a thorough understanding of your medical history. He says that these things will also come in handy for any new doctor or specialist you see. So I bit the bullet and began seeking a quality Medical Alert ID bracelet.
The Medical Alert ID Bracelet
In my search I found the perfect product from Universal Medical Data. My non-negotiables when searching for the medical alert bracelet were that I wanted a USB to store records, it needed to be durable and it at least somewhat visually appealing.
I chose a purple silicone option with metal clasps. It also has a small pocket for the USB that holds 2GB of information. Sizing it is extremely easy! It takes a little bit to get used to wearing, but it’s smaller than your average watch, so it’s not bothersome.
The bracelet also comes with a small paper envelope that contains a Medical Alert ID card. On this card you can pencil in your information. I keep this in my purse.
The USB
On the USB device, I’ve included a PDF of my medical card. I’ve also included PDFs of my doctor’s surgery notes and added a small infographic about J-Pouches. Soon, I will also be adding the rest of my medical records as Michelson mentioned in his book. It’s so important that we know more about our medical history. It’s also extremely important for an emergency response team. Having your medical history on hand in an emergency situation could save your life.
In the next few weeks, I am going to try to add a new section on my website to provide you with PDFs that you can download and add to your USB Medical Alert ID as well. Until next time, take care and keep fighting!
