Medic alert jewelry
 

I was told in the hospital that there weren't any medic alert jewelry items for AA's. I don't remember why, but I can guess. Has anybody ever used one of these medic alert companies to store your health history????

I am giving my travel information to my doctors office, I was told they would call ahead and have what information needed to be there available, however there are times I would like to travel without a lot of preplanning. I am thinking about traveling to an area with large hospital facilities.

Any input will be appreciated.

Suzie dx SAA June 2010 ATG July 2010 transfusion free since Oct 2010

My phamacy encouraged me to use medic alert jewlery while taking cyclosporine because of the many common drugs that contraindicate.

You can specify Aplastic Anemia and/or Myelodysplasia as well as other issues that you may have. You can also specify your drugs and dosages as well as doctor and emergency contact information.

I never know how much credence to give the reports that emergency medical workers will always look for medical alert jewelry if you are unconscious, but won't bother to look in your wallet. However, wearing a medic alert bracelet or necklace is pretty cheap insurance. It's useful if you end up in an emergency room, are unable to give your medical history, and there are drugs or treatments that should not be used because of your medical condition or other prescriptions. In most cases the chances of this situation aren't great, but it can give you more assurance that you'll get the right treatment in an emergency.

If you want to carry a wallet card, here's a do-it-yourself approach:

Create a word-processing document with your name, date of birth, address, phone number, emergency contact information, physician name and contact information, diagnoses, medications with dosages, and known allergies. Then set it to a very small font with narrow margins so the whole thing is no bigger than a credit card when printed. Print it, cut it out, and stick it in your wallet near your driver's license. Then remember to update it whenever the information changes!

Example:

John Doe Medical Information, last updated April 2011
Date of birth 1/1/1970. Address 123 Main Street, Anytown, TX 54321.
Phone 321-555-1234. Emergency contact Jane Doe (wife), 321-555-1235.
=============================================
Physician: Dr. Avery Smith, 1000 Medical Plaza, Anytown, TX, 543-555-2000.
Diagnosis: Myelodysplastic Syndrome Refractory Anemia (MDS/RA), Oct. 2010.
Prescriptions: ...
Known allergies: ...

I got a Medic Alert bracelet for Ken when he was first diagnosed. They may not have AA listed as a standard category, but they will work with you to customize it to your needs. Since space on the medallion is limited, we finally decided on: "Aplastic Anemia, low platelets, immune suppressed". Paramedics would have to call Medic Alert for more information, including his doctor's phone number, but that seemed like the most important bits of info to know.

Of course you have to pay them an annual fee to keep all your info on record, and send them updates as needed. Ken no longer wears the bracelet since his Plts are near normal now, so we've let the membership lapse.

I appreciate Neil's post. What great ideas! I also appreciate the ideas shared on this site regarding medical alert jewelry. I will be honest, before my wife learned of her condition, the fallen and I can't get up commercial was the only knowledge I had of medical alert services or ideas for that matter.