Medic org alert
Friday October 23rd 2009, 7:30 pm
Filed under: Non-Knitting

She was so thorough. She went over everything.  *Everything.*  For an hour.  She thought of things to ask that I didn’t think to mention.  When she was unsure of something, she went to go ask the woman she described as her mentor, and she was passionate about her work and about taking care of people in emergencies.  This wasn’t just a job, this was important to her.  I was really, really impressed.

It was time for renewing my MedicAlert membership and I hadn’t gotten around to it:  I never wear the necklace, the engravings on it are way out of date, I’m doing well and not worrying about it anymore, and, eh, I’d let it slide.

So they called to ask if I wanted to renew?

A few things have happened in the last year, actually, yes…  My stars, they even had a code for “allergic to Hollister brand stoma paste” to check off.

Mindful of my dislike of the too-long chain and the too-big emblem on that necklace, I asked for not only a bracelet to replace it, but a really small one. Sure, no problem.  Measure your wrist, we’ll add so much for the closure.

I want a little extra give to it.

Oh, no, that half inch closure is plenty.

I want a little extra to mine.

Oh, no, really, this is the way you want to go.

It came today. It had been measured to the larger emblem I didn’t buy and turned out just slightly shorter, with the closure, than my wrist measurement. And I laughed: not perfect after all! Oh, but she’d been SO close…

(This is my personal endorsement of MedicAlert. It’s a good idea and a good organization. If you need it, do it.  But don’t get the necklace if you won’t wear it because you like wearing your own necklaces like I do. I’d stayed away from the bracelet because I was afraid it might fall into my knitting and snag it. I looked around at Knit Night and noticed, for the first time, the wrists with MedicAlert bracelets on them–three, I think it was. I guess it must work out after all?

I’ll find out after my new wrist chain arrives.)


12 Comments so far
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DD went through that kind of upgrade of her information this year. She, too, hated having the ugly necklace on all the time. She purchased an orange bead bracelet they offered, and is enjoying wearing it.

Comment by Barbara-Kay 10.23.09 @ 8:27 pm

I have an emergency call button from a different firm, but I haven’t worn it lately. Perhaps I should. Does MedicAlert work away from your residence?

Humor –

A little boy was brought into the emergency room of the local hospital after the youngster had ingested part of a plug-in air freshener. After consulting Poison Control, and monitoring the boy, the doctor wrote on his discharge, “Patient doing well. Ready to go home. Smells good.”

Comment by Don Meyer 10.23.09 @ 8:34 pm

It’s not a call button; what they offer is a small bit of the most relevant of your medical information inscribed on an emblem for you to wear, with MedicAlert’s phone number also on it, so that emergency personnel can call them to get more details. If you can’t answer for yourself on the scene, you’ve already provided background information on your health and your meds for them to access. Anaphylactic reaction to nitroglycerin? The paramedics would definitely want to know.

Comment by AlisonH 10.23.09 @ 9:14 pm

The closures and links on MedicAlert bracelets are really good and wouldn’t snag at all, my daughter has one.

Comment by StellaMM 10.24.09 @ 1:17 am

Great idea for you to get the bracelet. Time is so important in an emergency and the bracelet would definitely save time.

Comment by Joansie 10.24.09 @ 4:24 am

We could totally have used this when we had to call an ambulance for my husband’s aunt. She had all her allergy info written down, in a notebook, in a nearly invisible pocket of her luggage which I couldn’t find without almost taking it apart- and wasn’t able to tell us where it was. It worked out, but having the info more easily available would have helped.

Comment by RobinH 10.24.09 @ 8:09 am

I’ve been wearing a MedicAlert bracelet for about 10 months now, and it hasn’t once proved to be a problem with my knitting. I have a cute blue-beaded one and actually get compliments on it – few people even realize it’s a MedicAlert bracelet!

Comment by MaxJerz 10.24.09 @ 1:29 pm

Well, I should say few non-medical people know it’s a MedicAlert bracelet. If you’re looking for the emblem it’s easy to find, but otherwise it just looks like a piece of jewelry.

Comment by MaxJerz 10.24.09 @ 1:30 pm

Thanks for the timely reminder! I’m allergic to penicillin, and have had Medic Alert since I was young, but haven’t yet renewed it for this year. I’m going off to do that right now!

They really are wonderful, aren’t they?

Comment by Pegi 10.24.09 @ 5:16 pm

Sigh. Yes ma’am, I’ll update mine too, but do I REALLY have to wear the bracelet? Pout…

Comment by Channon 10.24.09 @ 7:55 pm

I’ve had to wear a Medic Alert bracelet for more years than I’d like to count and have had no trouble with it snagging my knitting or any of my other projects. The links are continuous, no openings, and the clasp is very low profile. I rarely even notice I am wearing it. And, unfortunately, the bracelet is important for those in our situations. Good luck with yours!

Comment by Janice 10.26.09 @ 12:58 pm

I’ve worn a MedicAlert bracelet for years – one anaphylactic reaction was sufficient, thank you! The only problem I have is that after time the jump rings are a bit out of set, but a tweak with jewelry pliers and they are fine I had a friend shorten the bracelet to my preferred length and I think that’s when the jump rings went a bit askew.

My grandparents HATE it and think I will never get a date because the men will think I have some horrible disease. But I really dislike necklaces. So they got me a fancy one with gold trim instead of the red-on-steel, and I try to remember to switch to that one when I visit.

Comment by Margo Lynn 10.27.09 @ 7:15 am



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