Medic Alert Bracelets/Pendants?

Hi there... Just wondering if anyone can tell me which "Medic Alert" website they may have used/ordered from to obtain their ID bracelets or jewellery/pendants.  It seems like there are so many to choose from, and I just want to buy from a reputable site that other people are happy with.

(In the TWH program it was suggested that we obtain these before surgery, in order to have them post-op...for obvious reasons. lol)

Thanks for any feedback!

 The official medical alert site is located at:
2005 Sheppard Ave East

Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario
M2J 5B4

Check out their website @ 

http://www.medicalert.ca/en/index.asp 

Phone

Toll Free: 1-800-668-1507

Hours:
Mon. – Fri., 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST

Toronto: 416-696-0267
Fax: 1-800-392-8422
 

I ordered mine from www.laurenshope.com and found their service to be fantastic. They are in the US, the bracelets are delivered via mail and come in a really timely fashion. I have three interchangeable bracelets and love them.

I will certainly order more later on.

Good Luck!

Thanks for your replies... what did you get engraved on yours?

I found this on a website:

GASTRIC BYPASS

If you have had gastric bypass surgery or lap band surgery it is important to wear a medical id bracelet to alert emergency technicians that you can not have an NG tube inserted. Here is what we recommend for gastric bypass patients.

Jane Doe
Gastric ByPass
No Blind NG Tube
No NSAIDS/ No Sugars
555-555-1212 (Dr.)

Is this what you had engraved?

NO! This is incorrect. It is NOT recommended by TWH and it is not necessary to get one! We were specifically told this at the support group and all of the professionals were in agreement.

No one has ever been able to tell me in what emergency cir****tance a naso-gastric tube is going to be inserted? You need to be awake to have one inserted! And the thin, soft plastic of the tube WILL NOT puncture your pouch! A breathing tube is inserted into your trachea, which is not the tube that leads to your pouch!

YES you can have NSAIDs in a LIFE SAVING EMERGENCY. We were specifically told that we absolutely should not write on our medic alert bracelets that we can't have NSAIDs. If you have a stroke or a heart attack, you need NSAIDs to save your life in the first minutes of treatment. The small risk of ulcers is less important than SAVING YOUR LIFE after a stroke or heart attack. And yes, the team at TWH specifically advised me of this.

For the same reason - you should NEVER say 'no sugar' on your bracelet. If you go into a hypo-glycemic coma, you need immediate sugar to SAVE YOUR LIFE!

Medic alert bracelets are absolutely not required, but if you do get one, make sure it doesn't end up killing you! If you must get one, the only thing it should say is "RNY Gastric Bypass" and your ICE number, that's it.

Patxyz, Thank you for your post. Because I live 5 hours away, I have never been able to attend a support group meeting at TWH....

In my Orientation session, Medic Alert bracelets were mentioned and included in the handout of information to take home.

What you have posted above makes sense to me, and I appreciate you taking the time to reply.

This was raised in a previous post and I don't recollect St. Joe's in Hamilton saying anything about getting a medic alert bracelet. I hardly ever wear jewellery and so not really keen on the idea.

I had the following engraved on mine:

RNY Gastric Bypass
No Blind NG tube/NSAIDs
Allergy: Penicillin

When I went to my orientation, this question was asked. I was shocked to say the least when the nurse replied "no you don't require one. It's not likely you'll go to the ER on your own"...I took exception to this as I am single and live alone. I'd hate to think if I was to be unconscious and didn't have the bracelet what might happen. My father is a retired police officer and I ran this by him and he agreed with me that it is important to have the bracelet. I didn't listen to them and I got one right after I had my surgery.

Sassygurl -- I agree with you... why not have the extra insurance of knowing that the information is readily available on your wrist (or wherever) in the event of an emergency??? (I work for OPP, so I think in terms of erring on the side of caution...or worst case scenario.)

The medic alert ID was something that was brought up in our Orientation session at TWH, and I am glad that they did bring it up -- because it's not something that would've automatically occurred to me otherwise. I have been fortunate enough to not have any other health problems that would require one...

Thanks for the link to Laurenshope website... some beautiful options on there!

You should have listened to your team. Having "No NSAIDs" on your bracelet might cost you your life in the event of a stroke or heart attack. Hopefully the team responding to the emergency would have the sense to ignore it, but given the fear of lawsuits in the medical profession, they will probably heed it.