Question:
I am relatively new to all of this, and have never heard of the need for a med alert tag
Can anyone elaborate on the possible problems that could arise from having this surgery and medical care later on? Such as an emergency, or not an emergency. — [Anonymous] (posted on December 20, 2001)
December 20, 2001
I haven't gotten a med alert bracelet/necklace yet, but have wondered if I
should. My only concern is that I would be in an accident and the ER
people who get to me first would not be able to find my purse right away or
would not feel like they have the time to go looking for a card before
starting to work on me. Generally speaking, when an ER team has to put a
tube down into your stomach they "know" how far down that tube
has to go (on a normal person), but with us and our now tiny pouches, the
tube would stop before it reached the length they think it should be able
to go down. I wouldn't want someone trying to push the tube further down
and possibly rupturing my new pouch because the don't have the information
about my surgery readily available. I think that is the only reason why I
would like to have one, to have the information very much available if I
were unconsious or they were unable to find my little card. I have seen
where they have necklaces that are nice and small and look just like
another piece of jewelry (but with a little red cross on it)... and I
figure I could wear it on a long chain and conceal it under my clothes so
that others wouldn't see it or question me about it. Growing up with my
dad being a Fireman in a large city, I am just a little more cautious than
the average person as I have heard the horror stories and seen some of the
accidents where "seconds" count and you don't have time to go
looking for information. Good luck...
— Kellie Jo B.
December 20, 2001
I agree with the previous post about having to have an NG tube placed and
if they place this blindly, then your new pouch could be ruptured. I am
also allergic to penicillin so for me getting an ID tag would benefit me
greatly. My allergic reaction to penicillin is "codd blue"
(which means no pulse, no heartbeat, no nothing). In the case of an
emergency (say you are unconscious) they immediately look for either a
bracelet or necklace showing any medical problems. They do not have time
to look in your purse or other belongings for information. I hope this
helps.
— trtorrey
December 21, 2001
Another good reason to have open...with this scar, it would be obvious that
I had abdominal surgery and I believe they would investigate before doing
any actions that may do harm. If I were unconscious, the first thing they
would do would be to remove my clothing to assess for injuries. My scar
would then be pretty obvious. I just haven't felt the need to have a
bracelet. It's also hard to keep this surgery a secret, if wearing a
bracelet announcing it to the world. I agree with Barb, do what feels
comfortable to you.
— [Anonymous]
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