Talk to me about medical alert jewelry

[happypamama]

My DD was just in the ER the other night after a bee sting. She started swelling up and had hives all over her body, so I took her to the ER, where they treated her with IV steroids and multiple antihistamines. She is fine now, thankfully (and she never did have trouble breathing, but I know hives are on that same spectrum). Anyway, they gave us scripts for EpiPen Jrs. (which I got). I'm notifying all relatives and friends who might have her in their care, including co-op and dance teachers (and instructing as needed), but I'm also thinking that a medical alert something might be helpful.

 

DD likes the sparkly pink beaded medical alert bracelet we found, and it does look like something a 9yo would wear. We were thinking an anklet would make the most sense for her; I think she's too active (climbing trees, etc.) for a necklace to be a practical choice, and she doesn't always wear shoes with laces, so the shoe tags also wouldn't work so well. She's a very private person (doesn't always like discussing homeschooling if people ask about school, for instance), so I'm thinking she's not going to want people asking about a bracelet. So I thought an anklet would be good, and she's amenable to that.

 

Question is: would an EMT/etc. know to look for an anklet? Would they check her ankle, and possibly under her sock? Would the pink beads be noticed, or would they just be seen as typical for a 9yo and go unrecognized? (In that case, we'd get the stainless chain.)

 

If your child has had one of these, I'd love to hear your experiences. Also, does your child keep the jewelry on 24/7? It's such a rare occasion that DD is without both DH and me, and we aren't out and about every day, so I thought we'd try having her put it on whenever she puts on her shoes to leave the property, and if that morphs into 24/7 wearing, that's fine too.

[angela in ohio]

I ordered both a dog tag-style necklace and a wrist band for ds, so that he can wear whichever one makes more sense that day, depending on his activity.

 

I don't know if anyone would look under a sock. It's not a condition where they would be taking her shoes and socks off, so it might get lost. Have you looked at the wrist bands. They are stylish, but still pretty obvious.

[myfunnybunch]

I don't know about EMT's checking for an anklet, but my ds has a sport bracelet for his peanut and cashew allergies. He does not wear it 24/7.

 

He does wear it when we are not with him or when we go out and about in public. Well, not always. If he's running to the grocery store with dh, no. If we go to, say, the county fair, he wears it. He wears it to activities like choir and Awana.

 

I keep the bracelet snapped around the strap of his Epi-pen bag, so that when we go out with the bag, he puts on the bracelet.

 

HTH.

 

Cat

[LittleIzumi]

I don't think people would look at a fancy, beaded piece of jewelry (like many of those new Medic Alerts I've seen) for two seconds when there's an emergency. They look exactly like jewelry. I wouldn't expect an EMT to search my anklets, necklaces, rings, belt, etc, looking for a possible hidden Medic Alert symbol. Ds has the "livestrong" type thick flexible wristband, in red, with his alert on it in white. It looks like the same type of bracelets that a lot of guys wear--but you can read it on first glance, and see easily that it is important/carries a message, from several feet away. I bought it for when I am not with him or anywhere people might try to give him food (parties, etc).

[Whereneverever]

We don't do fancy ones, and we do wrists. And we use it all the time.

[Tullia]

After starting with a bracelet, my son chose the dog-tag on a chain, but does not wear it 24/7. They come in a variety of styles including break-away chains. He keeps it with his wallet and cell phone and always wears it when he's away from home on his own, but that wasn't often before he was old enough to drive. :)

 

We were told that EMT's are briefed to look for bracelets and amulets and most try to keep up with newer styles. I don't remember hearing anything about anklets, but that conversation happened several years ago.

 

HTH,

Martha

[vettechmomof2]

My daughter wears a sports band style 24/7. She has almost all of the colors/styles that they have now. She has done this for almost 5 years now. They still fit her well.

My husband wears a medallion necklace 24/7. He just started in August and is still getting used to it but for work reasons he cannot wear a bracelet safely.

They also have a medic alert wrist guard now to cover a bracelet during a sports activity so that might work for you when she is playing.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

I have a silicone bracelet and then a necklage with a red round circle thing on it---I'm diabetic.....there are lots out there-I love the silicone bracelets....need to order more-I'm always forgetting where I put mine.....

[lisamarie]

http://coolmedid.com/store.php?pg1-cid44.html

 

DS7 says this is his favorite style. I've been tossing around the idea of getting him one but since he has multiple issues, I would need to get the customized bracelet option. I wonder if there's enough room for peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, asthmatic. :lol::001_huh:

[WTMCassandra]

When my DD was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes two years ago, I got her a stylish bracelet. It still had the metal plate with logo so it was easy for medical personnel, but the bracelet part was pretty. However. It broke several times. I replaced it once and had it repaired at least twice. We finally gave up and got one of those ugly metal industrial-looking chains : (, which of course wears like iron. I dunno. I wish we could get something pretty, but our experience is that it just doesn't hold up. And yes, she wears it all the time. She's getting to the age where sometimes she is away from us at a class or babysitting.

[sbgrace]

I was told it's safest to do the traditional bracelets on the arm. I know not stylish but that's what EMT's look for and where or at least that's what I was told. I think anything medic alert (with the symbol and information number) is better than nothing and the whatever on the arm is probably better than ankle I'd think.

Edited September 2, 2011 by sbgrace

[Mergath]

I would go with a bracelet. I had one of the necklaces when I was a teen for my epilepsy, and it was a huge pain. I didn't even know you could get anklets, and I imagine it would be easily missed in an emergency. Yes, the bracelet will be more obvious, but that's sort of the point. If she doesn't want to discuss it with people, just tell her to say that she doesn't feel comfortable discussing her medical history.

[Ottakee]

We do the basic Medic Alert wrist style. We tried the sports bands but they were irritating. We got a choice of colors on the emblem but for safety, I think that the one that looks the most like a medical alert bracelet would be safest.

[happypamama]

Thanks, everyone! It really sounds like a bracelet, preferably the traditional chain one, would be best. It is highly unlikely that she'd need it most of the time; at this point, it's really rare that she's without DH or me. Our co-op friends, for instance, know that she's allergic and that they need to get me immediately if she gets stung, because I'll keep the EpiPen Jrs. with me. The one time she is ever without either of us (or grandparents, who all know the situation and how to use the EpiPen Jrs.) is dance class, and she can't wear jewelry for that anyway for safety reasons. I'll be discussing it all with her dance instructor, just to be sure.