I have worn a medical id bracelet for the last 2 years. Recently my Sergeant Major informed me that bracelets are not authorized in uniform. After talking with my corpsman and my Endo I decided to tattoo instead. (active duty Marine T1)
For those desiring a less delicate/cute look, try the Wrist ID Elite from RoadID.com. The band is 11/16" wide, of rubberized compound, with a watch-style clasp. The ID badge is stainless steel and can be engraved with up to five lines of text at 24 characters.
The weight and bulk are a smidge less than similarly-styled Velcro bands, but the best part is that the badge will transfer to other bands (nine colors available) – I have yet to see another manufacturer employ similar ingenuity! They’re fast, too; StickyJ wanted six to eight weeks’ lead time but Road ID delivered within three working days.
http://www.roadid.com/common/default.aspx, then roll over the Road ID tab to find Wrist ID Elite
I don’t think I’d spend the $ to rejoin MedicAlert when you can have a bracelet or necklace engraved with whatever information you’d like. I just bought a new ID bracelet last fall and had insulin diabetic engraved on the front, and my name and # on the back. Additional information is in my meter case.
I personally think MedicAlert is a middle man and could be wasting time contacting the appropriate people. The pump is a give away of your condition, but not your name. Its why I had my name engraved on the back of my bracelet.
this is tempting fate to be sure, but i haven’t worn an ID bracelet or necklace in 25 years. i have a card in my wallet and my pump; figure that’s evidence enough. luckily, i’ve never had a seriously sticky moment in 50 years so i have a body of knowledge/experience. yeah, i know, stuff can still happen. but i work in the white house and i’m loath to carry any metal because of the security hassles. but please … don’t tell my mother any of this.
Your secret is safe. We won’t tell your mother. A pump should be enough to clue medics. They’re trained to look for this. I’ve got a card taped to the outside of my wallet. Just lost my bracelet & need to get another. Feel kind of naked without it.
I paid for the medic alert bracelet a long time ago, but got tired of it on my wrist while I was running/biking (it used to jingle a LOT, which drove me crazy). I had just stopped wearing it b/c it annoyed me so much. But I know that sometimes I’m out on really long rides or runs by myself, and so at the times when I might most need it, I would never be wearing it.
So, at the beginning of this year I purchased a wrist ID elite from Road ID b/c I can run w/ it, bike w/ it, and swim w/ it on, and have no issues. It’s classy enough that I can wear it to work w/ no issues (I just got black). I also like that I could put any information on it I wanted, so I’ve got my emergency contacts #s and then info about my diabetes, etc.
I think that MedicAlert offers a great service for some, but for my lifestyle, this band works out much better (and still accomplishes everything I need it to).
I can understand where you wouldn’t want to carry any metal with those nauseating metal detectors. Security hassles are, well, enough of a hassle. I have a card in my wallet, too. The last time I wore a medic alert bracelet was sometime after I was diagnosed in 1968. At the time, the lights flashing off metal in the bracelet approached the wattage of the lights in Times Square; at least that’s what it seemed when I was 12 or 13, so I quit wearing it. I haven’t worn one since. I suppose I should. I’ll file this in the file under “I suppose I should get a pump.” And I won’t tell any of your secrets, either. It’s a security thing, like metal and juice, and CGMs and pumps and pens and . . . .
I would only worry about the ability to call if I had an unending list of conditions. For just my T1 diabetes I have a medic alert tag that is the standard design but not through the MedicAlert company. It is just fine for what I need and like many have suggested, there are many attractive bracelets out there to choose from.
I’m with you Bradford, I’m going RoadID for all of my cycling and life in general. I’ve been torn because I have not taken off my livestrong band since my little brother was diagnosed with cancer in 2008. On my other wrist I wear either my watch of my Polar HR monitor/cycle computer. I like the portableness and uncluttered “dash” on my bike handlebar. (I also get sucked into the numbers instead of just riding hard! lol!)
Sooo…RoadID is going to let me meet in the middle! I’m going with the yellow band to represent my brothers ongoing fight, yet have all of the emergency info anyone would need right on me!!!
I’ve never heard of MedicAlert, and my daughter’s endo insists that her clients wear ID bracelets. From that, I surmise that the answer to your question in no. My daughter’s bracelet has Type 1 Insulin Dependent on the front, along with the medical logo. On the back is has her name, my phone number, and her doctor’s name and phone number. When we were searching for a cute ID bracelet, I found statistics on one of the sites that indicated that most medical personnel checks wrists for ID bracelets, but many fewer check for medical necklaces. In addition, some kids like to wear rubber bracelets that say Type 1 but those bracelets are so popular, and some kids wear so many, that I doubt any paramedic would actually read them. (Although Clara does have one for wearing at the swimming pool.) Make sure if you get one that serves a dual purpose, like a watch band, that it’s really obvious. We got our bracelet from http://www.petitebaublesboutique.com/ These are great because if you’re girly, you can buy (or make) different chains to go with your bracelet.
I’ve just switched to getting the rubber bracelets that you can customize. I got mine through remiderband.com and 1 cost around $5 including shipping.
I have worn a medicalert bracelet since befoe I got the D. If you are not in your town, or they can’t get ahold of your dr…it is nice to have a place that has more information. If you just have D, it may not be as big a deal.
Another thing that is nice, is that if you log your medications with them, in case of a natrual disaster or other emergency, it is much easier to get emergency replacement medicine.
I used to wear a charm bracelet which was engraved, but I stopped wearing it as soon as I got my pump. I figure it’s pretty obvious I am diabetic from that. I don’t see the need to have my doctor’s info on anything. If I were taken to the hospital, my family would be called and the hospital doctors would treat me as needed, and I would follow-up with my doctor later. Why have them call somewhere to get information? My guess is that paramedics and hospital folks would not be likey to call Medic Alert anyway.
Ebay has a bunch of ID bracelets on sale!!!
How were you able to join the marines with type 1? I ask this because I have always been told that diabetics cannot serve in any branch of the military.
I dunno. A couple times when I was wearing both a pump and a bracelet, I got dragged off to the drunk tank in town. I came to when they kept having me blow in the breathalyzer thing and couldn’t figure out why it kept coming back 0.0. I just kept saying “Sugar, sugar.” They figured I was on drugs. I’m not sure what my point is (other than I like that story). I guess it’s that a pump and a medic alert bracelet don’t guarantee that the cops/paramedics will know you’re diabetic.
It really is a shame that people trust there life to quasi or fake medical ID bracelets or medallions. Ask any first responder or ER medical professional what they trust and it is overwhelming, the Medic Alert ID and system has no equal and can be trusted like no other.
It is worth avery penny!