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]