Question:
Is there a medical braclet we should get to show we had

gastric bypass surgery    — Bonnie S. (posted on January 15, 2002)

January 15, 2002
Some would say yes, others no.. I am personally ordering one, for my peace of mind.
   — Elizabeth D.

January 15, 2002
I use a Medic Alert bracelet for my diabetes, among other things, but post-op I plan to put the surgery on my record. One thing to remember, the purpose of the jewelry is to alert emergency personnel that you have something they need to be aware of. They don't usually go through your personal belongings looking for a card and the bracelet needs to look 'medical' enough for them to notice.
   — [Anonymous]

January 15, 2002
I have a set of dog tags (one for around my neck and one that hangs on the rear view mirror of my car) that I ordered off the net and have a gold bracelet on order. I think it's up to the individual person. I am a RN and have worked in the ER before. When patients come in that are unconscious one of the first things we do is get an IV into them. If you have a medical bracelet on you it will be seen very quickly that way. The police or other ER staff check wallets and purses for ID and whom to notify in case of emergency but they might not find a medical card until after the doctors had already done something to you like put in a NG tube if needed and they could puncture your pouch! I also have Type 2 diabetes and am allergic to Penicillin, all of that is on the bracelet. As I said, it's a personal decision but I don't plan to leave the house unless I have either the dog tag or bracelet on. If you go to the library section on this website and type in "medical jewelry" there are several good websites listed where you can order alert jewelry with a huge price range. That's where I got my info from. Good Luck!
   — esthjb

January 15, 2002
I would say yes to this... I could not even imagine going into the emergency room unconscious and them trying to cram a tube into my stomach... it wont get there... I am getting an ID bracelet to let emergency workers know that I have had a bypass surgery.. There are soo many online places to purchase one.. anywhere from $20 to $500 depending on the metal you want.....
   — Pamela W.

January 15, 2002
I have to agree with everyone here. I know a lot of people will tell you that you can carry a medical card, but I have seen accidents happen where the purse is thrown from the car or too far under the mangled wreck to retrieve right away... so how would anybody know anything? And as for men, I witnessed an accident once where the impact was so hard, it blew the jean pockets out of all four guys that were riding in the Jeep. In that instance, nobody had time to search for wallets before the ambulance had arrived and taken the men off to the ER. For my own peace of mind I will be getting one... better safe than sorry.
   — Kellie Jo B.

January 15, 2002
I have a medical alert bracelet on order. I am two months post op and wish I had ordered it before the operation. I didn't realize it would take to long to get it thru the internet. I received it and had to send it back because they sent the wrong size. If I had taken care of it much earlier I would have been wearing it the day after surgery. I asked my medical department at work and they said they don't take the time to look up records when you come in as an emergency and suggested that some type of medical jewelry would be a lot better.
   — Diane J.

January 16, 2002
I have decided to get one. I wore one pre-op because of my diabetes (which I no longer have). I was in the ER due to some dehydration (pre-op) and had a physician say to me "You don't have diabetes, do you?" HE WAS HOLDING THE ARM THAT HAD THE BRACELET ON IT!! So I figure the more things you can do to call attention to your situation, the better off you are!!! I had hoped to be rid of that type of jewelry forever, but better safe than sorry.
   — mskarns

January 16, 2002
I'm 4 weeks post op and when I got home from the hospital with it being a 7 hr drive, I ordered a medic alert bracelet immediately from the internet, only took 10 days to get to me, and I'm very glad I ordered it. I had written on the inside of mine "gastric bypass careful intubating" now I feel much better when driving or riding in a car, knowing the EMT's or ER will be aware of my tiny tummy.. good luck to all :)
   — Carrie B.