Question:
Are we required to have Medic Alert Bracelets?
I noticed lots of people mentioning that they have medic alert tags after WLS...I was wondering, do we all need them and if so , where do we get them from? — Renee B. (posted on May 30, 2003)
May 30, 2003
No, you are not required to wear one. I wear one because of other medical
conditions that I have, like I take coumadin. Wearing a Medic Alert
bracelet or tag is stricktly voluntary. www.medicalert.com
— ChristineB
May 30, 2003
You are not required to wear a medic alert bracelet. A good reason to have
one is because if you are transported by ambulance or taken to the ER while
unconscious they may want to insert an NG (nasal gastric) tube which goes
down your nose and into your stomach. When they insert it, they
guesstimate where your stomach is. Because we have a pouch now what may
happen is they will puncture through your pouch and that would not be good.
My bracelet states, "Do not blindly insert NG tube related to RNY
gastric bypass. Use fiberoptic scope." This means that they would
use a scope with a camera on the end so they can see what my insides look
like and place the NG tube correctly.
— Kristen S.
May 30, 2003
Not only do I wear a bracelet, I have a pendant I wear too, just in case
one falls off (I had a dream I lost the pendant, so I got a bracelet, too).
I got mine from goldwareid.com. Mine says: "Gastric Bypass. No N/G
without scope."
— scottiemaam O.
May 30, 2003
Hello all,
I wear a medicalert bracelet too, mine says "Gastric Bypass, Avoid NG
tube" along with some allergies i have. I took the MedicAlert bracelet
to a jeweler and had them put a nicer silver charm bracelet chain on it,
and i have 6 small charms on it, so it doesnt look so 'medical' LOL....I
just hope any paramedic recognizes it for what it is!
— Nancy D.
May 30, 2003
If you go to my profile page, and click on my website page, you'll see a
link to an excellent site to buy ID bracelets. They have all kinds. :)
— Diana L.
May 30, 2003
Wearing a medic alert bracelet is entirely your choice, but I decided it
was better to be safe than sorry. My bracelet reads 'RNY Gastric Bypass,
No Blind NG Tube'. I got mine from medicid.com -- they have pretty gold
designs that look very much like "normal" jewelry, but they took
five weeks to get my bracelet out to me (and that was with overnight
shipping!) :-(
— Katherine T.
May 30, 2003
As everyone stated below, you don't have to get a medical alert bracelet,
but it's sometimes better to be safe than sorry. Mine doesn't state
anything on it out gastric bypass. It just says, "No NG Tube without
Endoscope."
I got mine from www.diabeticdrugstore.com. Mines a pretty beaded bracelet.
Hope this helps!
— Renee B.
May 30, 2003
I got mine from MedicAlert.com. I'm a single mom and on the road a lot. I
was worried about a possible car wreck or something happening while I was
with my son alone. It is really pretty gold filled and looks like a charm
bracelet (chain) - it says "Roux-en-y Gastric Bypass. Do not blindly
insert NG tube. Use endoscopy."
— Melissa B.
May 31, 2003
I don't wear much jewelry, and didn't want to start now; also didn't want
everybody asking what's wrong with me lol....so I have a card in my wallet
(where the ID might go, and I put my driver's license with my credit cards)
that says in big letters "NO NG WITHOUT ENDOSCOPE" and under
that, RNY gastric bypass patient....If I had to get a bracelet I'd want to
disguise it so much they'd never look at it anyway, and they are supposed
to look in your wallet if you're alone and everything, and anyone I'm with
knows about the NG thing, so I guess I'm covered.
— Kimberley E.
June 1, 2003
My surgon dosen't require one, but strongly suggests it. I've heard some
horror stores about wls pts being in accidents, and having an ng tube put
in, and causing the pouch to rupture. That's not my idea of fun, so I went
to medic alert's website, and got a bracelet. One of my friend's a
paramedic, and suggests you get the bracelet insted of necklace though. He
says they sledom check neck jewelery, but if you are wearing a bracelet,
they will see it when they go to take your pulse.
— mellyhudel
June 1, 2003
I wear one also, I was told that if a IV was started that we cannot have
the normal ones with all the SUGAR because it would cause us to DUMP and
that would not be good, and also for the blind scope problem. It was not
required but I thought better be safe than sorry. Tony
— tonyskid
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