ID Bracelets

I am tossed between getting one or not. Does anyone have one? I am looking at a cooler bracelet or necklace since I am a fashion freak. Anyone know of any good sites that are reasonable priced? What do you all have engraved on the bracelet?

21 Comments

bracelets

by Tracey_E - 2013-08-19 02:08:31

For years I never wore one, but then another member who is an emt scared me into it. I mostly wear it when I'm out, never at home. I am super diligent on vacation.

You can keep your id card in your wallet, but in a car accident they may be cutting you out of the car before they find your wallet. Some say emergency personnel see the scar. I guess so, but my scar isn't in the usual place. Some don't wear them because they've heard stories (or experienced) no one looking at the bracelet. I wear it anyway. We had a member on a way for an mri before she was alert enough to say NO. We had a member who was conscious but stunned and completely forgot to mention it. But the thing that convinced me to always wear it is the emt. We can't have surgery without the pm being monitored. If we are in an accident and need emergency surgery, they need to know about the pm before they transport us. It affects how we are transported and where we are transported. Wouldn't it be awful to be taken to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment only to be transferred to another facility? That's why i wear one.

I have many! I went a little crazy, figured if I had lots of pretty ones for every occasion I'd be more likely to wear it.

As for what to engrave, I have an online medical record from American Medical. You can buy just the service but it comes free with any purchase so I got a cheap stainless for swimming.
http://www.americanmedical-id.com
I have my name, PACEMAKER and the omr phone number and password. The omr has my full medical history, insurance, meds, emergency contacts. I update the omr when things change but my id tags stay the same.

I have a rainbow of silicone bands to go with my id from RoadID for the beach and the gym
http://www.roadid.com

I like the tags from N-Style because they are thin and flat.
http://www.n-styleid.com/

I have a few bracelets from them but most of my pretty ones come from Laurens Hope. They HP bracelets fit with the N-Style tags
http://www.laurenshope.com/

p.s. it's taken me years to collect all of these. I'm a little crazy, not totally losing it ;)

Bracelets2

by depreal30 - 2013-08-19 03:08:07

I have looked on the Laurens Hope, I kind of want just a basic silver one so I can wear it with everything. I love necklaces and wear one almost every day, but different one to go with what I am wearing. I would have to wear the bracelet all the time otherwise I wouldn't wear it at all. I have a pandora bracelet that i just love that I never wear. Can anyone be on that OMR? Never heard of that.. I might just need to bend over and get one:)

omr

by Tracey_E - 2013-08-19 03:08:14

I think they still sell just the service, at least they did when i bought mine. One of the dogtags was cheaper than the service itself, but the service came free with any purchase so I bought a really ugly dogtag to save $5

N-Style is cheaper than Laurens Hope. They have some plain silver ones. I have a bunch of beaded ones but the one I wear the most is the black leather braided one from N-Style.

Here's another option

by IAN MC - 2013-08-19 03:08:51

.... don't bother . Waste of time and money IMHO

Ian

Road ID

by smokinjack - 2013-08-19 03:08:57

Here's another option..Road ID
www.roadid.com

If you are a cyclist or runner,tennis,or into sports you might like a Road ID.You can have a simple bracelet for your wrist or a tag that ties to your shoes, or ankle bracelet. They have different designs and colors.
The other option is they put your med info and contact info on a data base .When the para medics arrive they can access ALL your meds,contact info from your road ID using their computer using your username and password. You can update the data base anytime when you have changes.I think it's $9 /year.

i don't bother

by cropduster - 2013-08-19 04:08:03

I don't bother, just keep the card in my wallet. As soon as anyone hooks you up to an ECG they know you have a PM.

I never take mine off

by lucyb - 2013-08-19 04:08:44

I've worn a medical ID bracelet since I started school at age 5. My mother figured that if I wasn't in her care I should have one, and I've never really considered not having it since.

The main reason I wear it is for emergency situations, as TraceyE mentioned. I never take it off - shower, sport, sleeping- it's always on my wrist.

I got my last one (the wear out after 5 or so years if you wear them non-stop) from American Medical ID [http://www.americanmedical-id.com] and I've actually been really impressed considering the price! I'm currently wearing the "premier bracelet" which so far has lasted 2 years of non-stop use. On the website, you can choose the metal (gold, silver, gold-filled etc) and the style of the chain you want and you can customize it to a certain degree.

Honestly, I forget I'm wearing it - and to most people, it looks like an ordinary pretty bracelet and they don't even know it's a medical ID bracelet - but medical professionals always comment on it, so it's comforting to know that it's on their radar!

Mine currently says my name and heart condition, but once I get my pacemaker I will order one that has my name and 'pacemaker' on it instead.

:)

by depreal30 - 2013-08-19 05:08:10

I have seen a couple that I really like. I will just have order one i guess:)

bracelets

by Alma Annie - 2013-08-19 06:08:31

Like Lucy, I wear one 24/7. It is pretty, yes it cost a bit more than the 'ordinary' stainless steel ones, but then even jewellery costs. I feel safer with it in case I had a car accident or the like, but it really looks like a pretty bracelet. I have a friend who is a paramedic, who advised me to have one. She said it does help them to know if an unconcious patient has other medical problems.
I am sure that you have plenty of choice in America. I live in Australia.
Alma Annie

I wear one

by Reboot1212 - 2013-08-19 07:08:00

I wear a simple stainless one with engraved info on the back. Name, 'pacemaker', doctor name and number. This is because I don't always have my wallet immediately on my person - clearing brush, swimming, working out. No big deal for me. I'm comfortable with it. Best wishes to you.

It's always on

by Marie12 - 2013-08-19 09:08:23

I wear mine all the time. It simply says "Implanted Defibrillator". I splurged and bought a nice one that I barely notice. EMT's and the nurses at the hospital also convinced me it was necessary.

I have considered a Tatto but not sure where to put it that would not be so obvious but clear enough to alert medical professionals.

You can't be too careful !

by IAN MC - 2013-08-20 03:08:33

Don I hope the colour of your stainless steel dog tag doesn't clash with the aluminium colander which you wear on your head at all times .. I forget; is it to protect you from asteroids, or bits falling off planes or is it sun flares .... or is it just a fashion statement ?

I must get an ID bracelet to remind me who I am when I've had a few drinks, but as a life-saving device I just don't get it ! Interestingly I saw my cardiologist today and I asked him if I should wear ID jewellery as I have a PM . His reply was " What on earth for ? " .... a question to which I had no answer !

Cheers

Ian

Such Varied Views...................

by Tattoo Man - 2013-08-20 04:08:02


................................I wore my .Dog Tag' from the time that I got my first PM , back in 2010.

Last January, when I got my 2nd one I never bothered wearing it again...and not coincidentally, rarely even think about having a Pacemaker.

Do we wear these things to remind ..Ourselves..of our differences as well as for the remote chance that a paramedic may need to know....??

Tattoo Man

I wear mine

by Acin - 2013-08-20 08:08:08

All the time. I'd rather be safe than sorry. It doesn't hurt to have one. I didn't pay a lot of money for mine though.

All the Time.....

by donr - 2013-08-20 08:08:25

.....for all the good it does.

Stainless steel Dog Tag, engraved w/ "Pacemaker & Coumadin."

Only time I needed it was after a car accident. Fortunately I was conscious enough to tell anyone who came near me about them. I was a fanatic.

Finally needed it while on the ER table having my tee shirt cut off. ER Tech looks at chain & tag & says "What's this." She was standing right at my shoulder essentially looking at my scar AND NOT SEEING IT, as she picked up the chain. Tag had migrated into my armpit due to gravity.

I told her PM Tag - that saved a lot of grief from then on. They still never had a cardio or PM Tech come in to check me out. Needless to say, my Cardio was rather annoyed. To be more precise, he was P*****!

Don

Colander as a fashion ststement

by donr - 2013-08-21 01:08:06

Ian: I wear it to protect me from aliens trying to control me w/ cosmic rays, actually. Also has a secondary purpose of protecting my head, should I get into a fistfight w/ an angry black bear. You see, the bears always swing for the side of the head - me - I'll go for their nose.

Haven't you ever heard the old saying from the Japanese "The tiger has very sharp teeth - but a very soft nose!" The same thing applies to bears.

Aliens, however are a different issue, entirely. As soon as you sense that they are trying to control you via the cosmic ray route (you know it is happening because you can hear the sparking across the holes in the colander - IF you remembered to put your hearing aids in that day) & you immediately start sucking your thumb & fall to the ground assuming a fetal position, whimpering pitilessly. Since they are only looking to kidnap adult specimens, they will now ignore you. As soon as they pass you by, you quickly jump up & break their necks by grabbing them by the ears & rapidly spinning their heads clockwise (as seen from the rear, of course). That works for the green varieties that were found & taken to Area 51 out in the Nevada desert. The Purple People Eater variety (As described in a popular song back in the 1950's) are a different issue entirely. Disabling them will be covered in our next lesson in self defense.

I agree w/ you on the usefulness of a jewelry piece for emergency medical info - never gets seen or read. I can attest to that.

But - you never know, it just might, someday.

Meanwhile keep the dog tags - might be useful if you trip on a sidewalk crack while out on a pub crawl.

BTW: in the FWIW dept. I am the proud possessor of a decorated glass pub window from the old "Crown" Pub on Edgeware Road, right off Old Marylebone Road. They remodeled it while I was working there in 1980 & threw all the old windows out in a rubbish heap at the curb (Kerb). Being a crazy Yank, I grabbed one of the windows & lugged it home to Medmenham aboard Brit Rail that evening. I got some of the weirdest stares ever from your countrymen. Dunno if that section of London got bombed during the Blitz or not, but my relic is at least 50 yrs old now - perhaps older if it survived the Blitz.

Don

I wear one

by SClovesDC - 2013-08-21 02:08:35

I'm new to CHF and to my pacemaker and my cardiologist suggested I get a medical ID bracelet. I ordered one of the Italian charm bracelets on Ebay that I really like since I already wore one of those all the time. I have charms on it that say Pacemaker, No MRI, Artificial joint, and card in wallet along with the med ID alert sign. It may or may not do anything in an emergency, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

My very dear Don...............

by Tattoo Man - 2013-08-21 02:08:42


............................................your most compelling argument regarding the benefiets of the wearing of a colander to ward off aliens has left me in no doubt that I shall wear one at all times in the future.

I don't doubt that, like me, you would agree that the film 'Men in Black' was in no part a work of fiction ,rather a cleverly disguised social documentary.

Having observed the 'Human Race' for some 60-odd years I have come to the conclusion that a large number of 'Humans' are ,in reality, no more than lumps of green gloop from the Planet Tharg masquerading as 'one of us'.

I was born, in 1950, in Walton Street a road in the impoverished district called Kensington and Chelsea...the Edgeware Road was only talked about in hushed tones as it represented all that was mysterious about the outer reaches of London Town.

My, how things have changed...most properties in Chelsea now boast inside lavatories,..an unheard of luxury in 1950. Slop-buckets are no longer emptied from upstairs windows, much to the approval of the owners of the hundreds of Aston Martins, Porsches and Maseratis that line the roads below.

Back to the Dog Tags...they can be sharpened to a razor quality edge and flailed about the head to repel both Aliens and Bears...jolly handy for keeping chest hair in order too !

Best wishes

Tattoo Man

id bracelets

by megiemay - 2013-08-22 03:08:29

I have one go to icegems.com they have great id bracelets and stylish. They do dog tags to necklesses and braclets to ones with charms. Xx

ID

by Alma Annie - 2013-08-23 07:08:06

I am glad Tracey has lots. Variety is good. As for Doctors asking what an earth for, it is not them who scrapes you up off a road, but the paramedics or someone seeing to the stupid person who tripped up a step last January and flung herself into a wall, sustaining a head injury!! (Me!!)
It is no big deal to wear one, but can help paramedics enormously.
Alma Annie

Got one

by depreal30 - 2013-08-26 03:08:43

I did order one from American Medical ID. Can't wait for it to come. Thank you all for the advice:)

Amy

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