To Wear or Not to Wear~Medical Bracelets

[C0urt]

stylish isnt a word you hear to often

 

[BrandiBrat]

:roflmao:Hey, I do my part to make E as cute as possible

 

[Sandie]

I'm with you, Brandi. I wear one because mine are not controlled yet either and they are changing. I don't think it will do anything for my love of throwing spoons away but I figure it will come in handy when I 'zone out' in public. It will let people know that I do actually have epilepsy and I'm not just 'loony tunes' (ha), although I was 'loony tunes before I had the epilepsy. Mine is stainless steel with the standard red logo on the front. I have Sandy written on the front and epilepsy and asthma on the back. I don't have a stigma about it. I am not thrilled about having it though but none of us are. I tend to laugh it off except when I'm having a particularly bad day.

 

[Ruth]

It is really "stylish." I like it. can you upload a photo of it?

I live in CA, too. Mine is gold with a gold emblem.

 

[BrandiBrat]

 

[BrandiBrat]

I don't know if that worked or not.... I placed the picture in my album here.... and I'm a newby to this. lol Edited to say I see the picture.

 

[Ruth]

It is really beautiful Brandi!! I love it!!

 

[BrandiBrat]

I got it on Ebay I'm thrifty haha

 

[Cint]

I wasn't implying you have diabetes. I was saying that seizures can be caused by either one. If you do have Epilepsy, and are put on an anti-convulsant med, yet EMS doesn't know that you are on the med, it could impact your 'quality of care'(or lack thereof).

Very good point. Last December when I had a car accident due to a breakthrough seizure, fortunately the paramedics knew to check my glucose levels to see if the seizure was due to my diabetes or my epilepsy. The only way the could have known is by my MedicAlert bracelet I wear all the time in case of emergencies like these. BTW, my glucose level was quite high which for me, seems to be after seizures and traumatic events. Don't know why that happens. It was high when I had my recent VNS replacement surgery, too. They kept me in the hospital a few extra hours to get my glucose down to normal.
My MedicAlert bracelet looks similar to this:

 

[Cint]

Plus on the back it has an 800 # they can call that will get in touch with my docs and it lists my conditions: Epilepsy, Diabetes, Depression, Hypothyroid. I also have a card that I can put in my wallet that lists all of this plus all meds and all Emergency contact numbers. IMO, MedicAlert is the best one to have.
http://www.medicalert.org/

 

[stilldancing_98]

Now I would wear something like that.

 

[Jake]

Mine is gold with a gold emblem.

Regarding your MedicAlert bracelet Ruth, is it one of the real gold ones? (or would you rather not answer that)

When I joined MedicAlert in 1967 the gold bracelet was $24.00 when gold was only $35.00 (Wish I'd bought some) an ounce. Only 3 bracelets to choose from then,
stainless steel $7.00, silver $15.00 or gold $24.00. I got a silver one then and recently bought another silver one, the $15.00 days are long gone. The new one was $225.00.

 

[Jake]

Thanks for your reply. I think there would be a stigma and I would be very conscious of it. If you disagree that's okay. I'm very new to the condition and probably view it very differently from those who have become accustomed to it, and that is also okay. I'm sure I will view it differently over time.

I'm sure you will view it differently one day but you must accept the condition (If you indeed have Epilepsy)and not be ashamed or embarresed you have it.

When I was diagnosed 46 years ago the stigma was much worse. My Mom told me when I told someone I knew (Who was much younger) the kids mother grabbed him and pulled him back. I read the same thing recently happened to someone in England.

I believe it is the responsibility of every person who has Epilepsy to help rid our society of the stigma which is nothing more than ignorance but we can't do it if we are ashamed, embarassed or unwilling to accept and talk about our condition. If we don't step up to the plate and make the effort to educate the public who will. We don't yet have a Michael J Fox with the ability of raising tens of millions of dollars.

I developed Epilepsy at 14. At 18 my Dad turned over in a truck to avoid a drunk driver who was stopped in the middle of the freeway urinating. My Dad swerved to miss the car in case there were kids or others inside. As my Dad lie paralyzed, freezing and scared he was going to be burned alive, which thankfully never happened, the man got into his car and drove off. So when my Dad was sent to a hospital in Arizona, money being tight (2 households to support) I tried to get a job and when I told the lady interviewing me I had Epilepsy she looked me in the eye and said "We don't hire cripples" and walked away, after partially getting over the hurt, that's when I decided to fight the ignorance that people like her had. I
thought, I can handle this but what about elementry aged school children and how hard it must be on them.


If you don't like the stigma Albie, please help us get rid of it, we need all the help we can get.

I understand it's very early for you and know your not ready yet to aid in the fight but I hope one day you will.

I hope your EEG and MRI go well and I wish you all the best.

Here is a virtual ((((((((((Hug)))))))))) you'll be in my thoughts and prayers.


My intention was to only write two sentenses, somehow it turm into a partial rant, sorry about that.

I sent you a private message.

 

[CQ:)]

When I was diagnosed 46 years ago the stigma was much worse. My Mom told me when I told someone I knew (Who was much younger) the kids mother grabbed him and pulled him back. I read the same thing recently happened to someone in England.

Jake,
Apparently something similar happened to my Mum.
I had my 1st seizure (a Tonic Clonic) in the late 1970s when I was 9 months old, think it wasn't until I was 11 months before I was diagnosed with epilepsy.
My Mum once told me how she was down the street with me in the pram & bumped into a lady she knew (I don't remember who it was but may have been the wife of someone who worked with my Dad).
The lady who was with her children said to my Mum she heard that I was sick & asked how I was. Mum told her I had epilepsy so the woman grabbed her children so they were away from me.
My Mum got mad & told her the children couldn't catch it.

I'm now in my mid 30s & haven't had to many issues with my epilepsy but I know there are still a lot of people out there who need to be educated about epilepsy & the types of seizures there are.

 

[Jake]

It's inconceivable to me that it is still happening today. It's as though people don't want to know the truth.

And thank you for all the jokes, I really enjoy them.:clap:

 

[QueenieKP]

Having gone 10 years without a seizure I was AMAZED at the range of medical alerts you can get.

In my day it was medic alert or SOS. I hated wearing a necklace because always choked myself and the SOS were so fiddly (IMHO) and the bracelets so heavy I could brain myself.

I now have a Velcro braclet. OMGS it's lightweight, rips off in seconds, it's PURPLE with pink flowers and just says vital medical ID inside. It is POSSIBLY aimed at a younger market but they do it in big girl sizes and I lurve it.

http://www.theidbandco.com/Purple-with-Flowers-Medical-ID-Wristband-Small-27

Plus it was £11.50 not needing me remortgage my house.
Q

 

[Nick88]

I didn't wear any kind of medical id thing until last year, and I needed it a few days after I started wearing it. I had a tonic clonic when I was abroad on my own. Luckily, most people read English. I'm thinking about getting another one though, because this one was very cheap and doesn't have much information.

I was thinking about getting one with a QR code on it but I've read online somewhere that they can be a bit dodgey. Does anyone here know about that?

 

[gowings83]

I've worn one since I was 14 (now am 30). It's been a pain in the tukas the whole time. Recently I've been thinking about getting a tattoo of a small purple ribbon with the medic alert thing in the loop and "epilepsy" written across the cross part of the ribbon. Replace that with the annoying piece of metal around my wrist. Show both my support for those like us with epilepsy as well as let the medics know I have it.

 

[Janus]

I have been thinking about this lately because my mom, 3,000 miles away, in the state of Maine really wants me to get one. I love jewelery and have bracelets,earrings,necklaces usually on but mostly homemade and little sculptures that I make from random objects. I have not wanted to broadcast to all strangers that I have this problem so never had the med alert. After reading this I am inspired to have one. Thanks gowings83, i feel better knowing it is also for support for all.
Solidarity ? is that too strong a word?

 

[Jake]

I have not wanted to broadcast to all strangers that I have this problem so never had the med alert. After reading this I am inspired to have one.

I hope you do get a MedicAlert bracelet or whatever, Janus. On the rare occasion someone asks me why I wear a MedicAlert bracelet I happily tell them and sometimes I am able to dispel some of the nasty stigms associated with Epilepsy.

If you don't ever want anyone to ask about it you could get a neckless which you could wear under your clothes.