Have you ever been in a situation where you could not speak for yourself? For someone with medical conditions, that is a very scary situation to be in. The emblems communicate medical, conditions, allergies, and/or other crucial medical information. To give you a little back story I was in and out of the hospital as a baby, I was born with Hydrocephalus (neurological condition), and Tetralogy of Fallot (heart defect). I had multiple surgeries due to both conditions. I also have allergies to medicines that were discovered during my hospital stays. To top all of that off, I had the main vein in my right arm re-routed to my heart, so you can't take a pulse or blood pressure in that arm.
So in 1997 when I was getting ready to go away to college, I thought it'd be a great idea to purchase a Medic Alert bracelet, so that if anything ever happened to me, my college friends/ acquaintances would not need to remember my specific medical conditions or the part about no blood pressure in my right arm. Fortunately, there was never a situation when I was in college where the info on the bracelet was needed. After college the next time I left home was when I moved in with my husband. By then I had still decided to wear the bracelet because I knew I wasn't going to be near someone with my medical information memorized 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
The photos below are of my Medic Alert bracelet. (I covered up my personal info on the back) You can see part of the 1-800 number at the top. Underneath it has the most important medical info visible, and at the bottom is my member number. Whenever a person is found at an accident scene or anywhere else where they are unable to communicate with anyone, the bracelet is how this info is communicated. You call the 1-800 number at the top, and give the operator the member number so that the operator can give you (the person who found the victim) any crucial medical info. the operator can also contact family and doctors of the victim.
I lived my life for 16 years thinking that every single first respondent/ paramedic knew about these medical emblems. I discovered in 2013 that not every paramedic knows what they are for. I was involved in a car accident. When the paramedics arrived on scene, I was mentally shaken up and even though I was conscious, I was still not speaking clearly. Neither of the paramedics looked for my bracelet, and when I pointed it out, they didn't seem to know what to do with it. They even tried to take my pulse in my right arm. (In paragraph one, I mentioned you can't do that on me.)
I was able to point out the 1-800 number and the member number so that they could at least call that before my husband had arrived on the scene (I had called him after I dialed 911.) Things could have been a lot worse had I not have been able to speak for myself.
I believe that my story needs to be shared by everyone. There are thousands of people out there that wear different types of medical emblems for different medical reasons. Apparently the simple procedure to read the emblem and dial the 1-800 number on the back is not discussed in paramedic or nursing classes.
Please share this blog to get this IMPORTANT LIFE SAVING INFORMATION out. I had not waited since 2013 to tell my story. I have emailed my local news stations multiple times over the past 2 years. They'd rather report about major ice cream brands that were finally put back on shelves and the design choices of a major coffee chain's holiday cups..... I highly doubt that those stories saved anyone's lives.
