Do U wear a Medical Alert Braclets?

I wore one for ages, but found that everytime I was hospitalized for chemo side affects no one ever took any notice of it. So, I've taken it off. Not sure if I'll put it back on, but they had to remove all my nodes, so I am at fairly high risk of lymphedema.

I found at the hospital that I kept having to remind them to use my ankle for bp and needles, until they posted a sign over my bed.

I don't...I figure if I am unconscious, which arm is the least of my worries.

I wear one and it says "left arm - no BP, IV, bloodwork". I also have a TE so it says "no MRI"

If no one is going to look at what an arm band says in a medical emergency, why bother wearing it?

I am allergic to penicillin so do NOT feel exactly safe knowing that in an emergency if no one is around to tell them it might be administered. Raising my risk of lymphedema is one thing, anaphylactic shock is another.

Leah

I think the alert bracelet was started to alert the paramedics/EMTs in an emergency situation.

I agree what Junie said about there is so many colored bracelets......

Most hospitals put an allergy band on patients that are admitted to the hospital...maybe next time you are in the hospital (even if you are just visiting someone) you can get with one of the nurses and come up with a unique way to alert staff on the B/P situation.  Who knows it can even become a hospital policy. 

kim

Kim, I love the idea of making it hospital policy! There is a movement nationwide to standardize hospital band colors so fewer mistakes are made. The color proposed for avoiding use of that arm is pink (oh, goody!) and it's called a "restricted extremity" in hospital lingo. (Others with restricted extremities are people on dialysis, and they have the same worries we do about using that arm.) Since both my arms are "restriced extremities" I wear an alert necklace instead of two bracelets -- I ordered it from the American Cancer Society's TLC on-line catalog.

We're talking two different problems here: emergencies where you're not able to stick up for yourself, and hospitalizations or tests where the medical folks need to leave the arm(s) alone.

For emergencies the alert bracelets are the best bet -- EMTs are trained to look for them, and we hope they will if we ever need them to. It's true that they may not ever look at it, but if it's not there they FOR SURE won't know about our needs. So, no guarantees, but wearing it gives you your best chance in an emergency. I have also found that wearing it reminds ME not to let them use it -- we can get distracted or complacent and need the reminders ourselves!

For hospitals and tests, you can get a free neon-pink lymphedema alert bracelet at this website:

http://www.lymphedema.com/

On the left-hand side, click on "Free LE alertband." Order two, so you can keep one in your purse. You can also order a bunch of them free for your bc support group, or your onc's office.

Another option is the G-Sleeve, which is a length of cotton stockinette printed with the arm restrictions on it. This is by far the most effective for surgery and hospital stays where you'll be drugged or asleep. They actually have to MOVE it to access your arm, so they see it and it's quite effective.

http://www.g-sleeve.com/g-sleeve.htm

Other ideas for hospital stays or test days that involve injections or IVs is to write restrictions on your arm and hand with a permanent marker. (It comes off later with alcohol.) I do write on my arms for all such events, and I wear a G-sleeve over it, with an alertband on my wrist. Overkill, sure, but those signs-above-the-beds haven't worked well for a lot of us. Especially at night, they tend to grab whichever arm is handy and not even look for signs.

If all that sounds like the voice of sad experience...it IS!

Be well!
Binney

When I was going to an endocrinologist for a weird adrenal problem a few years ago, he insisted that I had to wear a Medical Alert bracelet.  He made all his patients wear them -- there was even a check box on the nurse's form to mark whether we were wearing ours when we arrived for an office appt.  Why me?  He said I needed one because I was on Synthroid for hypothyroidism and a beta blocker for mild hypertension.  WTH?  Oh, well.  I bought a really nice pendant necklace (I'll try to find a pic of it) but I never wore it.  I got "written up" and scolded a  few times, but then we had a big fight about my not wanting to start taking HRT and I stopped going there.

The only major surgery-type thing I've had done since my mast/SNB was a colonoscopy a year ago.  After I'd made the appt., a nurse from the GI doc's clinic called to get my med & insurance info.  I told her about my at-risk arm (which actually had mild, subclinical LE at the time), and I said I wasn't supposed to have needle sticks, venipuncture, or BP measurements on that side.  Would that be something they could accomodate?

She said, "No problem!".  When I arrived for the fun and games, the very first thing they did was check my record ... and put a large, bold-lettered sticker at the top of the front page that said "No BP or needle sticks on left side!".  And the nurse put one of those bright pink wristbands on my left wrist.  Nobody touched that side while I was awake.  I have no idea what they did while I was asleep.  Well, okay, I think I know what they did, ... never mind.

I need to call my sister, who's a long-time ER/trauma nurse, to see if the ER staff or EMT's pay any attention to wrist bands or Medical Alert bracelets.  And, if they do read them, to what extent do they follow them?  I already asked her once about LE specifically (messing with an at-risk arm), and she basically said when someone comes in bleeding from a gunshot wound or with bad head trauma, the first thing on the list is to save the person's life.  Okay, I get it.

I do think there's a bracelet overload, which is probably contributing to the problem:

My medical insurer has an Emergency Alert system where we're supposed to carry a card in our wallets with a web address that contains relevant medical info. I keep going to the website and updating my info,  But, I'm wondering how many EMT's who arrive at the scene of my car wreck are going to go to their trucks and log on to a computer to check my medical alert file before they start giving me emergency treatment?

otter 

Thanks for all the great information.....sometimes the simplest thing is the best answer....

JO thank goodness you are a light sleeper, but also that you stood up for yourself. 

Binney...thanks for the web sites.

kim

No-way. I never thought about that, and now that I think of it, I don't want one. I am proud to be a survivor - but I don't wear it - litterally - on my sleeve. 

And as Lisa said - if I am unconscious, heck - I don't want them to waste time figuring out what arm to use. also, I have extremely bad veins on both arms... so far, not a trace of LE.  

Mantra, when I had my bilat mast with recon surgery they put a 'main line' iv in my neck to avoid putting IV's in my arms. When I was admitted my hospital ID band was placed on my arm but when I woke up after surgery (in my drug induced haze) I couldn't find my ID band on my arm and I worried about where it went. Evendentally after I was under sedation my ID band was moved to my ankle. Once in my room, when the nurses came in to take my BP, they would look for the ID band (to see if I was who they were looking for ), after seeing the ID band on my ankle, they would take the BP on that leg and they never tried to take it on my arms. If you aren't going to spend extra time in the hospital they can put the IV in your foot/leg. Since my doctor was going to keep me at least 24 hours, he didn't want the IV in my foot to restrict my walking ability.

Sheila

Can you post a picture of some of yours so we can see them?

I think a lot of hospitals are starting to put  bracelets on patients.  When I had my mx 3 weeks ago, they put a pink one on me that said, "restricted limb."  I also had them put a sign on the wall behind my bed that said, "No BP or needle sticks in left arm."  I was having a second axillary node dissection along with the mx.  Having it done twice now really bumps up my risk of lymphedema and I wanted to make sure they knew not to mess with my left arm.  I have been looking at medical ID bracelets, but haven't bought one yet. 

Even if  you do NOT have Lymphadema, you can wear one their FREE "alert" bracelets - neon pink in color with NO Blood Tests, Blood Pressure, NO IV or injections into this arm.

 www.lymphedema.com

They also have them for legs, in case you have/had varicose veins or blood  clot.  They are green in color.