I know this has been discussed some in the past because I've been in on some other threads for it, but I just wanted to start a new one because of a great site I just found out about.

I know there is debate over whether a medical ID bracelet is necessary or not. I decided to get one just for my own peace of mind. I just put "Gastric Sleeve VSG - No Blind NG Tubes - No NSAIDs" on mine & thought that would be fine because the place I got it from really didn't have space for contact information or anything else on it. I just figured it would be okay that I had my surgeon's card and other information in my purse.

A couple weeks after surgery, I was talking to a friend who said she had one made also & she said how she put contact info on hers. She said she had never really thought about it before, but had recently witnessed an accident and she and her husband were the first people on the scene of the accident. The woman in the accident was in the car, but her purse had gotten thrown out of the car and it took them a while to find it. My friend said this got her thinking about the bracelet. She said she put most of the same info I did, but also that she's diabetic & also her husband's name and information (and I think our surgeon's number too).

Today someone was talking about it on my surgeon's support group and someone mentioned that they got one with a ton of info on it. She said it has her name, birth year (not full DOB), contact info for her son, her procedure & date of surgery, No Blind NG, No NSAIDs, and our surgeon's name & phone. When we asked her where she got it from, she said it was from Road ID (http://www.roadid.com/). I looked at the site and think it's awesome how much information they can fit on them and they're reasonably priced. They even have options for a wrist or shoe one and some other options. They also have an option for an interactive coverage (which is a subscription) where you could put a more complete profile that EMS could access online or on the phone.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share because although I pray that none of us ever needs emergency assistance, it eases my mind knowing the people who would help me would have the necessary information. I had never thought about how important the contact information is in a situation where my wallet might not be right there! I haven't found other sites that offer the same amount of information on a bracelet as the site above for a reasonable price in the past.

Great idea for ANYONE with or without WLS or any health issues, just having the contact info handy can make a difference in an emergency.

one the subject about NSAID'd I too take them, baby aspirin and naproxin. I think they're OK if you take a COATED version that should pass THROUGH the stomach / sleeve and it should not cause any issues. But listen to your doc and take their advice.

Hi Webchickadee, with the USB bracelet you can put all that stuff on there and the emergency personnel don't have to call a 1-800 number for the info, it all shows up on their computer. Plus you don't have a yearly charge! They charge you to use their 1-800 help line. It's not free. But you have posted some good info. grandma64

I've seen some of the USB ones too. I kind of worry with that or even with the Road ID subscription if EMS would really take the time to call a number or plug it into the computer before starting to help someone. I think those things are good for information after the fact, like on the way to the hospital or something, but I'm not sure it would help right away. Of course, I'm sure EMS personnel are trained to look for that and call or plug it in, but I wonder how much that would matter in an extreme critical situation. Personally I like that they can have the info they need right on hand as soon as they look at my bracelet. However, I think whatever someone uses is great as long as it's something instead of nothing. :-)

I too doubt that any EMT or Dr would plug the thing in. I would think that they would be more for you to carry the information for YOURSELF for reference, then again finding someone willing to allow you to plug in an unknown USB drive into their computer might be a challenge.

NSAIDs are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - like ibuprofen. Some surgeons say we aren't supposed to have them after surgery because they can cause issues in the stomach.

An NG tube is a nasogastric tube that goes through the nose into the stomach - basically a feeding tube. A "blind" one is one that is put in without them looking at all at what they're doing really' date=' and this can cause an issue for our smaller stomachs because it can cause a problem in the stomach lining/staple line and could potentially puncture the stomach if they shove it in too far or too fast. It was actually on my discharge papers from the hospital as something to make sure is NEVER done after sleeve surgery.Therefore, it is something that would be important to be on a medic alert bracelet.[/quote']

Thank you for this info. I will be sleeved on July 9th and this is god info to know. I will be sure to inform my husband and children about this!!

I so totally don't want to incite a debate about medic alert bracelets. Completely not my intention.

A good friend of mine is an ER physician. We've talked about this topic, and here's a summary of her conclusions:

• Medic alert bracelets are rarely checked - by the physicians anyway. It's possible that medics/EMT or nurses check them, but never guaranteed. She has never looked for a medic alert bracelet prior to placing an NG tube.
  
• Medic alert bracelets, if useful, are most useful in trauma/emergency type situations (if you're at a scheduled visit, you'll be able to tell them of your needs). In a trauma situation, NG tubes are virtually always done "blind".
  
• The greatest risk from an NG tube is not impacted by the size of the stomach (or pouch, or whatever). It comes from the condition of the esophagus.
  
• An NG tube, regardless of how it's inserted, is virtually never going to cause damage on its own. E.g. it's much more likely to coil up than puncture something.
  

That being said, if you like medic alert bracelets, get one, It isn't going to hurt anything.

As an EMS worker and speaking only for my county, the USB bracelet idea is great but probably won't work. Our laptops won't accept info except from our server. Also, if you're so sick that you can't speak to us there's a good chance we won't even glance at our laptop until we've dropped you off at the ER. I won't lie, sometimes we don't even have time to look for a medical ID of any source. Which sucks knowing that since I now wear one because of my surgery. When I go back to work I'm going to spread the word about the importance of medical bracelets. . (sorry for the crappt news)

I just ordered mine from laurenshope.com. It has my name, ice phone #, hypothyroid/VSG wls, no NG tube/NSAIDs on it. I think they had very pretty ones, as well as everyday ones. And I like how you can order just the bracelet so you can change it up.

I asked my doctor about this. She said I didn't need one since the tube would fit in our stomachs. Just FYI.