I am new to this forum and thrilled to have found it. I just had takedown surgery 10/08/12. I was just wondering if anyone has some type of medical id alert (bracelet, necklace etc) stating that you no longer have your large intestines. If so what would need to be put on the alert to tell any medical personnel what condition you have?
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I don't have a jpouch yet. So far I've just had a colectomy. I was also on high dose steroids for a year.
My bracelet says "Colectomy, Adrenal Insuff. Need Stress Dose Steroids" I use medic alert so my bracelet has a number which links back to an online account. The online account has my meds and a complete list of conditions. It has has contact info for my docs and family.
When I get a jpouch, I will probably have one that says "Colectomy, Jpouch" - I don't anyone sticking anything up there and messing things up.
My bracelet says "Colectomy, Adrenal Insuff. Need Stress Dose Steroids" I use medic alert so my bracelet has a number which links back to an online account. The online account has my meds and a complete list of conditions. It has has contact info for my docs and family.
When I get a jpouch, I will probably have one that says "Colectomy, Jpouch" - I don't anyone sticking anything up there and messing things up.
I have 2 and others have them on here as well. I got an aluminum one I wear most of the time and another one that is interchangable with other decoative bracelets you can order.
The aluminum is stamped with the medical symbol then name of surgery and j-pouch followed by another symbol. Another gal did it first an I got the fancier one with the alert plate. It has my first name engraved with a little med alert symbol on the back I had the name of the surgery and J-Pouch engraved. I think Colectomy - J-pouch would be better if I was going to do it again. Again another member of a support group did this kind and she included her surgeon's name and telephone number as well.
Good Luck with your surgery ActiveUCer.
Do an internet search and you can find all sorts of jewelry, necklaces, dog tag like necklaces, key chains etc.
The aluminum is stamped with the medical symbol then name of surgery and j-pouch followed by another symbol. Another gal did it first an I got the fancier one with the alert plate. It has my first name engraved with a little med alert symbol on the back I had the name of the surgery and J-Pouch engraved. I think Colectomy - J-pouch would be better if I was going to do it again. Again another member of a support group did this kind and she included her surgeon's name and telephone number as well.
Good Luck with your surgery ActiveUCer.
Do an internet search and you can find all sorts of jewelry, necklaces, dog tag like necklaces, key chains etc.
My Medic Alert bracelet says No Rectal Procedures Total Colectomy Ileoanal J Pouch. I have to be honest, though, the week of 10/29 I went to three emergency rooms in one week, was in one ambulance, and stayed in a NY hospital for 11 days. Not once did anyone look at my bracelet or ask me what it was for.
I may look into a red Medic Alert necklace instead.
Alison
I may look into a red Medic Alert necklace instead.
Alison
I hope you are over what ever caused all of your hospital trips! That is scary, what if you were unconscious? One of the ladies on here has a tattoo on her abdomen the shape of a colon with a red circle and a line drawn through it, meaning no colon. An emergency room doctor argued with her once by telling her she couldn't live without a colon - something like that.
I have a typed medication list including what condition each is for and a listing of all of my surgeries and their dates in my purse and another in my billfold. If they didn't look at your wrist they probably weren't looking in your purse either.
All we can do is all we can do. My local GI saw my aluminum medical ID bracelet and kind of laughed. If I didn't like him so much I might have gone all PTSD on him.
I have a typed medication list including what condition each is for and a listing of all of my surgeries and their dates in my purse and another in my billfold. If they didn't look at your wrist they probably weren't looking in your purse either.
All we can do is all we can do. My local GI saw my aluminum medical ID bracelet and kind of laughed. If I didn't like him so much I might have gone all PTSD on him.
Thank you. I hope I am done with all the hospital visits, too. That is the goal for 2013. Just have to work on figuring out what caused it.
One thing I find over and over and over is that we have to be our own advocates when it comes to our heatlh because of the ignorance out there from people who actually dare to call themselves "health care professionals." This last stay in the hospital, I actually found myself saying to the nursing staff "How many mistakes are you guys actually going to make?" and they didn't have a response because they knew they screwed up.
Anyway, I'm digressing...I still think the Medic Alert concept is a good one...perhaps something in a neon sign that is attached to our foreheads might get their attention...
One thing I find over and over and over is that we have to be our own advocates when it comes to our heatlh because of the ignorance out there from people who actually dare to call themselves "health care professionals." This last stay in the hospital, I actually found myself saying to the nursing staff "How many mistakes are you guys actually going to make?" and they didn't have a response because they knew they screwed up.
Anyway, I'm digressing...I still think the Medic Alert concept is a good one...perhaps something in a neon sign that is attached to our foreheads might get their attention...
Have had my jpouch for 25 years never had a medic alert bracelet never even though about it. do need to get one now since im allergic to penicilin.
I know that if you go into the ER and unable to answer for yourself, they will try to find an emergency number on your phone. (they actually like you to put 911 in front of the name so it is first on the contact list and obvious. If you use your husband's name in your contacts without the 911 in front but MOM for your mom, they calling MOM instead of husband)
Has anyone found an ap for medical info (where it has it's own icon on your screen) for an IPhone? I think we/I NEED that. If they see an obvious icon for medical info, maybe just maybe, they can see everything there while they are looking for my emergency contact.
I plainly can't trust myself to wear a medical alert bracelet all the time. I NEVER in 6 months took my blood thinner medical alert bracelet out of the plastic bag the hospital gave it to me in. (Bad Jen! Bad! BAD!) I kept forgetting about it.
Jen
Has anyone found an ap for medical info (where it has it's own icon on your screen) for an IPhone? I think we/I NEED that. If they see an obvious icon for medical info, maybe just maybe, they can see everything there while they are looking for my emergency contact.
I plainly can't trust myself to wear a medical alert bracelet all the time. I NEVER in 6 months took my blood thinner medical alert bracelet out of the plastic bag the hospital gave it to me in. (Bad Jen! Bad! BAD!) I kept forgetting about it.
Jen