Media alert yes/no

I would imagine it is essential you have some form of alert that is easily found by a paramedic in the event of an accident. What about just "diabetic - insulin dependent" ?

Agree. If you are at risk of hypo then it will help you get reated correctly should you need it. At this stage the helpers won't care if you are type 1 or type 2!
Don't have a dog tag personally but I am fortunate not to have sudden hypos.

NicoleC1971 said:

Don't have a dog tag personally but I am fortunate not to have sudden hypos.

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But you could have an accident rendering you unconscious and in A&E

PaulofEssex said:

Being Type 2 on insulin, lm confused if l should wear/have a medical alert tag etc.

Most l see say ‘insulin dependent’ isn’t that just for type 1.

What are your thoughts/views please

Thank you

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Hi Paul, I didn't fancy wearing a wrist band or anything but I do carry an alert in my bag and my purse etc. If that gets parted from me or stolen, well that's my hard luck but it's better than nothing. A tattoo would be good but I'm too afraid!

Search for medical alert on eBay. Some of them, you can have additional info engraved. Some you can have an insert that you can write out yourself.

I've got a very ugly blue wristband which I wear if I'm out on my own. My consultant has lots of 'interesting' stories of people having hypos being misunderstood

I have got one of these as I take a anti coagulant called Xaralto amongst other medication, I have it on a lanyard as I do not like the necklace / dog tag ones.



https://quollmedical.com.au/product-category/quoll-medical-card/

I have no bracelet, dog tag or even card in my bag.
However, if they are looking through my bag for I’d, they’d come across my diabetes paraphernalia and if they check my body for medic alerts, they’d find an insulin pump.
Call me vain but the pump labels me more than I’d like so I’m not going for anything more when I am dressing up.

I’ve got one.
Not insulin dependent, but I am allergic to bee stings, and should I ever end up unconscious in hospital and unable to refuse being attached to a glucose drip (which would, for me, trigger reactive hypos) then I also need an alert to stop them hooking me up.

So easy to think ‘it would never happen to me’ but people without D end up unconscious, receiving medical care (glucose drips) every day. It might be a car accident, a stroke, meningitis, head injury... and you would need the medical staff to know about your bg and insulin needs.

My thought is that if you have any condition that might guide or alter emergency care if you can’t speak,
you need some sort of medic alert. Being on insulin definitely falls into that category.

I have a cute bracelet and a dog tag which I alternate depending on mood.

When I was on chemotherapy we were given a bright red alert card to carry in our purse/wallet. Also, when our computerised hospital records were accessed, the first page was red with the chemo warning and details on it. Medics couldn't miss that. I also bought a rather nice stainless steel bracelet with the medical alert symbol as a charm, which I had engraved with the details.

The paramedics have checked my medical id card out a couple of times with their mobile phones to see whats what's on the QR Code.

The best $20.00 I have spent, never needs the subscription renewed like some of them do.

Thanks for the tag @DCUKMod

First Responders, paramedics, EMTs etc won’t initially hunt for medic alert jewellery if they find an unconscious patient, they’ll be too busy establishing that it’s not a breathing, bleeding or cardiac arrest issue. They’re the priorities. Once all that has been dealt with, they’d start investigating other causes for your unresponsiveness, including a BG test.

Having said that, it doesn’t hurt to leave a trail of clues, as training includes an assessment of the scene on arrival, and constant collecting of information. My dog tags around my neck would be quickly seen if they needed to be removed for a zap with a defib, for example. A bracelet stands a 50% chance of being spotted when they take your pulse (assuming you have a heartbeat, if not, you’ve got bigger issues than diabetes ). Tattoos aren’t taken as gospel, because people have medical looking ones for all sorts of reasons, often as a tribute to a loved one with that condition. Emergency medics wouldn’t check your phone for medical information, although the police probably would if they were involved.

I wear dog tags with mine and my next of kin details on one, and a caudacus medical symbol and insulin regime on the other. I have a tiny, tubeless insulin pump that can be anywhere on my body and could be easily missed - it could be on my calf, or back, for example. So I have made a point of having “Omnipod insulin pump NOVORAPID” on my tags, as well as on a red pet disc on a beaded bracelet, on my car key ring and on a bright red star keyring on my handbag. It’s a trail of breadcrumbs that should hopefully lead someone to realise I use insulin. I don’t wear all of them all of the time, although if I’m alone I usually do.

I wouldn’t get a tattoo, not just for the reason above, but because all my ink celebrates things I love, and I don’t love diabetes.

Mel dCP said:

I wear dog tags with mine and my next of kin details on one, and a caudacus medical symbol and insulin regime on the other. I have a tiny, tubeless insulin pump that can be anywhere on my body and could be easily missed - it could be on my calf, or back, for example. So I have made a point of having “Omnipod insulin pump NOVORAPID” on my tags, as well as on a red pet disc on a beaded bracelet, on my car key ring and on a bright red star keyring on my handbag. It’s a trail of breadcrumbs that should hopefully lead someone to realise I use insulin. I don’t wear all of them all of the time, although if I’m alone I usually do.

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Goodness me, were you a Girl Guide? Lol. You are certainly well prepared.

Bluetit1802 said:

Goodness me, were you a Girl Guide? Lol. You are certainly well prepared.

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Nah. St John Ambulance