Many doctors insist that everyone who has had pituitary or adrenal surgery have a bracelet – and some will even tell patients what they should say on them.
While I was still a patient at the NIH (National Institutes of Health) after my pituitary surgery, I was given my first bracelet along with my kit in care of adrenal crisis. I had to learn to give myself a shot before I could go home.
Now, my endo checks mine at every visit to be sure I’m wearing my bracelet and reads it to be sure it’s still legible and checks to see what the text says.
He feels that the bracelets – and he insists that they LOOK like medic alert bracelets, not disguised as jewelry – are life savers.
I’m not so sure – I read stories on the message boards that people have gone into AI (adrenal insufficiency and no one has ever looked at their bracelet. That was certainly the case for young Sam. Her mom had instructions everywhere, none were heeded and the situation rapidly turned disastrous.
…We have dealt with Addison’s for 7 years; but I have handled everything. Apparently the vials of solu-cortef with step-by-step instructions hanging on the bulletin board in the kitchen, medicine cabinet and in every vehicle somehow missed his attention… (read the whole story at survive the journey: Stars Go Blue)
A Paramedic wrote on the message boards:
I’d like to add a couple things from the perspective of a Paramedic…
A lot of us are not taught about adrenal insufficiency during our education….nor do many of us (if any at all) have a protocol to administer Injectable for AI unless we are able to contact the ER doctor for permission. So…if any of you should have an AI crisis please gently nudge your paramedic to contact the receiving physician for permission to administer the medication. I know this sounds like a lot of responsibility on the part of the patient…but you have to realize that we’re taught to recognize the most common life threats and endocrine disorders (other than diabetes) most usually do not present with life threats (we all know that as cushing’s is more recognized that this will change)…and our protocols cover the most common life threats….so while we may recognize that you are hypotensive and need fluids (IV) and are sweaty, nauseated, decreased level of responsiveness etc…we are not equipped to deal with the actual cause unless you help educate us….
Also…please don’t get angry with us….if we are having problems understanding…just gently insist that a call be made to your doctor or the receiving ED (usually not feasible for us to call your doctor since they do not come to the phone for just anybody but if you have access to them, as many cushies do, it would be great to talk to them)…
Paramedicine is evolving….someday soon, hopefully, our education will include more diagnostic skills…untill just in the past 5 years or so we were NEVER to make a diagnosis at all…just treat the symptoms!!!! So there is hope out there for futher understanding of such a critical problem for those without adrenal (or asleep adrenals) glands….
The medical alert jewelry is a life-saver and we do look for it….
So, the questions for discussion are:
- Do you have a medical alert bracelet
- Does your doctor check on it or suggest proper wording.
- If you have one, has any medical staff read it during a crisis
- And… what does yours say?
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