Medic Alert Bracelet
Hey, y'all--
Hope you had a good holiday, and not too stressful. Mine was spent in the emergency room, with raised hives from head to toe! Allergic reaction, but they don't know from what. So I had to be off my meds for 2 days and without sleep for 2 nights because they had me on steroids and antihistamines which would have interfered with my meds. It was ok, tho, cuz I know from past experience that 2 days (but only 2 days) is ok for me. 3 days, however, is not. 3 days equals episode, and I told the doc that. First, because of the loss of sleep, which is bad enough, but then coupled with not being able to take my BP meds...but having learned the hard way in the past, I knew enough to speak up to the emergency room doc and it definitely influenced how she treated me. This is why I wanted y'all to know what happened to me--because you may be in the same situation in the future.
First of all, any new medications you are prescribed MUST be measured against your current medications and checked for any possible adverse drug reactions. If there are, check with your doctor and/or psychiatrist before going off any of your bipolar meds, even for one day. The only reason I knew I could go off mine for 2 days was because I have already been through this before, over other medication.
Normally for an extreme allergic reaction like I had, the prescribed course of antihistamines and steroids would have been longer, the dosage lower. The amount of medications would have been less as well. But because of my being so vocal about my bipolar, and saying that I had already lost one day and could only afford one more day without my bipolar medication, 1) the doctor was much more aggressive. 2) Instead of one medication, she used 3. 3) Instead of spreading out the treatment time, she made it a day and a half.
And it worked! And I also avoided an episode. But it brought up another point. I noticed on another website the following:
"Rachel, a member of our forums asked a fantastic question, "I wondered if anyone wears a medical id bracelet for bipolar disorder or anxiety disorders and to also indicate that they are on medication. Is this a good idea? Would it be too 'revealing' to have it sorta hanging out there...having your wrist state 'Hi, I'm Bipolar on Meds.'" Other members responded with their thoughts and suggestions."
I know I had just asked y'all about the tell or not to tell idea and had gotten about 50/50 feedback, but I'm seriously considering the idea of wearing a MedicAlert bracelet for my bipolar. What if the allergic reaction I had were worse, and I were unconscious? Wouldn't I want the hospital to know about my bipolar? I mean, I would definitely wear it for diabetes, wouldn't I? What if I were in a car accident, hospitalized, unable to speak for myself? I would at least want them to know about what medications I'm on, if nothing else.
What do y'all think about the idea of wearing a MedicAlert bracelet for bipolar?
posted by Michele @ 9:19 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
I do not have BP, but my exhusband (Chris) does. I just stumbled across your blog via bipolarprincess and found myself getting very pensive about the time I spent with Chris.
We did not know he was/had BP until a month after our wedding. It wasn't until his psychiatrist (whom he he had been seeing for years for depression) interviewed me that Chris was (finally) properly dianosed.
In some ways I was his medical alert bracelet. Chris had always complained to his Dr. about his depression. It wasn't until I gave the Dr. the "full version" of Chris (versus what Chris chose to tell about himself) that the Dr. was even aware of his manic side, much less that he is a rapid cycler with a 'change' about every 3-5 weeks.
I know that my ex carries a lot of shame about his BP and were he in an accident and even if he was able to communicate, I am not sure he would tell the EMTs or Doctors. I would like to think that by his wearing an alert bracelet, it would give him a better chance at receiving the care he needs.
I realize that some of the readers on this blog may click over to mine and see the "Story of My Divorce" links. I wrote from the heart about what I went thru with my ex. I want to go ahead and say that some of my comments about him and BP may seem harsh, but, my blog is my place to get it all out; good and bad.
I still pray for him and that he might finally start making the right choices for his health and life (staying consistent on his meds, keeping in touch with his Dr's, quitting smoking and drinking versus continuing to self-medicate and rely soley on others to "fix" him).
Last, I admire all of you for getting the help and support that I KNOW you need, even just to make it thru the day. I know I needed it, too and sadly, it wasn't there, or rather, I didn't know who or how to ask for it. I regret that I wasn't strong enough to stay with him, but I am also only human.
God Bless,
olivia
stacey--
I hadn't even considered the idea of a necklace instead of a bracelet, but that's great! That way it's not so obvious--you could wear it on a long chain underneath your top. Thanks for telling us about that.
Michele
Hi everybody!
Just wanted to tell y'all that I have posted a whole article on this subject ("Medical Alert Bracelet for Bipolar Disorder"), so check it out!
Michele
Michelle,
I think it is a fabulous idea... I wonder if my Fiancee would wear it though! How could I order one?
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