Medical Alert Bracelets

The great weather continues. That’s about all I’ll say about that. Except it did accomplish one thing I had wanted; it allowed me to have a very good exercise session yesterday at my senior fitness place.

Sometime around noon yesterday, Gator Wife and I headed out to find some fresh vegetables. Our gardens had a rough, wet summer and produced very little and we both love farm fresh veggies. There’s a huge difference in vegetables one gets from a farm and gets into the belly within hours and what is called “fresh” vegetables in supermarkets.

My Fearless Friend had told me about a place in Windham where he got some of “the best corn we’ve had in a long time” so we headed to that roadside farm stand. GW went into the stand and came out shortly empty handed. The corn they had that day had huge kernels and we like small to medium kernels. We’ll try again another day.

On the way home we found another farm stand on a different road. Again we stopped and GW went inside. The person inside said it was a new type, totally white. GW didn’t like the look of it so still no corn. She did buy some fresh beets, and they were absolutely delicious last night.

One of my fellow seniors had told me of an honor system roadside stand in Scarborough. We found it and corn was there, too. But it was just a little too pricey; even though my senior friend had said she had bought some there over the weekend and it was delicious, we left without any. The prospect of having corn last night was not looking good.

Two more stops before we came home with those beets, some really nice looking summer squash, some carrots, and a couple tomatoes. It was a nice ride, though.

I hope my fellow blogger Tony Bessey understands that copying is one of the finest forms of flattery because I’m about to steal an idea from his August 31st post. Like me Tony has a health situation that could result in an emergency trip to the hospital. He explains his situation on his blog. I discuss mine here incessantly.

We both understand the quicker and easier medical personnel can get medical information, the better their chances are of giving us the help we need and to be sure that the hospital knows about it if we are transported.

He explained in his blog about a medical bracelet he wears to alert EMTs and hospitals of his condition in case he has been rendered unconscious. Called “Road ID,” the bracelet has an ID number, a telephone number, and a web site which a medical person can reach easily to get all the information needed to get the wearer on the road to recovery.

My medical alert is a little different. I have the basic stuff, like meds and conditions, right in my bracelet along with a direction to my key chain. I carry what is called an “e-Med Tag,” an USB folding thumb drive which works in any computer with an USB port. My entire medical history, a listing of all my doctors and medications, and the names and numbers of contact people is on it. All the medical person needs to do is plug it in and it pops up on the screen. No additional software is needed.

Like Tony’s, my system also has a provision for on-line storage for medical personnel.

I completely agree with Tony that everyone, especially those of us with medical conditions, should carry some form of a medical alert system as it could be life saving if those medical professionals don’t have to wait for family to get the information. Parents could take advantage of the on-line storage systems for children and other, healthy family members.

More information on Road ID can be found at roadid.com.

More information on the Medical Alert bracelet/e-med tag can be found at American Medical-ID.

Tony Bessey’s Ordinary Maine blog is Ordinary Maine and is listed as one of the Places I like to visit on the right side here.

Thanks, Tony. I hope you didn’t mind my borrowing your idea.

GiM