NO BMW content Medic-Alert

[mogu83]

No R1200R content but I've been on here for a while and respect the opinion of many of the guys on this list.
So here's the deal. I hate to say it, but I'm getting on in years and travel alone sometimes in remote areas. I'm concerned about having "The Big One' or going down and not being able to answer medical questions. Last year I noticed some of the mad dog type long distance guys wear an envelope type thing around their neck with info in it (seemed a little much for the average rider).
I was looking into a charm type deal you wear around your neck with an internet location that would have my important info.
OK guys what are your thoughts?

[Catchina]

Seems to me that something like that would be good for anyone riding alone in remote places, at any age.

[Caol]

Being as I'm an obese, hypertensive, diabetic, I too wear a Medic-Alert necklace. I also have, on that chain, a small USB drive with PDF files with documents containing current meds, emergency contact/next of kin and scans of passport, health/dental insurance cards, credit cards, drivers license, birth certificate etc. That way if wallet and I get separated, for any reason, I can, at least, call to cancel cards and replace ID's. I chose PDF's rather than any other format as virtually every computer with a USB port has a copy of Adobe Reader, or equivalent, on it.

And, of course, I also carry the Medic-Alert wallet card in a conspicuous place in my wallet.

I use the Kingston Digital DataTraveler SE9, which has a sleek, metal, body and a solid ring.

Kyle

[dbrick]

I thought about this issue as well.

I carry medical info in my wallet; it includes drug allergies, insurance info, personal and contact information, and my signed authorization to treat. But my wallet is in my purse, carried in the tankbag or in a saddlebag if the tankbag isn't mounted. I mused about how I could increase the liklihood that this info would be found. The info should be available easily to someone taking care of me, and that means on my body or in my clothing, not hidden away or, perhaps, inside the saddlebag that demounted in the crash and is now a hundred yards down the road.

I decided that I didn't want to carry a memory stick with the info, as someone helping me might not have the presence of mind to look for a data stick, nor a computer on hand to read it. Information in the cloud could be even more unavailable. The arm-mounted pockets seemed a bit much. A helmet label on the front would be seen, but was also just a bit too forward.

I ended up making a second copy of the info I carry in my wallet, and putting it in a small ziploc bag. The ziploc bag lives in the right front chest pocket of my Darien, which I'm wearing every time I'm on the bike. I had http://www.colorpatch.com/name_patches.htm make a cloth label that I affixed over the pocket; it sort of matches the factory label on the left side. Assuming I'm lying on my back, it should be seen by anyone attending to me:

[Dr. Strangelove]

I carry a medical history and a living will in an envelop easily found in my tank bag, labeled "Medical History/Living Will."
All this is on two sheets of paper and decidedly low tech. I harvested the forms from a hospital where I used to work and modified them a bit.


A small flash/thumb drive on your key chain or around your neck and the info in the form of a TXT file might work also, but requires electricity and could add delay. Low tech is better. If ava, I guarantee hospital personnel will read it and heed it, lawyers notwithstanding. Another problem w digital info is that (almost) all hospitals have firewalls/virus protection/roadblocks to reading something added to a computer on the desktop anywhere. So, plugging in a data file from a thumb drive might NOT be accessible without a call to the IT people. Hard copy will be accessible and copies would be made and put on your chart. Or a popup requesting the "latest copy of Adobe Flash" will be needed and yada yada yada, or Java, or, the data can be corrupted.

This topic was addressed back in 2008 (ouch!) and at that time I posted forms that can be used

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=15313&hilit=medical+history

this form is more focused on the info personnel will want assuming you are going to an OR---and that IS your likely ultimate destination. I really do not think a Medic Alert pendant would prove as useful, but anything is FAR better than nothing

John

PS David, that is a very good idea with the little patch.

[dbrick]

If ava, I guarantee hospital personnel will read it and heed it...

Thanks, John.
What's "ava" mean?

[Dr. Strangelove]

sorry, shorthand for "available"

just re edited, btw

[mogu83]

I carry medical info in a zip lock in my tank bag but am looking for something small to attach to myself. I had an 'incident' in Casper,Wy (didn't go down,wasn't hurt) that involved a pickup truck and a fence post. After riding over the post and busting both wheels I never did find my right saddlebag. I think if you have a bad one you can't count on anything staying attached to (or even near) the bike.

It's been a long winter and a rainy spring - maybe I'm over thinking this. But thanks for the input.

[fastdogs2]

I wish there was a compact, universally accepted computer device that could contain medical records and was recognized by all healthcare systems. I am hypertensive, type 2 diabetic, with coronary artery disease resulting in placement of four stents in my coronary arteries. These conditions require that I carry a lot of hard copy documentation. I wear a Medic Alert "dog tag", carry a wallet card with all of my stent information, carry a wallet card with all medical information (including names/contact information on my primary care physician and cardiologist, and I also have a list of all medications and dosages.

I had an episode while on a ride last year in rural Georgia, whereby I experienced squeezing type pain in the left wrist and forearm. This is exactly the symptom that earned me my first two stents. The small hospital they took me to had no cardiology facilities and they had to fax all test information to a nearby teaching hospital with cardiology physicians. The cardiac tests were all negative and it turned out to be carpal tunnel syndrome, but it does pay to know your medical history. The hospital staff was surprised at the documentation I had on me.

Bill

[Dr. Strangelove]

The hospital staff was surprised at the documentation I had on me.

and very pleased, I'll bet.

Carpal tunnel mimicking angina??? That is VERY strange. Glad it was nothing more serious.

[fastdogs2]

Dr.

Thanks!

My episodes of cardiac symptoms have never manifested as the classic angina (seizing pain in the chest).

The first one was a squeezing pain, along my left arm, similar to having the "blood pressure cuff" pumped up and not deflated. When I went to the emergency room, an EKG determined I had suppressed ST wave, which indicated coronary distress. Upon cardiac catheterization, I was 99% blocked in my Circumflex coronary artery.

The second time, the symptom manifested as a feeling of tightness/burning sensation in my throat, similar to when you drink hot coffee a little too fast and you get the burn. This time, the doctors discovered I was 99% blocked in my Right coronary artery.

If you research coronary artery disease, you will discover these symptoms, as well as pain in the jaw, being related to cardiac disease.

The classic angina symptom of the intense pain in the chest would have been too late for me to seek medical attention.

If you experience any of these symptoms of pain/squeezing, seek medical attention. Don't wait for the classic pain in the chest that indicates a heart attack.

Bill

[Dr. Strangelove]

you were very lucky. I was too.

An important point to remember, you alluded to. That is, to not assume there is a "typical" pain of angina. IN fact, you experienced the next thing I was going to say and that is that one's angina pain may be different from one time to the next. Great, huh? Also, the description of an inflated bp cuff is exactly the way I described it when I had it. I had the "widow maker" variety at age 50. Single vessel disease (an acute kink of a dominant left ant descending) but very dangerous. One vessel bypass later and I am supposed to be cured. That was almost 18 years ago now. Symptom free since. The most significant thing I learned was how easy it was to be in denial about it. It was even hard for me to say the word "angina" for months and months after my bypass surgery.

[websterize]

I carry medical info in a zip lock in my tank bag but am looking for something small to attach to myself.

How about a Resqtag?

"Tag that affixes to the strap of a helmet. When opened, tag contains important information written by you: name, contacts, allergies, medicine, conditions, or anything else first responders need to know."

[angellr]

I carry medical info in a zip lock in my tank bag but am looking for something small to attach to myself.

How about a Resqtag?

"Tag that affixes to the strap of a helmet. When opened, tag contains important information written by you: name, contacts, allergies, medicine, conditions, or anything else first responders need to know."

Bill, welcome back! Hows the 16 treating you? BTW, nice to have a pull-tag ... however, have a patch on my jacket with similar data.

[websterize]

Hi, Bob, 2,500 glorious miles (and two, not-so-glorious drops) since autumn, including a West Virginia trip, and am loving the 6. I'm finally getting used to the weight at low speed. Coming up on a year since it left Berlin, so I installed some Speed Bleeders and flushed the brake fluid last weekend. I do miss the svelte Roadster. I've chatted with its new owner, and it's in very good hands.

Harry, I noticed the "sold out" button on the Resqtag site -- sorry I missed that before. If you're interested in one of the tags, you might call them: 800-408-5186.