Does My Child Need a Medical Bracelet?

For many years, my daughter and I were inseparable.  Because of the unpredictability of her unknown condition, we never knew when we would need to rush her to an emergency room or at what moment she might become unresponsive.  My brain was her walking medical record and so I rarely left her side for years.  She had no need for a medical bracelet.

Eventually after a diagnosis, she moved into her twenties and her unresponsive episodes became well managed through medication.  It gave her and I both some freedom for her to begin to have times away from me, so with the goal of her reaching full independence, we made the decision to get a medical bracelet for her.

This gave both of us peace of mind that if we were not together at the time of any medical difficulty, those around her and medical personnel would be aware of her condition.  See, to an average person, a POTS episode may be confused with other medical conditions.  Her bracelet also says that she has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome which might impact the plan of care for her.  Later, we added an extra charm to her bracelet when she started on a specific medication which could interact with other medications that she might be given in an emergency.

There are different types of medical bracelets and even necklaces available.  Some bracelets contain an SD card which medical personnel can access if needed.  You can decide which kind is best for your case.  One downside of wearing any bracelet is that people immediately see you have some sort of medical condition.  Most assume you have diabetes.  My daughter doesn’t want everyone to see the moment they meet her that she has a medical condition.  I asked her recently if she wanted to stop wearing it so people wouldn’t know that she has a chronic illness.  She explained that the bracelet makes her feel safe for times that she is away from home and she had no intention of taking it off any time soon.  As EDS Mamas, we must make all sorts of decisions for our children.  Sometimes those are good decisions and sometimes we make decisions which we regret down the road.  Often, we are too hard on ourselves and wonder if we've done anything right.  A little medical bracelet may sound like such a small matter to other people, but for today, hearing her response made me smile on the inside. 
 

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