My Bracelet

Carolyn Thomas at Heart Sisters wrote an excellent blog about medical i.d. today called Why aren’t you wearing your medical I.D?

I'll have to admit that I went until just last month--a full 20 months without wearing any kind of  medical i.d.  I really never thought much about it until I traveled to Ohio on business with my co-worker, Claudia.  While we were there I realized if something happened to me, all she would be able to tell them is that I'd suffered a previous heart attack.  She would never be able to tell them I have 5 stents in my LAD and that I am taking carvedilol, plavix, simvistatin and asprin..  She would never be able to tell them that I am allergic to penicillin and latex.  She would never be able to give them a contact number of someone back home. Actually, if something happened to me at home, I am quite sure even my husband and children would never be able to rattle all of that off!

When we got home, I started looking for a bracelet.  Most places they are so sporty and I was looking for something that was not quite so sporty.  I found this great website called Lauren's Hope and I ordered the one called Cambay Cuff Stainless Steel Medical ID.  The total cost with shipping was around $63.00. Check them out, they have great products and, I was pleasantly surprised to find out they are just north of the river in Riverside, MO.  I really love their products!

I still intend to subscribe to Medical Alert Services as Carolyn highlighted in her blog so that I can have a more complete medical history on file.  While my Lauren's Hope bracelet is wonderful and I love it, Medical Alert Services allows  for a complete medical history to be available to emergency responders.  It is basically your own version of an electronic medical record that they use in doctors offices and hospitals.


I know that no one ever expects to be in an emergency situation.  Trust me that I couldn't believe it when I was in the ambulance.  Lucky for me, I was conscious and could talk to the paramedics and to the nurses and docs on the fabulous cardiac team that was waiting for me when I arrived at the hospital.   If I hadn't been, they would not have known I was allergic to latex or penicillin.

There are a whole host of diseases and reasons why you should consider medical id.

If you have never checked out Carolyn's blog, go check her out at http://myheartsisters.org/. She has great heart information!

Feeling A Little Triumphant Today

When I first had the heart attack, I vowed to lose all the weight that I needed to lose.  I lost quite a bit of it--30 pounds.  I got lazy and gained back all 30 pounds. Seeing as my cardiologist is going to have a fit when I go back, I have been able to refocus this week!

What worked for me was to plan food every weekend for the upcoming week.  I spent half a day shopping and another half day portioning out food for the week.  Last year after I went back to the cath lab for additional stents, had our company's User Summit, SMS 25 year reunion, BV/BVN 25 year reunion and went on vacation, I was too busy to continue to plan out what I was eating each week.  Once I got too busy, I broke the habit.  I am an all or nothing person.  I am either eating good or eating crap.  There is no mixing the two.

Seeing as I know for sure that eating crap it bad for me, I feel rather triumphant today:

This, my friends, is all of my fruits and veggies (lots of kale) that I need for the week.  Not to mention that I have been up every morning for eight days working out.  I am back on the wagon! Cheers to that!