Friday, July 26, 2013

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!



Saturday, July 13, 2013

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!