Being prepared for a medical emergency

[walkerwally1]

After my recent trip to the ER and 10 days spent in the Hospital I found out the hard way that I was not ready for what happened.  Lesson learned, and I thought it would be a good thing to remind others that it pays to be prepared.
I have had a medical ID bracelet for about 3 years but stopped wearing it some time ago and also had not updated the information.  That alone would have helped.  I have information in my wallet, medication list, doctors, etc. but I didn't have my wallet with me so that was no help.  I was pretty much out of it when I first was in the ER and was not very capable of answering any questions as clearly as I would have liked to.  Bottom line is that information that helps the doctors was skimpy at best.
I now wear my Medical ID bracelet all of the time and have updated all of the information.  I have a complete record of my medical information in an envelope pined to the wall next to the back door of the house so anyone can grab it and bring it to the hospital if needed. 
Not everyone wants to use a Medical ID but if you have your medical information ready and where others, friend or relative, know where it is, that can solve a lot of problems.   
I'm terrible at putting things off and always planning on getting around to doing things later but this was something I took care of as soon as I got home from the hospital.  I don't want to go through that again. 

[Shanny]

Terrific post, Wally! I haven't updated my medical bracelet since I went on insulin, and I need to do that. Think I'll wait to see if bolus is added though. These preparations are of vital importance. Thanks for summarizing it so well.

[skb]

Preparation is half the battle won. Indeed, you should always have the bracelet on. Any further updates on why the calcium levels overshot ?

[rocky]

Wally,
It's always a good idea to be well prepared. Maybe I need to learn something from that.

[walkerwally1]

Preparation is half the battle won. Indeed, you should always have the bracelet on. Any further updates on why the calcium levels overshot ?

I just hoped that I could prevent someone else going through what I did by being prepared ahead of time. 
No SKB, the cause has not been determined yet.  I got the results from my PET Scan yesterday which was to detect Cancer as that could be a cause but I'm happy to say it came back all clear.  I have blood work to do next week for the Endocrinologist and an appointment with him on the 14th of December.  He said that the drug given to me in the Hospital to bring the calcium down does it quickly but stays in your system for at least a month and can mask what the parathyroid is doing so that still remains as a possibility.  My primary still has me doing blood tests to keep an eye on all of my electrolytes and interestingly all have been low so I take supplements to keep in the normal range.  One of the supplements is 250mg of Calcium plus 5000iu of vitamin D which also raises calcium.  Also Magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and sodium.  Go figure !  On the plus side, right now all of my electrolyte levels are normal. 

[BobIA41]

walkerwally1,

Thanks for this topic!  You are right that too many people are not prepared for emergencies.  I feel very fortunate that I have three local hospitals with my information on file and the name and phone number of my primary care doctor.  None of the three hospitals can communicate at the electronic medical record level and I know this because I always have to request a medical CD or DVD of the medical information to take it to my doctor or the relevant doctor. 

I also have a medical necklace that I wear when I plan on travel beyond any of the three hospital areas because ambulances are required by Medicare to transport you to the nearest hospital first.  The necklace has Type 2 diabetes, insulin, and primary care doctor and phone number.  About four and a half years ago, I did end up in another hospital and when I came alert, I asked what my blood glucose level was and was shocked that it was 240 mg/dl.  When I asked when I last was given insulin, I was told I had only been given an oral medication as I was not type 1.  When I demanded insulin, I was told this would not happen.  Because I was still mobile and could move, I asked again for insulin.  When I was told no, I did inform them I was leaving against medical advice and at that point security was called and I was put in restraints.  Then when I called law enforcement, I was moved to a room in the mental ward.  When the local sheriff arrived he insisted on being allowed in the room and after he was, we had a good talk and I was released after I said the hospital would be on the end of a lawsuit for their treatment and allowing my blood glucose to rise by then to 280 mg/dl.  The sheriff needed to get my medical necklace and he then called my primary care doctor and after a discussion with him, asked me if I had insulin in my car.  I said it was in my briefcase which I had not seen since the minor accident.  Turns out it had been stolen. 

The car was derivable, so he had his deputy drive his car and follow us back to his office.  He said I was capable to drive and asked me which direction I would be traveling and asked a deputy to follow me for several miles and then I would be on my own. 

I did recover the medications as they were dumped near the scene of the accident, but I would not trust them.  I did recover the cost of my medications from the hospital and they paid for the lawyer fees and court costs.   They also lost the fee they charged for my hospital stay.  The judge asked why I was not going for more and I said the publicity would make them think twice before pulling this on someone else.  He wished me well and said mine was not the only case before him in the next month against the hospital. 

[skb]

That is quite some story Bob. Thankfully it ended well.
I'm trying to imagine what would have been different if such a thing were to happen in India. Just like in your case, it would be very difficult for the hospital staff to go against the doctor's diktat and opt for a line of treatment of the patient's choosing. But I don't think law enforcement would ever be called. The hospital's ward boys would certainly be called in for restraint. And if the matter ever ended up in court, justice would not be served for 20 years at least. And, I would never expect a verdict in favour of the poor patient. I don't think there would be one judge in India who would rule in favour of the patient knowing more than the official keepers of public health.   

[walkerwally1]

WOW, that is quite a story Bob.  It does seem disturbing that doctors and hospitals don't seem to have any communication at all.  My primary doctor is with a medical clinic that is on the grounds of the local hospital and yet they have no communication at all between them.  My doctor had all of my current medical information but it may as well have been in another world. 
Amazing that the hospital you were at would not administer insulin.  I am able to control my bg level with my diet and Metformin but two hospitals I have been in have no problem giving me insulin to control my bg.  Because their "diabetic diet" consists of more carbs per meal than I normally eat in a day, one hospital had a menu with 75 grams of carbs per meal and that was their diabetic diet !  It was necessary to give me insulin to keep my blood sugar any where near normal but they gave it without any question. 

[Grammabear]

The GP that I go to has full access to the electronic records as does the hospital that is affiliated with the clinic where she works.  And yet, last year when I was admitted to the hospital for hyponatremia, they had no record (they said) of the fact that I was type 1 and required insulin 24x7.  And when they learned I was a type 1 with an insulin pump, the nurse came in to "demand" that I take off the pump as well as my cgm sensor so they could put me on their 'sliding-scale' regime.  I looked the nurse in the eye and said "It ain't going to happen."  She said "why not?"  I told her simply, "because I know more about what type of insulin regime my body needs than you do."  Going into any hospital is a adventure filled with danger to a diabetic person.  If  you are lucky, they will listen to your request for insulin, if you aren't lucky - well - most anything can and does happen.