Why you should wear a Medical ID

When I was 20, I backpacked Europe for three months. At that time,  I decided to wear a medical ID. I literally wore it every single day while I was in Europe. It helped me feel secure and safe while traveling especially because I was often traveling alone (or out at clubs, don’t tell my mom).

But when I returned to the US, I quit wearing it and never wore it again. I honestly don’t even know what I did with it.

I didn’t think it was necessary to wear a medical ID while I had an insulin pump, as the pump would indicate that I have type 1 diabetes. I assumed that in an emergency, they’d see my pump because it’s connected to me by tubing. Thus, they’d know what to do right away.

However, I recently quit using my pump and am using vial and syringe now. The only thing that I physically wear is a Dexcom CGM. It isn’t always immediately visible or noticeable. This sort of scares me, to be honest. 

Further, the symptoms of severe low blood sugar can easily be confused with intoxication or drug use. My biggest fear is that emergency personnel will think I’m drunk and precious time would be wasted! A medical ID helps clarify much quicker.

I was really excited when American Medical ID contacted me and offered to send me a medical ID of my choice – the Allure Bracelet in Champagne. I’ve been wearing it since the minute I unboxed the package and I LOVE it. It looks beautiful and contains all of my personal and health information, which is engraved on the back of the charm (my name and diabetes type 1). I travel alone for work a lot, and wearing a medical ID this past week has really given me a new sense of security (HONESTLY!).

I did a poll on my instagram. I asked if my followers wear a medical ID. I was shocked that 63% said they don’t wear one. And of those 63%, 18% don’t wear any visible diabetes technology like an insulin pump or CGM. This is scary because there is NOTHING to indicate insulin dependence in the case of an emergency.

So why should you wear a medical ID? It can be life saving, especially when your disease or condition is not visibly noticeable, or if there are no immediate indicators of it. Diabetes is an invisible disease and wearing a medical ID could save our life!

I’m not a big believer in New Year’s resolutions, but if you are, this is a great resolution: start wearing a medical ID.

Disclaimer: I was provided a medial ID in exchange for sharing information regarding living with diabetes and wearing a medical ID. I do NOT receive compensation or payment for my posts. This post contains my opinions that are not influenced by American Medical ID.