Wearing a Medical Alert ID for Hepatitis C 

It’s scary being sick, being on treatment medications. We wonder, if an accident happened, how would the person who found us know what to do? We can carry a list of meds in our wallet, but still worry about something happening. Like what if  we fall down, or have a wreck, or even get lost? You may be trying to exercise with achy joints and weak muscles, and end up sleeping on a park bench. It’s happened to me. That’s when I began considering wearing a medical alert ID for hepatitis C.

With hepatic encephalopathy, and hep C, there have been many times where I had to sit down – or fall down. Often, I fell asleep in my car and woke up after dark, worried and scared. Maybe you have gone through this too. Hepatitis C a health condition, after all.

Last August, I climbed a steep slope while walking by the Arkansas River. My heart was pounding, and tears filled my eyes. I knew better than to sit down until my heart got calm. A man came walking toward me, and I almost stopped him to ask for help. Maybe that wasn’t so smart. Instead, I kept moving... slowly, back to toward the car. I decided it was time to get a medical alert identification (ID).

Wearing a medical alert ID for hepatitis C

There is not a specific ID just for those of us with HCV, but you can find plenty of places that will make you one. I actually had a cute, silver-tone bracelet that I bought online after the hepatitis C diagnosis. They printed everything I wanted:

• The top row said my name and date of birth.
• The second row said liver disease.
• The third row said my emergency contact.
• The fourth row can be for your doctor or clinic.

Function over flare

My silver one had a fancy, little clasp and took me forever to put on, so I rarely wore it. Next, I ordered some dog tags. Seriously, you can get a set made online and they look totally cool with everything. You can buy them in different colors and have awesome symbols put on them. Your health information goes on the back.

I don’t wear jewelry every day. I wanted something that was durable and could survive rough handling. I found a rubber bracelet and ordered it in 3 colors. The advantage of this band is that syncs with a phone app to let my emergency person know where I am. After hitting the app, I take off on a walk, and if I quit moving, it texts or emails my family. Now, when I’m out cycling, walking, or traveling, it feels good to know that if I fall over, someone will know who I am, and who to call really quickly.

Would you feel safer?

If you are concerned, it may be time to look into it. With online shopping, it’s easy to find a variety of bracelets, necklaces, dog tags, or rubber wrist bands. For me, I talked to my doctor about wearing a medical alert ID for hepatitis C and he encouraged it. Would you feel safer wearing one?