[fighter1971]

Originally Posted by Neil Cuadra

I never know how much credence to give the reports that emergency medical workers will always look for medical alert jewelry if you are unconscious, but won't bother to look in your wallet. However, wearing a medic alert bracelet or necklace is pretty cheap insurance. It's useful if you end up in an emergency room, are unable to give your medical history, and there are drugs or treatments that should not be used because of your medical condition or other prescriptions. In most cases the chances of this situation aren't great, but it can give you more assurance that you'll get the right treatment in an emergency.

If you want to carry a wallet card, here's a do-it-yourself approach:

Create a word-processing document with your name, date of birth, address, phone number, emergency contact information, physician name and contact information, diagnoses, medications with dosages, and known allergies. Then set it to a very small font with narrow margins so the whole thing is no bigger than a credit card when printed. Print it, cut it out, and stick it in your wallet near your driver's license. Then remember to update it whenever the information changes!

Example:

John Doe Medical Information, last updated April 2011
Date of birth 1/1/1970. Address 123 Main Street, Anytown, TX 54321.
Phone 321-555-1234. Emergency contact Jane Doe (wife), 321-555-1235.
=============================================
Physician: Dr. Avery Smith, 1000 Medical Plaza, Anytown, TX, 543-555-2000.
Diagnosis: Myelodysplastic Syndrome Refractory Anemia (MDS/RA), Oct. 2010.
Prescriptions: ...
Known allergies: ...

I appreciate Neil's post. What great ideas! I also appreciate the ideas shared on this site regarding medical alert jewelry. I will be honest, before my wife learned of her condition, the fallen and I can't get up commercial was the only knowledge I had of medical alert services or ideas for that matter.