For 65 years, MedicAlert has helped Canadians communicate critical health information when they can’t speak for themselves. For Anna, the importance of that protection became clear ten years ago, after surgery revealed a risk she hadn’t known about.
Following the procedure, Anna’s anesthesiologist came to see her in recovery with a formal-looking note in hand. She explained that Anna had a difficult intubation: her vocal cords could not be seen during the procedure, which meant she would need to be intubated awake in the future.
“She said that is something really important for a surgeon to know, especially if you’re unconscious and need emergency surgery,” Anna says.
The anesthesiologist gave Anna the letter for her medical records and strongly recommended that she get a MedicAlert bracelet. Anna followed that advice and became a subscriber.
“It is like an insurance policy,” Anna says. “You get it, and you hope you never need to use it.”
Difficult intubation is also only one part of Anna’s medical history. She has lived with Rheumatoid arthritis since childhood, takes immunosuppressant medication, has an artificial hip, and lives with a food allergy. Her MedicAlert ID connects emergency professionals to her Personal Health Record, bringing those details together in one accessible place.
“At least once a year, I make sure my records are up-to-date,” she says.
Now 65, Anna lives in Winnipeg with her two cats. Her children are grown and living on their own, so she can’t assume someone nearby will know her medical history if something happens.
“MedicAlert just adds a layer of security for me,” she says. It gives medical professionals a reliable way to access her health information when she can’t speak for herself.
For Anna, that insurance policy isn’t only about the medical risks she knows today. Both her mother and grandmother had dementia later in life, and their experiences have shaped how she thinks about protecting herself in the future.
“I'm always thinking of ways to put layers of protection around myself,” she says.
MedicAlert is one of those layers—something Anna can put in place now, knowing it may become even more important if she is unable to communicate later.
That is the value of Anna’s insurance policy: the knowledge that her information will be there, even when someone who knows her history may not be.
“I value knowing that if I'm not able to communicate my medical history, there's a reliable way for emergency providers to access it.”
Are you an individual with a chronic medical condition? Learn more about how MedicAlert can provide peace of mind, protection, and support at medicalert.ca/signup or call 1-800-668-1507 today.
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