As I was going into surgery, the anesthesiologist saw my MedicAlert ID and realized that he had to change his first choice for anesthesia because of my Compazine allergy. In my condition, an anaphylactic reaction to Compazine could have killed me.
From Life-Threatening Allergies to Breast Cancer: MedicAlert Saved my Life
Thanks to a long-standing reputation, many MedicAlert members have had the benefit of a medical ID that has followed them throughout many years of their lives.
This often means that over time, one person’s MedicAlert ID is adapted to more than one health condition. This includes life-threatening allergies. We sat down with MedicAlert member Nancy, who was excited to share her long history with MedicAlert and how it has helped save her life.
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A lifetime MedicAlert Member
Nancy, who is now 75 years young, explained that she is a “proud and happy” MedicAlert Lifetime Member. She was first introduced to MedicAlert due to allergic reactions she developed to medications.
“From the time I was a very young child, I suffered from recurring ear infections,” Nancy shared. “At that time, penicillin was used to combat them, and I developed a penicillin allergy before I was even school-aged. As a youth, I often had strep throat, and I was treated with erythromycin because of my penicillin allergy.”
Life-threatening Compazine and erythromycin allergies
Nancy, who is now 75 years young, explained that she is a “proud and happy” MedicAlert Lifetime Member. She was first introduced to MedicAlert due to allergic reactions she developed to medications.
“From the time I was a very young child, I suffered from recurring ear infections,” Nancy shared. “At that time, penicillin was used to combat them, and I developed a penicillin allergy before I was even school-aged. As a youth, I often had strep throat, and I was treated with erythromycin because of my penicillin allergy.”
Preventing anaphylaxis with MedicAlert
Years later, Nancy developed metastatic breast cancer that required surgery. This type of cancer, although it begins in breast tissue, has spread through lymph vessels or the bloodstream to other parts of the body. Surgery like Nancy’s can remove breast cancer tumors and cells.
As she prepared for the procedure, she says, “being a MedicAlert Lifetime Member literally saved my life at that point.”
“As I went into surgery, the anesthesiologist saw my MedicAlert ID and realized he had to change his first choice for anesthesia because of my Compazine allergy,” Nancy explained. “In my condition, an anaphylactic reaction to Compazine could have killed me.”
After surgery and chemotherapy, Nancy updated her MedicAlert online health profile. She made sure to include information related to her cancer treatment. Her MedicAlert ID now indicates that she can no longer have blood drawn or blood pressure taken on one arm because she had 23 lymph nodes removed due to her breast cancer.
“Through it all, I’ve been able to raise my family and fulfill my love of travel,” Nancy says. “Even with my medical obstacles, I can still travel the world confidently thanks to MedicAlert.”
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Safe, secure and protected 24/7
Along with her MedicAlert bracelet, Nancy carries the card in her wallet. She says she is secure in knowing that airline attendants are taught to look for these markers should a passenger develop medical problems on a flight. “I greatly appreciate the confidence I have as a MedicAlert Lifetime Member, and I have shared MedicAlert information with friends to help protect them and their family members who have their own medical challenges,” Nancy shared.
“I hope MedicAlert can make as much difference in their lives as it has in mine.”
A reliable medical ID for life-threatening allergies
Stories like Nancy’s aren’t unusual. MedicAlert partner the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) reports that as many as 1 in 50 Americans have life-threatening allergic reactions (also called anaphylaxis). Medications like penicillin, erythromycin, and other antibiotics are common allergens. Less commonly, serious reactions to Compazine like Nancy’s can also occur.
Anyone with a known serious allergy to medication must strictly avoid use of that medication. This makes it critical that all healthcare providers or first responders treating that person know about their allergy. A MedicAlert ID helps ensure any allergies are clearly identified at all times.
Nancy’s complex medical history also shows how a medical ID can help identify more than one condition for care providers.
By joining MedicAlert, many thousand of MedicAlert members have found peace of mind in counting on their IDs to communicate their allergies and health concerns in any situation, anywhere they are.
