Tell people!!

by R. Bruce Thomas

He was sticking needles in my leg as if I was an oversize voodoo doll.

And then he froze.

He pointed at the wrist bracelet I was wearing.

"What does that say?"

"Oh, yeah, my cardiologist figured I should start wearing one of these. It says 'Blood Thinner'."

Then it hit me.

Not the pain from the Intra-Muscular Stimulation needles he was working.

The fact that I'd been slightly negligent in not telling my physiotherapist that my doc had told me to stop taking Baby Aspirins when I turned 65, put me on another medication, and told me to start wearing a wrist bracelet.

Perhaps the guy who regularly sticks needles into my body should have been told that I might bleed a bit easier.

Ooops!

I told him what the new med was and that I'd been taking it for about 6 months. Finally got a bracelet. He checked it out and figured it should be fine. He's aiming at my stiff muscles, not a vein.

But still.....

Anyhow, there are a few things to think about here when we go out on our motorcycles.

Wear a bracelet if you have a condition that necessitates such. A friend saw mine and got one for his wife.

Get a Medical Data Carrier from the Alberta Motorcycle Safety Society, fill it out, and stick that to your helmet. And update it when required (which I just did as a result of writing this piece).

Tell your riding partners about any conditions you have or medications you take.

Take your prescriptions with you when you travel.

It would seem to me that medical bracelets should be handed out by doctors, sort of like getting a toothbrush when you go to the dentist.

Ride responsibly, and often.