Medical alert jewellery

Some rather flash medical alert jewellery

Nearly five years after my diagnosis of Type One, I’ve finally got around to getting myself some medical alert jewellery. I thought it was time that should I be found collapsed in an Edinburgh gutter late one night then the ambulance men might have a chance of identifying what the problem might be. The fact that I’m more likely to be in that state because of too much Scottish wine than anything diabetes-related is, of course, neither here nor there.

The reason I’ve put it off for so long is that I don’t really wear jewellery, aside from my wedding ring which never leaves my finger (resulting in it nearly being lost down drains, in rivers, inside cows, etc.)  I’ve just never been one for wrist bands, signet rings or medallions (thank God). I’ve never really felt the need for any bodily adornments, so in addition to jewellery, the prospects of getting a diabetes tattoo also seem pretty limited.

So what changed my mind? I suppose I just thought it was a sensible thing to do. Now that I am inexorably advancing into the twilight years of the early thirties, I suppose I’m gradually getting more sensible and wise. Long gone are the days of all night Scrabble sessions and drinking Horlicks ’til dawn. Sigh, happy days; happy days.

The other thing that changed my mind was actually finding some medical alert jewellery that was actually quite nice. The general rule that seems to apply to such jewellery is a) discrete; b) practical; c) stylish – pick two. However, over on www.icegems.co.uk I did manage to find a pendent and a wrist band that did actually fit all these criteria. I then arranged to have them engraved with my name, date of birth, diabeticness and my wife’s mobile number. And very nice there are too. I actually now wear one or other of them most of the time.

This means that, much like a family pet, I can be let out on my own to wander and can be returned to my owner if found lost or collapsed in a hypoglycemic heap. Comforting for all concerned, I guess.