A recent story shared by a fellow HPS’er really brought home, once again, why people with Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome really do need to wear medic alert identification. A few weeks ago this particular HPS’er was involved in a car accident. He’s okay now, but in the accident he was injured, bleeding, and too out of it to tell the paramedics about HPS. And, he wasn't wearing any medic alert identification. It was that thing he'd always meant to get around to doing.
Thankfully, his wife happened to call on his mobile phone just as they were loading him into the ambulance, and one of the paramedics answered the phone. His wife was able to explain HPS and everything was okay.
Who says God doesn’t look out for us, even when we’re not looking out for ourselves. Things could have easily, and rapidly, gone from bad to worse in this situation, and none of the medical professionals would have understood why.
The bleeding disorder of HPS can vary widely. Many of us aren’t really “bad bleeders” in day-to-day life. We can get complacent about our medic alert identification because it can feel like it’s just not that big a deal. But that doesn’t mean that in the case of a serious trauma, our bleeding disorder wouldn’t be a real, and very serious, problem. It’s not a good time to leave doctors in the dark or playing guessing games about why we don’t stop bleeding. Time is critical in such situations – you really don’t want your doctors to be wasting any of it.
I also carry an HPS brochure in my purse at all times along with a list of my medications, how much I take and when – just in case.
But, I’m not “preaching” here. I’ve been one of the primary offenders of not wearing my medic alert bracelet for years. I know how it is – I know it’s that thing you keep meaning to get around to.
Well, it’s time for us all to get around to it. If you need help figuring out what to put on the medic alert form, or you need to find out how to get a medic alert bracelet etc….please call the HPS Network. (Click on the big banner above – it will take you to the HPS Network Web site.)
Thankfully, his wife happened to call on his mobile phone just as they were loading him into the ambulance, and one of the paramedics answered the phone. His wife was able to explain HPS and everything was okay.
Who says God doesn’t look out for us, even when we’re not looking out for ourselves. Things could have easily, and rapidly, gone from bad to worse in this situation, and none of the medical professionals would have understood why.
The bleeding disorder of HPS can vary widely. Many of us aren’t really “bad bleeders” in day-to-day life. We can get complacent about our medic alert identification because it can feel like it’s just not that big a deal. But that doesn’t mean that in the case of a serious trauma, our bleeding disorder wouldn’t be a real, and very serious, problem. It’s not a good time to leave doctors in the dark or playing guessing games about why we don’t stop bleeding. Time is critical in such situations – you really don’t want your doctors to be wasting any of it.
I also carry an HPS brochure in my purse at all times along with a list of my medications, how much I take and when – just in case.
But, I’m not “preaching” here. I’ve been one of the primary offenders of not wearing my medic alert bracelet for years. I know how it is – I know it’s that thing you keep meaning to get around to.
Well, it’s time for us all to get around to it. If you need help figuring out what to put on the medic alert form, or you need to find out how to get a medic alert bracelet etc….please call the HPS Network. (Click on the big banner above – it will take you to the HPS Network Web site.)
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