Isobel Davies

Name: Isobel Davies

Conditions: Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid  

Wears: Classic Silver Bracelet

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“I now have the peace of mind which means I can be much more active.”

One lovely day last summer, Isobel Davies was pottering in her garden in Buckinghamshire. She became aware that her breathing was becoming more difficult. By the time she got to the house the situation was so bad that her husband, Phil, called emergency services. During the ambulance journey to hospital, Isobel could barely breathe, let alone speak. The ambulance team handed her over to the Accident and Emergency doctors at the hospital who went through their diagnostic checks to decide how to treat Isobel. By this point her condition was critical.

What they did not know was that Isobel suffers from a rare disease, Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid. Without knowing this, there was a significant danger that they would mis-diagnose the symptoms and provide the wrong treatment. Isobel could hear the discussions and knew that they needed to know about her condition, but she was still struggling to breathe. Luckily, she was able to rasp out the name of the hospital she had been treated at and her consultant. Following a quick phone call, the doctors were able to administer the treatment Isobel needed that addressed the underlying issue, associated with her condition and she started to stabilise.

‘I feel so much safer wearing my MedicAlert bracelet, knowing that if I was ever in another situation when I was unable to speak, the details of my medical condition are only a phone call away. This means that I will get the treatment I need quickly, which could save my life.’

After Isobel recovered and was discharged from hospital, she realised how lucky she had been and that if she had not been able to provide the details of her hospital and consultant, the treatment provided may not have been correct and could have endangered her life. She decided not to leave it to luck in the future. Although she had been aware of MedicAlert, up until this point, she had never got around to joining. This was swiftly addressed.

Using the MedicAlert website, she completed her medical record with all the details of her history, conditions, medication, hospital and doctor contacts. She knew the medical record would then be checked by a nurse who would contact her if there were any queries. She then selected a simple silver medical id which she loves and now wears all the time.

‘I now have peace of mind which means I can be much more active. I have always loved walking and yoga. Phil and I love to go on short breaks to beautiful places and visiting friends. I can now do these things feeling safe and without worrying.’

This particular case was reviewed at the Royal College of Physicians in January 2019.

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