Here is a link to a more appealing med alert bracelet then what you normally would find:

http://www.laurenshope.com/

Deb Smith of fvleiden.org has compiled a nice resource page with the various companies to make finding things easier. Of course most Walmart stores or medical supply stores have their own but it you are looking for something unique, try this page for other websites which carry medical alert bracelets:

http://www.fvleiden.org/recently-diagnosed/medic_alert.html

http://www.creativemedicalid.com/

I love my bracelet and often times I get compliments about it. I never take it off and have had it since last May and it is holding up amazingly. Sometimes people don't even notice it is a medical bracelet, but in a situation where I am hurt and unable to communicate the people who need to will know where to look. I suggest wearing it. A few of my Drs told me that it was a very good idea to always wear it even though I do have the card thing in my wallet because being so young people might not think to check for it. Get something pretty, they even sell the separate bracelet part so you can change it if you want to. That way you won't feel weird wearing it. I know it is sorta expensive, but it was totally worth it. :-)

I wore one while on Coumadin. I was amazed at the pretty ones they offered. They even offered watches. I ordered the basic one, because I knew I would only be on Coumadin a few months (my DVT was due to leg surgery). I think it is definitely a good idea.

It is a good idea to wear one while on blood thinners. You could be in a wreck , hit by a car or just pass out. Having the bracelet on would help the medical personel out a whole lot. I wear a bracelet, because having CP, some people may not understand me. I just have my name and the name of the blood thinner on it.

I wore one the entire time I was on coumadin. It gave me a sense of security to know that if something happened to me, people could give me the proper help.
I have Factor V, and I have another bracelet that says "Factor V Leiden" on it that I wear when I take road trips or plane flights, just as a preventative measure if I happen to clot again.
I ordered my bracelets from our local jewelers, and they look like a normal bracelet to everyone else. Just a thin silver chain w/ a silver engraved plate that looked feminine.

I wore a generic drug-store type Med-Alert bracelet while I was on Coumadin-- but I also had it inscribed at a jewelry store in the mall, because the generic ones are... well, too generic.

That way, you can customize it... I put my usual INR numbers on it, as well as my normal dose of coumadin. (Of course, that only works if you have a stable INR and a stable dose of coumadin, but mine pretty much was.) This is also a good idea because, as Navy has pointed out in other posts, the target INR for some treatment protocols will be lower. Also, it may be lower after the clot has stabilized... I think I went with a wallet card until my INR was stable, and then the bracelet for the year and a half or so after that I was on Coumadin. I figured in a bad accident, I didn't want the paramedics to have to lose time ordering an INR test if I was having them run every two weeks anyway.

I still have it in case I ever have to go on Coumadin again. The generic ones are cheap, and the paint wears off after a year or so.

--Catalyxt

I hate carrying a purse too and I do a lot of walking outside for exercise. You can buy a cheap red rubber coumadin medical alert bracelet on e-Bay. Thats what I did when I thought I'd be on warfarin for only 6 months. Now that I'm on it forever, I bought a stainless steel bangle type. I wanted something identifiable, but also that I wasnt self conscious about wearing. It's got a red medical alert symbol on the front and then I had the back engraved with "anticoagulants." I thought, who knows if I always be on warfarin (I'm warfarin resistant) or some other type of blood thinner in the future, so I thought "anticoagulants" would cover whatever I'm on.

I bought one for my husband. He had surgery recently and they told him to even keep it on during surgery. I would definitely encourage you to get one. My son had a wreck 2 hours after I got my husband out of the hospital from the pe/dvt's and if my husband had been in that car they would have needed to know he was on coumadin.

good luck
mary

Yes make sure to get yours and make sure to wear them everytime you go outside. I have a traditional looking one so when the time comes when i couldn't speak for myself, all the first responders can easily spot the bracelet. I got mine at https://www.medicassist.com/ . They're pretty affordable and durable as well. Keep a medical id wallet card on you if you want to add a litlle more peace in your mind. Take care!

If you're looking for something a little more rugged & outdoorsy...

https://www.survivalstraps.com/collections/standard-medical-alert

I'm not going to call anyone stupid, but know this, if you are ever sick or in need of surgery and lose consciousness, that bracelet will save you from bleeding out in OR.

I have one and never take it off. I chose a bracelet that was a bit pricey, but it looks more like a fine piece of jewelry. Works for me. There are styles and price ranges suitable for everyone.

The most important thing of all...wearing one can save your life. Just do it.