I've been curious about something for a while and kept procrastinating,
but finally, here it is...
    Last spring, after minor sinus surgery where the anesthesiologists had
trouble intubating me, it occurred to me that maybe I should get a Medic-alert
bracelet to let EMT's know I'm hard to intubate.  I've never been treated by an
EMT before, but you never know, right?  So I went to the Medic-alert website
and bought an account and a bracelet.
    I was a little puzzled by how you tell them what your medical issues
are.  They seemed to have several pre-defined issues that you can choose from,
and don't let you write anything "free-form".  So I did the best I could.  
Instead of having my bracelet say something like "difficult to intubate", it
says:

vertebral subluxation, arthritis bilateral jaw joints (TMJ)

    Even though that has a little more detail than my preference it doesn't
say anything about intubation, and it doesn't specify which vertebra are
subluxated (cervical) which is important to know.
    I was also a little disappointed that their literature says they'll
keep your medical history on file and tell any EMT's who call the number on the
bracelet.  However, from what I could tell, the "history" only consists of
your selection of their pre-defined issues and allergies.  I couldn't find a
way to give them any details about my actual history, and no way to say what
surgeries I've had in the past or anything like that that doctors usually want
to know.
    Has anybody else had this kind of problem with Medic-alert or have I
somehow missed half of their service?

- Sharon
"Gravity...  is a harsh mistress!"