MedicAlert in French?

[CMdeux]

Is this a reasonably clear thing to have on a Medic Alert bracelet?
My French is nowhere near idiomatically fluent.

Asthme/Anaphylaxie!
  noix/arachides/oeufs
   a EpiPen

I know that it's not exactly grammatically correct, but I'm not looking for great prose here (obviously).   Is the last line clear enough?  I'm not sure whether or not this will indicate to a French person that they should look for it on her person.  KWIM?

What would you put on a French Medic-Alert emblem?  I think that may be about all that will fit-- and that maybe only if I'm lucky.

[PurpleCat]

My french is too dusty....is there a french teacher at school you can ask?  Have you asked medic alert?

This website had stickers and bands that show allergens.....perhaps this is what someone in another country is familiar with?

http://www.mediband.com/Allergy-Bracelets/c37/cat-index.html

I've always wondered what we would do when DD is old enough to travel...are medic alert bracelets world wide?

Looking forward to learning from this thread.

[Macabre]

A French allergist follows us. We can ask him/her (can't remember which).

[SilverLining]

CM, my cousin is bilingual and a nurse.  I've sent her a message and will let you know what she says.

[spacecanada]

MedicAlert has translators in several different languages.  They are internationally recognised and medical staff in certain countries recognise the emblem and know who to call.  MedicAlert will also provide translated cards in different languages - not sure if they will translate bracelets as well, but it's possible.  Have you called and asked them?  They will not engrave bracelet messages unless they meet their standards.

MedicAlert was great with me when I was travelling in Europe (Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Russia, Estonia, and Scotland) - I called before I left and they gave me all sorts of great information and resources.

[CMdeux]

Great idea, spacecanada.  I'll add them to my list of phone calls for the coming week. 

I'll report back with what I hear.

[CMdeux]

Well, I am into my second half hour on the phone....


<sigh>

Not only do they not have much in the way of translation assistance, I'm also being strongly encouraged to LEAVE OFF information about her epipen, so that the non-toll-free US number can be engraved instead.
(I'm not in agreement about that, by the way... because I think that mentioning her epipen is a MUST... in light of her reaction history... which I've said.)


Worth noting that Canada and US MedicAlert are not the same entity. 


WHEW.  Okay.

Engraving will (hopefully) be:

Asthme
Anaphylaxie
noix, arachides, oeufs
   utiliser EpiPen
{206-phone number}

We had to go up to a LARGE emblem to fit it all.     

[SilverLining]

Worth noting that Canada and US MedicAlert are not the same entity. 

I knew that.  and if you need, tell me EXACTLY what you want (in English) and I will call for you.  No promise that I'll actually get an answer, but I can,promise to try.

[CMdeux]

Oh, it's okay-- the odds are very good that this is simply overkill to begin with.

1.  we will be there for less than a week

2.  we will be in Paris and on the Eurostar, so unlikely to run into too many people who are not at all conversant with English to begin with

3.  DD will always be with a parent, at least in theory.

So the odds of it even mattering are about a thousand to one-- but I'm big on overkill.    (What, me worry?)

I figure as long as the language is SIMPLE, it will be good enough.  KWIM?  We're avoiding anything that isn't a noun with my proposal, and "utiliser" is pretty straightforward.  I was just worried about fitting it in, and couldn't come up with a way to say "carries epinephrine on her person" that didn't require more than fifty characters once translated into understandable French.  LOL.

I think that the problem I was having was that the MedicAlert rep and I weren't seeing eye to eye on the basic purpose of the bracelet in this particular instance.  My thinking is that it's useful for the following reasons:

a) instantly recognizable as "this is a SERIOUS condition"
b) gets bystanders thinking "call for help" and "allergy-- scary"
c) with the better educated among them, and with first responders, gets THEM thinking "adrenaline/epinephrine" rather than wasting time thinking sudden cardiac event or fainting spell. 

Oh, and in a pinch, at point of purchase it also gives servers/shopkeepers pause and makes them THINK about risk before they say "yeah, it's fine."

MedicAlert is thinking about EMS and ER staffers calling them.  I'm not.  I figure that would be nice... but its probably not necessary strictly speaking, since if she's being treated for anaphylaxis, she's being treated for presenting symptoms.  Causation isn't that critical at that point in time, nor is talking to her doc back home.  They also make the assumption that bystanders/good Samaritans will be unable/unwilling to help anyway, so there's no point in writing an engraving directed at them since they won't know "anaphylaxis" to begin with... and while that is probably mostly true enough that you can't count on it, I also have to think that with the rise in life threatening allergies and awareness campaigns, that's FAR less true than it used to be, as a set of assumptions.  It also may be the only chance someone has, with Hx like DD's.  Slim is better than "none."

[spacecanada]

Oh, sorry to hear they have been less than stellar with your request.  Your engraving looks like good, clear French to me, other than missing the funny œ letter, but that's getting really picky.   Isn't the collect hotline number on all bracelets at the top, or is that a Canadian thing too?  I have some other comments but they won't help your situation any.  I think having a bracelet made in another language for travel is a brilliant idea!

PS - It doesn't appear that France has a MedicAlert foundation... or I would recommend calling them.

[KSmom]

I'm not sure but I believe in Quebec they use 'arachide' to describe peanut but in France they use the word 'cacahuete' ( I don't have my international keyboard turned on to show the accent over the first 'e').  I work for a Parisian company.  I'll confirm with one of my clients tomorrow but I'm 90% sure.  I'd be happy to ask any questions.  I have many clients/friends in France so I'd be happy to help.   

I was in France (Paris and in the south) for 3 weeks with my PA daughter and we didn't see a peanut anywhere.  The French don't seem to be big on peanuts.  Unfortunately, there are the most amazing pastries everywhere you look.   

[KSmom]

Yes, I've just confirmed that 'cacahuete' is the word that is commonly used for peanut in France.  I hope that helps! 

[CMdeux]

Thanks!  I'll make sure that this gets onto our cards-- which I expect we'll use far more than the engraving, actually. 

ETA:  I was also thinking that there was another term-- and I was right.  Another French-speaker that I know has confirmed that in some places, 'clopinette' is also used.

So, in a French-speaking country, there are apparently SEVERAL synonyms for peanuts:

cacahuètes
arachides
clopinettes

TREE nuts may also have synonyms:

Noix
fruits à coque

More specifically (and pardon me, these are for DD's use, so they are specific to her):

Pistachio = pistache
cashew = anacardier, cajou


On another note, shellfish/crustaceans may also go by a number of different names (this I knew from high school):
fruits de mer (probably safest term-- it simply means "seafood" in a generic sense)
crustacé
crabe
crevette
homard
écrevisse
langouste (don't think this one is used Continentally, but in Canada)