FORT RILEY, Kan. -- Of all the systems and databases that plague normal life with the requirements for passwords and PINs, I have to say there is one that I wouldn't give up for anything.

That's the Federal Relay Health System of secure messaging.

Let me tell you why.

On a recent vacation, one where amusement park wild rides and warmth were planned, I landed myself in an out-of-state hospital with a life-threatening adrenal crisis. My blood chemistry was all over the place and in order to get home, I needed to be stabilized and the doctor had to know I was going to be received for care at home -- at Irwin Army Community Hospital.

Because I had access through my iPad while in my hospital bed, I was able to message my care team at home and arrange for the pros at IACH to follow my care once I was stabilized enough for travel.

I didn't have to wait long for responses either. Within an hour or two -- though they have 24 hours -- I always got a reply. I was able to relay to them a synopsis of what I was being treated for, what my current lab results were and what the stabilization plan was to get me home.

That ability to communicate meant I didn't have to stay in that out-of-state hospital and be away from my support system of friends and family for longer than necessary. In fact, my care team saw me within hours of my plane landing in Wichita, Kansas. They had me admitted to the hospital here and the doctors were able to get me pointed to the right specialists to care for my medical issues.

That simple ability to communicate directly with my care team is the most valuable part of that system but there are more features available.

I can access the results of my labs -- all of my labs. Everything I've had done is recorded in there. I can grab a current list of medications. I can message my care team for updates and refills. And I can ask simple questions and get real answers.

To me it is priceless.

If you haven't registered or are not using the secure messaging offered through Relay Health. I personally recommend it. Who knows? It might have just saved my life.

Talk to your military provider about getting an account. If you don't have an account, there is a Register Here link below the sign in button at mil.relayhealth.com.