return to work

Hi all been month or so since last post finally had my pm fitted 4 weeks ago all went good had a medtronic aair mri safe single lead pm fitted didnt feel great for first 3 weeks few trips to the pm clinic and some blood pressure tablets. Feel the best I have felt in 6 months in the last week been back on the bike doing some walking hopefully have turned a corner! Thanks for all the help and support on this forum really been great! Hoping to go back to work in a few weeks I am a diesel engineer working with cars trucks and buses can anyone help with any information about do's and donts in the motor trade ie welding battery chargers grinders drills wire wheels and so on? Any info would be much appreciated. Cheers Ben

1 Comments

Working Cautions !!

by donb - 2014-09-05 04:09:14

Hi Ben, As you probably have searched comments on dangers in working with equipment. 22 years ago & 6 pacemakers since 1992 I have not experienced any problems with doing work around any power tool. I feel for some horror stories & avoided Arc Welding & resorted to using my gas torch for cutting & welding for a number of years. I finally talked to engineering at Medtronic & St Jude & both told me I would have no problem unless I was into real heavy Bridge construction using hundreds of amps of current.
I do want to mention that I have endured lots of pacemaker site problems from doing "bull" work under cars & trucks. Reason being I'm under 149 pounds of body doing torque work with tools under vehicles as a 200 pound person without a pacemaker. Again, this is only because of my build, skinny chest which allows pacemaker movement & develop erosion.
Well, I finally have limited using my chain saws on a ladder, just run them on the ground. Real "grunt work" like heavy lifting I finally cut back (at age 82). As has been posted by other members that magnetic fields won't damage a pacemaker but will actuate your tiny microswitch in your pacemaker if you get real close (such as the test magnet).
Using any 60 hertz demagetizing tool could damage the internal switch if it were planted right on the pacemaker.
So, as your site completely heals you will be able to do what life brings you even at your young age. I would trade your body in a "heatbeat". Just kidding !! Do as you can & you will find that life can go on because you will forget you even have a pacemaker. Get active & you'll be my age like tomorrow !!! Good Luck !!
DonB

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