Best wishes to Peter P

[TSR2]

All the best Pete, hope your back up and about quickly.

[Tomliner]

Best wishes for a speedy recovery Peter. EricT

[Kevin Farnell]

Wishing you a speedy recovery, Peter.

Best wishes

Kevin

[PeteP]

Thank you for the original post, Keith and heartfelt (I can say that now) thanks to all for your messages.

I got home yesterday after a night in hospital feeling a bit sore and very tired - it seemed that every time I did find a position comfortable enough to let me drop off to sleep, a nurse came and woke me up to "do my obs" - but after a night in my own bed, things are already improving on both fronts.

The most entertaining thing - for me at least - was to see my heartbeat on a monitor. For 18 months or so it's either been creeping along at 30-35 bpm when my heart was in rhythm or jumping all over the place - often in triple figures - when it was out of rhythm but yesterday I kept wondering whose monitor I was watching with this regular trace at exactly 60 bpm. It's too early to gauge the full effect yet but if it does bring about the anticipated improvement I'm thinking of changing my forum name to "Duracell_Bunny".

Once again, thank you all for your good wishes - they really are appreciated.

Best
Pete

[paulsl]

Aren't pacemakers affected by radio navigation aids or something ? I'm sure I read that on the web.

Hello Paul,

I was told that standing close to strong electromagnetic fields was a no-no and that was about it. There's a lab at work where they've got machines that spin blood and the door has a great big sign saying you must not enter if you have an implant, and I will never again be able to have an MRI ( one of the worst experiences of my life). I wouldn't be surprised if navigation aids could affect a pacemaker but you'd have to be standing within a few feet I would think.

Pacemakers these days are amazing devices. When they check mine out, the technician waves a wand attached to his laptop over the implant and then puts it down. The waving has established a wireless connection to his laptop and then the device tells him all sort of stuff about how my heart's been behaving, how often the pacemaker has to kick in, even how long the battery will go before it has to be replaced. If he had to he could change the way it works.

In practical terms for me at least, the only thing i don't do any more is carry my iPhone in my shirt pocket. The bloke didn't know if would be a problem but thought it a good idea. As for navigation aids, for reasons I can't explain , walking in a straight line wasn't a strong point before the pacemaker and that doesn't seem to have changed.

Paul

Yeehah! Pete popped up whilst I was typing this. Welcome home, Pete.

[Dev One]

Pete, (AKA Duracell bunny)
That was jolly quick!! Glad it seems OK so far, & I hope you are fully recovered before 30th.
I believe airport scanners are a no no in future, you get a personalised search instead, I'm told by a friend who has one fitted.
Regards
Keith

[DaveB]

Welcome home Pete

Here's to a speedy recovery
ATB
DaveB

[PeteP]

... and I will never again be able to have an MRI ( one of the worst experiences of my life).

Apparently, my pacemaker is "MRI safe" but I hope I won't need to test that feature out anytime soon! I had an MRI on a knee once and, like Paul, found it to be a most unpleasant experience - and that was with by head and upper body outside the machine. The thought of being completely inside the tube with all that crashing and banging going on gives me the heebie-jeebies!

As far as airport scanners go, the cardiologist explained (and the BHF website says the same) that modern pacemakers are well-enough shielded not to be affected by airport scanners but the metal in the casing can set the alarms off as you go through. I guess it's easier to flash your pacemaker card and get a personal frisking instead especially as I've just read an item about a woman with a pacemaker who collapsed and died after walking through a scanner at a Russian airport!

Pete

[Nigel H-J]

Hello Peter, just read your post re: your pacemaker and wish you all the very best for the future, as for the MRI I had one for my spine and can't say that it was an experience that I would want to repeat as I was fully inside it!!

Glad to hear that you are back at home, just take it easy for a bit.

Regards
Nigel

[Airspeed]

....... I've just read an item about a woman with a pacemaker who collapsed and died after walking through a scanner at a Russian airport!.......

That's because the Russians have theirs cranked up to "10-ski +", or "Brown & Crisp" on your microwave.

Sorry, I meant: POOR LADY!