Taperssection.com
Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: sdc on March 26, 2020, 08:14:13 AM
-
After a series of seizures (physical, not recording equipment), my doctor told me that I have no choice but to have a pacemaker put in next week. Does anyone have experience with this, either in terms of changes in getting equipment in or in recording practices? I'd love to hear your stories. Thanks.
-
from what i gather, they are small and unobtrusive these days and probably dont set off a walk thru. cant see it changing your game much, if at all
-
Damn man. I hope this health situation improves for you after they put one in. Healing spirit fly toward you!
-
I have a titanium elbow(broke same one twice) its hit and miss w detectors.
wands seem to miss it most often but some walk throughs might pick it up. hard to tell as I'm usually carrying more than my elbow :P
-
Thanks, all. Hopefully it won't be fully metal (and the guardians won't know it) as they say that I'll be able to be close to MRI equipment that is generally metal-sensitive.
-
Back last fall I was in New Mexico and attended a show at the Sandia Resort & Casino Amphitheater.
They actually had signs up near the entrance telling folks with pacemakers to request a personal check rather than go through the metal detectors.
-
I don't have to do the metal detector thing for music, but, I do go to the county building a couple of times a year. There, you have to go through a walk-thru metal detector scanner thing, with sheriffs running the system.
Me: I have an implanted long lag bolt for a right heel, and a halo of screws that look like construction/drywall scews all around the foot/heel interface. Its never been an issue.
-
This is what I've recently learned about heart pacemakers.
I'm not sure if any of this is relevant for brain pacemakers.
Tell any security/screener that you have a pacemaker and need to request a different method than a walk through detector... either a patdown (preferably) or wand (quickly).
A walk through is ok if necessary and if done quickly.. but you don't want to linger around one for very long with pacemaker.. same goes for shopping stores that have the walk through security alarm things at the exit doors.
Magnetic fields/magnets/some devices/some power tools can all possibly cause interference with a pacemaker.
Modern pacemakers are much better than older versions when it comes to interference. Modern ones don't have much trouble with interference. But do not carry a cell phone in your shirt pocket on the same side as where your pacemaker is.. or nap with cell phone on your chest.
You doctor should go through all of this with you.
2-3 hour procedure.. 2-3 inch incision. Typically general anesthesia. Visible bump under collar bone. Possible out-patient or 1-3 days in hospital. 4-8 weeks of limited movement with pacemaker-side arm. Battery replacement in 10-15 years I think. Possible home "monitoring" system that sends your pacemaker's data to doctor via wi-fi/cellular/land-line phone. Your doctor will set the minimum heart rate on your pacemaker and it should not drop below that minimum. But your heart rate will still elevate if excerising.
PM me if you want anymore details (I might be able to answer, might not).. I did research on all of this recently.
And you should receive a "pacemaker medical card" stating that you have one. You should always carry that card with you and show it to any security/screener if there is any sort of metal detector (walk through/wand) possibility.
But yeah.. it should make things easier one way or the other when carrying gear in..
.....and life should be better for you!!
-
Well, I'm pretty sure my doctor doesn't want any of my recording info sent through the pacemaker since apparently I was babbling about how it might change my recording life while being treated for the first seizures and he was worried about the FBI showing up and arresting the bootlegger (or so I'm told). I like the idea of a light wand but will report back once I have a chance to try it at a few gigs. At this rate, I'll be fully healed before any shows resume in my area.
-
Well, I'm pretty sure my doctor doesn't want any of my recording info sent through the pacemaker since apparently I was babbling about how it might change my recording life while being treated for the first seizures and he was worried about the FBI showing up and arresting the bootlegger (or so I'm told). I like the idea of a light wand but will report back once I have a chance to try it at a few gigs. At this rate, I'll be fully healed before any shows resume in my area.
You need a new doctor who’s into taping.
-
I got a pacemaker last september, and for Cardinals games I told them and I walked around the walk thru and they use a wand instead. for shows at The Pageant I tell them and sometimes they don't wand at all, other times maybe just leg area.
Don't know if it's affected the outcome of any shows since, don't think it would, but I can't worry about that.