April 26, 2004

1:54 PM

I am the proud new owner of an ICD (implanted cardiac defibrillator). Google turns up a rather grim future for me devoid of major electrical devices. However, does anyone else here have one or know someone who does, and what has been your or their real-life experiences regarding EMI fields?

I ask because my current job is maintaining industrial robots, and I doubt the doc is going to allow me to return to work in any capacity when I see him again for the follow-up. BTW, I have had the thing for less than 48 hours and that sucker has already fired once. I don't think it was its full rating of 30 joules, but damn!!!
posted by mischief to (9 comments total)

my uncle had one of these, but he was in a nursing home, so didn't have to worry about being out and about. This looked informative: (it looks like you get an ID card and show that at airports and stuff; and you can't linger near security gates in stores, etc...one fun thing is that you can give your partner a "tingle" during sex) : >
and this: Microwaves, personal computers, printers, fax machines and most other household appliances or office equipment are safe and should not affect your ICD. The device is sensitive, however, to strong electrical or magnetic fields, which have the potential to deactivate some devices. In some cases an ICD may emit a sound if it is too close to a magnet. If this happens, it is important to move away from the object or location immediately and call your doctor. (I think you should name it Road Runner--beep! beep!)
posted by amberglow at 3:34 PM on April 26, 2004

The household stuff is not a problem (except flat-top stoves), however I work in an industrial environment and the biggest problem (or one of the bigger problems anyway) is having this puppy go off when I have my hand in a 480 V panel.
posted by mischief at 3:48 PM on April 26, 2004

Can you wear an apron or something to protect and shield your chest? Like at the dentist? (ask yr doctor). Like from this fabric maybe?
posted by amberglow at 4:01 PM on April 26, 2004

Would rubber gloves of some kind insulate you from the panel you're working on?
posted by o2b at 4:30 PM on April 26, 2004

It sounds like mischief isn't worried about the device itself. It sounds like he's worried about the device firing (i.e. doing it's job) while he's got his mits in a 480 Volt electrical panel and causing him to become one with the circuit (and quite possibly the universe) shortly after that. Would insulating gloves like linemen wear impede your dexterity too much mischief?
posted by substrate at 5:15 PM on April 26, 2004

mischief, I don't know anything about this, but I want you to know that I care about you, and I've been following your progress via your posts about this. I hope you do okay.
posted by interrobang at 2:14 AM on April 27, 2004

sounds (to my completely uninformed ear) like you're going to be treated similarly to someone who suffers from epilepsy. since that's perhaps more common that this ics (or at least more widely accepted, culturally) you might see what your company policy is about people who are diagnosed with that (and also whatever insurance you may have etc).

good luck.

(at first i mistakenly assumed that the problem was that electrical equipment would trigger the thing, and i looked at your web page and thought "whoa, he's gonna get one hell of a kick out of strumming that guitar..." :o)
posted by andrew cooke at 6:34 AM on April 27, 2004

My company policy is an absolute: I cannot return to work without a document from my doctor saying I can work "without restrictions". Otherwise, I get to apply for my 70% disability insurance.

Since my doc has already said I cannot drive for at least six months (and even thereafter is doubtful given my medical history) and EMI fields can seriously screw with the ICD's operation (about 80% of the industrial machines and motors with which I work run off 480 V, 15% off 240 V), the chance of getting that document appears to be 0.01%.

I will not know for certain until my follow-up appointment in mid-May. However in the interim, I have to make a lot of decisions based that fraction of uncertainty: my divorce is final today, my first bankruptcy hearing is a couple days prior to the follow-up, I must decide whether to break my lease by the end of this week, etc.

Thus, I am asking if anyone knows anyone with an ICD and how stringently their doctors applied these restrictions with respect to EMI fields to their lives. Because the vast bulk of people who get an ICD are well into their retirements, finding others who are still in the middle of their careers has not been easy.
posted by mischief at 8:06 AM on April 27, 2004

there's this heart surgery forum -- they may know more.

Can you afford to live where you're living on 70%?
I think maybe you need to sit down with someone about all this--a social worker or something--it looks like you may be having a career change, for a start. What else do you like doing? It's more important that you're alive and well-ish than that you keep the old job. It may turn out to be a good opportunity to make changes in your life. And--What's this Knowledge Engineering stuff--Is it job-worthy?
(or how about music teacher, or something with music?)

And, of course, what interrobang said. We all want you to be well.
posted by amberglow at 10:29 AM on April 27, 2004