snow shoveling

I am a 63 year old woman with a pacemaker that was implanted 2 years ago. I used to help my husband with snow shoveling-I just did the light clean up work. Does my pacemaker preclude my doing this activity?

10 Comments

Preclude this?

by Zia - 2013-02-08 01:02:17

Only if you want it to LOL Actually I resolved years ago when I reached the age of discretion, that no snow shovel handle fits my hands. As noted above, that's why teenagers were invented. They have to be good for something - LOL once again.

snow

by franko1966 - 2013-02-08 08:02:53

it should not interfere,but ask your doc,to be on the safe side,as long you have no heart or back prblems

activity

by Tracey_E - 2013-02-08 09:02:37

If you are otherwise healthy and the pm more or less fixes your problem, then you should be able to do whatever you want now that you're healed. When in doubt, ask your dr if you are cleared for activity.

But feel free to milk it and stay inside where it's warm, we won't tell :oP

No, your PM does not...

by donr - 2013-02-08 10:02:21

...restrict you from shoveling snow.

Common sense does. It's also about time that your husband gave up the business end of a snow shovel.

I write this from Southern MS, but speak from experience in NJ, NY, WI, IA during winters when temps were below zero & the snow above 2 feet in the driveway.

Snow shoveling is very high energy output effort, even when doing "Light cleanup" work. Especially in LOW temps. I know too many people who have died from that effort.

Even when I was about 52 & living in Milwaukee & had a snow blower it was high output effort.

It's not so much the effort that gets to older folks operating a snow removal device (ie shovel), but the cold. It brings a lot of cold air into the lungs from breathing harder & that cold air surrounds the heart, constricting otherwise functioning coronary arteries - OF UNKNOWN CONSTRICTION FROM PLAQUE. Perhaps those arteries function at normal levels of effort for the older folks in warmer days, but likely as not when it is cold out - like it is after a snow storm.

God created teenagers for the older among us to hire to shovel snow. Then it becomes a spectator sport for those of us over 65.

I'm 76 & would not pick up a snow shovel on a bet. I will pick up my "D-Handled" shovel & dig holes in dirt in my back (or front ) yard during the warmer months of the year - BUT not the hotter ones. For the same reason I don't shovel snow in the colder months any longer.

Don

Disagreement

by donr - 2013-02-09 01:02:25

Sparrow: I had a disagreement w/ #2 Daughter at supper tonight. She's the ER Doc in the family. She said I was off base in my advice about quitting the snow shoveling. She said if you exercise frequently, that it was fine to shovel snow. However - I stand by my attitude toward it. I'm over 65 & have shoveled snow in cold weather. She is only nudging 50 & does not speak from experience, never having shoveled snow in her life.

After all, that's why we parents let teenagers survive - to shovel our snow.

Don

Sorry

by ElectricFrank - 2013-02-09 02:02:18

The pacemaker is no excuse for getting out of snow shoveling. Now get out there and get to work.

LOL

frank

Are You Kidding?

by donr - 2013-02-09 04:02:14

Ian: We sold out lawn mower in April, 1997 when we sold our house in the Atlanta 'burbs. We sold our snow blower when we sold our house in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

I'll be ^%#$%%$% if I'm gonna fly back to England JUST to shovel the drive of some retired old ^%$^% !

Go find some neighbor's teenager.

Don

I agree with your No 2 daughter Don

by IAN MC - 2013-02-09 09:02:20

Not only is it no excuse not to, but snow shoveling should be compulsory if you have a PM .... now, I have a drive, and snow is forecast here next week, so do you want some practice ?

Ian

Safety of Snow shoveling

by ElectricFrank - 2013-02-10 12:02:27

Shoveling snow is safe the day after surgery. After all it doesn't require raising arms above shoulder level. And the snow muffles the moans and groans of any pain from the activity. And finally if you experience a cardiac arrest, the cold will preserve your body until spring when the rest of us find it warm enough to retrieve you.

Unfortunately, we don't have snow here in the desert so I guess I'm exempt.

frank

Snowblower !!

by lahbigbro6 - 2013-02-14 08:02:41

You and your husband should have a snowblower. I live in New Jersey and its been snowing all the time. I am 54 lived in the house for 15 years and have a top of line snowblower since we have lived here, I lived in PA also and had one. Please do not mess around get a snowblower.

You know you're wired when...

You have rhythm.

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Since I got my pacemaker, I don't pass out anymore! That's a blessing in itself.