Anyone work at walmart?

Hi Im 24 years old and work part time as an emt on the ambulance and part time as a cashier at walmart. I was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect at the age of 23 and suffered severe SVT and after an ablation of nearly destroying the whole sinus node of the heart and I had a pacemaker implanted 3 months ago. I wanted to ask if anyone knows about pacemakers and the electical devices at walmart. Standing over the security demagnitzer as well as funtioning a wireless scanner all day I cant help but to wonder if this could have an effect on the battery or pacemaker it self? I dont feel anything except a flutter here and there, and I love working there and really dont wanna have to quit. Does anyone know anything about it? Thanks for your help, tips, and advice.

3 Comments

be sure to check it out

by aldeer - 2008-05-28 08:05:04

My only advice would be to call the maker of your pacemaker and give them this information exactly as you are telling us, and they should be able to give you the correct answer to this. You don't want to take chances. Lots of good luck and the right answer... aldeer

Effects Of Electronic Devices ON PM

by SMITTY - 2008-05-28 09:05:29

Like Aldeer said, check with the pacemaker manufacturer and see what they have to say.

However, I will bet a whole nickle that the flutter you feel occasionally is caused by one or both of these devices. In all probability they are causing your pacemaker to revert to the pacemaker checkup mode which does not have the custom settings your PM operates on during normal activity. As soon as you get away from the field that is causing the upsets your PM reverts back to using the customized settings and returns normal operation.

These upsets should have no permanent effects on your PM and they should not cause a measurable increase in battery consumption. However, if these "flutters" become very frequent, or should you start to feel faint anytime when in the presence of these devices, then it is probably time to seek other work.

Good luck,

Smitty

A second opinion.

by ElectricFrank - 2008-05-30 01:05:01

I doubt very much that either of the devices are causing any problem. The wireless scanner is a very low power device since it operates close to the cash register. The security demag device could only cause problems if you leaned over and put your pace within a few inches of it. This afternoon I spent a couple of hours at a friends amateur radio station and was around a 500 watt transmitter. No problem.
It sounds like you had a botched job with the ablation (not too unusual) and that is the cause of the flutters.

frank

You know you're wired when...

Your pacemaker interferes with your electronic scale.

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