Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Terbs]

A lot of you will have seen the posts regarding Wycombe and our situation.
However, you learn something everyday. We went into the Funeral directors, to book the funeral (which will be after the Wycombe meet, hence the cancelling) and were told mother in law would have to be buried !!!!!
'Why', we asked. 'Because she has a Pacemaker fitted'. 'What difference does that make', we asked. 'They blow up' was the answer !!!!!!!!!!
So, we have to get that removed first, as she wanted a cremation.
Looking on the brighter side, which you have to, when we got home, my son said, 'Can you imagine someone saying...where are your Nan's ashes scattered, to be answered with,  'Over most of Buckinghamshire, actually.'
Just struck us as funny

PS....Chris says a massive thank you for all your kind remarks, fellas. Its most appreciated, and she says sorry she can't face a meeting.

[ronnyd]

Yes, it,s little gems such as that which makes these situations more bearable. Best of luck to you all.

[05omegav6]

Makes sense, can't be x-rayed either, for much the same reason....

[YZ250]

As you say, you learn something new every day. Useful information though as my dad has a pacemaker and his wish is to be cremated.
A bit of well placed humour can lighten the moment, albeit briefly. 

[YZ250]

Makes sense, can't be x-rayed either, for much the same reason....

Actually Al, my dad's had loads of X-Ray's since his pacemaker was fitted a few years back, it's MRI that causes havoc I believe. 

[05omegav6]

Might depend on type, but see a hundred people a week who are specifically exempt from xray screening

[amazonian]

Well,  strange but certainly true then, we live and learn!

.Explosive end to crematorium
John Lichfield |Wednesday 23 December 1998 00:02 BST||A FRENCH court ordered an 82-year-old widow to pay pounds 13,000 to a crematorium that was wrecked when a heart pacemaker exploded during the cremation of her husband's body.
The deceased man's doctor was ordered to pay another pounds 26,000 in damages for failing to warn the crematorium that the body contained the device.

Experts told the court, in Grenoble, that the chemicals in the pacemaker's battery exploded with the force of two grams of TNT - enough to fire a 16lb artillery shell at a speed of 60mph. The furnace at the crematorium, at Gieres, near Grenoble, was extensively damaged by the blast. The widow signed a form on which she was asked whether there was a pacemaker in her husband's body. She ticked the box that said "No", even though the device had been fitted onlyeight months earlier. The doctor did not check whether a pacemaker was in place.

After six years of legal wrangling, the court decided both were negligent but took into account the age and emotional state of the widow at the time. She was ordered to pay one-third of the damages and the doctor - who has since retired - two-thirds.

All the best terbert.

[YZ250]

Might depend on type, but see a hundred people a week who are specifically exempt from xray screening

Ah, I see the connection now as my dads warning pamphlet says about not standing in shop doorways with 'scanning' anti-theft systems fitted. Assume you are referring to Airport scanners/X-Ray machines so it probably comes within that area. 

[Terbs]

Well,  strange but certainly true then, we live and learn!

.Explosive end to crematorium
John Lichfield |Wednesday 23 December 1998 00:02 BST||A FRENCH court ordered an 82-year-old widow to pay pounds 13,000 to a crematorium that was wrecked when a heart pacemaker exploded during the cremation of her husband's body.
The deceased man's doctor was ordered to pay another pounds 26,000 in damages for failing to warn the crematorium that the body contained the device.

Experts told the court, in Grenoble, that the chemicals in the pacemaker's battery exploded with the force of two grams of TNT - enough to fire a 16lb artillery shell at a speed of 60mph. The furnace at the crematorium, at Gieres, near Grenoble, was extensively damaged by the blast. The widow signed a form on which she was asked whether there was a pacemaker in her husband's body. She ticked the box that said "No", even though the device had been fitted onlyeight months earlier. The doctor did not check whether a pacemaker was in place.

After six years of legal wrangling, the court decided both were negligent but took into account the age and emotional state of the widow at the time. She was ordered to pay one-third of the damages and the doctor - who has since retired - two-thirds.

All the best terbert.

Oh my good grief !!!!!!!!!!!! We could have blown Amersham off the Map !!!!!! YZ250 may have had some of  M-I-L floating into his garden, he's only just up the road

Seriously....who would have thought !!!!!

[Andy B]

My Dad is an undertaker ..... has been for years (still works part time at 77  ). I mentioned pace makers recently in regard to some I knew that had died young. my Dad said he's removed loads of them so a cremation could be carried out 

[Rods2]

Had an MRI  scan today and pacemakers and metal in your body questions are top of the list.

The scanner is very noisy and claustrophobic for those that are. You also have to keep very still as movement blurs the images. I will get the results back on my eyes in 4 weeks.

Crematoriums and pacemakers, well some people like to go out with a BANG.

A bit like admins and garages.

[05omegav6]

Had an MRI  scan today and pacemakers and metal in your body questions are top of the list.

The scanner is very noisy and claustrophobic for those that are. You also have to keep very still as movement blurs the images. I will get the results back on my eyes in 4 weeks.

Crematoriums and pacemakers, well some people like to go out with a BANG.

A bit like admins and garages.

5204

[Kevin Wood]

It's electromagnetic interference with the pacemaker's circuit that causes the worry with airport scanners and MRI, which are electromagnetic devices rather than X-ray machines. You don't want the electronics to go do doolally when it has a somewhat "mission critical" function to perform. X-rays themselves are probably less of a concern but the electrical circuits generating them operate at quite high energy, so probably best to be on the safe side!

Interesting that the battery is large enough to cause damage to a crematorium, though. 

Good job the question was asked.

[zirk]

Ive got a metal plate and screws in my lower leg bone and more screws underneath holding my ankle on, Ive always assumed made of stainless but never sets the Airport Scanners or walkthrough machines off. 

Did think the other day about plonking my foot on the new Induction Hob toy to see what happens, mainly because I couldn't shut the door when I playing with Microwave the last time I got bored, think I might leave it for a rainy day though.

[Andy B]

Ive got a metal plate and screws in my lower leg bone and more screws underneath holding my ankle on, Ive always assumed made of stainless but never sets the Airport Scanners or walkthrough machines off. 

 .....

AFAIK they're titanium. My watch is titanium and once accidently walked through an airport type scanner while wearing it. She saw my watch on the otherside & initially thought her machine was u/s till she queried it