What Did You Do Today (2016)

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Alan Waddington 2

Considering the woeful state the poor old NHS seems to be in, it might be clockwork !

Do you have a large key inserted anywhere Michael

.

Thankfully, no, Alan

In fact it appears to be pretty near 'state of the art'.

I don't know what they cost, but I was surprised to find that the NHS fits about 54,000 pacemakers per year: So the bean-counters could have a field day if they wanted to make short-term savings! … Mercifully, the folks with some sense seem to have control of the purse-strings in this area.

What I must say, is that everyone involved in this job showed wonderful dedication; and I don't think I could have been in better hands.

MichaelG.

[JohnFParticipant @johnf59703]

Here here Michael despite grumbling about the NHS when the chips are down they pull out all the stops! It has its problems and if push came to shove who would not pay a little extra? I would

Michael glad to hear all is well look after yourself and take step back until you feel 100%

Best wishes John

PP a great many years ago ( 1960's)we made some very small casings for BNFL R&D to make neuclear powered cells for pacemakers , guess nothing came of it ?

[Dave MartinParticipant @davemartin29320]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 08/12/2016 20:22:52:

Ian,

The box is smaller than [say] a stack of six credit cards and is installed just below the left clavicle.

Inserted in a small 'pocket' under the skin

…….

Michael,

Although the surgery is quick, from family experience can I just urge you to follow the post-op instructions, which can be restrictive, especially for an active person. When my late Mother had her pacemaker fitted, she was warned to take things easy, not lift her arms too high etc. until all had healed around where the pacemaker was fitted. When she had her first check after the op. the pacemaker wasn't working, and when they investigated they found that (probably due to over-exertion) the pacemaker had migrated downward under gravity and one of the leads had been pulled out of contact, so they had to re-operate and fit an extra new lead.

Dave

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

I'm guessing pacemaker prices are relatively low these days. Some many years ago an Undertaker client/friend gave me a small bagful of recently removed devices from his cremation subjects. For practical reasons they just cut the wires instead of digging out the hooks but re-leading was a possibility. I wired them up to my ECG machine to see the waveforms to discover about half of them were no longer working……

Interestingly they were mostly made in Australia as i recall.

I believe the new ones are all remotely adjustable so perhaps climbing cell phone towers isn't a good thing to do while wearing one either. And it makes you wonder if they change the password …..

I had a colleague describe the guys at Bristol Vet school fitting one to a standing horse. The description of the moment of switch-over from external pacing to the refurbed item was priceless. Apparently the horse just fainted at that point but the team calmly went with it it and carried on working such that it had hardly hit the deck before picking up and struggling to it's feet again.

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

Posted by JohnF on 09/12/2016 08:25:02:

PP a great many years ago ( 1960's)we made some very small casings for BNFL R&D to make neuclear powered cells for pacemakers , guess nothing came of it ?

I think it did. Pu 238 powered pacemakers were made in the UK in the 60s and 70s. I believe that battery technology has now moved on to replace these nuclear units. One of my friends has been rejuvenated by his pacemaker so we should benefit from Michael's sage offerings for years to come.

Cheers,

Rod

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Best wishes MichaelG. Having had a heart event some 10 years ago & only one stent fitted I consider myself very lucky so I can empathise with you… but SWMBO still calls me a 'grumpy old git' or 'Victor Meldrew', anyhow take it easy.

​George.

[Alan JacksonParticipant @alanjackson47790]

Well done Michael

[this was probably easier than doing the paperwork for the alternative outcome] If you can laugh like this on 33 rpms what can you possibly do on 78 rpms?

Very Best Regards

Alan

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Best wishes Michael.

Take it easy for a while. Then later can you turn up your pulse rate if you want to run a marathon? Or partake of any other exercise that may require a higher pulse rate .

Russell.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 09/12/2016 08:11:51:

What I must say, is that everyone involved in this job showed wonderful dedication; and I don't think I could have been in better hands.

MichaelG.

Well said

[Michael Cox 1Participant @michaelcox1]

Michael,

Keep up the good recovery. We need you.

Mike

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

Is the ban on welding still in place?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by mark costello 1 on 09/12/2016 14:17:11:

Is the ban on welding still in place?

.

Basically Yes, Mark … It appears that Arc Welding is to be avoided, and Induction Hobs kept at least 600mm from the unit. There are various recommended distances for things like Microwave Ovens and Mobile Phones, but technology seems to be improving.

Mine, for example is classed as 'MR Conditional' … see here: http://www.mrisafety.com/SafetyInfov.asp?SafetyInfoID=259 

MichaelG.

.

P.S. For info. This is an excellent booklet from the British Heart Foundation:

https://www.bhf.org.uk/-/media/files/publications/large-print/his15lp_pacemakers_0314_a4.pdf

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 09/12/2016 14:44:51

[Michael Bird 1Participant @michaelbird1]

Spent yesterday in the workshop making two drawbars, one for the Myford and one for the Sharp Milling Machine.

They work great and will be a good addition to the workshop.

They are both M10. The myford is the longer one. I made it so it goes through the hole in the door so I can have the guard closed while I'm working.

 

 

 

Edited By Michael Bird 1 on 09/12/2016 14:55:50

Edited By Michael Bird 1 on 09/12/2016 14:56:12

[MikelkieParticipant @mikelkie]

Best wishes to you Michael G. and speedy recovery

[MikelkieParticipant @mikelkie]

Spent all day today and made 2 steel boxes, 200 x 200 deep and 400 mm long complete

with easy removing lids, one went on the Bridgeport and the other will go on to my Tos

lathe. I fitted the coolant pump onto the lid an the unit is standing next to the mill.

Cleaning this tanks is so easy now, that i can kick myself for not doing this years ago

Edited By Mikelkie on 09/12/2016 19:16:17

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

A step or two beyond my little adventure … I was amazed and delighted to see the news item about this successful brain surgery by ultrasound: **LINK**

http://www.insightec.com/technology

MichaelG.

[LimpetParticipant @limpet]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 09/12/2016 11:25:54:

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 09/12/2016 08:11:51:

What I must say, is that everyone involved in this job showed wonderful dedication; and I don't think I could have been in better hands.

MichaelG.

Well said

I couldn't agree more I've just had a knee replacement (hardly the same league I know) but nothing was too much trouble for the staff. why so called celebrities get paid so much and not the NHS staff I'll never understand. Hope you get well some Michael.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Thanks, Limpet … and everyone else, for the good wishes.

My wife is looking forward to a knee replacement, probably in the springtime.

MichaelG.

.

I don't want to 'milk' this thread, but I must just relate one brief conversation that gave me great hope for the future of our NHS. … Early Thusday morning; a pretty young student Nurse started her shift on the Coronary Care Unit, and I think the first job of her day was to bring the commode to my bedside. She then helped me and my fifteen trailing wires out of the bed.

I had to ask "tell me; what on earth is it that makes someone like you want to do this job?" [they are overworked, underpaid and often unappreciated] … With a beautiful smile, she replied: "I just love it, it's wonderful when you see people getting better."

Humbling, isn't it, to realise that they have a genuine vocation … when many in this world just think of 'work' as a four-letter-word.

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

Michael, what can I say, like 33rpm is like slower than dead slow and stop, well done with the self-diagnosis and all the very best for the future, hope it works out really well, keep away from the electrical nasty equipment and enjoy life, you deserve it.

Chris

P.S. keep up with all the good comments on this forum too!

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I finished off a versatile bar for mounting two telescopes side by side. It's meant to be functional, not pretty so a lot of machining marks, exaggerated by the lighting too. One of the scope holders comes off leaving a 1/4 whit camera screw for a camera or a pan tilt head (I finally bought a 14×20 tap!) The other scope holder can be moved in and out to adjust the c of g.

Basically the bottom bar is a 75-degree dovetail matching those fitted to scopes, and the brackets at each end are similarly dovetail holders. The extra screws are adjusted to stop the dovetail falling out if you loosen the big knobs too much.

[WindyParticipant @windy30762]

Had to go to Leeds today for a PET Scan depending what they find will decide what treatment can control the Lymphoma.

It was a bolt out of the blue after a heart attack in February then internal bleeding causing a gastric ulcer that wont heal.

What ever the result will if caper able work like hell in the workshop to get projects finished.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Windy on 09/12/2016 23:33:36:

…

What ever the result will if caper able work like hell in the workshop to get projects finished.

…

.

Good Man, Windy !!

… My very best wishes

MichaelG.

[WindyParticipant @windy30762]

At times like this for you Michael G and myself it's a severe wake up call and I would like to do as much as possible.

As gabriel.uttley said after his 400 mph bike talk at my club when I said I always dreamt of going to Bonnaville Salt Flats especially in 1974 with my scrap yard special for the speed and record attempts but it was not to be.

The atmosphere with all those top speed enthusiasts is out of this world you get what they call salt fever and can't keep away.

In a way it's similar to Elvington speed attempts and the friends old and new after a long absence is mind blowing to an old coot like myself.

His reply don't dream come with me I now wonder how much health insurance would be with the state of my health.

Any idea who to contact for reasonable health insurance when things aren't right with you.

[Tony MarshallParticipant @tonymarshall12301]

For travel insurance I've used Saga, Age Concern, Explorer and others. At the end of the day I'm afraid you just have to grit your teeth and spend a few hours on the internet seeking out quotations based on your particular circumstances. I've needed a pacemaker since 1990 (on my 4th I think) and still find it awkward going through the questionnaires, especially when I have to divulge personal details to some stranger on the phone. Worth it in the end though.

Apart from that, I'm getting close to having my Super 7B commissioned. Yay! I have repainted my old industrial stand which came with the ML7 I bought a few years ago, and am currently trying to get the electrics working. The stand is fitted with 3-phase switches, contactor etc. and my rotary convertor puts out 3-phase 230V. The contactor coil requires 415V which I provide from a step-up transformer. My problem now is that the overload protection on the contactor kicks in as soon as I push the start button. There is an adjustor there, currently set to about 1.25A. Cliffhanger! Had to quit because dinner was ready.

[Brian HParticipant @brianh50089]

For travel insurance I have been using a company named "Insurancewith.com" (usual disclaimer)because me and my wife have medical issues. We have found them to be cheaper than many and the medical questions are simpler than many, especially for individual trips, the just ask what medications are being used and the quote follows very quickly.

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