I had a pacemaker put in on April 15th. Will I be able to go back to roofing with no problems? How long do you think I will have to wait before I can go back to work?

 

 

Hello Roofer,

Considering that roofing is one of the most physically demanding jobs any one will ever have, I say take the word of no one except your doctor for an answer.

But if you want a guess i twill be several weeks to several months. You have the weight lifting limitation to consider, the restricted arm movement to consider and then depending on what part of the country you are in, there are the temperature extremes in which you will be working to consider. To compound those considerations you have heart problems that have to be considered and just how big a factor that is all depends on why you got the pacemaker to start with.

So don't let getting the pacemaker be a waste of time, rely on your doctor for your answers.

Good luck,

Smitty

 

At my age, roofing would bother me at any temp. So would lugging those big bundles around. I know they use conveyor trucks now, but I'm sure if you ask your doc, he'll say give it time to heal (not just the incision, the leads get gradually wrapped up by tissue too). I bet you wouldn't want to have to go back in and have something replaced? Can they put you on light duty for a while?

 

I would not recommend it.........I have a state roofing license, and a state GC license....I had my defib for 2 years, last Sept.10th 2009, I was tearing up shingles when it felt like a bolt of lightening hit me......I fell and hit the roof so hard, it knocked out two post & crowns out of my mouth, I went to get up and got shocked again......I got the hint that time, to stay down for awhile.........I laid there for about 5 - 10 minutes.... called a roof crew I sub too, but they were already drying in another house before the storm, so when I could get up without being shocked, I went home and did a "Latitude" phone self test, and within minutes my EP called me from his cell phone and wanted me to come in right then, but the roof was open, and rain clouds all around, STUPID me, went to Home Depot and bought a box of 6 mil 20' x100' roll of plastic (Heavy) carried it up on roof and about 20 pavers for weights, nails and tin tags, and covered the entire house, by myself the same day, it took until dark but I dried it in with plastic.....and it did not rain after all..........I was so p'''''''''s'd...........went to EP @ 9am the next morning, sure enough my heart was over 200bpm for almost 15 minutes straight before going into heart failure, then I got a shock to stop the heart, then another one to restart it.....so he raised my defibrillator threshold.....If your young get out of Construction now.......Coming from a 3rd generation builder, I had my first GC license in Florida @ 22 years old.....I'll be 47 in June...........and the pay has went down, not up in that 25 years........too many immigrants, and Non Patriotic Money Hungry Crooked contractors hiring illegals who don't have insurance or licenses, etc.........

Ask your doctor in 6 weeks, after your restrictions are lifted......

Alot of safety hazards with roof work, if you must work construction be a designer, they get to work in AC inside, spoiled, never get dirty, never sweat, but be careful ,you might break a nail and file work comp, and they used to get 30-40 % of the contract price for picking out pretty colors.....wow real hard, I do the real work and somebody makes as much or actually more, picking out colors and furniture.....life was a joke.....

 

I have done most of the trades myself. Two I would not do unless it was my own home were roofing and drywall. Long term, get out of roofing.

 

Thanks everyone. I have roofed for 40 plus years and have been self employed as GC. I also have 90 percent plugged carotid arteries. I think I will see if I can get on SS Disability. I only have 4 years until I can draw it anyways. We'll see what happens. I do know that I don't have much energy yet.