shopping ...

• by Cabg Patch
• 2017-02-28 11:32:26
• Complications
• 1753 views
• 5 comments

Friday I was shopping at the local supermarket where I selected:

A half-gallon of low fat milk,
A carton of eggs,
A quart of orange juice,
A head of romaine lettuce,
A 2 lb. can of coffee, decalf of course,and
A package of potatoes

As I was unloading my items on the conveyor belt to check out,
a drunk standing behind me watched as I placed the items in front of the cashier.
While the cashier was ringing up the purchases, the drunk calmly stated, 'You must have a St. Judes defibrillator.

I was a bit startled by this proclamation, but I was intrigued by the derelict's intuition, since I indeed have a somewhat shiny new St. Jude's CRT-D

I looked at the six items on the conveyor belt and saw nothing particularly unusual about my selections and I was sure that my shirt covered the tell tale lump that could have tipped off the drunk to my medical status.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I said: Well, you know what, you're absolutely right. But how on earth did you know that I have a St. Jude's defibrillator?
The drunk replied, 'Cause your chest is smoking...

Immediatly upon arriving home, I stored my acquisitions and then jumped online to check on my smoking device. A quick Google search, and Low and behold, up popped an FDA article addressing a recall on certain St. Jude's defibrillator models. A quick click and I began reading about how the FDA has issued a class 1, the most serious level, recall of devices for a fatal battery failure. As I continued to read, smoke began rolling out of more than just my chest I assure you.

First I discovered my shiny new CRT was indeed on the recall list. Dang and I just got rid of my recalled Riata lead manufactured by guess who. And worse yet, I discovered St' Jude's was supposed to issue notice to patients back in October. Let's make this a little uglier, the FDA sent a notice to doctors and hospitals to advise their patients of this as well and allow the patient to decide how they want to proceed.

So if you are reasonably smart that's three sources I should have received notification form on this problem, yet it took a drunk to provide notice. Well you say with some 350,000 recalls they are bound to miss one or twop patients...hold up there. My Riata lead was recalled twice. That's right 2 times, and I never received notice. In fact found out about it here. So maybe I'm not in their database...what about the card I have from St. Jude's registering my device and leads?

For the record, I did attempt to contact St. Jude's. Called their hotline set up specifically for this recall. First is a recording notifying you that indeed this is the hot line specifically for this problem. Then a human comes on. Now I'm not quite sure I understand why but she sold me 4 boxes of girl scout cookies (shipped from India) before I realized that was a waste of my time.

Next I visited their web site and first and foremost it proclaims this is not a recall, just an advisory...ie no big deal. Yes there have been deaths, so how many bodies become a big deal?

So now I debate what I'm going to do and keep coming back to enough is enough. I've been to hell and back in the past 2 years with implants, infections, daily treatment for 4.5 months and another implant only to discover this new issue, and I'm not going to take it anymore. My  wife and I are discussing this and it looks like we agree that it's time to have this scrap metal melted down and go it free lance.

Anybody got a hand crank generator for sale? I will even consider two pieces of flint.

I would suggest anybody with a St. Jude's device, PM ICD or CRT, installed between 2010 and Oct 2016 check on this recall if you haven't received a notice.