Audiophile Electrocution

Drubin,

Yes, I'm quite sure the shock changed my metabolism. Up until that point it seemed quite normal; after the shock, definitely revved up, and stayed that way for years.

My doctor said he studied cases in med school where people where people had the same thing happen from a blow to the head. Rather than sticking your hand in your amp, maybe you should just take up listening to headbanger music!

Armstrod:
I wonder whether the shock damaged your thyroid and thereby exposed previously sequestered thyroid antigens to your immune system, and triggering Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis, or some other subtype of autoimmune thyroiditis. Hashimoto's classically has a hyperthyroid phase during which the gland is being destroyed and releasing excess thyroid hormone from the destroyed follicles. Then there's a euthyroid phase when the amount of hormone released roughly equals normal values because many of the follicles have been destroyed. Finally there's a hypothyroid phase where most of the gland has been destroyed by the immune response. I don't know whether that's what happened iin your case, but it seems possible.

Mdhoover,

That's sounds pretty much like the description my doctor gave me. I'm definitely in the hypothyroid phase now. Thank goodness thyroid hormone replacement drugs are common now and relatively cheap.

Too bad my original shock was AC - if it was DC I could have just reversed polarity and cured myself.

:-)

"Too bad my original shock was AC - if it was DC I could have just reversed polarity and cured myself.

:-)"
-Armstrod

VERY hilarious and clever: Thanks for a good snicker! (I won't even get into power conditioners and AC regenerators, etc.)

I once went to look at a work van for purchase from a private owner.....the guy I spoke with told me he was selling it for a woman friend whose husband had had a TV repair shop.....he had been demonstrating to a new assistant some of the fine points of TV repair, and reportedly his last words were, "Whatever you do, don't ever touch this here....."
Like someone said, the danger most of us are likely to encounter in our residential voltages of 120v occurs when the current crosses the heart....causes an interruption of the normal beating (fibrillation, ya know) and can't do the job like its supposed to; and the proper rhythm has to be restored pretty quick if you're gonna live.....
I've been an electrical contractor for a couple of decades and I just make it a practice not to touch the copper if I'm working something live....and always use insulated tools....and always. be. careful.