What Do You Think About Donating Your Organs After Death?

Wolfie said:
They keep donors on life support until after the donation though because once the heart stops, the other organs soon die.
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Yes, I was going to say this was probably the case. Even though the brain tends to die without oxygen very quickly by comparison to other organs, it's likely 'the sooner the better' regarding the health of any of them.

The need for insurance is sort of disturbing to me, although I'm not sure it applies where I live. I don't have insurance though, lol. Oh well... as long as I'm not subtly listening to them talk about it, because if waking up to attack somebody was actually somehow a choice to me at that moment... :p
 
I'm listed as a donor all over the place- health cards and drivers licences in 2 different countries. :p I'm really not going to need my bits and pieces when I'm gone, and I don't want to be kept alive on machines if I'm unable to function on any kind of meaningful level, or facing an epic ordeal to recover.

I've had depression for years, and while I'm relatively happy now, I'm not exactly living a hugely active nor meaningful existence, I know my cats would be looked after and get over the loss of their primary meowing target, and my relatives would be ok with time, and i really don't need any of that heroic measures crap.

I live in a country with government healthcare, but I have private insurance too. I don't feel paranoid that doctors are particularly likely to write me off eagerly before my time for wanting of a kidney, or whatever. That really sounds like silly bollocks to me. Prognoses change, doctors face prosecution and being struck off by ethics boards if they don't seek to 'first, do no harm'- safeguards are in place.

I doubt they'll stick my organs into other people here in Canada anyway, as they won't take my blood for donation (I'm a BSE risk, apparently, go me!) but maybe they'd offer them to other British ex-pats, or manage to lob them over the Atlantic super-quickly before they go mouldy, or use them to train medical students, or to develop or test new drugs, or something. Rather non-sentient me, than some poor bloody rabbit or beagle or monkey.
 
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If they can use it
I plan to have my entire body donated for science
or parts as needed.

I have felt this way for 20+ years
 
PickleJuice, I am so sorry that happened to your family! Nothing like that should ever happen.

I shouldn't have spoken so glibly about it and won't again, and I am really sorry. The organ donation staff I've worked with are the only ones I can vouch for. :(
 
Do people on here donate blood?

Pickle Juice said:
My uncle had a stroke, and his prognosis was excellent. Until they learned he had no insurance. Then all of a sudden he had zero chance of recovery, but if my aunt was willing to let them have his liver and his eyeballs they wouldn't charge her anything. She stood to lose her home if she had been billed for the little they had already done for my uncle, so she agreed. And they didn't wait for him to die before they harvested his organs. They took them while he was still alive and then they took him off life support.
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That is terrible!
 
Pickle Juice said:
Oh it's not an irrational fear at all.

My uncle had a stroke, and his prognosis was excellent. Until they learned he had no insurance. Then all of a sudden he had zero chance of recovery, but if my aunt was willing to let them have his liver and his eyeballs they wouldn't charge her anything. She stood to lose her home if she had been billed for the little they had already done for my uncle, so she agreed. And they didn't wait for him to die before they harvested his organs. They took them while he was still alive and then they took him off life support.
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:sob::hug:


Moll. I dont. I have a huge panicy fear of needles. :/
 
Pickle Juice said:
Oh it's not an irrational fear at all.

My uncle had a stroke, and his prognosis was excellent. Until they learned he had no insurance. Then all of a sudden he had zero chance of recovery, but if my aunt was willing to let them have his liver and his eyeballs they wouldn't charge her anything. She stood to lose her home if she had been billed for the little they had already done for my uncle, so she agreed. And they didn't wait for him to die before they harvested his organs. They took them while he was still alive and then they took him off life support.
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Oh.My. God. I'm so sorry, Pickle.
 
Thank you everyone.

led.boots said:
PickleJuice, I am so sorry that happened to your family! Nothing like that should ever happen.

I shouldn't have spoken so glibly about it and won't again, and I am really sorry. The organ donation staff I've worked with are the only ones I can vouch for. :(
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Oh no, don't feel badly. There are good organizations and bad ones, good hospitals and bad ones, scrupulous doctors and unscrupulous ones. I think the only thing I have a 100% bad opinion of is the entire medical insurance paradigm we operate under in the USA. I can't think of a single good thing to say about it.
 
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Pickle Juice said:
Thank you everyone.



Oh no, don't feel badly. There are good organizations and bad ones, good hospitals and bad ones, scrupulous doctors and unscrupulous ones. I think the only thing I have a 100% bad opinion of is the entire medical insurance paradigm we operate under in the USA. I can't think of a single good thing to say about it.
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I am so with you on this one.
 
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I'm torn. I think it is the right thing to do, but I also feel very creeped out about the whole organ donation thing. It's like Frankenstein.

I am not listed as an organ donor anywhere. If I die before my husband, I think he would let any usable organs be harvested, whatevs. I won't care at that point.

I also do not donate blood. Watching blood come out of me through a needle makes me nauseous. Also, my husband donates blood to the community blood bank here, and they seriously call him weekly begging for him to set up an appointment to donate. Uh, he'll go in when he can, tyvm. No way in hell I'm going to get myself on their call list.

Well, they probably don't want my blood now, anyway.
 
I've always been a very enthusiastic organ donor but upon reading some of the stories in this thread I have to admit it kinda scares me now.
 
Alice-Bee said:
Moll. I dont. I have a huge panicy fear of needles. :/
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Yes, I think that is the same fear that stops a lot of people donating blood. I only asked the question as apart from myself and my brother I don't know anyone who donates blood. I have to look at the ceiling and pretend that I don't see the blood coming out of my arm.:D:eek:
 
As much as their are horror stories out there, as this thread gives example of, my head tells me and wants to believe that instances like that are the exception, not the standard. My heart tells me it is the compassionate thing to do, to give someone else a chance of longer life, rather than let my useable bits go to waste when I am no longer alive to use them. I am listed as an organ donor, and my close family knows my wishes, which is the important part. I guess I will take my chances that if it comes down to it, the medical professionals providing my care will put my interests first.

On that note, with advances in medical technology that are allowing scientists to grow organs, wouldn't it be wonderful if down the line there was no need for a donor list, or needless death from people not getting transplants in time?
 
RabbitLuvr said:
.I'm torn. I think it is the right thing to do, but I also feel very creeped out about the whole organ donation thing. It's like Frankenstein.

I am not listed as an organ donor anywhere. If I die before my husband, I think he would let any usable organs be harvested, whatevs. I won't care at that point.

I also do not donate blood. Watching blood come out of me through a needle makes me nauseous. Also, my husband donates blood to the community blood bank here, and they seriously call him weekly begging for him to set up an appointment to donate. Uh, he'll go in when he can, tyvm. No way in hell I'm going to get myself on their call list.

Well, they probably don't want my blood now, anyway.
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Same here on both these issues. I have to be lying down every time I get blood work or I will pass out. I can't look or think about it without getting nauseous and fainty. I also don't meet the requirements for giving blood , so I couldn't if I wanted to.
 
I guess technically I'm not allowed to be an organ donor but I always check the box anyway. Maybe the law will change before I die.
 
I stopped being an organ donor when someone got my organ and started a really bad Doors tribute band with it.
 
Digger said:
I guess technically I'm not allowed to be an organ donor but I always check the box anyway. Maybe the law will change before I die.
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Such bull ****. So many people WONT donate blood or organs, and they want to tell willing, compassionate people that they aren't allowed.
 
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Pickle Juice said:
Oh it's not an irrational fear at all.

My uncle had a stroke, and his prognosis was excellent. Until they learned he had no insurance. Then all of a sudden he had zero chance of recovery, but if my aunt was willing to let them have his liver and his eyeballs they wouldn't charge her anything. She stood to lose her home if she had been billed for the little they had already done for my uncle, so she agreed. And they didn't wait for him to die before they harvested his organs. They took them while he was still alive and then they took him off life support.
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Really sorry to hear this :(
 
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