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Organ donation?

generalebriety

That was another of my worries... your heart can stop for around 4 minutes before you start to die. Within those 4 minutes they will have you on an operating table with your back open removing your kidneys, because if they don't, your kidneys start to 'die' too, and become useless. If, during those 4 minutes, your heart starts again, you're still alive... as long as your kidneys haven't already been removed. :smile:

I mean insensitive towards your family who might have to see basically a skeleton (no internal organs, no eyes, maybe skin taken off) of you as you lie in your coffin, rather than your full body. If you fell under a bus or something you'd be rushed to hospital, and if you died, you'd be cut open, straight away. No goodbyes from your family (pointless as it is when you're dead, it would still hold important emotional value for them). That would be insensitive.

If you got hit by a bus, then I doubt your organs would be of any use as they would probably be damaged.

Reply 21

generalebriety

OP

16

guitargirl03

If you got hit by a bus, then I doubt your organs would be of any use if as they would probably be damaged.

That's what we have rib cages for. :smile:

You might smash your head open on the floor and die but all the organs behind your rib cage might still be ok...

Reply 22

bedbug

14

They can have anything except my corneas. The thought of them gauging out my eyes is just too minging. They can take anything else they want.

Reply 23

generalebriety

OP

16

squirly

They can have anything except my corneas. The thought of them gauging out my eyes is just too minging. They can take anything else they want.

Wouldn't they remove your skull to do that...?

Reply 24

Laura Lou

13

generalebriety - would you be willing to accept a donated organ/go on the transplant list if you needed to?

Reply 25

Gem

14

I'm on the list, they can have everything apart from my corneas. Dunno why but that freaks me out a bit :s:

Reply 26

Spam-mi-am

I've been a doner for quite a while. Lets see how many of you are willing to put donation in writing.

Reply 27

Johnny 5

12

Spam-mi-am

I've been a doner for quite a while.

I don't think they quite meant that kind of donation.

Although, given the kebabs I've had, it'd explain a lot.

Reply 28

Spam-mi-am

2 5 +

I don't think they quite meant that kind of donation. Although, given the kebabs I've had, it'd explain a lot.

lol

Reply 29

foxo

17

I'm a registered organ donor for everything except the corneas. I wasn't against it at first, but after receiving a talk trying to persaude people on organ donation, it actually had the opposite effect on me. Really revolting. So, yes, everything but the corneas. I somehow doubt they'll have much use for my liver though. At my rate of drinking I'll need another by 40.

Reply 30

gossipgirly

I am 100% for organ donation, and I honestly have difficulty in understanding why people are so against it, particularly for the reason that it just icks them out a bit.

If I was ill and needed an organ I wouldnt think twice about accepting one, so its only fair that I am willing to donate an organ. Plus I'd be dead so its not like theyre going to be of any use to me :biggrin:

And its not like doctors are gonna stop doing everything they can to save your life just because you are an organ donor, neither will they start cutting you up without being 100% certain that you are dead.

Reply 31

Chumbaniya

17

What's the deal with corneas? Even though it might sound unpleasant while you're alive, the thought of them removing any of my organs now isn't too nice, but I know once I'm dead what they take won't have any impact on me. I'm registered to donate everything that I'm able to.

Reply 32

qwerty_st/n

11

I would prefer them not to take, say, my eyes, as if I was in, like, an open coffin, it would stressful for people I think.

The cornea is only the clear layer on the surface of the eye. A colleague of mine went to the Cornea Transplant Service bank in Manchester. She told me that they don't take the whole eye out, so why has everyone got hang-ups about donating their corneas? It's not as if they take your whole eye out and put it into someone elses head!!

I also herad that sometimes, they can't tell if you are still alive of not because your vital signs are so low, and slow. That's why my dad said he would never be an organ donor as he didn't want to run the risk of them actually killing, as him in the ensuing rush to get the organs out they may miss the chance to realise that he is still alive.

They would check that you were brain stem dead before taking your organs out.

Harvesting is actually done in a totally respectful manner. Near me, donor's bodies are taken to Speke for this, and it's carried out in a really nice, clean environment. Families of donors are also cared for by the transplant co-ordinators.

There are policies and guidelines which govern the conduct of transplant co-ordinators and hospitals. There is also The Human Tissue Act (2004) to ensure that there's not another occurrence of Alder Hey.

The process of retrieving organs is nowhere near as barbaric as people seem to believe.

[edit] Also, the undertakers will make the body look presentable, it's their job. They also remove any bits that shouldn't be in there (that have been put in in hospital, such as catheters, and the like). I've also been led to believe that they pad bodies up so that they don't look hollow. So a family would never be in a situation where they see a loved one's body, following organ retrieval, looking like a hollow, empty shell.

Reply 33

M'Lady

12

generalebriety

That was another of my worries... your heart can stop for around 4 minutes before you start to die. Within those 4 minutes they will have you on an operating table with your back open removing your kidneys, because if they don't, your kidneys start to 'die' too, and become useless. If, during those 4 minutes, your heart starts again, you're still alive... as long as your kidneys haven't already been removed. :smile:

I mean insensitive towards your family who might have to see basically a skeleton (no internal organs, no eyes, maybe skin taken off) of you as you lie in your coffin, rather than your full body. If you fell under a bus or something you'd be rushed to hospital, and if you died, you'd be cut open, straight away. No goodbyes from your family (pointless as it is when you're dead, it would still hold important emotional value for them). That would be insensitive.

If my heart is stopping I don't mind if I'm not entirely dead and they cut out my useful organs, because my heart would be slowing down for the reason that I would be dying anyway. Why not put me out of my misery?

When I die, I don't want to be gawped at in a coffin, I want to be put in a cardboard box and burried by my loved ones in a large abandoned field with no grave stone and Nina Simone's "I Got Life" playing loudly. I believe that if I live my life well enough then I won't need a stone plaque to be remembered. I can't imagine looking at a dead person would be too pleasant without organs in, but I'm not sure it's too pleasant with organs in either.

EDIT: Also I became a blood donor in June. It's great, I felt really good afterwards and I can't wait for next time. How long do you have to wait between giving blood?

Reply 34

qwerty_st/n

11

The One and Only Lady Jennington

EDIT: Also I became a blood donor in June. It's great, I felt really good afterwards and I can't wait for next time. How long do you have to wait between giving blood?

16 weeks minimum between donations.

Reply 35

Coombe

10

I'd donate any part of me but i'm not on the list...should be, but that's kinda scarey to sign on to. However, my Mum knows my views and so would agree to it when i die.

Reply 36

M'Lady

12

Coombe

I'd donate any part of me but i'm not on the list...should be, but that's kinda scarey to sign on to. However, my Mum knows my views and so would agree to it when i die.

If you are going to do so anyway, why not sign up? It's not as if you're signing your life away. You can find a form in a local hospital, health centre or GP's (they are often in other public places too). You send away the form and they have a card attached which you keep to carry on you incase anything should happen to you the people who deal with you will know you are a donor. The other option is to sign up online, which is what I did, I haven't received a card through the post but I've told my family my feelings on the subject. :smile:

It's easy really.

Reply 37

RachelBabyfrog

14

Yeah, I'm on the list... no good to me when I'm dead, after all :smile:

Reply 38

El Scotto

15

I'd never donate the whole of me, I know what students do with the bodies once 'medical science' gets hold of them.... lol.

Also Im getting my head frozen so It can be reattached to a body cloned from myself far far into the future.

apart from that, the other bits and bobs of me i'm not really gonna need am i.