Posted on 08/26/2006 9:39:03 AM PDT by The Cuban
This morning, I renewed my driver's license. Of course, on the application they asked me if I wanted to donate my organs in the eventuality of my death.
Being an altruist by nature, my first reaction was, why not, it could help somebody. But then a fear crept into my head - what if I was seriously ill, and "they" decided to hasten my as of yet not-inevitable death to harvest my organs?
While my first reaction was that is absurd, I decided to chose "no" given the well grounded fear that in today's society, where life is given no meaning by medical "ethicists", someone could consider my death to be a convenient expedient.
I am angry. I know that by checking "yes", I could have possibly given someone a chance to survive in the future but chose not to do so to save myself.
I am angrier that I had to think in this manner, thanks to the culture of death.
I am angriest, that I am not the only one who has so decided, and that as a result I am convinced that people who could otherwise have been saved have died as a result of an artificially low number of organ donations.
Just another day on the slippery slope.
Thanks. My wife's pet project for years has been organ donation. She knew just where to get all the info. She started yelling at my computer very loudly when she read this, and wouldn't stop until I replied.
Trust or not, the threat of liability is enough to keep doctors from intentionally killing you or letting you die in order to take your organs. That, and the fact that there is simply no incentive, financial or otherwise, to YOUR MEDICAL TEAM to procure an organ from you to give to someone else. Even if you were jaded enough to say "They're trying to make money for the hospital", there's no likelihood the organ is going to any facility or doctor that they have any vested interest with.
i'm pretty sure the hospital wouldn't want to stir that up
and open everyone involved to legal issues. i just wouldn't
want that potential battle to exist for my family to deal
with. i would rather make my wishes clearly known to them
and empower them to make decisions. i truly believe those
are personal decisions that should be made by families not
hospitals, doctors, etc.
btw, pat is clear on my wishes :D
And this is supposed to be an argument?
My wife's pet project for years has been organ donation..
Are you afraid open the fridge?
Well, she has been complaining about needing a bigger one...
If one person reads this summary of rumors and decides not to donate, it will be on your hands.
See Obi-Wandreas' excellent post for source links that refute all these dangerous myths and rumors.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1690440/posts?page=62#62
I urge you to have the AM add (Urbalnd Legends and Rumors) to your headline.
How about at the time I didn't know that it was a lie? I don't lie on purpose. The myth/lie/whatever was told to me and a co-worker checked on it and got the "no comment" response from a state worker, a person gets concerned. I am GLAD I got better info here.
LOL! Good for her, but just in case I would turn my computer's listening device to Mute ;)
That is one of my reasons for not being a donor.
Why should the surgeons profit from it and the family get nothing but additional expenses and loss?
Surgeons should donate their income from it to the families as just as thoughtful a gift as the organ.
I think their point is that smokers are discriminated against in various aspects of life. But, as I posted earlier:
What are the qualifications for living donors?In order to qualify as a living donor, an individual must be physically fit, in good general health, and free from high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease and heart disease.
Should I stop smoking before my surgery?
You must stop smoking to be a donor, even if you are a light smoker.
They wouldn't take a smoker's donation anyway, so the point is moot.
Who's arguing? I am GLAD you posted that. I am GLAD I found out the truth. I know you share the joy with me.
If one person reads this summary of rumors and decides not to donate, it will be on your hands.
What those unwilling to donate don't know is that medical professionals will take them anyway -- whatever they put on their driver's licenses. Sometimes doctors will hunt recalcitrant donors for sport on remote islands and then auction their organs off in smoke filled rooms of third world countries to the highest bidder.
And I'm sure you do all your work for free as well, as a gift to those you serve. Our whole economy works that way < /sarcasm >
All, yes, I'm an organ donor, if they want them. There is such a tight set of circumstances that lead to organs being of any value, there will always be a shortage.
I'm truly amazed at the nonsense and wive's tales I've read on this discussion. As a surgery resident at one of the busiest kidney transplant centers in the nation, and someone currently doing cardiac surgery--with a dozen patients in the hospital in need of a heart transplant to live beyond this year, I know first hand how the transplant system works.
First and foremost we do everything to save the critically ill patient. The idea of allowing someone's demise so we can get their organs for transplant is patently absurd, but unfortunately a belief that keeps thousands from donating organs. But, when someone has just died (usually from car wrecks) or is brain dead and the family is going to withdraw support, that is when the subject of donation is approached with the pt's family. Only with the approval of the pt's family is someone made an organ donor (ie if you checked yes on the DL but your family refuses to allow donation your organs are not donated). This is mainly due to liability and not wanting to add pain to a family's loss, so it is critical that in addition to checking yes you let your family know your wishes.
The whole idea of organ donation is to find some positive from a horrible situation. I have seen more young people killed in horrible ways than anyone should see, but I know when those families donate, some good will come out of tragedy. And everytime I see a young healthy person die from trauma and their family declines to donate I am disappointed that their loss is not turned into hope for someone else.
In regards to the donor list, it is a system designed to best allocate a limited resource and it ensures that all are treated equally. It does not matter how wealthy or poor, or how valuable to society one may be, your rank on the list is based on the level of illness. It is the best system I see to try and fairly decide who gets a life saving treatment.
I hope all of you who have stated that you will not donate reconsider and tell your family your wishes. There are thousands of wonderful people waiting for a liver/kidney/or heart to hopefully live a normal life with their family.
I was just being a tad sarcastic. The surgeons could keep a few thousand and toss a bone to immediate family.
How's that, better?
; )
"That is one of my reasons for not being a donor.
"
Read on. That information is patently incorrect. Donors and their families are NEVER charged for removal of organs to be donated. NEVER.
It's an ugly rumor started by the anti-everything folks.
It's incorrect information. It's not true. It is a lie.
Should I say it several more times in different ways? I can.
There is a good post in the thread that demonstrates the facts.
Bullsqueeze. Doctors attempted to charge us for donations from my Grandmother's body until we pitched a stink about it.
I agree with your statement. Otherwise, your organs could very likely go to a death row prison inmate. Wouldn't that be just grand? I think not.
And more people would if there wasn't a price ceiling of $0 for the donors. Once again, socialism kills.
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