time for a random poll

[mauvaise_etoile]

Well, it's been awhile since I've done a random poll. While waiting at the doctors today, I was reading all the notices on the wall. There was a very detailed flyer for Gift of Life, which is the local (perhaps national?) organ donation organization. I've always been rather indecisive about this myself. I have heard (and am not sure if it's

Comments

[artemis_archer]

I think that I'd like to be an organ donor, however I haven't checked off that little box on my driver's license yet. When I was sixteen and that question popped up I actually found myself kind of freaked out, like by agreeing to donate an organ I would wake up the next day and have a piano fall on my head. So I've told my family members that should anything happen I'd like to donate and when it comes time to renew my license in a few years I'll change the "no" to "yes". I agree with you on wanting to help someone out but not wanting to be used for scientific study.

There was actually an episode of Law and Order: SVU on recently about the whole organ donation thing and how few people donate. I mean, I know it sounds morbid but once you're gone, you're gone so why not help someone else out one last time. But that's just me.

[mauvaise_etoile]

It's too big of a decision to make when you're that young, I think. I had no desire to do it when I was a teenager.

The poster that I saw had numbers for Michigan only and I was shocked that only something like 700+ organs were donated and used. That just doesn't seem like a lot.

[yanks02]

I'm an organ donor. But I do have to say that donating your body to science is generally a different thing all together. But it is worth it. Being a PA student, having cadavers to work on is one of the most important parts of our education. If no one wants to donate their body to science, then the first time doctors or PAs actually work on a real body could be yours in an emergency. I'd feel alot better knowing that someone has dealt with the human body before cutting me open, and not just dissected pigs and rats.

[artemis_archer]

Ah, that's true. Do a lot of people donate to science or does it take forever before doctors have a chance to study a cadaver?

[mauvaise_etoile]

I'm definitely not against donating for science, I'm just not sure if it's something I personally want to do. I agree completely that having someone who has actually seen the inside of a body for themselves is WAY more reassuring.

[wickedevra]

I think I'd like to be. I'm not convinced that anything significant happens after we die, so if one can make life better for the living... Not that I've done anything about it. I know in South Africa you could sign up via the blood bank, but I'm a total baby about giving blood and haven't done so in years. *ashamed* Here in Aus I think one can register through the public Medicare system. Like you, I'd prefer to donate to an person in need rather than scary med students - I wonder if it's possible to specify?

I know that Jehovah's Witnesses may not accept blood transfusions for religious reasons (blood is meant to be sacred or something to that effect) so that could involve organ transfers since blood might be involved there, I'm not sure.

[mauvaise_etoile]

Yeah, I'm similar to you. I doubt that it's necessary to have all those organs in death/afterlife.

I started donating blood when I was 18 and I did so at minimum once a year. Then I went to France. I found out when I came back the Red Cross had imposed all of these restrictions on people who had stayed overseas for extended periods of time because of the Mad Cow scare. I was unamused. They *just* lifted the restrictions last year. I've been wanting to go again, but now I can't again! lol

I think JW's were the ones I was thinking of. I bet they're not allowed.

[schwarzbrille]

I'm torn on two points:

1. I believe giving organs does a great deal of good to those receiving them, and I'd much rather that than let them simply rot away in the ground.

2. I have, however, seen and had to work with the remains of people who have donated organs (usually eyes, for some reason). This sounds callous, but it is a right pain the ass for the morticians to both make the person look normal again (especially in the case of eyes) and to embalm them (when they're missing major organs, it's virtually impossible to get a full circulation going).

That said, I'm more than happy to donate my body to science, actually. The mortuary work on that is really easy (REALLY easy - the only hard part is dealing with the eye-stinging burn of the super-strong embalming fluid) AND it would do some good, by allowing students and researchers to further their studies.

[magicalobizuth]

OH! This was intriguing! Another reason to go with the promession if it is around when I go (after having donated).

[canutius]

Ditto Mag, and thanks for having posted that link then. It was interesting and I shall be keeping an eye out for it

[mauvaise_etoile]

That makes perfect sense!

I think I'm going to do a little research into this donation business.

So the population in Switz is declining? Wow.

[silent_kb]

My neighbor died unexpectedly at the age of 23. His family donated his organs and saved five lives and helped a blind person see again.

That was what made me decide for sure to donate my organs. If I can make someone else's life better, than why shouldn't I? I'm not using them.

[mauvaise_etoile]

That's the mentality that I have mostly.