Organ Donation

[thomassina]

I've heard a lot of horror stories about organ donation, one is that if you sign up to be an organ donor that sometimes when you're in an accident the doctors  wont try hard to save your life and that the donor is still alive when the organ is taken. I heard a story similar to this on 1000 ways to die. How can a donor be sure that the doctors will try their absolute best to save them before an organ is taken?

[squirrelgirl44]

I don't think that is true at all.

I'm an organ donor.

[mlhnceh]

I'm an RN.  I can't imagine a doctor letting someone die to retrieve their organs.  There would be too many people around to witness and too much liability. 

[southernhorizons]

I've heard that before too. I don't think there's any truth to it, especially not in this country. There are so many checks that have to be done before a person is pronounced dead. I worked in a hospital, and I can tell you the doctors go above and beyond trying to save people, whether or not they are organ donors. In fact, sometimes I  wonder how anybody can ever die, because they have so many machines to keep bodily functions going when the person really is dead! Anyway, if I was that badly off that no one could tell if I was alive or dead, I'd rather they just took out my organs so I'd be really dead.

[bowrunner]

I doubt the that doctor's let people die to get their organs.  As stated above there would be too many people to witness it.

[oldbuddy]

You would be lucky to play chopsticks on my old organs without missing a few notes, so who would want them?

[gaylasue]

I'm have been on the organ donor list for many, many years.  If anything left is worth using when I get through with it, anyone who can use it is more than welcome to it!  I have even left instructions that my body can be donated to science for research.  I won't need it any more.  The Lord will give me a new glorified PERFECT body and mind!!

[smy0850]

That is a misconception. Think about it, how would the EMT's who come to rescue you even know whether or not your organs are any good? You can be a smoker with bad lungs, a drinker with bad kidneys, cancer within your body etc... They're not going to let you die only to find out your parts are no good. A friend of mind who works with donated organs taught me a lot. He said there's a long process the body & the family goes through before they are even allowed to use it.

[Drewvolner]

I'm an organ donor 

[dreamyxo]

I seriously doubt that.  I doubt getting organs is the first thing that crosses their minds when trying to save someone.  I think the main priority is saving that person's life not getting their organs.  I'm a donor as well.

[dell9031]

Highly doubtful.  Just make sure your accident doesn't happen in India....

[Linda67]

My husband and I were both donors.  He passed away from colon cancer about 5 years ago.  They were able to use his eyes for someone in need.  It's a really good feeling to know he was still able to help someone.   

[kaileemccann]

....

[Linda67]

I commented on this a couple of days ago, but, here I am again.  Today would have been my husband's birthday so this was tops on my list of things to think about today.  I should have added something else to my previous post.  I know some of you are probably too young to think about this kind of stuff, but some of you aren't, so here goes:  Please be sure to ask your doctor about getting a colonoscopy now and then.  His doctor never mentioned it and only did the test that can be done in the office.  I'm not sure of the spelling....I think it's a sigmoidoscopy?  By the time we knew he had a problem it was too late.  He only lived another 10 months.  Sorry for the sermon, but, this isn't something we can just blow off.  Thanks for listening.   

[footemama]

I'm not sure that anyone would have time to go digging for your license to see if you were an organ donor, and there are people out there who want to donate but because of this "rumor" don't list it on their licenses. So how would they know really. To them you are someone that is seriously injured and they are going to do everything in their power to save you.....when they can't, that is when they start asking the family about organ donation and such. Providing of course that the accident left anything useful intact.

Linda67: I'm very sorry for your loss. It is good to remind people that there are screening tests for many many diseases and it is best to take advantage of them when possible. No history of colon cancer in my family so I can probably wait for a bit before starting screenings but you can bet that when I hit the recommended age I will be going. I have watched too many people pass from things that could have been "cured" or could have given someone a much better chance of fighting had they gotten an early screening test to skimp on my own. I have been scolding my mother recently for not having Paps done, especially since she lost a very close friend to cervical cancer.