Have you got an organ doner card?

[for_heaven's_Saint]

Good to see that organ donations have risen drastically in the last few years: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22086086

 

Do you have a doner card? If not, why not?

 

Personally I think organ donation should be opt out rather than opt in. Is there any reason not to donate them, other than on religious grounds?

[KelvinsRightGlove]

I cannot understand a religion or person that would not want to help someone after they have died.

 

I 100% think it should be opt out.

 

What the f!!k are you going to do with your organs when you are dead? Maybe I am being simplistic/romantic/idealistic, but I cannot for the life of me think of a better thing to do, or a better legacy to leave than potentially help give someone a new lease of, or at least an improved quality of life in your death.

 

I think it makes peoples lives, and I guess their death too, that much more valuable.

[Minty]

Not got a card specifically, but it is on my driving licence.

 

I completely agree with you both above, but there will always be those who are against it, either on personal or religious grounds.

[jjsaint]

Donor. Doner is a kebab, and organ doner doesn't bear thinking about (although I'm sure it is an accurate description of some of the meat's ingredients).

 

I certainly want my organs going to someone if they can be used. Not possible to specify 'no skates' though.

[badgerx16]

I disagree about the 'opt-out' version, not on religious grounds, it's just that it's MY body, not the NHS's. What happens with it is up to me, ( and I do have a donor card ). There was a transplant nurse on the radio news this morning who kept referring to transplant donors as giving a 'gift', and when asked the opt-out question said she would prefer it to stay as it is, just work even harder to persuade people to opt-in.

[Dimond Geezer]

I use to give blood regularly, until I was put on medication 20-odd year ago, which meant I could no longer get a free cup of tea & a biccy, so although I'm on the list, I don't think I can actually donate my organs.

[Whitey Grandad]

Donor. Doner is a kebab, and organ doner doesn't bear thinking about (although I'm sure it is an accurate description of some of the meat's ingredients).

 

I certainly want my organs going to someone if they can be used. Not possible to specify 'no skates' though.

As Barry Humphries said, 'The trouble with doner kebabs is that you don't know who the donor was'.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

I use to give blood regularly, until I was put on medication 20-odd year ago, which meant I could no longer get a free cup of tea & a biccy, so although I'm on the list, I don't think I can actually donate my organs.

 

Diabetics, once diagnosed, can no longer give blood. I'd hazard a guess that organ donation may well be also out of the question.

[for_heaven's_Saint]

I use to give blood regularly, until I was put on medication 20-odd year ago, which meant I could no longer get a free cup of tea & a biccy, so although I'm on the list, I don't think I can actually donate my organs.

 

I wouldn't be so sure. My Dad died about 18months ago. He'd had heart operations, died of kidney failure and was on lots of medication so the normal 'big' organs were out of the question, but parts of his eyes (gruesome to think about I know) went to saving someone else's sight.

[hutch]

Donor. Doner is a kebab, and organ doner doesn't bear thinking about (although I'm sure it is an accurate description of some of the meat's ingredients).

It's a kind of hot dog. Foot long in my case.

[Dimond Geezer]

I wouldn't be so sure. My Dad died about 18months ago. He'd had heart operations' date=' died of kidney failure and was on lots of medication so the normal 'big' organs were out of the question, but parts of his eyes (gruesome to think about I know) went to saving someone else's sight.[/quote']

 

In that case they can decide what they want when I'm on the slab, I'm still on the list, so there shouldn't be any problems.

What they don't want can go towards the SWF doner night.

[scotty]

I disagree about the 'opt-out' version, not on religious grounds, it's just that it's MY body, not the NHS's. What happens with it is up to me, ( and I do have a donor card ). There was a transplant nurse on the radio news this morning who kept referring to transplant donors as giving a 'gift', and when asked the opt-out question said she would prefer it to stay as it is, just work even harder to persuade people to opt-in.

 

 

This.

 

The opt-out idea is wrong imho. Any potential donor should have clearly expressed their wishes before dying, otherwise how could their relatives know what they would have wished to happen to their body and whether to agree to it?

 

fwiw, I do carry a donor card, with a sentence added in marker pen which reads "I wouldn't bother with the liver." Might as well be honest.

[bridge too far]

This.

 

The opt-out idea is wrong imho. Any potential donor should have clearly expressed their wishes before dying, otherwise how could their relatives know what they would have wished to happen to their body and whether to agree to it?

 

fwiw, I do carry a donor card, with a sentence added in marker pen which reads "I wouldn't bother with the liver." Might as well be honest.

 

I think the problem at the moment is that relatives can override the wishes of someone who carried a donor card.

[for_heaven's_Saint]

I think the problem at the moment is that relatives can override the wishes of someone who carried a donor card.

 

My dad didn't have a card so we had to decide. Luckily we were fairly confident that he shared the same views as us.

[Barry Sanchez]

Its something I will comsider or should consider as all people I think should, for one thing holding me back and I dont really know why is the religeous issue of it all.

[Toadhall Saint]

Yep and its also logged against my Drivers Licence.

[Huffton]

Dont have a card but its on my driving licence, take what you want, it won't be any good to me.

[Manuel]

Do you have a doner card? If not' date=' why not?[/quote']

I'm not very comfortable with the concept of passing body organs between people. I have no religious objection being a non-believer. I am also in favour of people being able to do what they want with their bodies. But after death I think that people's bodies should be respected unless you've made a specific request to leave it to science/NHS/whatever.

 

I suspect that stem cell technology is probably the way forward for such medical problems, creating body parts from new rather than recycling used material. I imagine that human transplant will one day be a thing of the past.

[Smirking_Saint]

I'm not very comfortable with the concept of passing body organs between people. I have no religious objection being a non-believer. I am also in favour of people being able to do what they want with their bodies. But after death I think that people's bodies should be respected unless you've made a specific request to leave it to science/NHS/whatever.

 

I suspect that stem cell technology is probably the way forward for such medical problems, creating body parts from new rather than recycling used material. I imagine that human transplant will one day be a thing of the past.

 

It may be, and hopefully it really is a possibility for the future. I fail to understand however, especially from a non believer, what the issues are with donating organs. Especially after you have gone. I willingly went on the donor list, as well asgiving blood and also down for platelets and marrow etc. Now, the latter two are painful so can understand why people dont do this in life however after death surely nothing matters more then improving someones life ?

 

The only instance I can understand is the eyes as its possibly not nice for family to see the deceased with different eyes.

[Huffton]

 

The only instance I can understand is the eyes as its possibly not nice for family to see the deceased with different eyes.

 

I may be wrong, but I believe its only the corneas they transplant, not the whole eye.

[KelvinsRightGlove]

It may be, and hopefully it really is a possibility for the future. I fail to understand however, especially from a non believer, what the issues are with donating organs. Especially after you have gone. I willingly went on the donor list, as well asgiving blood and also down for platelets and marrow etc. Now, the latter two are painful so can understand why people dont do this in life however after death surely nothing matters more then improving someones life ?

 

The only instance I can understand is the eyes as its possibly not nice for family to see the deceased with different eyes.

 

I still just don't get it.

 

As I said, maybe I'm over romanticising it (I do that with things sometimes). But, I really don't get why you would rather a loved ones body parts rot/be burned than live on through someone else?

[Manuel]

It may be, and hopefully it really is a possibility for the future. I fail to understand however, especially from a non believer, what the issues are with donating organs. Especially after you have gone. I willingly went on the donor list, as well asgiving blood and also down for platelets and marrow etc. Now, the latter two are painful so can understand why people dont do this in life however after death surely nothing matters more then improving someones life ?

 

The only instance I can understand is the eyes as its possibly not nice for family to see the deceased with different eyes.

I am generally in favour of medicine and I am certainly in favour of science and look forward with interest to every technological advance and the good which it can achieve (in this case stem cell research etc). But the chopping up of dead human beings in order to take its organs is a line which I won't say shouldn't be crossed (again, I am in favour of people doing what they want) but wonder if it's rather regressive scientifically. I also wonder if the practice reflects desperation, a desperation to make people well urgently, the focus of which which I can appreciate and have sympathy for, but is not necessarily a great starting point for sensible or well reasoned decisions about our loved ones, their lives and their bodies. Like I say I imagine that it's a practice which will be superseded by other methods in the future.

[bridge too far]

I don't understand the preoccupation with a dead body. I know some people think the body is (I'm going to say) sacrosanct (because I can't think of the word that I want). To me the memory of the dead person is far more important and I think if a relative of mine donated an organ, I'd get huge comfort from knowing that they might have helped someone else.

[Smirking_Saint]

Of course itll be superseeded but I really cant see the arguement that cutting up dead bodies is senseless considering they are only going to be buried (and so rot) or burned ?

 

Its not a barbaric act, they are carefully removed by surgeons to the benefit of a human who is still very much alive and so these procedures would improve their life.

 

Do you not agree with surgical procedures in general then ? Or anything invasive ? Or is it just the act of removing body parts ? FWIW I can sort of understand that part, and yes I do hope that their are more respectful ways to aid other people in the future but right now there is not. So if I can help someone elses Husband or Wife I will do. After all, my family will not 'miss' my organs, and nor will I

[SO16_Saint]

I think that it should be an opt-out arrangement personally

[scotty]

Of course itll be superseeded but I really cant see the arguement that cutting up dead bodies is senseless considering they are only going to be buried (and so rot) or burned ?

 

Its not a barbaric act, they are carefully removed by surgeons to the benefit of a human who is still very much alive and so these procedures would improve their life.

 

Do you not agree with surgical procedures in general then ? Or anything invasive ? Or is it just the act of removing body parts ? FWIW I can sort of understand that part, and yes I do hope that their are more respectful ways to aid other people in the future but right now there is not. So if I can help someone elses Husband or Wife I will do. After all, my family will not 'miss' my organs, and nor will I

 

Its apparently not a nice thing to watch, smirker. The still-functioning body is declared brain-dead, then they get started, and it writhes all over the place during the organ removal, very distressing for the family. The only bodies of any use are those that are brain-dead but still breathing and to all intents and purposes functioning normally. I carry a card, but I hope like hell that I dont die in such a way for it to become relevant.

[Essruu]

Anyone who doesn't organ donate is just selfish. I'd like somebody else to enjoy my Bontempi after my death.

[Smirking_Saint]

Its apparently not a nice thing to watch, smirker. The still-functioning body is declared brain-dead, then they get started, and it writhes all over the place during the organ removal, very distressing for the family. The only bodies of any use are those that are brain-dead but still breathing and to all intents and purposes functioning normally. I carry a card, but I hope like hell that I dont die in such a way for it to become relevant.

 

Do they invite the fam in to watch then ? Like some reward ?

 

Here, thank you so much for donating the kidneys, we will also be using this bit and that bit, dont worry about the shaking, sorry about that blood.

 

Thanks again

[tony13579]

I am generally in favour of medicine and I am certainly in favour of science and look forward with interest to every technological advance and the good which it can achieve (in this case stem cell research etc). But the chopping up of dead human beings in order to take its organs is a line which I won't say shouldn't be crossed (again, I am in favour of people doing what they want) but wonder if it's rather regressive scientifically. I also wonder if the practice reflects desperation, a desperation to make people well urgently, the focus of which which I can appreciate and have sympathy for, but is not necessarily a great starting point for sensible or well reasoned decisions about our loved ones, their lives and their bodies. Like I say I imagine that it's a practice which will be superseded by other methods in the future.

 

My wife 44 has MS and Pulmonary Hypertension ( over growth of the smooth tissue in the lungs on the blood side creating very high blood pressure in the lung side of the heart.) untreated the life expectancy from diagnosis is 2.4 years.

 

The cure for this is a heart lung transplant. BUT.... At present any one with another condition like diabetes or MS will not receive a heart lung transplant even though it is possible. Heart lung transplants only go to young otherwise fit people (I also suspect they are rationed to people with very young children) I was blankly told she will not get a transplant although successful ops have been done in the USA

 

Heart lung transplants are considered a success if the patient survives 5-15 years. Diabetes or MS is unlikely to get the patient in this time frame.

 

The truth is my wife and others could be cured and live 30 years+ with a transplant if organ donation was assumed. We are not talking about short term gains.

[KelvinsRightGlove]

My wife 44 has MS and Pulmonary Hypertension ( over growth of the smooth tissue in the lungs on the blood side creating very high blood pressure in the lung side of the heart.) untreated the life expectancy from diagnosis is 2.4 years.

 

The cure for this is a heart lung transplant. BUT.... At present any one with another condition like diabetes or MS will not receive a heart lung transplant even though it is possible. Heart lung transplants only go to young otherwise fit people (I also suspect they are rationed to people with very young children) I was blankly told she will not get a transplant although successful ops have been done in the USA

 

Heart lung transplants are considered a success if the patient survives 5-15 years. Diabetes or MS is unlikely to get the patient in this time frame.

 

The truth is my wife and others could be cured and live 30 years+ with a transplant if organ donation was assumed. We are not talking about short term gains.

 

Exactly why it should be opt out, and I don't even think that is enough.

 

Truly sorry to hear about your wife. Not that it means much from some nobody on interwebs.