People Who Refuse To Organ Donate

[blas87]

Just a few weeks ago at work, my coworker Michelle and I were showing our other coworker Mo what the under 21 ID's look like (I'm over 21 now, but I can still keep this ID until it expires) and Mo noticed the "donor" sticker on my ID.

It sparked a huge spectacle. "I would never donate my organs, they are MINE!" was her reason.

"What are you going to do with your precious organs when you're dead, Mo?" we challenged her. "What use will they be to you?"

Of course, she couldn't answer.

I've been down this road before. My parents refused to let me be a donor until I was 18 years old or had my own insurance policy. (as in, yes, my parents would NOT let me select to be a donor because they were being cheap. Oh, the horror, if I die and someone could use my organs, my family MIGHT have to pay to ship my organs off! So no signing up to be an organ donor until I had my own insurance policy).

I'm a donor and damn proud of it. Why take your organs to heaven with you when heaven knows that we need them here on Earth? Unless there is some legit medical reason you cannot donate, why be so selfish? What do you need your organs for if you're dead?!

And for organ donation if you're still alive (say, donating a kidney to your parent), again, unless you have a real legit medical reason, why would you NOT want to help a family member? What is wrong with people? My cousin pulled that stunt when her father needed a kidney. She threw a fit over getting tested to see if she were a match, flat out refused to do it. Her sister tested a match, but the doctors gave her Hell for it because of her age (prime childbearing age and all, *puke*) and she fought it and fought it until they let her. Personally, I'd rather save my family member than let them get sicker or die just so I can pop out some rotten bratty little shit that will never be able to replace my family member. If any doctor ever dared tell me that me having a baby was more important than saving my father's life, I dare say I'd be in jail for assault.

However, there is one type of donation that I won't do....and maybe it makes me sound like a hypocrite....but I CANNOT do blood or plasma. The money makes it really hard to say no, but at the same time, the rate in which I exercise, the amount of time I put into working out...and seeing how weak and tired a lot of people get from donating...I can't do it. I have a few coworkers who donate every week, and one of them has passed out from doing it multiple times. I don't see why she keeps doing it.

But other than that...seriously. Are you telling me you're really going to try to horde your organs when you're dead? And is money that fucking important that it's worth more to save yourself money than saving someone else's life?!

[Greenday]

However, there is one type of donation that I won't do....and maybe it makes me sound like a hypocrite....but I CANNOT do blood or plasma. The money makes it really hard to say no, but at the same time, the rate in which I exercise, the amount of time I put into working out...and seeing how weak and tired a lot of people get from donating...I can't do it. I have a few coworkers who donate every week, and one of them has passed out from doing it multiple times. I don't see why she keeps doing it.

I was unaware you were allowed to donate so often. The first time I had blood taken, I nearly passed out, but I think that was because I had mono. I've done it twice a year for four years now and I've been fine ever since. Just eat some pretzels and some applejuice and continue on as normal.

That being said, I'm not an organ donor. I don't know why. I just don't like the idea that I could be recovering from a severe injury or coma and I might get misdiagnosed and have my organs taken from me, screwing me over.

[blas87]

I'm not sure what the actual limit is on donating blood/plasma. It's probably easy to scam and donate more if you live in a big city. And then you'll get really sick.

[Boozy]

I just don't like the idea that I could be recovering from a severe injury or coma and I might get misdiagnosed and have my organs taken from me, screwing me over.

The odds of such a clusterfuck occuring are one in a million. The odds that you could save a life by becoming an organ donor are much higher.

I hope you reconsider.

[Nyoibo]

There's also the fact that they don't harvest the organs until you're dead anyway.

[Pedersen]

I've been down this road before. My parents refused to let me be a donor until I was 18 years old or had my own insurance policy. (as in, yes, my parents would NOT let me select to be a donor because they were being cheap. Oh, the horror, if I die and someone could use my organs, my family MIGHT have to pay to ship my organs off! So no signing up to be an organ donor until I had my own insurance policy).

This is a falsehood. People who are organ donors do not pay (nor do their estates) to have their organs removed. It is always paid for by the recipient, according to everything I have ever read on the subject. Do not let that be an excuse.

"What are you going to do with your precious organs when you're dead, Mo?" we challenged her. "What use will they be to you?"

Of course, she couldn't answer.

I can answer. My organs keep me alive, and will continue to do so as long as possible.

However, there is a very valid (and non-religious) reason for refusing to donate your organs: That refusal can actually save your own life. With what I'm about to say, check with your doctor or other trusted medical personnel. They will tell you that I'm telling you the truth.

The ideal organ donor is someone under (roughly) 30 years old who gets into a horrific car accident, leaving them brain dead. The organs are young, and have a better chance of being useful at their destination. However, things have to move quickly. A determination is made at the scene of the accident as to which of two basic treatment paths will be taken with you.

Medicine has discovered this about truly horrific accidents: The colder the body is, the greater the chance of survival with minimal long term injury and/or brain damage. I don't understand the actual mechanics behind it well enough to explain it to others. I only know that I've asked, and had it confirmed.

The opposite path, though, is required for organ transplant. The organs will do fine in such conditions, unless/until they are removed for transplant. At that time, they need to be as warm as possible. This results in them having a longer viability outside the body.

So, as I said, a determination is made before your unconscious body has even reached the hospital: The EMTs will do everything they can to force your body temperature one way or the other based on the orders of a doctor who has not yet even seen you. And that treatment path will dictate your chances of recovery without significant injuries.

After that, if you haven't already made the choice, comes the hell for your family: Hospitals have at least one person (maybe more, depends on the hospital) whose job it is to get family members to agree to donation. And they are, essentially, high pressure salesmen. They go in and speak to family members who are already undergoing psychological trauma, and do everything short of pointing a gun at their head to make them sign the forms.

Finally, the actual organ removal, and something that people may not know: Your body is still alive when the first cuts are made. Your heart is still beating, your lungs are still breathing. You are still alive. And your body reacts as if pain is being experienced when those cuts occur. Quite literally, they cut your still beating heart out of your chest. You are killed by the team of surgeons operating on you, and they do it very deliberately.

And they don't just take a few of them. When people think "I will be an organ donor," they usually think of donating heart, liver, lungs, that sort of thing. They don't think of intestines, bones, eyes, skin. The transplant teams take everything they possibly can. In fact, they take so much that the funeral home has a very difficult time making your body look presentable enough that your family can have an open casket funeral (assuming they want one).

Organ donation is a beautiful gift, to be sure. But the industry behind it is a horror.

I have checked these things over with medical personnel whom I trust, and the facts above have been confirmed by them. I have discussed this with my family, and they understand my reasoning.

As such, I choose not to be an organ donor on the grounds that I want to survive. I want every chance for my body to heal, and I want the best possible chances for that to occur.

There's also the fact that they don't harvest the organs until you're dead anyway.

And, as I've mentioned above, Nyoibo: They harvest before the body is dead. You are labelled as brain dead (but, as I discussed above, that was hastened by the treatment path that was chosen). but your body is definitely not dead.

[Greenday]

Reminds me of my friend's brother who was assaulted to the point he was brain dead on St. Patrick's Day this year. He was brain dead, but still alive while they took out his organs and killed him.

[Cat]

I have a few coworkers who donate every week, and one of them has passed out from doing it multiple times. I don't see why she keeps doing it.

I donated blood twice, and I was told I had to wait at least 3 montsh to donate again.....has something changed?

I should donate again (O Neg, baby!!) but the drive are always during work hours,..grrr


I am an organ donater on my card....debatind whether I'll keep it nex time i renew

[AdminAssistant]

You can donate plasma 1-2 times a week.

I'm an organ donor. Yes, I'm aware of everything that Pedersen said - a friend was killed in a car accident and they had him hooked up to machines for 3 days waiting for his brain function to get to the point where his organs were viable. His heart was beating, his lungs were breathing, but for all true intents and purposes, he was dead. And when they do harvest my organs, I want them to take everything they possibly can, hell, shave my head and use the hair to make wigs for cancer patients for all I care (I've actually been told by dentists to be sure to donate my teeth, because I have some rare thing on a few of them). Cremate the rest. I don't want my body to be pumped full of chemicals so people can walk by and stare at my dead body. ICK.

If my choice is between lying in a vegetative coma in a hospital and dying while saving lives in the process, I want to die.

[Boozy]

If my choice is between lying in a vegetative coma in a hospital and dying while saving lives in the process, I want to die.

I agree. Brain dead is still dead.

I've also indicated that I want every bit of tissue I have to be harvested. I don't want my grieving family to end up in the clutches of the funeral industry. If there's no body to deal with, then they can have a simple wake in the comfort of a friend's home.

[kiwi]

I am a donor, but I think it has to be a personal choice. I don't think people should be shamed into being a donor or shamed for not being a donor.

I also believe that being brain dead is the same as being dead. A machine breathing for me is not living, with little to no chance of any kind of recovery is just exsisting.

[AFPheonix]

I"m a donor as well. If I ever ended up in a position where I was like Terry Schiavo, just take me out in the back 40 and shoot me. Eesh. For all intents and purposes, even if my heart is still beating and my lungs still working, the real me has already left the building. Feel free to take what looks good enough to use.

[tabbyblack13]

I am also a donor as well. If I'm dead I don't need the organs. Unfortunately in my job field there is a chance I will be killed at work and the possibility of donation will be nil. I also believe if I'm brain dead, well I'm gone to some other place. The only thing I can't donate is blood. I'm O+ but my veins cannot handle the needle. My last straw was "lets wiggle it (the needle) and see if the clog clears". OUCH!!!!! The sad thing is that there wasn't enough in the bag to be used by a person.

I know that there are a few religions that forbid this. I knew a family that was of one of these religions. It is their choice to believe this.

[Seshat]

I'm not a donor, but it's for the same reason I'm not a parent. Noone wants the illnesses I have. You can't even usefully take my corneas - if they were any worse, I'd be on the list as a cornea recipient.

But if I were healthy, I'd be a donor.

And yes, if my eyes were healthy, I'd donate my corneas. I know what keratoconia is like* - corneal donation is, quite literally, the gift of sight.

(Hm. Actually, I'd better take myself off the list - or get myself put on a no-donation list as unsuitable for medical reasons.)


* I only have it to a 'legally blind' level in one eye, the other eye is sighted. I can close my left eye and see the world as a severely sight impaired person - and if I ever do lose that eye, I'm damn well getting that corneal transplant in the right. I don't want to stay 'blind'.

[BlaqueKatt]

So, as I said, a determination is made before your unconscious body has even reached the hospital: The EMTs will do everything they can to force your body temperature one way or the other based on the orders of a doctor who has not yet even seen you.

yes because they know you're a tissue match for someone on a waiting list, they know your blood type and that you don't have HIV, Hepatitis, Cancer-etc


ETA-the whole "lower temperature preserves tissues" thing is only relevant for drowning victims or victims of heart failure, due to the fact that if your heart stops beating organ damage occurs due to lack of oxygen causing tissue death-if you have head trauma but your heart is still beating your organs are perfectly fine as they are not being deprived of anything.

Funny all the EMT's(one was my ex-husband-but I bet he just didn't think I needed to know that) I know don't even contact a hospital until the patient is stabilized(as much as possible) and en route to the nearest hospital-and then it's only to get the info they have to the staff so they can be ready to take over. My mother was an ER nurse and I asked her, she says she's never heard something so preposterous, especially as it's usually a nurse and not a doctor manning the radio in the ER-doctors are needed elsewhere. Both her and I are organ donors, as is my sister and my husband. And it's "myths" like these that keep our organ supplies low.

And this "myth" of organ donors are killed by the ER staff has been around since the 70's-I heard tales of ambulance drivers carrying a plumber's wrench to bash in the skull of anyone with an organ donor card-yup that happend I'm sure of it

After that, if you haven't already made the choice, comes the hell for your family: Hospitals have at least one person (maybe more, depends on the hospital) whose job it is to get family members to agree to donation. And they are, essentially, high pressure salesmen. They go in and speak to family members who are already undergoing psychological trauma, and do everything short of pointing a gun at their head to make them sign the forms.

By law they can only ask once, and they can only do it after the patient has been declared brain dead.

And yes, if my eyes were healthy, I'd donate my corneas. I know what keratoconia is like* - corneal donation is, quite literally, the gift of sight.

Actually they can take your corneas without your consent (federal law)-it's usually done by the ME at your autopsy-your eyelids are glued shut at the same time. But if they're not healthy-I doubt they would.