38 replies to this topic

[chachee]

So i caught a brief snippit on channel 7 about trying to get more donors. I dont have it on my licence...I have told DF that i do wish to be though. And apparently even if you do have it on your licence the final word is still with the family (which i find is bizarre) So im wondering if i dont have it on my licence but DF says yes then they still can....anyway rambling now

Will you be a donor?

[SusanKP]

I am a donor. There are not enough people in Australia who are. I totally understand that some people cannot due to religious and other views but I wish more and more people donated. I want all usable parts to go to someone or someones and then I want to be cremated too.

[Merla]

I would like to be a donor yes, but DH does not want me to be, so it is something we would need to discuss.

One of the issues that has been raised some time ago were some allegations that some doctors may not try quite as hard to save you if they know you are a donor as your body could save others. For DH there is also the issue of life support and when to turn it off, that comes into play with donors too.

I don't know about the validity of those allegations at all, and its defiantly something I would need to do more research on.

[caring-mum]

I'm a donor, have been since I got my Learners. Also I think these days you have to register with the organ donor register to make it official.
I think its a great thing to do. I know my family would never go against my wishes as they know I'm all for helping people. I offered to be a surrogate to a friend who was having trouble having a sticky baby. I just like the thought of helping someone - it's not like I need the organs anymore if I'm dead

[chachee]

Merla, on 16 April 2010 - 08:30 AM, said:

One of the issues that has been raised some time ago were some allegations that some doctors may not try quite as hard to save you if they know you are a donor as your body could save others.

Yes thats my fear also...thats the reason why I have informed DF of my choice....
Im sure the allergations are un-true and there is a very very small possibility in very few circamstances it could be true but still a fear for me.
I have been thinking more about donating blood though.

[mum2_1]

I'm a donor, as is DH - we both know (as do our families) that we want our organs donated.....even if it is on your licence you need to register with medicare/organ donor register.....they don't pay attention to your licence anymore if you're not registered as well.

[mokster26]

I'm a donor as is my DH. I have a card in my wallet with my donor registration details and am willing to donate everything (except I baulked at skin!!). I have never heard of doctors not working as hard to save one person because their organs are useful for others. There is no guarantee organ donation will be successful anyway - it is a delicate medical process subject to rejection etc so it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for a doctor to have that viewpoint in the first instance.

[Vandily]

Yep i would. DH and i have talked about it and life support stuff so we are clear on what each other wants.

[~earthylala~]

Yep I am, if it can help someone once my soul leaves then that is unreal.

[trin_007]

I've always ticked it on my drivers licence - everyone knows I won't be needing them if I'm dead!!! Might as well make some good come of it.

But... I think you also need to be on the Organ Donor Register: http://www.medicarea.../aodr/index.jsp

[melandem]

I had a friend doing PE training at uni, and they had to do a subject on anatomy...they used organ donors bodies at uni to cut up to learn from. How do you specify you want to save someones life and not be a training cadaver? not ticked on my licence due to this

[mokster26]

Cadavers are donating your body to science which is a completely different thing and nothing to do with organ donation.

[kazza02]

mokster26, on 16 April 2010 - 08:37 AM, said:

I'm a donor as is my DH. I have a card in my wallet with my donor registration details and am willing to donate everything (except I baulked at skin!!). I have never heard of doctors not working as hard to save one person because their organs are useful for others. There is no guarantee organ donation will be successful anyway - it is a delicate medical process subject to rejection etc so it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for a doctor to have that viewpoint in the first instance.

I wouldn't baulk at skin, your skin could provide much needed skin grafts for severe burns victims ..

I am a donor, have been since I got my learners and am registered to do so. My organs are worthless in the ground or in ashes on someone's mantel, I would hope that if I could save lives with each of my organs that's the best gift I could leave this world with.

My grandparents have told me they would like to be donated to UQ for science when they go, they are also organ donars I believe..

Edited by kazza02, 16 April 2010 - 08:51 AM.

[~earthylala~]

Merla, on 16 April 2010 - 08:30 AM, said:

One of the issues that has been raised some time ago were some allegations that some doctors may not try quite as hard to save you if they know you are a donor as your body could save others.

I don't know about the validity of those allegations at all, and its defiantly something I would need to do more research on.

I really find it hard to beleive that in the rush of trying to save a life they would be checking to see if you are on the organ donor list...also that would be against the law.

[flute]

I am a donor and so is my DH. We have used donor things- not so much organs. My gorgeous niece was badly burnt from mixing jelly (the plastic bowl she was stirring it in broke)and has had donor skin grafts. And my DH has had donor bone to reconstruct his leg after a traffic accident.
They can have everything and anything they can use from me.
I have worked in ICU and Emergency as a nurse(before becoming a midwife)- and the issue of organ donation doesnt come up at all before patients are confirmed brain dead. The doctors who work on you arent the doctors who make the decisions or talk to the family properly about donation- they have a whole other department for that. I dont think there is an issue on them not working hard enough to save you. IMO Why would they risk/waste one life for the possibility of saving anouther?

[mokster26]

Exactly Flute. You've got me thinking about skin too - I might revisit my registration details. This is a good link for questions http://www.medicarea...es/aodr/faq.jsp . I agree with Merla too though about big decisions - I didn't realise but most organ donations occur with ICU patients who are brain dead and life support needs to be turned off so it would be your DH deciding all of that - very difficult.

Edited by mokster26, 16 April 2010 - 09:40 AM.

[gissellle]

Both DF and i are organ donors. Why wouldn't you be? Seriously i think everyone should automatically be donors and should then have to request to be removed if it's against your relegion or what have you. JMO

I may need a heart one day

[Crunchy_Nut]

im a donor. everyone who knows me knows i will donate. alex has been a reciepient of a donor, and thats something i will never EVER take for granted. Its my way of 'paying it forward' and saying thankyou for saving my little girl. hopefully i will do the same for another family someday.

[Nina*B]

yep I'm a donor, also on the bone marrow register and used to donate blood too. Such a small thing makes a big difference and I'd rather donate that than money.

All my family knows what I want and also that I dont want to donate my eyes.

I dont think doctors would try less to save you, thats not a worry of mine at all - maybe in some countries if there is a big black market for organs, but not here.

[blondelizzard]

Yes I'm a donor, and hubby want to as well (although not his eyes). I won't need anything after I'm gone, and if it helps someone out, I'm all for it.

[life-is-beautiful]

Im a donor not that its any good unless i die in a capital city though, as they dont have the facilities down here to harvest organs ect i would have to be on life support and then flown to Perth for it to be any use to anyone. I believe they have to keep you heart beating for the organ to be any use

But yes im one and its not on my license we have a separate card which sits right beside my license in my purse in WA.

just a question does everyone have ICE (incase of emergency) number programed into your mobile phone for Ambos and police if something does happen to you and you can communicate

[mirandac80]

I am a donor, but my DH is not...i don't understand his reasons though...he doesn't really have one, just doesn't want to give them up??
Can i ask if you choose not to donate, what are you reasons? If you wish to share...just a genuinely curious question....

[life-is-beautiful]

I feel if i can save another person life or make there life easier for them to do it. I wont be needing them once im gone

[mokster26]

Like the old ad - something like "don't take your organs with you - heaven knows we need them here"!!

[Jenn]

100% and DH is well aware of how I feel about it. I don't see why anyone would be so selfish to say that no one else can have them if they can't!!

DH, on the other hand, is not. I'm sure he'll come through in time though..

[Ayla]

Well call me selfish then, as for now, not to say it won't change, I am not a donor of my organs for my own reasons.
I have donated blood for years though, although not recently due to breastfeeding and now pregnancy.

[Merla]

I don't think its selfish to NOT want to donate, but it is selfless to want to donate

A lot of people who are donors are unsuitable for donation after death anyway, which is why we need more people willing to bring up the amount of donors.

I like that saying mokster26.

[MLM]

I am a donor. My family have been made VERY clear about this.
However, I wont donate my body to science.
Even if you choose to be a donor, only something like 10% of those people are eligable to actually go ahead and become donors. You have to die in very specifc circumstances. My BF was involved in a car accident 3 years ago (stoned kid drove head on into her) she had a series of strokes which lead to her basically becoming a vegetable. However, she couldnt be a donor as when taken of the respirator, she continued to breath for approximatly 8 hrs until she finally died . So although it was the machines keeping her alive, she just wast brain dead "enough" and by the time she died, all of her organs had been starved of oxygen and were useless.
But as a donor, you are infact given the BEST possible treatment and are actually kept onlife support for longer, as recipients have to be matched and get to hospital, and due to the fact that your organs need to be in tip top shape, you are kept hydrated and nourished. I certainly am not worried about a conflict of interests with regards to medical treatment.
I know a couple of my friends/ family choose not to donate because they belive in reincarnation.

[Wills_mum]

Im a donor. I believe as many of you do that I have no need for them once I am gone so would rather help others who can use them

[mokster26]

On the donor website it says only 1% of people/donors die in the 'right' circumstances for donation - brain dead and dying when the machine is turned off. Thats why I guess there is such a desperate shortage

[4Cherubs]

I'm a donor but not my skin either. They can grow that these days. My Dh wasn't until we had B & I said what if he needed a donor? Now Dh is. FIL isn't & his reason are he was born with them & he's taking them with him!

[~*hello*~]

Yes - I am a donor. I have registered.
Although due to the fact that I am now a diabetic, I don't think anyone will want anything that I have to give... lol...

[SusanKP]

life-is-beautiful, on 16 April 2010 - 10:04 AM, said:

Im a donor not that its any good unless i die in a capital city though, as they dont have the facilities down here to harvest organs ect i would have to be on life support and then flown to Perth for it to be any use to anyone. I believe they have to keep you heart beating for the organ to be any use

But yes im one and its not on my license we have a separate card which sits right beside my license in my purse in WA.

just a question does everyone have ICE (incase of emergency) number programed into your mobile phone for Ambos and police if something does happen to you and you can communicate

I have ICE contact in my mobile phone

[~*hello*~]

I have ICE in my mobile too. I think I have 2 or 3.

[KATONES]

don't want to get any further into this...but both DH & i are NOT and we both have our reasons, i know it sounds selfish but we do have our reasons

[Indigo08]

chachee, on 16 April 2010 - 08:24 AM, said:

So i caught a brief snippit on channel 7 about trying to get more donors. I dont have it on my licence...I have told DF that i do wish to be though. And apparently even if you do have it on your licence the final word is still with the family (which i find is bizarre) So im wondering if i dont have it on my licence but DF says yes then they still can....anyway rambling now

Will you be a donor?

Same as you, on my licence its a no but i have told mum to decide. And she decided she will say yes.

ETA: Yes i have three ICE numbers in my phone

Edited by Indigo08, 16 April 2010 - 07:35 PM.

[fairystar]

I believe that organs should be used to help other people live. they are no use to you once your no longer here so why wouldnt you?

My mums relative had a kidney transplant and the little boy across the road from my parents had no quality of life when he was born with such badly damaged kidneys they were removed and he was on dyalisis (sp?)
he also has now had a transplant and is doing really well.

Edited by fairystar267, 16 April 2010 - 10:05 PM.

[Nomadic]

Yep, I'm a donor - except my eyes (they hardly work for me without glasses so would be useless anyway).

I think it's a very personal decision to be honest. I know people who have had their life extended by doners and I know families who have donated organs of a loved one to save someone else.... and I also know a family who were treated very poorly by some people around them because they chose not to donate their sons organs.

Extremely personal choice.