quote:

Originally posted by SigJacket:
I checked the box on the drivers license. If they want em, up to them to come get em.

We can be there tomorrow at noon?

quote:

Originally posted by TXJIM:
You could donate your entire body to be used by medical students for training. I think that would contribute to a significant number of future patients down the road.

Once done, the remains are creamated and returned to the family.

My concern with having the organ donor box checked on my drivers license is that someone might be too eager to declare me deceased, in order get some needed (wanted) part.

Being an organ donor will possibly help someone. Donating your body to science is for students to practice their carving skills on.

To possibly save my wife the hassle and expense of a funeral, I googled "how to donate your body to science." I found enough to tell me it's a hassle and not worth it, and they only accept certain bodies.

I do have organ donor checked on my drivers license.

One place is www.sciencecare.com

quote:

Originally posted by armored:

quote:

Originally posted by reflex/deflex 64:
If I find myself in need of an organ I'm not sure I give a good shit if the hospital makes money on the process.

I sure as hell don't care if the gun store is making money on my purchase or trade in nor do I care that the mechanic is making money on my tune up.

Is there some difference I'm not seeing?

I don't have a problem with the hospital or Dr. making money, I just feel the donors family should make money too. Why not?
Every body else in the entire process is cashing in except the donor.

Sorry about the auto correct fail - CORNEAS-- better now?

The families can't be trusted to not "farm organs"? Oh look junior could just OD on phentenol, damn shame for those kidney to go to waste, put em on eBay!

I don't check the box for organ donor, because, well, I don't think anyone will want what's left.
While I am in pretty good shape (just had a visit with my GP this week, who raved over my blood work done first of May), I have dealt with Type 1 Diabetes for more than 32 years. So........

I donate blood when I can, so if someone can use my old organs or whatever once I'm dead, have at 'em.

Leo, I am an organ recovery coordinator for an OPO (Organ Procurement Organization) and I deal with all of the ins and outs of organ donation every day. Every state has different laws and rules associated with organ donation.

It is however pretty universal when you sign up to be an organ donor (or your loved one gives authorization for you to be a donor) there is a very specific questionnaire where you/they can specify what you do and what you do not want to donate and if your body/organs can be used for research or not.

Generally no surgeon will transplant any internal organs from someone older that 70. A healthy liver has about a 120 year life span so they will transplant livers from older people up to about 70 years old generally but usually nothing els can be of use at that age.

The time and expense of serological testing, and ICU management of a potential organ donor is staggering. And the organ allocation process is nothing short of a giant pile of organized chaos.

The OPO does take care of all of the medical expenses once donation authorization is signed so the family is not burdened with the cost of their care leading up to donation (can take up to a week after brain death declaration).

If anyone has any specific questions about organ donation I would be happy to address them.

Hope this helps clear some tings up

I don't understand the OP's question, but I don't have the box checked on my DL, because I'll leave it up to my family. I think they know what I would do. Judaism does not condone desecration of the body, and that includes removing organs or being cut up for science. However, almost any Jewish law may be broken to save a life, so it is permitted to donate organs to save a life. Some rabbis read that narrowly, thugs would not allow donation of something like corneas or study, since there's no identifiable individual life saved.

quote:

Originally posted by armored:

Any body know the going rate for organs?

Expensive. They cost an arm and a leg.


As for donation, they are welcome to harvest mine, I just want my organs to go to a Democrat. I'm sure they'll feel conflicted the rest of their life.

I have donated organs.

My 12 year old son accidentally hung himself, had his heart restarted, and was flown to a children's hospital. We were told there was nothing that could be done.

In the middle of the night a team met with us and wanted to know if we would donate his organs. We did not request this, the hospital notified them.

We talked it over and said yes.

Late the next morning they did tests and said that there was a very small amount of brain activity. He was brain dead but could not be pronounce so until there was a flat line.

Later that afternoon a doctor told us that we did not have to wait, could go home as our son could be hooked up for days until the organs were harvested. Which I think, looking back, was the plan all along, to keep him hooked up until all the recipients were notified and in place to receive the organs. This all took place in 1988.

We were pretty upset. Basically told our son was dead but could remain on life support for days until the organs would be harvested.

Talked to the doctor again and he told us we had three options:

1 - wait there until the end
2 - go home and wait
3 - have him removed from life support

We talked this over and asked that he be removed from life support. We could not bear seeing / thinking about him lying there, hooked up to those machines for however longer it took for the organs to be harvested.

We did donate any organs that could be harvested under these new circumstances. They were able to use his heart valves, eyes, etc, but not his heart.

Everyone's situation is different. If it was an adult that had requested his or her organs be donated, I would still be upset by the whole process but would let it proceed.

We did what was right for us at the time. As I type this, 29 years later, I vividly remember everything that took place, along with the decisions that were made, right or wrong, under extreme duress.

quote:

Originally posted by Mas4363:

< snip >

My deepest condolences. I dread that type of decision ever being my responsibility.

But it highlights an important point.

Make a written statement of what you want done. Go over with family or friends the decision you want to be made vis-a-vis your eventual death.

Donating organs is one example. As Mas4363 points out there may be curcumstances you don't want happening to your corpse.

For me, I carry digital copies of my medical history, will, advance medical directive, power of attorney, medical power of attorney, and a "Do not resuscitate" order in my smart phone. All are encrypted and on each one is the location of the originals. Taped to my driver's license is a note saying how to access the digital documents.

Ive gone over each with my family and two friends. All understand what I want done and they know I'll come back to haunt them if my wishes aren't respected.

quote:

Any body know the going rate for organs?

A lot less than the cost (medicaid) of keeping someone on dialysis for the rest of their (miserable) life.
Getting people off the list and back to a productive life is the far more cost effective route. Thousands die every year waiting for a viable organ. a few of those may have brought it on themselves, but many more just got hit by a bad break.
I work in a lab that supports organ procurement and know a lot of the pile of organized chaos that amhaynie wrote of, but I'll stay on the registry.

Now that there is a bunch of serious comments...

If Klagnar allows (all hail Klagnar), it could be a big leap for science if scientists could study Bendable's alien being outside of its human pod. It may help solve the mystery of what he does with all of those socks.

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:

quote:

Originally posted by SigJacket:
I checked the box on the drivers license. If they want em, up to them to come get em.

We can be there tomorrow at noon?

Well, I was here. Glad you missed, The Shadow Riders is on!

quote:

Originally posted by Sig2340:

quote:

Originally posted by armored:

Any body know the going rate for organs?

Expensive. They cost an arm and a leg.


As for donation, they are welcome to harvest mine, I just want my organs to go to a Democrat. I'm sure they'll feel conflicted the rest of their life.

Ha ! Nice !

quote:

Originally posted by amhaynie:

The OPO does take care of all of the medical expenses once donation authorization is signed so the family is not burdened with the cost of their care leading up to donation (can take up to a week after brain death declaration).

This is what I was wondering about. I have heard stories of families who agree to donate organs and then are surprised by the huge medical bills they have to pay later. I didn't know how true or common this was.

I don't think families should necessarily profit from organ donation, but they shouldn't have to pay anything for it either.

quote:

This is what I was wondering about. I have heard stories of families who agree to donate organs and then are surprised by the huge medical bills they have to pay later. I didn't know how true or common this was.

Sounds like bullsh*t.

I had to make that decision in January. I did not have a lot of time to think about it as the organs would be viable only for a certain time frame. In the end, I'm glad that something good came from that crappy day.

I did not get a bill. They did notify me for what was used . In a way, she helped someone that day.

very hopeful folks thanks for taking the time to contribute.

my local hospital has something on their website,
next time that I am in the big city I will swing by and talk to them