ORGAN DONATION?

[CailinDeas]

Have any of you agreed to be organ donors in the future? What are your thoughts on the matter?

[marval]

I agree with having a system where you have to opt out, I am on the register. If I am dead my organs are no good to me, so someone else might as well have them. If they are no good, use them for research to help in future treatments.

[karenmac60]

Yes, we should have the 'opt out' system. At the moment it's up to relatives to make the decision at a very emotional time when they often cannot accept their loved one is gone. I think a lot of people see giving permission as giving up hope, so refuse. An opt out system would mean the decision was the donor's and would take the pressure off family. There are too few donors and having seen first hand the difference a transplant can make to someone's life, we should be doing something to increase those numbers.

[ethandron]

i really cannot understand why any government hasn't gone the 'opt out' way. judging by the responses here it would seem that most people would be perfectly happy to donate their organs, me included, so why haven't the government change the policy? what a waste of potential life for so many people..

[sara3]

I trust that, those who can are regular blood donors?

[karenmac60]

I can't donate blood now, but I always did when I could. I'm also on the organ register as is my daughter and I also tried to be a live donor to mr mac, but it fell through at the last hurdle.

[Rainbowwitch]

I have a organ donor card and also signed up on the web they can have everything.

[Rainbowwitch]

I used to donate blood but was very close to fainting once and it put me off, but my husband now donates platelets every four weeks

[douglas9401]

Would it set a cat amongst the pigeons to suggest that Simon Cowell organise something along the lines of Britain's Got Giblets?
He's managed to like er, y'know, um, mobilise lazy, feckless, ignorant mouth breathing lard arsed alcoholics to vote for nonentities with his Svengali like powers.
Or Jeremy Kyle? He regularly has brain dead objects spilling their guts anyway. Make use of his talents!

Yes I'm a registered organ donor, you can have the lot. The bile duct is in especially good order. :D

[woofgang]

used to donate until the menopause hit and I started having dizzy spells. Was told by NBTS not to donate until the dizzy spells stopped and they haven't so far.

[CailinDeas]

Just checking back to see how the discussion is going. Somebody told me once that there is sufficient oxygen stored in the human body to sustain "some" level of brain activity for at least four hours after someone is said to have died. This has haunted me since. Consequently I'm not a donor. I'm afraid I'm "chicken".

[angiealf]

A very good friend had a lung transplant 4 years ago now. The hospital was going to switch off the breathing aperatus and let her slip away in peace. As even with the machine she was getting weaker and weaker - couldn't eat - basicly she could do nothing at all. Luckily a match from Ireland became available and the transplant was performed. Now if more people were registered or the opt-out system was in use - she wouldn't have had to go through what she did in so much pain and discomfort. I am all for donating anything that can be used - I'm on the register.

[gina32]

i am grateful to people like rainbow witches husband, i need platelets for surgery and tooth extraction and the like, and yes i would donate my organs and am on the list and carry a card. would those who wouldnt donate refuse them should a loved one need them?

[whiskeryron]

Having followed all the comments on this thread I was particularly impressed with angiealf's post because one question that I would like to ask is about the quality of life after transplants as I understand one has to take anti rejection drugs for the rest of your life & is this a small inconvenience for the added gift of extended life.I think that angiealf has answered that question to my satisfaction, & yes I also think that we should adopt the opt out system.Ron.

[PipinHull]

If you've got an illness that prevents you giving blood, does that also mean they wouldn't take your organs or is it more complex? I had Crohn's as a teenager (symptom free for years but they still won't let me give blood).

[karenmac60]

Ron, mr mac has had 2 kidney transplants and has taken anti rejection tablets for a total of 14 years of his life so far - and will need to take them for the lifespan of his current kidney. They are no big deal to him. He is slightly more prone to coming down with colds and the like, and obviously if he caught something more serious it could become a problem, but they are nothing compared to what he went through while on dialysis. There's no competition - his quality of life is far, far better now than before his transplant.

Karen x

[whiskeryron]

Thanx karen, again that has explained an awful lot to me that I was very vague on, I can see that with a trasplant a loved one can have many years of useful extra life. Thank you so much.Ron.♥♥

[WELSHYORKIE]

As a relative of someone who is awaiting a transplant, I have to say that I am in favour of an opt out rather than opt in

[karenmac60]

I've been following your thread on that WY, and I wish you all the best. I've got my fingers crossed for you that an organ becomes available and it all goes well x

[anneasquith]

welsh, its very brave of you to enter this thread, giving your recent news..

[WELSHYORKIE]

Cheers, Karen