To think that we should all donate blood if possible and sign the donor organ register?

[Nemofish]

Another AIBU has got me thinking...
(this is not a dig at any other posters, honestly, it just literally made me think)

What stops you, if you don't donate blood or haven't signed the donor organ register? Do you have worries or concerns about where the blood / organs may be going, do you feel ill at ease with medical procedures, or other reasons?

'Cos I really think that if at all possible, we should all do it. Really. Unless IABU!

If you do donate / have signed, what really really motivated you to 'just do it' (aargh!) in the first place?

Several of you have said you'd only donate some organs. Can I ask which ones you would not donate, and why?

I am on the organ doner register but the last time I gave blood I passed out so haven't done it since.

I'm afraid the fact that bone marrow donation involves having to have a local anesthetic puts me off completely so I won't sign up to that.

I was always a bit squeamish about putting down my eyes for donation - no concrete reason why, just made me feel strange thinking about it.

I eventually signed up for everything, but I do think that offering to donate some organs is much better than not offering any at all. The fact that they give you a choice of what you'd like to donate suggests to me that not wanting to donate all of your organs must be a common reaction.

I think the problem with bone amrrow is that there are so many exclusions many people can't do it- I can't, Dh cannot.....

Agree about blood, haven't managed to yet as wagon turns up ehre when I have no childcare but DH on summer break soon wo am hgoping to try

Organ register- absolutely! Cousin died on list at 6, am adamant trhat \i would donate

The reason I asked is because I know some people are unwilling to donate livers following George Best - and I want to emphasise that many people getting a liver following alcohol related liver disease do not drink again (well over 90% - I don't have the figures to hand). Not to mention those other people awaiting a liver who do not have liver disease from drink/drugs/attempted suicide. Please don't allow a high profile case to put you off.

Re. the eyes thing - I know many people feel this about eyes, but in fact this is in many ways a very good thing to donate, because the donees do not have to take anti-rejection therapy, with all its side effects.

I do have a vested interest in this issue as my sister died 18 months ago waiting a liver. She had a congenital liver disease.

Reading my post it sounds like I think people with self-inflicted liver disease are less deserving of a new live. I don't think this at all, given the loops they have to jump through to show that they are 'worthy' of a new liver. Many people do things that aren't a good idea - and most of them get away with it. Once a person shows that they are no longer drinking, and intend to stay that way, they should have as much right to a new liver as anyone else.

jeee if people really are unwilling to donate their livers for that reason I think that it's very sad. Sorry to hear about your sister.

I still think that it is better to donate something rather than nothing though - while trying to educate people on the benefits of what every organ can do for people on waiting lists. People need to make an informed choice, but not feel under pressure at the same time, it is voluntary after all. It's a tough balancing act.

AwesomeWellies - "Tissues" on the organ donation checklist just means bits that doctors don't technically call organs. Things like eyes, skin, bone, heart valves. All of them can apparently be used to help people with various conditions.

That report is shocking Avril. I am another person who may be harbouring BSE (at least according to the Swiss). I donated two days after my 18th birthday and continued until we left England. I donated in Oman and Thailand and thought the reluctance on the part of the swiss to accept my red stuff was because of Thailand . Both me and dh are on the organ doner register, I'm on Anthony Nolan too.

I agree it's sad that the mother didn't get priority in that case, and I think they need to consider whether they should have some option to "over-ride" the normal decision in such rare cases. But what they did was to follow their normal rules of allocating according to recipient need and best match, which I think has to be their normal way of deciding.

The earlier suggestion that some people might not donate because they don't know for sure that the recipient will "deserve" it strikes me as unbelievably selfish.

As a wise man once said: "Many that live deserve death, many that die deserve life, can you give that to them? Then don't be too eager to deal out death in the name of justice. Even the wise cannot see all ends."

That story is sad (but would be even more so if the person who did receive didn't get them either- hence why it would not make me wish to remove myself from teh register), however there was something on the news recently about how they are doing living donation link ups now so a moce in that direction perhaps?

Have looked at the brain donation thing, I am happy to go ahead but will chat to DH first

jeeee

A good family friend died a year before awaiting a liver, his was not drink related either (gentic disorder that our good friend his son now has, and possibly the children carry) and he got some amounts of abuse from people assuming he was a big drinker, in fact DH socialised with him for twenty eyars and never knew him drunk. He was also very alrege and somewhat smelly, all due to the condition (diagnosed too late) and he received constant abuse for that too

RIP, good man. You are much missed.

I do not donate blood, as I ahve low blood pressure and am prone to faining, so they would not have me.

I am not an organ donor as I feel really uncomfortble about part of me still being alive (in someone´s body) when I am dead.

Also, if I am almost dying, I think the doctors might make less of an effort to save me if they could save, say, 5 others with my kidneys, heart etc. so for them there is no incentive to keep me alive, as I´d be more useful in little pieces, keeping 5 others alive.

I know I will get flamed for this, but this is how I feel if I´m honest.

Of course I think how I´d feel if my DC would need an organ...

it is something I am thinking about, but I just feel really uncomfortable about it! I know it´s silly.

Chandon - I know a lot of people worry about that, but honestly doctors are trained to save the life of the person in front of them at all costs. To the extent that they will keep fighting on to resuscitate you even if you're only going to struggle on for a day or two and then your systems fail again. If anything, they try too hard to continue life at the expense of allowing people a "good death".

They really, truly, will not stop trying just because you might have value as spare parts.

As to parts of you living on in someone else - your "consciousness" is gone when you die, so any part of you which was used for organ donation would have no "awareness" of the fact that it was still being used by a new person. It's not that different to giving blood - your bloodcells are in a new person, but you don't know anything about it.

DH and I just registered to donate our brians for autism research, we have 2 asd children and I am studying it at MA as well so seemed apporpriate

Never even occurred to me I could so thanks to the person who suggested the site below

To the poster who didn't want to have their organs harvested. I've been in theatre when this is done and there is great dignity surrounding it. The doner is anaesthetised, the only difference between organ retrieval and a ordinary surgery is the doner isn't given reversal drugs obviously.

Ive donated blood for about 9 years, have just got my bronze award and I do it because my nan died last august but had she not had 3 weekly blood transfusions for months before she died, we would have lost her sooner, so if I can help someone else have more time with their family members, then I will.

And I think that it is important to know that you are already dead at that point - they have done everything they can to determine that the person concerned is brain dead, and it's just automatic systems of the body keeping their heart beating. And it's only at that point, where there is no possibility of recovery, that organ donation is brought up as a possibility.

No possibility that anyone would ever make less efforts in order that a person would donate their organs.

Eyes, skin and bones are all used for donation - I know two people whose sight was saved through corneal transplant, and people who have had their faces restored after major cancer surgery when donor skin and bone was used.

What I really wish they could change about the donor register is the fact that the next of kin can override it. I am registered as an organ donor (have said they can take whatever they like) but they would still need DH's permission to take my organs if I were to die. That really frustrates me! I would prefer that we could make this decision for ourselves whilst still alive and then there is nothing for the family to have to think about or decide when we die. There must be lots of situations where the family have just made a spur of the moment decision to say no to organ donation in the aftermath of a death, when in fact the deceased wanted their organs to be used to help others.

I do give blood. The last time I went the nurse asked me why on earth I was there as I was shaking with fright, but blood donation saved my life as a baby and I think it is too important to let fear stand in the way. I had a transfusion in 1979 and am able to give blood, I think the timing of your transfusion dictates whether they will accept you as a donor or not. I have been heavily quizzed about the transfusion but ultimately am able to donate, usually after extensive questioning!

I can't give blood because I had a blood transfution after the birth of DD

I am on the organ donner register though.

That won't be affected by my blood transfusion will it??

I started giving blood when I was 18, and have given about 5 times since then (nearly 10 years on). Atm I'm pg, so can't give blood. After having a MC last year I went with DH to give blood but was told I would have to come back 6 months later as it was too soon.

Once I'm past the childbearing bit (after next year) I intend to give blood regularly three times a year. It's not painful and you get a nice chocolate biscuit (or two!) and as much tea and coffee as you like before you leave (well you do at the centre I go to). It's not so bad!

Sadly some people cannot give blood because of medical conditions (even though they still want to). I have relatives in this situation and they have to just accept they can no longer donate.

For those anxious of the procedure, just look away when you feel the 'little scratch' and that's it all over with - you can sit back and relax on the bed and chill out for 30 mins or so until the nurse has collected just shy of a pint of blood. It really isn't sore, you don't feel anything.

I strongly believe the organ donation register should be an 'opt out' thing, and I think for this reason I've still not got round to sorting it out. If I was automatically in the scheme, I'd be fine with that.

I had a blood transfusion 3 years ago so I can't give blood now.

I used to though before I had the dc

like runnybottom, I am banned - anyone from the UK is apparently bound to be infected with CJD, which now apparently has a 50year incubation perios, which is why the predicted massive rise in cases hasn't happened yet - so I'll be dead before I can give blood again. Ditto organs.

I can donate in the UK though.