Any Organ Donors?

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clinker

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 22, 2014 - 10:08am PT
I am not, but am going to be registering after a lunch conversation at work this week. Knowing a few facts about how important organ donation is makes it a priority now for me. A little thing to do that may make a big difference for somebody needing an organ.

Climbers are generally a healthy bunch, death is often unpredictable.

What about it?


Organ donation: Don't let these myths confuse you
Unsure about donating organs for transplant? Don't let misinformation keep you from saving lives.
By Mayo Clinic Staff
Over 100,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for an organ donation. Unfortunately, many may never get the call saying that a suitable donor organ — and a second chance at life — has been found.

It can be hard to think about what's going to happen to your body after you die, let alone donating your organs and tissue. But being an organ donor is a generous and worthwhile decision that can be a lifesaver. If you've never considered organ donation or delayed becoming a donor because of possibly inaccurate information, here are answers to some common organ donation myths and concerns.

Myth: If I agree to donate my organs, the hospital staff won't work as hard to save my life.

Fact: When you go to the hospital for treatment, doctors focus on saving your life — not somebody else's. You'll be seen by a doctor whose specialty most closely matches your particular emergency.

Myth: Maybe I won't really be dead when they sign my death certificate.

Fact: Although it's a popular topic in the tabloids, in reality, people don't start to wiggle their toes after they're declared dead. In fact, people who have agreed to organ donation are given more tests (at no charge to their families) to determine that they're truly dead than are those who haven't agreed to organ donation.

Myth: Organ donation is against my religion.

Fact: Organ donation is consistent with the beliefs of most major religions. This includes Roman Catholicism, Islam, most branches of Judaism and most Protestant faiths. If you're unsure of or uncomfortable with your faith's position on donation, ask a member of your clergy.

Myth: I'm under age 18. I'm too young to make this decision.

Fact: That's true, in a legal sense. But your parents can authorize this decision. You can express to your parents your wish to donate, and your parents can give their consent knowing that it's what you wanted. Children, too, are in need of organ transplants, and they usually need organs smaller than those an adult can provide.

Myth: An open-casket funeral isn't an option for people who have donated organs or tissues.

Fact: Organ and tissue donation doesn't interfere with having an open-casket funeral. The donor's body is clothed for burial, so there are no visible signs of organ or tissue donation. For bone donation, a rod is inserted where bone is removed. With skin donation, a very thin layer of skin similar to a sunburn peel is taken from the donor's back. Because the donor is clothed and lying on his or her back in the casket, no one can see any difference.

Myth: I'm too old to donate. Nobody would want my organs.

Fact: There's no defined cutoff age for donating organs. The decision to use your organs is based on strict medical criteria, not age. Don't disqualify yourself prematurely. Let the doctors decide at your time of death whether your organs and tissues are suitable for transplantation.

Myth: I'm not in the best of health. Nobody would want my organs or tissues.

Fact: Very few medical conditions automatically disqualify you from donating organs. The decision to use an organ is based on strict medical criteria. It may turn out that certain organs are not suitable for transplantation, but other organs and tissues may be fine. Don't disqualify yourself prematurely. Only medical professionals at the time of your death can determine whether your organs are suitable for transplantation.

Myth: I'd like to donate one of my kidneys now, but I wouldn't be allowed to do that unless one of my family members is in need.

Fact: While that used to be the case, it isn't any longer. Whether it's a distant family member, friend or complete stranger you want to help, you can donate a kidney through certain transplant centers. If you decide to become a living donor, you will undergo extensive questioning to ensure that you are aware of the risks and that your decision to donate isn't based on financial gain. You will also undergo testing to determine if your kidneys are in good shape and whether you can live a healthy life with just one kidney.

Myth: Rich and famous people go to the top of the list when they need a donor organ.

Fact: The rich and famous aren't given priority when it comes to allocating organs. It may seem that way because of the amount of publicity generated when celebrities receive a transplant, but they are treated no differently from anyone else. The reality is that celebrity and financial status are not considered in organ allocation.

Myth: My family will be charged if I donate my organs.

Fact: The organ donor's family is never charged for donating. The family is charged for the cost of all final efforts to save your life, and those costs are sometimes misinterpreted as costs related to organ donation. Costs for organ removal go to the transplant recipient.

Why you should consider organ donation

Now that you have the facts, you can see that being an organ donor can make a big difference, and not just to one person. By donating your organs after you die, you can save or improve as many as 50 lives. And many families say that knowing their loved one helped save other lives helped them cope with their loss.

It's especially important to consider becoming an organ donor if you belong to an ethnic minority. Minorities including African-Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, and Hispanics are more likely than whites to have certain chronic conditions that affect the kidney, heart, lung, pancreas and liver. Certain blood types are more prevalent in ethnic minority populations. Because matching blood type is usually necessary for transplants, the need for minority donor organs is especially high.
Jan

Mountain climber
Colorado, Nepal & Okinawa
Nov 22, 2014 - 10:12am PT
In Colorado, we can designate ourselves as organ donors when we get our driver's license. That way it's easy for emergency people to find as well. Before that I carried a donor card in my wallet.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Nov 22, 2014 - 10:15am PT
^^^ Same here but I unchecked liver and brain as mine won't be much good to anyone.
johnboy

Trad climber
Can't get here from there
Nov 22, 2014 - 11:00am PT
I'm a doner and like others here, it's on my drivers license for easy verification if ever someone may need my parts when I part.

I recently found out that I may need a doner organ if the infections i have keeps ravaging through the organ they're currently occupying before the doctors get a handle on it. If it does get that far I will be very thankful for not just that someone that gave for me, but to all that give.
clinker

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 22, 2014 - 11:13am PT
I am lame that it has taken this long to register.


Signing the back of your license or a donor card is not enough. To officially register as an organ donor, click here.

Facts About Organ Donation
More Sharing Services
18 people die every day while waiting for a transplant.
1 organ donor can save 8 lives and change the lives of more than 50 people.
Almost anyone can be an organ donor, regardless of age or medical history.
All major religions in the U.S. support organ donation.
Donors can still have open casket funerals, and organ donation doesn't cost the donor's family any money.
If a person is hospitalized, the medical staff provides the best possible care, regardless of organ donor status. Donation is only considered after a patient has died.
Donors are needed for all races and ethnic groups. Transplant success rates increase when organs are matched between members of the same ethnic background.
clinker

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 22, 2014 - 11:15am PT
It is done.

"I, Jon Cochran, have signed up on the Donate Life California Organ & Tissue Donor Registry to save lives. Please join me in providing the gift of life to the thousands of Californians in need of your help. Together we can make a difference for life. Signing up to become a donor took me just seconds - but if you join me - we could give other Californians a chance at many more years of life."


Jon Joseph Cochran
POBOX 2458
Aptos, CA 95001

Gender: Male
Registration ID: 2R8NPLN4VKPGRPE
Website: www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org
clinker

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 22, 2014 - 11:20am PT
The good news is that the birth year on the registry went all the way back to 1914!

Moose and even Donini can register.

Moose, see if Donini is a donor and request his balls if he goes first.
Happiegrrrl2

Trad climber
Nov 22, 2014 - 11:43am PT
I am a donor(NY drivers license also allow you to designate), and it is my sincere hope that, when I go, they can use whatever is left of me.

My brother freaked out when I mentioned I was a donor, and I asked why. He actually believed that docs would be "more likely" to not try to save you, knowing they could harvest..... I'll be honest - if I would have severe paralysis or severely impacted brain functioning, I would HOPE to hell a doc would be "thinking ahead" at the crucial moment when it matters.
Jingy

climber
Somewhere out there
Nov 22, 2014 - 12:24pm PT
I gave the nod to the lady behind the desk in the DMV to be a donor.
It was a time of laughter.
I am sure that nothing I have is of any use to anyone....


My wallet proves it.

Cheers to all you regular folks who have something that others might find useful
Captain...or Skully

climber
in the oil patch...Fricken Bakken, that's where
Nov 22, 2014 - 12:33pm PT
Nope.
SC seagoat

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, or In What Time Zone Am I?
Nov 22, 2014 - 12:45pm PT
I used to be but they nixed me because I have had cancer and chemo. So now I'm just a whole body donation for the students to muck around in.

Susan
hashbro

Trad climber
Mental Physics........
Nov 22, 2014 - 01:17pm PT
of course


anything short of that is hypocritical (assuming almost everyone would accept such a gift in a state of need)
the Fet

climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
Nov 22, 2014 - 01:28pm PT
Mine says Organ Donor For Transplantation Only.

I'd love it if my organs helped someone else in need. However I don't want my organs being dissected at a medical school or used in research.
HighDesertDJ

Trad climber
Nov 22, 2014 - 03:14pm PT
Great thread. I registered as a bone marrow donor last week.
SteveW

Trad climber
The state of confusion
Nov 22, 2014 - 03:36pm PT

Signed up in Cowlowrado. . .

. . . and have donated 20 gallons of blood. . .
Jingy

climber
Somewhere out there
Nov 22, 2014 - 03:45pm PT
However I don't want my organs being dissected at a medical school or used in research.

 even after you are dead?

I completely understand the sentiment... the want to have an effect on a human being...



... but what else is medical school or research... other than helping humans...

the Fet

climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
Nov 22, 2014 - 04:16pm PT
I guess if it's before I'm dead it might be ok.

I don't like the idea of for profit medical schools or pharmaceutical companies getting my organs or cadaver, or anyone's organs who said they'd be an organ donor thinking it would be for transplantation, and using them in their for profit endeavors.

I think it's B.S. that this isn't clear. Signing up thinking your organs will be used to save someones life and instead your body ends up possibly getting dissected by some student, with who knows how much respect shown to the body?

If I was asked my permission to use my body or parts and it could actually help cure a disease I'd be fine with it. But to just sign away my body for anyone to do with what they want? No thank you.
Jingy

climber
Somewhere out there
Nov 22, 2014 - 08:06pm PT
I guess if it's before I'm dead it might be ok.

 nobody is going to get to take your organs before you die.... so... it's not ok...

I don't like the idea of for profit medical schools or pharmaceutical companies getting my organs or cadaver, or anyone's organs who said they'd be an organ donor thinking it would be for transplantation, and using them in their for profit endeavors.

 nobody likes the idea of our bodies being used for profit... makes me think of prostitution of a sort. But what part of dying do you think someone will not be profiting from it... or your body's death? Your death will make someone money no matter what film you think you are in.


I think it's B.S. that this isn't clear. Signing up thinking your organs will be used to save someones life and instead your body ends up possibly getting dissected by some student, with who knows how much respect shown to the body?

 you will be dead though, right...? What will it matter to you then?

If I was asked my permission to use my body or parts and it could actually help cure a disease I'd be fine with it. But to just sign away my body for anyone to do with what they want? No thank you.

 so you don't like being deceived? are you not deceived already? Ask Weirner!!! (hahhaaha) whats wrong with giving a body that is of no use to you for research?

Ricky D

Trad climber
Sierra Westside
Nov 22, 2014 - 08:39pm PT
What happens when you arrive in Heaven and they take inventory?

"Hey Joe, where there hell are the parts we gave you?"

Probably a non-refundable deposit.
MisterE

Gym climber
Bishop, CA
Nov 22, 2014 - 11:13pm PT
I offered an old piano we had before we moved to Bishop, but they wanted and organ...

;-)
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