Organ donation after death: thoughts and experiences?

Roger Martinez8 said:Can my primary care doctor—the one holding my medical records—actually note down a refusal to donate organs to anyone except specific people I designate? Or does that only work if I list my next of kin?

Look, I'm not saying I'm flat-out against it,

but I’d only ever consider it for the people I actually love—people who mean something to me. As for that mystical, "love thy neighbor" type of altruism? No chance. I'm just not that saintly.

Besides, I'm not about to let some random stranger decide what happens to my body after I'm gone.

What I'm really wondering is: can a doctor actually write that "but" into my file? Specifically, that I opt out for everyone *except* certain individuals? It's a bit heavy to sit there and try to list exactly who those people are, if I'm being honest.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for it—but selectively. Period. Honestly, listening to those "holier-than-thou" types judge me just makes my blood boil!

If we're going to start talking about "selective" giving, let's be honest and talk about "selective" taking too! 😬

I was talking about traffic... You never really know. I just wouldn't want to accidentally shut the door on anyone close to me who might actually be able to help...

Man, it's heavy thinking about this stuff...

Roger Martinez8 said:Can my primary care doctor—the one holding my medical records—actually note down a refusal to donate organs to anyone except specific people I designate? Or does that only work if I list my next of kin?

Look, I'm not saying I'm flat-out against it,

but I’d only ever consider it for the people I actually love—people who mean something to me. As for that mystical, "love thy neighbor" type of altruism? No chance. I'm just not that saintly.

Besides, I'm not about to let some random stranger decide what happens to my body after I'm gone.

What I'm really wondering is: can a doctor actually write that "but" into my file? Specifically, that I opt out for everyone *except* certain individuals? It's a bit heavy to sit there and try to list exactly who those people are, if I'm being honest.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for it—but selectively. Period. Honestly, listening to those "holier-than-thou" types judge me just makes my blood boil!

Look, there’s really no such thing as being selective about this stuff. Honestly, when you go to see your own doctor, you just tell them straight up that you don't want to be a donor, and that's that—case closed. I always figure it's best to just sit down with the family and make your position crystal clear so there's zero confusion later on. Once everyone is on the same page, everything else just falls into place.

stormyheron4 said:Look, I’d happily donate my organs after I pass, but honestly? Who’s going to give me a written guarantee that I won't check out early?

Between brain scintigraphy, cerebral angiography, and those transcranial Doppler tests... man, there’s a whole mountain of clinical indicators used to confirm brain death.

Roger Martinez8 said:I was talking about traffic... You never really know. I just wouldn't want to accidentally shut the door on anyone close to me who might actually be able to help...

Man, it's heavy thinking about this stuff...

I don't think you quite caught my drift 😬
Let's break this down a bit more clearly
If you're saying you're against organ donation unless it's for family, then you should be just as firm about only accepting an organ if it comes from your own kin
Basically, stating that you would never, under any circumstances, agree to receive a donation from a stranger

Does that make sense?

Scott Allen10 said:Look, there’s really no such thing as being selective about this stuff. Honestly, when you go to see your own doctor, you just tell them straight up that you don't want to be a donor, and that's that—case closed. I always figure it's best to just sit down with the family and make your position crystal clear so there's zero confusion later on. Once everyone is on the same page, everything else just falls into place.

I was actually thinking about my own flesh and blood—specifically my kid. I don't want them to be stuck in some nightmare scenario if an accident happens—you never know, right? I've been careful for years, but... I just wouldn't want a situation where they desperately need an organ and I've already told everyone else "no" across the board.

jadesailor14 said:I don't think you quite caught my drift 😬
Let's break this down a bit more clearly
If you're saying you're against organ donation unless it's for family, then you should be just as firm about only accepting an organ if it comes from your own kin
Basically, stating that you would never, under any circumstances, agree to receive a donation from a stranger

Does that make sense?

My comment wasn't even addressing what you actually said. ☕

What does a car accident have to do with anything? Are you imagining a scenario where you're both in a wreck, only one survives, and then they just patch them up using your organs...? 😁 It’s like kids making those paper collage pictures—come on, really.

If your child—God forbid—actually needs an organ that you can't donate while you're still alive (like a heart), even if there's a perfect tissue match, what are the odds that some fatal accident happens right at that exact moment to put you in a position to give them that heart?
If your child truly needs an organ, you would turn heaven and earth upside down to help them. If they are on the transplant list, an organ will reach them sooner or later—but for some people on that list, it ends up being too late. Those organs come from the people who didn't attach any strings to their donation. The more people like that there are, the faster those waiting on the lists get a second chance at life.

Scott Allen10; look, if you can't wrap your head around what I'm getting at, just skip my posts entirely..😉

My doctor tells me that organ donation is only an option once brain death has been declared—even if the heart is still technically beating. But it makes me wonder: what happens if they get it wrong? What if they declare someone brain dead during that tiny window of time, but they actually aren't?😕 😕
Doctors make mistakes. It’s a fact. They mess up much more basic things all the time, and there are plenty of documented cases where people have actually woken up from states they were supposed to be dead in... those are cold, hard facts...

Honestly, it sounds like your doctor didn't really break things down for you. If they had actually given you the full picture, you wouldn't be out here mixing up apples and oranges or getting caught up in all those weird urban legends that always seem to cloud these kinds of conversations.

If you're genuinely looking to wrap your head around how brain death and organ procurement actually work—and I don't want to make you re-read this entire thread from scratch just to find some clarity—you should start by checking out this page and going from there...
😉

Roger Martinez8 said:I was actually thinking about my own flesh and blood—specifically my kid. I don't want them to be stuck in some nightmare scenario if an accident happens—you never know, right? I've been careful for years, but... I just wouldn't want a situation where they desperately need an organ and I've already told everyone else "no" across the board.

But even if that kind of option were on the table, it doesn't necessarily mean your organs would be a match for your loved ones based on compatibility.
There’s such a thing as living donation, which isn't used nearly enough here in the States yet, where you can donate a kidney or a portion of your liver, but that person has to be a perfect tissue match according to all the testing. On top of that, there's a whole mountain of other medical criteria you have to meet before a donation like that can even happen.

What exactly do I need to do if I want to become a donor—I mean, how do I actually get my hands on a donor card? Where am I supposed to apply for one? Do I just go through my primary care physician?

Yes, even those in my own household are well aware of my position, should they ever find themselves in a situation where they feel inclined to ask.

Fine, then I’m going to go ahead and officially opt out at my doctor's office—strictly as a protest against this absurd setup. It drives me absolutely insane when people try to decide things for me under the guise of "presumed consent." That’s just nonsense. In a sane world, it should be "presumed refusal." If they really want to push this through, let them actually ask people if they're okay with someone messing around with their organs at the moment of brain death or shortly after. Personally? I'm fundamentally against it. As the owner of my own body, why should anyone else get to decide? Who cares if it’s "all the same" to the deceased once they're gone? Not me. 👎

on my page it says HDM DNC, maybe try Googling that 🙂

American donor network

edit

So, I’ve only scrolled through a few posts because there are honestly so many, but I just wanted to say that I’m alive today because of some incredibly kind people who chose to be organ donors after they passed away.... I’ve been living my life for 6 years now without any issues, thanks to a guy’s liver who was in a terrible car accident and couldn't be saved..... It literally saved my life.... I was only 19 at the time..... so, I guess you could say it's about saving a young life....
Believe me, if one of your own loved ones ended up in that situation, those of you who are against it would probably change your minds in a heartbeat...

As for me, I’m definitely all for donating... I mean, what’s the point in holding onto them if I can save someone's life?
And regarding the whole organ selling thing... honestly, guys, it doesn't happen nearly as much in the US as people think... but then again, people sell all sorts of things these days...
People pass away simply because they can't get an appointment for surgery or they don't have a few thousand dollars to cover the costs, so I guess it's hard to wonder why organ sales even exist...

Can someone tell me how to actually become an organ donor—like, what's the deal with getting that registration card?

darkbison81 said:I don't think that; I know it isn't true. I’ve had conversations with professionals in the field—I won't name names or specific hospitals here—about how being an organ donor is a noble thing to do and how great it is to register ahead of time...
I completely changed my mind after having those talks.

I'm right there with you. Honestly, if there were just a little more justice in this world—if people actually respected the rules surrounding this specific issue—I’d probably have my donor card tucked in my wallet by now.div>

Peter Kern8 said:Can someone tell me how to actually become an organ donor—like, what's the deal with getting that registration card?

You can just grab a donor card from your doctor.
Just sign it and make sure your family is in the loop. You'll need to list an emergency contact on the card anyway, just in case.
I've got mine, and my family knows the deal. If anything ever happens, I really hope they respect what I wanted.

Look, I’m all for it in principle—as long as someone else is footing the bill!🙏