Organ donation?

[Buster70]

So this is something that plays on my mind quite often and comes up in the news . I guess a trigger warning is in order as it's not something we want to think about , only read on if you feel comfortable with it .
As a lot of you know my partner and daughter have taken overdoses in the past and ended up in hospital, my daughter had organ failure and her liver had all but stopped working , she was on the donor list because her condition was so bad , had she not recovered we would have wanted her to receive a liver transplant and someone else would have had to die to make that possible .
My issue is I have never filled in a donor card like many people ( my partner always has ) I think like a lot of people see it as tempting fate like writing a will , if I go on line and fill in the donor form I'm no more likely to end up dead the next day but I still haven't got round to it .
I wonder how others feel about this delicate subject , how many have registerd or made their wishes known ? And how do others feel about having to opt out instead of opting in which some countries already do .
I guess as anxiety sufferers we find this even harder as most of us fear hospitals and death , but we would want an organ if we got ill .
I think my cousin having a liver transplant recently which was an end result of mental illness has made me think about it again .
What are your thoughts ?

[nomorepanic]

I opted in many many years ago and have no issue with it at all.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I have respect for anyone who does it as I do for those who give blood or do charitable works. It is showing what a better society is.

We should probably all think about it. I've haven't done it yet but I think I should.

Good on your partner for doing it on top of all her own battles.

[pulisa]

I've opted in too for what my organs are worth.

I did offer my eggs when I had an emergency hysterectomy at 32 after my daughter was born but they politely declined...Wonder why?

[Buster70]

Maybe the rule should be you can only receive an organ if you are registered to donate , some of us need a shove .
When the doctor told us our daughter might not make the night and my need a liver transplant within a split second my partner asked can we be live donors ? To my shame it wasn't the first thought in my head but to be honest I didn't know at the time it was possible with a liver .
Just saying it to your next of kin is enough , although like you pulisa I'm not sure they would find much worth having with me I haven't exactly treated my body as a temple more an off licence .
I think my partner would do the right thing with me anyway even if I haven't said it .

[Elen]

I opted in years ago but doubt that they would want my organs now.

I have however donated my body to the univercity when I die now, not totally a selfless decision, it saves on the need and cost of a funeral lol

[MyNameIsTerry]

Thinking back to my twenties, Sarsons might have shown some interest in some of mine

[pulisa]

My son was born without a right kidney and his left kidney doesn't function at 100%. He's been fine so far but obviously has nothing to fall back on should his sole kidney fail. I'm probably too old to donate now but if there was a match I'd happily do it.

I don't think anyone would want my brain as a future transplant!! Can you imagine a future with brain transplants being routine ops?

[MyNameIsTerry]

My son was born without a right kidney and his left kidney doesn't function at 100%. He's been fine so far but obviously has nothing to fall back on should his sole kidney fail. I'm probably too old to donate now but if there was a match I'd happily do it.

I don't think anyone would want my brain as a future transplant!! Can you imagine a future with brain transplants being routine ops?

Would the vetting procedure include questions about whether you've been on reality TV?

God help us. Gemma Collins might live forever through multiple transplanting

---------- Post added at 14:14 ---------- Previous post was at 14:08 ----------

I opted in years ago but doubt that they would want my organs now.

I have however donated my body to the univercity when I die now, not totally a selfless decision, it saves on the need and cost of a funeral lol

You never know, you might end up in an afterlife reality TV series or on a display playing cards or something?

You also have my respect for this as it's contributing to medical science. Just imagine if your body were used to determine how anxiety develops and a real cure ...We'd be raising a donation thread on here for a statue of you!

---------- Post added at 14:21 ---------- Previous post was at 14:14 ----------

Maybe the rule should be you can only receive an organ if you are registered to donate , some of us need a shove .
When the doctor told us our daughter might not make the night and my need a liver transplant within a split second my partner asked can we be live donors ? To my shame it wasn't the first thought in my head but to be honest I didn't know at the time it was possible with a liver .
Just saying it to your next of kin is enough , although like you pulisa I'm not sure they would find much worth having with me I haven't exactly treated my body as a temple more an off licence .
I think my partner would do the right thing with me anyway even if I haven't said it .

Buster, I just wanted to say that although your partner struggles so much with herself there are moments like this where you demonstrate that underneath the suffering there is a very good person in there willing to step up when the time comes.

Coupled with you being an upfront guy in terms of moving heaven & earth for his loved ones, and actually for even strangers as we've seen in some of the things you've done to help people you barely knew, it shows us some great human qualities.

I know how hard things are for you with your partner from what you describe and all the worry over her that you go through but I read stuff like this and it reminds me we are much more than our illnesses.

I don't think you should berate yourself for that split second, anyone could spend days walking around unable to think about anything from hearing that. Look at it more that your partner had an epiphany moment that she ran with regardless of consequences. I really don't think anyone who has read about you on here would think for a minute you wouldn't dive in a raging sea for your family.

I hope this comes across ok, I don't mean it to be critical or negative in any way, more respect for you both.

[Buster70]

I did read about the process in which organs are harvested ( not the greatest description harvested ) which is what put me off but a lot has happened since then to change my mind , I've put my life on the line many times for people in the past but that's in the spur of the moment my problem is over thinking and then doing nothing.
Terry you are right and certainly no offence taken , my partner is very messed up but underneath a good selfless person .
So in the future it could end up like Trigger on only fools and horses having his broom for twenty years with six new heads and ten new handles , people will be saying they've lived for two hundred years with eight new brains and five new bodies .
I've always been a big believer in recycling, fixing , up cycling, restoring, so why not with people ? I guess one down side will be rich people buying organs from the poor as the social divide gets wider .
I should just ask my 8 year old granddaughter, she will tell me straight , I'd cut my arm off with a rusty saw for her .