dragon_of_red said:
Im not one
Im too young i think...
I cant see why you wouldnt be an organ donor, your dead, you dont need it anymore.
I don't know if you live in the US or not, and frankly, I am too lazy to look at your profile to find out. But, in the US, there is no minimum age for donation. Your parents, ( or whoever your legal gardian is) can donate your organs and tissues. If you want to donate, all you have to do is tell them, and hopefully they will respect your wishes, and consent to donation.
Rednog said:
No, I am not.
The first reason is that I have a genetic kidney disease which causes hypertension. I've pretty much lived with it my entirely life and I'm sure my organs have taken a beating from it and would be fairly useless. Also, I will point out that while I do sound like a complete dick below, I have tried to donate blood and was denied.
But if my organs were fine, I would not be one. Being a med student and having talked to various doctors and having the subject come up. There are various doctors who will check whether or not a person is an organ donor and will be less likely to undergo a risky or a low chance surgery/ set of actions to help a person if they are an organ donor. Instead they will go for transplanting the organs. Maybe I sound like a greedy twat, but if I ever come into a hospital in a terrible condition I want doctors to do absolutely every thing they can to save my ass and not give up on me because I'm an organ donor.
Yes I know it is something that saves lives, and that in real life I will need an organ transplant for my kidneys but the idea that someone wouldn't try to save my life but instead opt for someone else is just horrifying to me.
And before someone jumps down my throat, yes I know not every doctor thinks like this, I've met enough that do think like this that I wouldn't want to take my chances.
A genetic disease in the kidneys could cause problems for donation of the KIDNEYS. But that is all. Hypertension is a common ailment, and does not affect donation in any way.
Since you did not mention why you were turned down for blood donation, I can only speculate, but the common reasons are high risk activity, such as recent piercings, tattoos, or a sexual lifestyle that would indicate an increased risk for viral infection.
You say you are a "med student", which I find that claim to be highly suspect, as you would have known the specifics of hypertension and kidneys in relation to transplantation, as well as the fact that hypertension does not deliver a "beating" to many of the organs that can be transplanted.
Now, I don't know about other countries, but in the US it is highly unlikely for any doctor to deny treatment, or give substandard treatment, on the basis that you are a organ donor.In the US, the UNOS system assignes donation priority, not the doctors themselves. Doctors are nothing more than the deciding factor in whether an available organ is right for their patient, and the surgeons who actually remove/transplant the organ. They have no say in who gets which organ, other than the ability to refuse an organ. There is no logical or financial benefit for a doctor to willfully allow an organ donor to die.
Furthermore, on a statistical basis, the organs from an organ donor usually only extend a recipients life by a short amount, and that's assuming there are no complications. The idea of allowing one relatively healthy person to die, so that a handful of ill people can theoretically live a few more years on average, makes absolutely no sense.
In the future, please do not spread misinformation and urban legends about donation, as it may affect the decision to donate by others, and thus rob the potential recipient of a chance at a longer life.
Incidently, I work in organ and tissue transplant, hence the name Semitendon, after Semitendinosus, a tendon which can be used for transplant.
