NationStates Jolt Archive

Are you registered as an organ donor? What are your reasons for your standpoint? Do you donate blood? In the U.S., do they really pay money for blood donations, or is that just a myth? Do you know anyone who has recieved organs/tissues/blood product? Has this influenced your position?

I've never donated blood. Ironically, after 25 years of serious medical intervention, I'm terrified of needles. I get faint at the pathologist office when I give blood samples. I am going to bite the bullet and make an appointment to donate in the next couple of weeks. I've rationalised that facing up to my needle phobia is more appealing than facing my arachnaphobia. I'm probably quite full of other people's blood, and I've had a tissue graft to repair my heart when I was 18, so I'm quite aware of how useful organs and even bits of organs can be in saving people's lives. I'm registered to donate everything that works in the event that I cark it.

I know that when blood ceases to pump through your organs, they become unusable. Organs are removed from patients while they are on life support - that is, technically still alive. That information creeped me out a bit, but when I think that someone else made that decision, and that decision saved my life, I can't help but feel obligated to pass on that gift.

I donate blood, regularly, and I haven't gone out of the house without my organ donor card for several years.

Reasons? I am aware of the importance of both. I've had several friends who were transplantees and who needed regular blood transfusions because of their illnesses. It costs me nothing to donate blood, it will cost me nothing to donate my organs- so why not save someone's life if it doesn't even take an effort to do so?

I'm an organ donor. If they can save someone's life, then that's a good thing.

I used to donate blood, but I can't anymore. The Aus blood bank won't accept it because of living in England (and eating beef) during the mad cow scare.

Are you registered as an organ donor? What are your reasons for your standpoint? Do you donate blood? In the U.S., do they really pay money for blood donations, or is that just a myth? Do you know anyone who has recieved organs/tissues/blood product? Has this influenced your position?

I've never donated blood. Ironically, after 25 years of serious medical intervention, I'm terrified of needles. I get faint at the pathologist office when I give blood samples. I am going to bite the bullet and make an appointment to donate in the next couple of weeks. I've rationalised that facing up to my needle phobia is more appealing than facing my arachnaphobia. I'm probably quite full of other people's blood, and I've had a tissue graft to repair my heart when I was 18, so I'm quite aware of how useful organs and even bits of organs can be in saving people's lives. I'm registered to donate everything that works in the event that I cark it.

I know that when blood ceases to pump through your organs, they become unusable. Organs are removed from patients while they are on life support - that is, technically still alive. That information creeped me out a bit, but when I think that someone else made that decision, and that decision saved my life, I can't help but feel obligated to pass on that gift.

Whoa. I'm trypanophobic myself, and i haven't had an injection in 6 years. I just freak out. Enough vallium for 3 adults will fail to knock out a teenage geek because of the amount of adrenaline i'm on when there are needles in the room.

just... good on you for facing it. I hope i can do that, someday.

I'm registered as an organ donor (I mean, those organs are likely to be more use to someone else than to me when I'm dead!). In the UK, you fill in an organ donor form when you apply for a driving license. I've never given blood, though I'm 17 and only just old enough to do so. I do plan to however. :)

I am proudly a member of the Organ Donor club. The way i look at it, I'll be dead, and I certainly won't need them anymore. If there is anything left that's worth grabbing, have at! Hopefully, someone else can get some use out of what's left.

As for blood donations, I used to give blood all the time. Up till the point where they said that I couldn't donate anymore due to my high BP. Well, my BP is under control, but that's because of modern medicine, so I still can't donate :(

Now as for the getting paid part, there are (or at least there were) places that would pay you for blood plasma. Not for whole blood. I know, as I used to be so dirt poor, that the money was needed. I used to go in as often as they would let me. That was like 30 years ago!

I seriously dislike needles myself, which kept me from even thinking about doing any of those type of illegal drugs, in my indesciminate youth. However, today, while I still don't like them, they are a necessary part of my treatment for high BP (I get blood tests every three months to check for, amoung other things, diabetes and cholesterol.) I say, go for it, if you are able to. Especially if you have a rarer blood type. You could be saving lives!!! :)

Tom