Someones going to be sticking a large needle in me

[Grenadier]

I figure if you're giving up part of your body they ought to treat you to the good stuff. If I did this they'd probably stick me in a Motel 6 and give me a meal from McDonald's dollar menu or something.

[whitehart]

Thats an awesome thing you did, I am a frequent blood donor and on the platelets donor list too although I have recently had to have immunisations because of my occupation which means I cant donate for a few months.

I frequently meet people who are the recievers of bone marrow and it really is a life saver, I am learning to do TBI (total body irradiation) which is the procedure the reciever will go through to prepare their body to accept the donor marrow if they are a cancer patient.

I have a question for Grenadier, you do not wish to donate tissue because you do not know who recieves your donation but if the tables were turned and you had to recieve a transfusion would it matter who the donator was?

[Grenadier]

You really want to open an ugly can of worms? This is dangerous ground. The kind in which someone stupid would simply rush to assumptions and make false accusations like racism, or perhaps denigrate religious views I may or may not subscribe to. But if you really feel you need an answer from me here you go:

It's not a religious thing or a racial thing. I'm concerned about the quality of a person. People of good character matter more to me than people of terrible character. Am I being judgmental? Yes. Do I have a right to judge others? Yes. Because people judge me all the time. And we all judge one another. I would not want any part of my body being used to preserve the life of a person of terrible character. Likewise, I would not want any part of a good person's body being used to preserve my life. If we must swap marrow, organs, blood, etc, I'd simply prefer my parts going to people worth keeping alive and not those who don't deserve it.

Alright now, let me have it folks.

[Mud Duck]

. I would not want any part of my body being used to preserve the life of a person of terrible character. Likewise, I would not want any part of a good person's body being used to preserve my life.

I understand the first part of this statement, but the second to me is confusing; Would the fact that the person is/ has donated a part of their body (postmortem or otherwise) not make them a 'good person'? Is not giving of themselves, in this case literally, not a tenet of most religions?

[Grenadier]

I personally don't consider organ donation to automatically make the donor a good person for having done so. And simply just meeting the basic requirements of any particular religion's tenets doesn't either. Where I live we have lots and lots of those "good Christians." But their goodness seems to be entirely dependent on showing up to church each Sunday. While the rest of the week they don't live up to their teachings. So to me simply doing a good act isn't enough to make you a good person. I do good things all the time but am far from being a good person. You have to live the good. Be the good. It is not enough to dole out a bit of good deeds here and there over the course of your life. Nor is it enough to leave your organs to be donated once you're dead. It takes much more to be a "good person." But it is not necessarily difficult to be a good person either.

[whitehart]

Sorry if it put you on the spot but I thought you gave a pretty reasonable answer. I too wonder where my blood goes, does it help save the life of a premature baby or does it save the life of a drunk driver who mowed down a pedastrian crashing his car.

[Thornblood]

Dr, you are a freakin hero and deserve a medal.

[Mud Duck]

I think that this is closer to the question that I was thinking and trying to put into words, Grenadier.
So if Mother Theresa was a match and offered up life saving Bone Marrow to you, you would not take it because you don't think that your 'good' enough? That sounds like a hard line to toe when the chips are down, not sure if I could make it.

[Grenadier]

While donating your blood or organs don't make you a good person automatically I would go so far as to say it is a sign of good character.

I don't know much about how the medical community handles it. Just that blood is taken and stored until someone needs it. And people wait on donor lists for organs when they become available. If recipients get your organs after you are dead it really won't matter what your concerns were in life. But what about organs you donate while alive? Can you have some control over who gets your stuff? Like, if I was going to donate a kidney or something I can live without I'd like to make sure it goes to a child.

Sorry if it put you on the spot but I thought you gave a pretty reasonable answer. I too wonder where my blood goes, does it help save the life of a premature baby or does it save the life of a drunk driver who mowed down a pedastrian crashing his car.

[whitehart]

I believe you have control over your organs whilst your alive, you normally see family members donating a kidney or liver lobe to a relative. It would be pretty unethical if you didnt have a choice.