Why I ceased being an organ donor

[NDXUFan]

An organ transplant results in a person who is obliged to take extremely expensive drugs for the duration of his/her life. This means that the cost is borne either by the family who pays thousands of dollars per month at a cost to the other family members, the insurance company at a greatly increased premium cost for all clients, or the government at a similar cost to the government health care system and the taxpayers. The fact that transplanted organs last an average of some five years means that the expensive surgeries involved are repeated over and over for a single patient.
Let’s keep the experimentation in the laboratory and when we can actually replace an organ with the patient’s own tissue, then start working on people.

Matthew

As someone who needs a kidney transplant, most of your post is true. However, there is an exciting new development where the donor gives bone marrow cells to the recipient, thus eliminating the need to take expensive suppressive drugs for life. In addition, most kidney transplants, according to my Nephrologist, (25 years of experience) last many, many years, anywhere from 15-20 years, not five years. In fact, there are many transplants that have lasted for over 20 years. Many universities are working on artificial kidneys, such as Clemson with an artificial bio-engineered kidney, through a process called cell printing. For individuals that have a donor with incompatible tissue or blood, Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic have a process that will allow donors and recipients to receive kidney transplants with incompatible tissue and blood with the same survival rates as “normal” kidney transplants. It is my personal belief that dialysis centers will not exist in ten years or if they do, the technology will be vastly different than today’s technology.

Oregon State has developed a dialysis machine that weighs seven pounds and runs at 85%-90% efficiency. In other words, kidney patients will be able to drink beer and eat pizza. If you would like to see a picture of this technology: homedialysisplus.com.

I believe that we should allow people to sell their kidneys. First, who does the kidney belong to, the individual or the government? Second, if we allowed kidneys to be sold, this would help the poor individuals that are poor and really need a kidney. Third, yes, the rich would be able to buy a kidney, however this would help the poor, by removing other person off of the list, enabling the poor individual to get the next shot at a kidney. Fourth, the ever extending list of individuals that need a kidney is starting to become morally intolerable. Fifth, the hospitals, the transplant team and every one else in the transplant process is making a financial killing off the transplant process. If they are making money, why is it wrong for the donor to make money? Sixth, the reason that the kidney donation list is so long, is that the price for the kidney is zero. How many cars and houses do you think the average American would have at the price of zero? If you answered zero or none, you would be correct. If the cost of any commodity is zero, then the amount supplied will also be zero. Seventh, can you measure the amount of suffering that is endured by the patient and the family for a kidney that may never come to improve their health and life? Eight, how would you feel if you could only drink 32oz of any kind of fluid and you were a diabetic with a raging thirst? Nine, would you like to be unable to eat 95%-98% of your current food consumption?

I fail to see why this has to happen to satisfy the moral smugness of certain individuals like ALGore who supports the killing of unborn children and other forms of immoral killing. In fact, Mr. Gore was the one who started the prohibtion on organ selling, but, what is morally wrong about it? Is it some kind of mortal sin, are we injuring the life of a third party? Are we reducing kidney function to the body, no, medically, that would be incorrect. Medically, the body only needs one function kidney to live, according to my Nephrologist. I fail to see where this action is a sin or injuring a third party?

 

[NDXUFan]

An organ transplant results in a person who is obliged to take extremely expensive drugs for the duration of his/her life. This means that the cost is borne either by the family who pays thousands of dollars per month at a cost to the other family members, the insurance company at a greatly increased premium cost for all clients, or the government at a similar cost to the government health care system and the taxpayers. The fact that transplanted organs last an average of some five years means that the expensive surgeries involved are repeated over and over for a single patient.
Let’s keep the experimentation in the laboratory and when we can actually replace an organ with the patient’s own tissue, then start working on people.

Matthew

As someone who needs a kidney transplant, most of your post is true. However, there is an exciting new development where the donor gives bone marrow cells to the recipient, thus eliminating the need to take expensive suppressive drugs for life. In addition, most kidney transplants, according to my Nephrologist, (25 years of experience) last many, many years, anywhere from 15-20 years, not five years. In fact, there are many transplants that have lasted for over 20 years. Many universities are working on artificial kidneys, such as Clemson with an artificial bio-engineered kidney, through a process called cell printing. For individuals that have a donor with incompatible tissue or blood, Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic have a process that will allow donors and recipients to receive kidney transplants with incompatible tissue and blood with the same survival rates as “normal” kidney transplants. It is my personal belief that dialysis centers will not exist in ten years or if they do, the technology will be vastly different than today’s technology.

Oregon State has developed a dialysis machine that weighs seven pounds and runs at 85%-90% efficiency. In other words, kidney patients will be able to drink beer and eat pizza. If you would like to see a picture of this technology: homedialysisplus.com.

I believe that we should allow people to sell their kidneys. First, who does the kidney belong to, the individual or the government? Second, if we allowed kidneys to be sold, this would help the poor individuals that are poor and really need a kidney. Third, yes, the rich would be able to buy a kidney, however this would help the poor, by removing other person off of the list, enabling the poor individual to get the next shot at a kidney. Fourth, the ever extending list of individuals that need a kidney is starting to become morally intolerable. Fifth, the hospitals, the transplant team and every one else in the transplant process is making a financial killing off the transplant process. If they are making money, why is it wrong for the donor to make money? Sixth, the reason that the kidney donation list is so long, is that the price for the kidney is zero. How many cars and houses do you think the average American would have at the price of zero? If you answered zero or none, you would be correct. If the cost of any commodity is zero, then the amount supplied will also be zero. Seventh, can you measure the amount of suffering that is endured by the patient and the family for a kidney that may never come to improve their health and life? Eight, how would you feel if you could only drink 32oz of any kind of fluid and you were a diabetic with a raging thirst? Nine, would you like to be unable to eat 95%-98% of your current food consumption?

I fail to see why this has to happen to satisfy the moral smugness of certain individuals like ALGore who supports the killing of unborn children and other forms of immoral killing. In fact, Mr. Gore was the one who started the prohibtion on organ selling, but, what is morally wrong about it? Is it some kind of mortal sin, are we injuring the life of a third party? Are we reducing kidney function to the body, no, medically, that would be incorrect. Medically, the body only needs one function kidney to live, according to my Nephrologist. I fail to see where this action is a sin or injuring a third party?

I agree, use tissues from the patient’s own body to heal. Yet, that technology is more than a few years away. Until that day, we have a way to eliminate the great suffering of many innocent people, without sinning or injuring a third party.

Mark

 

[jmcrae]

I completely disagree with the idea of selling kidneys; kidneys are not a renewable commodity. Nor should anyone, regardless of how poor they are, be forced to consider compromising his health in such a serious way, in favour of a one-time financial gain.

Our bodies don’t belong either to ourselves or to the government, but to God. Our duty in caring for our bodies is one of our duties to God.

 

[rpp]

I completely disagree with the idea of selling kidneys; kidneys are not a renewable commodity. Nor should anyone, regardless of how poor they are, be forced to consider compromising his health in such a serious way, in favour of a one-time financial gain.

Our bodies don’t belong either to ourselves or to the government, but to God. Our duty in caring for our bodies is one of our duties to God.

Absolutely correct!!!

While I might consider donating a kidney, bone marrow, blood or something else that will not kill or seriously imperil my health, I would never sell them. I would only ask that related medical expenses be covered.

 

[NDXUFan]

I completely disagree with the idea of selling kidneys; kidneys are not a renewable commodity. Nor should anyone, regardless of how poor they are, be forced to consider compromising his health in such a serious way, in favour of a one-time financial gain.

Our bodies don’t belong either to ourselves or to the government, but to God. Our duty in caring for our bodies is one of our duties to God.

Medically, if you sold one of your kidneys, your life in a medical sense would be the same as before you sold your kidney. In the majority of patients with kidney failure, both kidneys fail. The body only needs one kidney to function normally, not two. In living with one kidney, your life would be the same as an individual with two kidneys. In fact, there are many people in the United States living with one kidney. I did not say that only the poor should sell their kidneys. I am not sure you are looking at the other side of the picture. There are many people that believe theologically that we are given two kidneys to help someone who does not have any, like the rich man ignoring Lazarus while he stuffed food in his face, while Lazarus starved. Yes, caring for our bodies is one of our duties to God. However, caring and helping other people that have been much less fortunate in life is also a duty to God, as we are our brother’s keeper. I respect your beliefs that you would not want to sell you kidneys. I would challenge you to make a trip to your local dialysis center. Most of the individuals that you will see look like they are a few steps away from death. Jesus also said those who lose their lives, will save it.

As a kidney patient, my health is in the top 1% of kidney patients. In other words, I will live a normal life span without a transplant. The majority of dialysis patients have heart, liver, and many other serious medical issues. In fact, in any given year, 20% of dialysis patients will pass away. I do not see the reasons why our society is letting the cruel suffering of kidney patients continue, when a ethical cure is in front of us.

Mark

 

[jmcrae]

I respect your beliefs that you would not want to sell you kidneys.

Thank you.

I would hate to see a world come about where a homeless person would be encouraged to sell a kidney before being allowed to be given shelter for the night, which is the situation in countries like India where organ selling is legal.

I would challenge you to make a trip to your local dialysis center. Most of the individuals that you will see look like they are a few steps away from death.

My father is a transplant patient; I am well aware of the issues. There is nothing “ethical” about the selling of human organs.

 

[Lampo]

March 27, 2008 - Brain death man recovers.

 

[NDXUFan]

Thank you.

I would hate to see a world come about where a homeless person would be encouraged to sell a kidney before being allowed to be given shelter for the night, which is the situation in countries like India where organ selling is legal.

My father is a transplant patient; I am well aware of the issues. There is nothing “ethical” about the selling of human organs.

Yes, we agree. I do not think that the poor should be encouraged to the selling of a kidney, before being given shelter, that is immoral. I worked with the poor as a police officer in a large Ohio metro county. I would never even think of pressuring someone to do that before giving them shelter. So, I guess your position is that it is more ethical for kidney patients to suffer and die than it is to sell kidneys? What is immoral and unethical about the selling of a kidney? Is someone going to die as the result of this procedure? Are we placing a burden on someone that they will not be able to handle? What is the major ethical issue in the selling of kidneys, that we as a society should prevent as a matter of public policy?

Mark

 

[jmcrae]

Yes, we agree. I do not think that the poor should be encouraged to the selling of a kidney, before being given shelter, that is immoral. I worked with the poor as a police officer in a large Ohio metro county. I would never even think of pressuring someone to do that before giving them shelter.

Only because we haven’t yet reached the point of viewing each other as organ banks rather than as human beings.

So, I guess your position is that it is more ethical for kidney patients to suffer and die than it is to sell kidneys?

As a matter of fact, yes. When human body parts become market commodities, then what value does life really have?

Can we put a dollar value on life? Should someone profit from another person’s severe illness? Should only those who can pay for kidneys be allowed to have transplants? Where does it end?

 

[wjp984]

It was my understanding that if a person is brain dead and only machines are keeping the heart and lungs working, then the person is legally dead and his/her organs may be harvested.

I have heard that after a person has been declared brain dead, and they are organ donors, the heart/lung machine is usually kept going because some organs need to be transplanted within a few hours of being harvested.

I guess brain death is the point of no return and even if a body still has blood and oxygen circulating, it’s still dead because it is not the brain that is orchestrating the circulation. Turn the machines off, the person will not breathe nor will their heart pump on its own.

At least, that’s how I understand it. Maybe someone else knows more.

It would of course depend on the state but to my understanding, most if not all states declare a person legally dead upon brain death even if the heart is kept pumping by a machine. I read a case where the muderer was trying to fight the indictment for murder since he claimed a doctor who took a person off the machine keeping the victim’s heart beating for precisely the purposes you describe was a superceding cause and therefore the murderer could use this as a defense to why he can not be charged with murder. Back in the day the state had some length of time where a person could no longer be charged with murder if the victim was currently still alive so the doctor ruined this possibility for the murderer. I think the time limits have changed. Anyways, the outcome was that the state declared the person legally dead at brain death and therefore the murderer could not use the actions of the doctor to his defense.

Even if he were allowed the defense I doubt he would have been able to defeat the murder indictment anyways since it is quite forseeable that a doctor would take a person off life support so the murderer can probably still be charged with murder.

 

[Holly3278]

Wow. How disgusting of the doctor to murder the patient like that. I hope he gets life in prison and loses his medical license (not that he’d have any use for it in prison).