quickcluck Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Anyone else watching this? Quite interesting.... We discuss funerals on the forum every now and then, this is just a different aspect of death. My friend and I were discussing it recently as we are both very anti funerals and are not having one.... He was talking about donation, we are both nurses so not too freaked out by it all.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Missed this one completely! Interested though as my mum wants to donate her body so need to know what to do when the time comes! Apparently it does depend on when (ie what time of day and what day of the week etc) ones shrugs off the mortal coil in terms of the practicalities of storage etc as to whether the body is accepted? Anyway thats what Mum seems to think so I need to catch up on this prog! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 Last program is next week. It following 2 people. They use you for 3 years for various things. Even new surgical procedures. Very interesting..... It seems they organise everything. Someone just needs to give them a call! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 From what I gather, the best way to ensure this can happen (and there's never any guarantee) is for the donor to contact their chosen medical school/hospital etc, to kind of get themselves booked in, so to speak, (not necessarily with any likelihood of imminent death) and then when the time does come, assuming the med school is taking "donations" at that time, then they will deal with the organisation (and the eventual cost of cremation). I think it's hugely important that your family know if this is your wish though, they are very unlikely to donate your body unless you've previously warned them it's what you want. I saw a prog a while ago about how much of a body can be used for "spare parts" even if organ donation isn't possible eg, they were taking things like tendons, corneas and most interestingly bones (which could then be ground up and used for people who have bone injuries and need some extra bone to fill a gap. Apparently there is also part of the knee which can't be repaired but needs to be replaced if it's badly damaged (the meniscus, or something like that, I think??) and there is a huge shortage of such spares! I had no idea this kind of thing was possible! I might be slightly insensitive, but to me, it just seems to take recycling to its ultimate level and as I'm obsessed with recycling I'm all for any part of me being used after I snuff it for whatever purpose, be it organ donation, research or whatever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted September 30, 2015 Author Share Posted September 30, 2015 Funny you should say that as my niece has had surgery on both of her feet and donated bone was used for that.... it is irradiated apparently... after she got over the shock of it she was fine about it.... On a personal note I would much rather use a human donated part than an animal part, but that is just my choice.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 I can remember as a student nurse in the 80's going round looking at the bodies which had been left to science. We were standing by the body of a man whose head top was gone and the posh nurse in our group who called everyone "sweetie or dahling" said "oh I say is it a male or female?" We were standing at the other end transfixed by it all and some one muttered sniggering " its a bloke" from our angle it was very clearly was. Several people fainted but I managed to stay standing. It was fascinating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 I saw the prog about the uses of other tissues etc too and, yes, it was amazing even though I had to view it from behind a cushion! I guess I need to quiz Mum more on the practicalities of the whole thing so that we can make sure that what she wants happens when the time comes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 Saw this advertised but way too squeamish to watch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 OH has worked in orthopeadics for 30 odd years (some of them VERY odd ) and has used cadavers to practice anatomy etc......however, he is Mr Squeamish and won't go to blood donors as he is wont to pass out yet can dissect and and advise surgeons during complicated ops! I slashed my finger open over Christmas and he got more sympathy than me as we peeled him off the floor (I had a tea towel wrapped round my sodden finger at the time ) I still have the scar How strange we all are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted September 30, 2015 Author Share Posted September 30, 2015 that is funny... I still feel feel uncomfortable watching some stuff after 30yrs myself. I was good to see them being very respectful and interesting how they were completely depersonalised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I am ok with human suffering but cant cope well with the cats and chucks bleeding all over the place. I cant watch stabbing enacted on TV and the fish hook (albeit not real ) in Dr Martin on Monday made me wince. I can dress the smelliest leg ulcers before lunch so my squeamishness is odd as sometimes I feel positively nauseous other times I can just get on and deal with it. When I was pregnant the window were open all winter as the slightest smell set me off vomiting - my HCA is pregnant and beats a retreat when our pt with malodouros leg ulcers comes in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I know my replacement aortic valve and aorta is either a human, bovine or porcine one; I don't wanna know which though and I hate thinking about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 The second prog was on last night but we recorded that and watched the first on catch up so that we were up to speed . I found it very moving......and so odd to see the chap talking about his life, generally chatting away then, later in the prog, to see him being embalmed! I can't believe how brave the lady was too; I am not sure that I can watch the second prog now that the first focussed so much on her life Its an amazing thing to do and I was rather shocked that only just over 700 bodies were donated in a year.......I wonder if this prog will have any effect on that? Has set me wondering about my demise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 I saw the 2nd program, it was very interesting, for what they did with her especially. But I was alittle disappointed. I expected more from the programme itself. Perhaps concentrate less on the lead up and more on what happens afterwoods so that people can see the almost limitless ways this can help people in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
