Death plans/Organ donation

Faust

New member
What are your plans for your body when you die? Burial, cremation, mosoleum, shot into space, etc? Also are you an organ donor? If no, why? minus the CF lung aspect, i'm an extremely healthy person. I'm an organ donor, so i'm pretty sure when I die they are going to strip me like a brand new cadillac parked over night in the ghetto (before the PC carebears start to cry, a ghetto is just a poor area, has nothing to do with race).

As for taking care of my corpse, i've seriously been considering taking part in this one scientific study for forensics. I saw a documentary where people donate their bodies to this organization, and they get you fully clothed like if you were walking around on the street, and they just drop you right on the lawn in the front/back yard, and then let you naturally decay. I must be pretty morbid, but when I watched the documentary and saw this research center with like 50 people just laying on the lawn like they were sleeping, I laughed to myself thinking "OMG how cool is that? I want to decay on someones lawn too!".

I'll more than likely die before those family members around me die, so I doubt they will let me take that path, not to mention my mother already bought me a family plot.


It's sad that we can't yet have our bodies shot out into space, I think that would be very cool too. Just imagine floating around in space for a hundred years or so, bumping into other dead people in space, and then the company that sent you there calculates how long you will float around until you inevitably reenter the atmosphere, and then they call your relatives and friends offspring so they can go outside and watch you reenter the atmosphere like a shooting star and put on a cool small firework display.


There are also quite a few books in large libraries in the USA that are bound in human skin (they all have their own stories how they got that way). I think it would be neat if after your organs were harvested for others to keep living, you could set aside a part of your skin, and decide just what book you want to be part of. I'd maybe get a tattoo on one of my buttcheeks that says "If you are reading this, you are touching my butt", and have that part used for say a book about germ paranoia. I also think it's lame we can't be stuffed like many people do their pets. How come I can stuff my beloved dog rex and not be stuffed myself, or stuff someone else? You could ease your emotional turmoil of someones passing by stuffing them and then arranging them in clothes and items and actions that they were most known for, which you would feel comforting that they were still around.

I dunno maybe i'm deranged, but these are just some of the silly things I think about.

So what are your "afterlife plans"? Are you an organ donor? why or why not?
 

littledebbie

New member
Oh yeah, a morbid chat!
I want to be cremated. I think I might have some hostility issues, because I really just want this body to burn. As far as I'm concerned some people are walking around in mercedes and Hummers etc. i am living in a pinto. I think they finally recalled them didn't they? Hint hint. When when I get recalled so to say, I want to be cremated, sort of a take that you miserable useless body. Childish I know, but we have to be so stinkin grown up about so many things in our life that I'm just going to let myslef have that one little act of nah nah nah nah. I'm not doing anything for science once I'm dead. I've been apart of enough studies and student papers and psycho thesis papers and drug trials, well I'm sure you know...who do I think I'm talking to...anyway, once I'm dead that's it. No more.

Although, if they manage to rocket bodies into space and we get to bump around until we re-enter the earths atmosphere I might be tempted. i can just picture it. First the 6 o'clock news would report it. Families across the world would pull out their telescopes and pop popcorn (Orville redenbocker (sp?) apparenlty) to watch me come rocketing back to earth as a big ball of flame. That would be rather satisfactory. They'd say, boy we haven't seen her move that fast since...well heck we never saw her move like that.

I saw that show too about the school tracking decomposition. They were doing some interesting things. Like learning how they can tell how long a person has been dead by what bugs etc. are present. Yah, that's just a bit too gross for me. Did you see King Kong, I didn't watch the entire bug scene. I just don't do bugs.

I did read this article about a cemetery here in CA that is doing "green" burials. Where they either wrap the body in a highly degradable cloth or pine box and the idea is that everything becomes dirt again a lot faster, all earth friendly and stuff. I realize that probably involves bugs, but it's not so in my face so I'm able to pretend they're not invited to my party. That doesn't sound too bad. And they have this way futuristic thing where when your loved ones visit they pick up this computerized card thing and go put it on your stone and it plays some prerecorded message or photo collection that the family puts together. Neat.

And I have no comment about a butt book, that opens up to many possibilities. Think for a minute of some of the people you know, now think of their hygene. Need I really say more? I think stuffing animals is just freaky. Even if the person hunted it and killed it themselves, why can't they just take a picture? And if you loved it? well i don't know it just seems freaky. And let's give it some thought. People might have you stuffed and then three generations from now no one really remebers who you are and you're sitting in someones attic until a great great great grand kid or something needs a make shift bob sled and the next thing you know he's riding SeanDavis down the stairs and out the front door (HomeAlone style). Is this how you want to end up?

Cremation, yep, that's what I'm doing. It's also very cheap. I don't want to have to pay to much money for dying. Have you heard where Mummification (Sp?) is coming back? I saw that on some crazy cable channel, people have too much money.
 

Allie

New member
We gave up Ry's lungs for research, and corneas for donation.

As far as burial, it was just your basic strain of pine box burial, nothing fancy.
 

wuffles

New member
I want them to take whatever they can for whatever they can use it for <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif" border="0"> I'll donate anything that can be donated and the rest of me can go to research. The body hasn't been good for all that much good in my life so it may as well do something good for someone else!
 

JazzysMom

New member
I definitely want to donate whatever is useful to someone else in need even if is something simple like my corneas instead of a major organ, but anything goes. Research I dont know about only because I always think of them wanting "unusual" cases & I cant say I fall under that. If my body would be a benefit to reseearch yes. It its just the average Cfer not afforing much more than what they probably know that I dont care......either way the remains after organ donation I want to be cremated. I dont know why for sure. My Dad was cremated & his ashes buried on his Moms grave. My oldest nephew was cremated & my sis had a beautiful box built by my bro to hold the box from the crematory & he sits on a shelf near a picture. A dear family friend was cremated & we spread her ashes across the lake that we met her at (a big no o by the NYSDOG mind U). In some way I find it more of a peaceful exit the burial. I am not sure how to put it into words since its more of a feeling!
 

JazzysMom

New member
OK This got me thinking.....Allie this is more directed toward you. The Hasidic Jews believe that all of a person must be buried in order to continue on in the afterlife. This means, blood & all. So like if they have a car accident....they have special techs that will come out & literally scrape the blood up from anywhere at the scene in hopes to preserve that belief. Am I to assume that either U arent that strict or given Ry's CF you might have made an exception to the donation of organs. I personally think its great, but as far as religious beliefs I wonder if it caused a problem when U & he decided about it. Thanks for any knowledge you can shade on it for me! Technically I guess this goes towards anyone whose culture or beliefs dont normally allow organ donations!
 

Lilith

New member
<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>SeanDavis</b></i><br>I'd maybe get a tattoo on one of my buttcheeks that says "If you are reading this, you are touching my butt", and have that part used for say a book about germ paranoia.<hr></blockquote>

LMAO!! OMG, that's great! I love your sense of humor!

Anyway, to answer your question...I have no freakin' clue. I signed a living will a while back, but I left the part about burial blank because I don't know if I want to be creamated or not. The idea of sitting in the ground rotting with all kinds of bugs making nests in my nose doesn't sound like a great idea, but then again, I'll be dead, so... Bah! I hate having to make choices!

I haven't signed up for organ donation because I don't think I could really be used for much. Other than my corneas (which I have a stigmatism in anyway), I don't think I'd be of much help to anyone. Might just donate my body to science or something... I really haven't decided yet.
 

anonymous

New member
Definitely cremated for many reasons. One because of the whole bug thing, ugh it gives me the willies thinking of bugs crawling around on me ... I know I would be dead but I still know that it would be happening and it creeps me out. If I am cremated I won't take up as mch space either. Also no matter where the people I love are they can take me with them vs. burying me in Florida then moving o Pennsylvania or Tennessee or Seattle or somewhere out of the country and having to leave me here, yes I know I would be dead and wouldn't really notice being lonely but they would never get to visit me or anything if I were buried.

As for organ donations, I am not an organ donor. I admire people that do, but I can't. I had a friend work for a company that harvested organs and the things she told me about the way that they harvest organs disturbed me. She made it sound like a H.S. dissection, but in greater detail. I have told my mom and fiance it is a hard decision for me because ultimately I will be waiting for someone to pass that will be an organ donor for me to live, but the thought of being an organ donor myself makes me ill. I know it seems kind of selfish to hope someone becomes an organ donor to save me and not being a donor as well, but they probably would be able to use any lifesaving organs anyhow. I don't know just a guess, I have never looked into what would/could be used.

I truly love the idea of stuffing someone. My friends and I were talking about that a few days ago. How you could have someone stuffed and displayed on the mantle like a deer or turkey or raccoon or whatever or ..... this one made us laugh ... have the person stuffed in a seated position and just leave him/her in the car. Then you'd always be able to drive in the car pool lane.
The book idea was hilarious. Sick .... but hilarious.

Lindsey
23 w/CF and CFRD
 

Faust

New member
<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>Lilith</b></i><br><blockquote>Quote
<hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>SeanDavis</b></i>
I'd maybe get a tattoo on one of my buttcheeks that says "If you are reading this, you are touching my butt", and have that part used for say a book about germ paranoia.<hr></blockquote>



LMAO!! OMG, that's great! I love your sense of humor!



Anyway, to answer your question...I have no freakin' clue. I signed a living will a while back, but I left the part about burial blank because I don't know if I want to be creamated or not. The idea of sitting in the ground rotting with all kinds of bugs making nests in my nose doesn't sound like a great idea, but then again, I'll be dead, so... Bah! I hate having to make choices!



I haven't signed up for organ donation because I don't think I could really be used for much. Other than my corneas (which I have a stigmatism in anyway), I don't think I'd be of much help to anyone. Might just donate my body to science or something... I really haven't decided yet.<hr></blockquote>


You would be surprised what all they can use on someone, even someone who is generally unhealthy. I'm no expert on it, but skin and bone marrow alone seem like a given. Also i've known people that have had operations that had cadaver bones added to them for various reasons. I'm pretty sure even unhealthy people could be picked clean. Think about it this way, it's like the ultimate form of recycling.
 

Faust

New member
I dunno Lindsey, I just look at it as extremely wasteful. It's all personal choice, and i'm not berating you, but to me going into the ground with items that could save someone elses life or improve their life, and just having them rot, doesn't make any sense to me. As you said, we all should appreciate organ donation more than many others, because of our reliance on lung transplants. It's all personal choice, I just don't see any logical sense in why we shouldn't help others when we pass. Remember guys, it's not like we are just sleeping and we feel anything or are aware of anything, what was once there is now gone, and we are just an empty box devoid of anything.
 

Allie

New member
Melissa, I'm really surprised you knew that. Ry and I were'nt/aren't terribly strict in those sort of senses, being Reform. But once we decided on it, we agreed not to tell my parents, who would have gone insane had they known about it.

The law on the books most technically reads not to show disrespect to a dead body, I think. And it's been interpreted a ton of different ways. Obviously, I don't believe God would want us to not donate out organs, but it's a personal belief thing, and some Jews believe differently.

I hope that sort of cleared it up.
 

Emily65Roses

New member
My whole body is being donated to science so they can cut me open... oooh and aaahhh... and maybe learn something from it. Hehehehee. Lovely, isn' it? <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0">
 

anonymous

New member
My daughter Elizabeth donated her body to science. They told us we would get her ashes when they are through but it might take up to two years. This is what she wanted, she also wanted to be an organ donor but they would not let her do both, so she opted for donating her body to science because she thought this might help someone else not go through what she did.
 

anonymous

New member
Sean,

Bone Marrow, blood are two of the "tissues" that you can only donate when you are living. Of course for organs, when you are living you can donate lung lobe, liver lobe, kidney.

Most people can be able to help about 80 people after their death. Most of the people you help you are enhancing their lives, they are not life saving organs. Skin, cornea, bone, heart valves, ligaments, the list goes on and on can be used after death.

I think someone said they want to donate organs to help others. That is great. Even though you have CF you might be able to donate. Only at the time of your death will they know. But to donate solid organs, as of today, you must die on a ventilator. So you must die a brain death. If you die a cardiac death, you can donate tissues, bone, skin, cornea. Two types of death.

The best thing to do is let your family know your wishes. Most families will not go against your wishes even if their wishes are different.

As a lung recipient, my family knows to donate my organs, tissues, skin, cornea etc. The only organ that we know immediately that could not be used is my lungs. The connections would be too short. And the rest of my organs, maybe they are getting damaged by the meds I am on, but at the time of death that will be determined.

Age also should not be considered a reason not to donate... older and older people are able to donate now.

Joanne Schum
luckylungsforjo@aol.com
 

Purplelungz

New member
I am donating my body to science, specifically to use for CF research if at all possible. I dont know what they can learn from a dead cfer, maybe study how end stages really affects the organs? or do some dna studies or whatever. I would love if i can donate anything, eyes, skin, marrow, whatevers usefull when I die and be donated to science but I dont think you can do both. So research doesnt work out thy donate what they can. Then i am to be cremated. Being buried seems like a big waste to me. Just sitting there rotting. Its just an empty vessel once I die so what happens to my body doesnt really matter. Although I once couldnt make up my mind about being burried or creamated. Then I saw MYth Busters, they buried this guy alive in a steal coffin, in this huge glass box so they could easily remove a side and get him out in under 30 seconds. This coffin was supposed to be top notch best of the best. Well they barely got 3 feet of dirt on it and you could hear it creaking (cameras and micorphones were in with him to monitor what was going on and the guy) then 4 ft still creaking, by 5 feet of dirt the thing started to cave in. So they took down the wall of this plexiglass thing, When the dirt had left from ontop and around the coffin the whole top and even sides showed signs of just being smashed. I couldnt imagine what the thing would have looked like with the whole 6 feet of dirt. So basically their test showed coffins collapse (i forget about wood ones but they would eventually rot anyway). So if for some people being put in a fancy coffin to preserve something of your body, that isnt going to work. Plus being everything that goes with being buried, persevered til the funeral, coffin, and all funeral expenses. No not for me. I put my family in enough debt they dont need to worry to much about what to do with me when I die.

Oh and their not allowed to have a funeral or any type of memorial service. They are to have a party. A big huge blow out with lots of food. I find funerals to depressing. Some people are perfectly fine, yeah sad, but its like once they get to the funeral they start bawling. My family and friends should be happy I'm no longer suffering with cf. I will be in Heaven and so happy. Sure they will miss me but I dont want them to grieve (sp?) (which i know thats impossible people grieve when someone dies).

Yeah and I dont want to be stuffed. The way I look at it is well its creepy. lol. Plus why would i want to be stuffed and just sitting in the coner of someones house collecting dust. The book idea was so funny though. LOL be put on a germ a phob book. thats a good one.
 

Allie

New member
We had a 'memorial service" that consisted of beer and pizza. It was pretty much a party where we sat around and told stories about what a dip Ry was. It wasn't somber at all, though I cried, but what do you expect....people don't necessarily cry because of the death thing, only in the sense that they will miss you terribly. Anyhow, everyone had to wear bright colors, and if someone showed up in black we had tye-dyed t shirts for them. I think it was pretty much the way Ry'd have wanted it. So I don't doubt you could do something similar.
 

Emily65Roses

New member
Hahaha. Me and Allie had talked about this type of thing previously. I had a similar idea for my memorial thingie. No one is to wear black. Everyone is to wear really bright colors, awful clothes with glitter and sequins. Gaudy stuff. If anyone misses that note and shows up in black, they are going to be stuck wearing really awful bright dorky hats (like a jester's hat, for instance) my family will have on hand. Hehehehheee. I want people to be good and embarassed at my "service." I'll be evil, even in death, thank you very much. MWAHAHAHA!! <img src="i/expressions/devil.gif" border="0">
 

JazzysMom

New member
Emily: I think U would give us a new meaning to the term "haunting" with the jester hats!
Allie: Pizza & Beer hmmmm.....nice touch!
 

Faust

New member
When they are carvin me up, I SOOOOO hope one of the technicians/surgeons harvesting my organs quickly paints the tip of my nose red with a marker and then scrapes the side of my chest and makes the board game operation BUZZ sound. Wouldn't that rock?
 
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