organ donors | Arthritis Information

Hey guys.
When I got my driver's license, I registered to be an organ donor.
But now, im pretty sure I have RA. (Oh, I saw my dr. and he told me the Rheumy sent him a fax with my blood tests, which were "abnormal." my dr. said he was gonna let me talk to the Rheumy first, which i see him on Tues.)
So my question is: Can people with RA still donate organs? Either when alive or dead?

Cuz my one wish when I am no longer with my loved ones is that my organs can be used to help others. It would really really suck for me if I couldnt do that anymore.

Thanks in advance for your responses, guys.

Perlat, who knows by the time that you die, they may be able to accept organs from everyone, no matter what they died of or what diseases they had in the past. I don't think I'd worry about it. Take care and let us know how you do. LindyI still have donor on my license. I also wear a Medic Alert (severe allergies) so hospitals can access my basic info like doctors to call and meds I'm on, so they can sort it all out for a correct decision. I agree with Lindy, criteria may change someday. Let experts decide.

On the other hand, I have been told that now, while alive, I cannot donate now, like bone marrow and even blood. That's partly for my health and partly for recipient. RA is only one of my conditions so maybe I'm a more complicated case.

But if I'm killed in a car accident, I want them to consider it, after all, if nothing else, my eyes are ok.... breasts too, but who would want these floppy things?

sign the doner card and don't worry about it...to be a bit sarcastic you're gonna be dead when it comes time for the decision and they drs will use what they canI regularly give blood. I'm turned down sometimes when my hematocrit doesn't quite make the cutoff. I'm not clinically anemic but often right at the lower limit set by the blood bank. My family has made lots of withdrawals from the blood bank; someone has to make some deposits!
My husband also donates regularly with no problems. The only time he was turned down was the year following his heart attack, when he was taking Coumadin. Now that he's just taking Plavix and aspirin for blood-thinning, it's no problem at all. His other cardiac meds are not a contraindication, and neither are mine.
IDK at what age do they stop taking your organs? I mean after awhile, things are just worn down whether okay or not...

I too, am an organ donor... but as I creep down my 50's I wonder what is truly salvageable in time? I've had glaucoma so I don't even think they'll want my eyes.

[QUOTE=babs10]IDK at what age do they stop taking your organs? I mean after awhile, things are just worn down whether okay or not... No matter your age or condition at time of death, it's still likely there's some part of you that could be of use to another person.

I'm an old, decrepit organ donor, but there's something I keep forgetting to do --- make arrangements with a university medical school to donate my body for research. I'll bet this body could teach them a thing or two! My 90-yr old aunt had donated her body before she died and I thought it was a great thing to do. You can be an organ donor and a whole body donor.

Here's some info on it:

"People who wish to donate their entire body to medical science should contact the medical school or willed body program of their choice and make arrangements to do so before they die. Medical schools need bodies to teach medical students about anatomy, and research facilities need them to study disease processes so they can devise cures. Since the bodies used for these purposes generally must be complete with all their organs and tissues, organ donation is not an option. Some programs, however, make exceptions. You can inform your family that organ donation is your first choice, but if it is found that you are not medically suitable for organ donation, your family can carry out your wishes for whole body donation."

Elsie

perlat04 ------ You need to read a book I recently finished: "Unwind" by Neal Shusterman. I think you would enjoy it.awesome ill look for it. thanks for the reading suggestion.

the donating body thing kinda scares me. i dont think i would do that. not cuz of me, but because of my parents. i dont know how they would take that. not being able to visit me somewhere. you know. at least at the cemetery they know im there.
but i might think about it and talk it over with them.
I've made arrangements for my body to be donated to the University of Rochester Medical School, same as my mom. My sister donated hers to Albany.

I think right now I would do far more good as a source of knowledge that as individual parts.

Although keep in mind they need skin, bone, corneas, parts for the inner ear etc. Its amazing what they can use.

If you donate your whole body your ashes are returned to your family in about 3 years. They can bury them then, have a headstone and everything if thats important to them.