This post is inspired by itelli's post, I just want to share my experience on the subject of donating your body to Science/Medicine.
Over a year ago now my grandmother fell sick, and for months she suffered, from what we later found out was a bowel obstruction, after which she had lost so much weight she was finally taken into hospital. However, at this point she was so weak, and the hospital didn't help by trying to feed her rather than give her intravenous nourishment, that when three weeks after she was hospitalised they operated on her to find out what was wrong she went into a coma, from which she never woke up from. After the initial shock of loosing someone close, someone that a few months beforehand had seemed healthy enough to live until she was a hundred, the business of what to do has to kick in.
My grandmother was NOT religious (I know it's hard to believe when talking about that generation, but it's true), she was a hardened Communist and refused many a time to attend family church gatherings, such as confirmations and weddings. Therefore she didn't want any sort of gathering, funeral or the sort, she wanted her body to be given to Science and she wanted to be buried in an anonymous grave, i.e. no one should know where she was buried.
So we (her family) followed her wishes, which proved a little tricky as she had not written down that she wanted her body to be donated, but after a lot of phone calls and signing of documents she was off to Aarhus University Hospital. This only happened after she had been placed 'peacefully' by the nurses, with the bible next to her, to the horror of my dad. I guess they did it to be nice, but shouldn't you ask first? I mean in our multi-cultural society? I guess it was a minor annoyance compared to the grief we were experiencing.
Although she had said she didn't want us to know where she was laid down, my sister and I convinced our father and uncle to let us know where and when, and about two months ago she was buried, over a year after her death. It seems a long time doesn't it? Especially cause they were in such a hurry when they took the body, but I guess they have techniques to preserve the body/body parts. So now we know where she is, I mean her ashes, but her soul is gone - my grandmother is gone forever. I hope her body helped just a little, I wish she helped cure a disease or at least made someone a doctor... I think so, I decide to KNOW so!
Well, this is my story of donating death to help the living. If I die or get brain damaged or is unable to function I want my descendants to donate my body, my organs, everything, because what is the point of having your body when your soul is not there?
Over a year ago now my grandmother fell sick, and for months she suffered, from what we later found out was a bowel obstruction, after which she had lost so much weight she was finally taken into hospital. However, at this point she was so weak, and the hospital didn't help by trying to feed her rather than give her intravenous nourishment, that when three weeks after she was hospitalised they operated on her to find out what was wrong she went into a coma, from which she never woke up from. After the initial shock of loosing someone close, someone that a few months beforehand had seemed healthy enough to live until she was a hundred, the business of what to do has to kick in.
My grandmother was NOT religious (I know it's hard to believe when talking about that generation, but it's true), she was a hardened Communist and refused many a time to attend family church gatherings, such as confirmations and weddings. Therefore she didn't want any sort of gathering, funeral or the sort, she wanted her body to be given to Science and she wanted to be buried in an anonymous grave, i.e. no one should know where she was buried.
So we (her family) followed her wishes, which proved a little tricky as she had not written down that she wanted her body to be donated, but after a lot of phone calls and signing of documents she was off to Aarhus University Hospital. This only happened after she had been placed 'peacefully' by the nurses, with the bible next to her, to the horror of my dad. I guess they did it to be nice, but shouldn't you ask first? I mean in our multi-cultural society? I guess it was a minor annoyance compared to the grief we were experiencing.
Although she had said she didn't want us to know where she was laid down, my sister and I convinced our father and uncle to let us know where and when, and about two months ago she was buried, over a year after her death. It seems a long time doesn't it? Especially cause they were in such a hurry when they took the body, but I guess they have techniques to preserve the body/body parts. So now we know where she is, I mean her ashes, but her soul is gone - my grandmother is gone forever. I hope her body helped just a little, I wish she helped cure a disease or at least made someone a doctor... I think so, I decide to KNOW so!
Well, this is my story of donating death to help the living. If I die or get brain damaged or is unable to function I want my descendants to donate my body, my organs, everything, because what is the point of having your body when your soul is not there?
3 comments:
Isn't granma gonna get upset for going against her wishes though?
How is she gonna get upset? She's dead, her soul/spirit is no longer here. Really don't think she'll come back to haunt us, when we considered all of her other wishes. And to be fair we only know the graveyard not exact place...
Careful what u wish for. I know what u did last summer, remember? :)
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