2008/04/22 @ 18:40 EDT
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Tags: chronic illness, chronic kidney disease, CKD, earth day, esrd, kidney, kidney transplant, my kidney, my kidney blog, national donate life month, organ donation, organ donor, organ donor awareness, photo
If you don’t read My Kidney Blog, I’m x-posting it here…
Happy Earth Day, everyone! What will you be doing today, this month, every day, or all the time, to celebrate?
Our family is honoring Earth Day in several ways: My son is participating in National Turn off the TV Week (a voluntary effort to raise awareness that life without television is not torture and can even be fun!), my DH is taking our gas-”friendlier” vehicle to work (instead of his sports car), we’re all taking special care to remember to turn off our lights, computers, monitors and electronic devices…
…and I’m right here, promoting National Donate Life Month.
What? NDLM and Earth day, together? Am I out of my mind? How could one possibly draw a connection between the two? Here’s your answer…
Think about it - If everyone you knew registered as an organ donor and expressed their wishes to have their organs ‘recycled’ upon their death, we’d have a happier Earth because we’d have…
- Healthier people (organ recipients) in need of less chronic illness care, taking fewer pharmaceuticals, lessening the demand on our country’s heath care resources, and leading more productive lives (in all areas!).
- A decrease in electricity/power emissions currently used to power dialysis facilities, medical centers and hospitals for those waiting for organ and tissue donors.
- More employable individuals (no longer classified as ‘disabled’) to contribute time, manpower and ideas for making our World a better place to live.
… and those are only my top three reasons!
So, while you’re celebrating Earth Day, don’t forget to celebrate National Donate Life Month, too - ‘recycling’ saves lives… and the Earth!
2008/04/22 19:12
Great connection Krissi!!!
Lori/Indiana
2008/04/22 19:13
@Lori -
Thank you! I didn’t know if I’d sound crazy or at least a little bit sane…
Krissi
2008/04/22 21:00
Ah, something I always used to check on my driver’s license and something I’ll never be able to do again. :(
Well, I hope others can heed the call to register to donate.
2008/04/23 7:27
@Judy -
“…and something I’ll never be able to do again.”
I have always thought the same thing about myself. I’ve known since I was thirteen that I’d never be allowed to donate blood. I always assumed this meant no organ donation from me, either. But from what my transplant team/center tells me, there are almost always ‘parts’ (that sounds so crass) that can be used, even in a situation where the (potential) donor has had past-medical conditions.
So, I dunno. I still check “organ donor” on my DL and carry an organ donor (and, humorously, a medical card with my organ transplant info on it) in my wallet. I guess I figure it’s better to offer myself for ‘recycling’ (even if I’m tossed out with the regular garbage) and let someone else with professional discretion make the decision.
I’m feeling sort of morbid right now for even posting this comment. It’s macabre to put it in such terms, no?
Yikes.
-K
2008/04/23 8:44
I guess. All the people in my support group said that anyone who’s had cancer and/or been through chemotherapy can’t ever be an organ donor. Makes sense in a way — all those poisons through our whole system.
I guess I could go ahead and check “yes” like you said.
I don’t renew my license until next year so I could always investigate.
Morbid or no, it’s something I do think about when I renew my license.
2008/04/23 21:31
@Judy -
“All the people in my support group said that anyone who’s had cancer and/or been through chemotherapy can’t ever be an organ donor.”
Possibly (probably) not an organ donor as one typically thinks (as in heart, liver, lungs, kidney, etc.) but organ and tissue donation also includes blood, skin, corneas, bone, ligaments/tendons and so-on.
It’s not something to worry about now :) Lets just get your own organs working properly, mmmkay?
*hugs*
K