Would you donate a kidney?

[rudeguy]

Serious thread

I was walking back into work from lunch the other day and one of my coworkers was sitting in the lobby looking kind of sad. I don't like seeing people sad, so I tried to cheer her up by being silly. She wasn't amused so I asked what I could do to make her feel better. Now here is the critical part of the story: I thought she asked if I had a spare kitten. I'm a dumbass and I wasn't really paying attention so I replied "yea I have two!' Because I do have 2 cats. She looked really confused so I replayed the scene again in my mind and it was then I realized she had said "do you have a spare kidney?"

She then asked me if I was type O positive. Thinking I could get out of the conversation easily, with proof, I whipped out my blood donor card. BAM! I am definitely O positive. Oh boy....I was 100% sure I wasn't ever going to have to deal with that kind of conversation. But you know what, if she was to the point where she was asking people at work for a kidney, she for sure needs one more than I do.

I told her to let me know what I need to do to find out if I am a viable donor. I guess she is just starting the process and still has to get her testing done. But I am a man of my word. So if she asked me tomorrow to donate, I would.

So what would ATOT do? I actually wonder what I would do if I had listened the first time and realized what she was asking. Would I have made up an excuse? Who knows.

 

[Ronstang]

What? Hell no.

 

[BoomerD]

Not fucking likely...well, maybe for a close family member...MAYBE, but definitely not for a co-worker.

 

[Kobota]

kidney, only to a family member or close friend. i am on the bone marrow donor list. id give a part of my liver, since it grows back, though they wouldnt want that beat up organ

 

[mnewsham]

My family is fairly small and I don't like most of them so if it were a close friend or someone I reasonably liked (there aren't many of those) then I would.

 

[rudeguy]

wait

So you guys would stand by and watch someone die, rather than even attempt to help?

What do you need 2 kidneys for?

 

[vi edit]

Well, I only have one, so no.

But if I had two, yes, absolutely to the right person. Family, friends, somebody truly in need that didn't have a self destructive lifestyle or would waste their gift.

There's a guy on this board that either did donate, or came very, very close to doing it for a family member...exact name escapes me....ashakapt? Something along those lines. He would be a good resource to chat with on the conversation.

Lucky for me my wife has the same blood type as I do...so I have a possible donor if need be. From what I've heard it's the donor that usually has the worst go of it. The person receiving actually thrives as long as their immune system doesn't freak out. But the donor takes a beating since they are now functioning at half the clearance level.

 

[Crono]

I would.

I'm thinking i I could do it for a complete stranger. I'd have to find out if I'm eligible to give one.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

wait

So you guys would stand by and watch someone die, rather than even attempt to help?

What do you need 2 kidneys for?

No one likes not having a backup.

 

[Red Squirrel]

It's a tough call.

Usually someone who needs a kidney has some situation where they're probably going to die anyway, the kidney is basically the last hope for the best. So do I want to go through a huge surgery and that person might end up dying anyway? Then what if down the line I have a kidney problem myself, now I only have one.

I guess it sounds kinda selfish of me, but that's how I see it. If I was older, and it was to save a very close family member that is younger/has lot of years ahead, then I would consider it more. Like if one of my nephews needed a kidney I would probably consider it.

But yeah, being in that situation it would be a really tough call. I think if I said no and the person died I would have trouble living with myself, while if I went ahead and the person died, at least I can say I did what I could.

As for when I die they can do whatever they want with my organs. I wont need them anymore.

 

[Herr Kutz]

See how much your co-worker is willing to pay for it.

 

[SlitheryDee]

If I give up a kidney to someone other than a person who is very close to me, I need something in return. How hot is this coworker?

What do you need 2 kidneys for?

I dunno, but I assume that every part of my body was issued to me because I need it.

 

[lxskllr]

I think I would. Family definitely, friends most likely, a stranger not likely at all.

 

[lothar]

No way(except for close family members or a very close friend).
A liver grows back. A kidney does not.

For me to start calculating how much of stuff to take and all the things to avoid, that would be a nightmare.

 

[slayer202]

wait

So you guys would stand by and watch someone die, rather than even attempt to help?

What do you need 2 kidneys for?

This is ATOT...

I give you a lot of credit though, that would be one hell of a big good deed. :thumbsup:

I'd like to think I would donate one for someone I knew. Who knows

 

[rudeguy]

If I give up a kidney to someone other than a person who is very close to me, I need something in return. How hot is this coworker?

she's not

She used to be in QA and busted my ass numerous times for petty stuff. Then the QA position went away, so now she is a coworker.

 

[CPA]

I actually will be next Tuesday to my 10 year old son.

and for those that say no, why? You only need one kidney and if you donate you get priority in the future for a transplant if your remaining one fails.

 

[l0cke]

I like to think that I would donate if I was in your situation, but who knows.

 

[FoBoT]

if it was somebody that would make better use of it than i am, sure, why not

 

[vi edit]

I actually will be next Tuesday to my 10 year old son.

and for those that say no, why? You only need one kidney and if you donate you get priority in the future for a transplant if your remaining one fails.

Some people are just really weird/flaky about that stuff. Just think of all the guys you know who refuse to go through a vasectomy and force their wives to either take birth control or get their tubes tied. Or the number of people that won't get vaccines because of fear of needles. This way *way* more invasive than that.

And it's also a perspective thing. I doubt very many people would say no to giving a kidney to a child, sibling, spouse, ect. But's it's very different than having some random person asking you for it.

 

[RKS]

I actually will be next Tuesday to my 10 year old son.

and for those that say no, why? You only need one kidney and if you donate you get priority in the future for a transplant if your remaining one fails.

wow, good luck to you and your son.

 

[lxskllr]

I actually will be next Tuesday to my 10 year old son.

and for those that say no, why? You only need one kidney and if you donate you get priority in the future for a transplant if your remaining one fails.

Good luck on the operation. I hope everything goes smoothly :^)

 

[SlitheryDee]

I actually will be next Tuesday to my 10 year old son.

and for those that say no, why? You only need one kidney and if you donate you get priority in the future for a transplant if your remaining one fails.

I can see donating to your son. I would likely donate my beating heart to my (hypothetical) son if he needed it. To just any random joe though? That's hard. I've lived my life generally not giving a fuck about anyone but a very small group of people. I'd give those people anything, literally my life in an instant, but everyone else can piss off.

 

[lothar]

If I give up a kidney to someone other than a person who is very close to me, I need something in return. How hot is this coworker?

See how much your co-worker is willing to pay for it.

Is an iPad2 enough for both of you?

 

[lxskllr]

For those hesitating, giving someone a kidney is a hell of a favor. You'll never hear shit from them for the rest of your life. You'll always have somebody that owes you something :^D