How do you feel about the donors?

[Louise Pembroke]

Sorry I'm only reporting what I've been told this evening, I'm certainly not implying you would deliberately give incorrect information Sweet.
We can all be given the wrong information sometimes, I certainly have by national rail enquiries!

[jayuk]

Louise

I definately thought alot about my graft and where it came from.

What was more thought provoking was during the initial stages whereby I was waiting for the graft.

I was scheduled for a slot on a particular day, and the eye unit gave me a call; asking if I was ok to come in the following morning for my operation (short notice). When I asked why it was such short notice I was told that a young man was involved in a Road Traffice Accident and tissue was made available and was going through the final stages of testing.................

I was fortunate enough to be told about the age of the graft and what the gentleman did; after I had my graft performed....and again that was also thought provoking!

Kind of makes you more aware of things and also appreciate life even more!!

Jay

[Sweet]

Right now i have a family crisis and am not in the mood. All i can say is that if we can't give blood what difference is an organ, makes no dam sense to me. Am sorry if i offended anyone

[Louise Pembroke]

Was it good to get those snippets of information Jay? I think I would have appreciated that.
So yours was quick, I wonder how quickly it can be done, from the death of the donor to being transplanted.
On one website it said that the Bristol eye bank started in 1986, and Manchester in 1988, but I wonder how it worked before those dates.

[jayuk]

Again, just to throw another spanner in the works I also gave blood last year after having told them I had a corneal graft!..and I was okay'd to give it.

I am suspecting that all blood is screened for a number of reasons and thus IF the blood is/was not suitable it would be discarded.

With regards to corneal tissue and its availability...Corneal Tissue is now generally stored for a maximum of 7 days with the current NEW technques of storing; which allows minimal cell degradation..............the sooner the tisse is transplanted the BETTER!......however I have heard that Corneal Tissue can be stored upto a number of weeks utisling various other storage mechanims and chemicals..........

J

[Louise Pembroke]

Sweet, I don't understand the logic either, I'm only reporting what I've been told, I'm not being rude to you. I'm sorry you're having difficulties.

[Louise Pembroke]

Er, actually I've given blood too and was okayed when I did it, but I didn't mention it because the blood transfusion service did give a definate NO to it this evening when I also called them. I know the blood transfusion service are VERY fussy, if you are even the slightest bit anaemic they won't take your blood. I guess it must be different for organs somehow, perhaps we should get both in writing from UK Transplant and the blood transfusion service. Would you like me to write to them?

[jayuk]

Well this is odd lol....as I gave blood and they def took it from me!...I am now certain that the reason it was taken was because of the reasons I outlined above...and also the massive Lorry was attending a Business Park where I was working (the Mobile Blood Donation truck)

Louise -

I was told that the gentlemen was a tri-athlete, 50 years of age, and had a endothelial cell count that of a very young man (20-25). That was very good to know..but also little touching in some sense.

J

[Louise Pembroke]

So you have a seriously 'fit' cornea Jay!! Good for you!

[jayuk]

LOL - yeh we could say that!...didnt think of it like that but Yes!