My Corneal Graft

[Pat Chinnery]

Hi All.
With reference to not being able to donate after a graft. I rang up the donor service a while ago and was informed by them that it was not a problem to donate after a transplant.
Pat

[Andrew MacLean]

Then maybe things are different in Scotland, I was told quite firmly that no donations would be accepted for transplant into a live patient once I had myself received donated tissue. The blood transfusion service will not even accept blood.

Andrew

[Sarah M]

I live in Scotland too.....not allowed to give blood as Andrew mentioned above, nor bone marrow. I know one of the transplant co-ordinators - asked if they would take my other organs, she told told me yes. So who knows! Like ya'll my names on the list and once i'm gone, if they can be re-used, someone is more than welcome to them, won't be much use to me.

[Andrew MacLean]

There are simply no words that can demonstrate how grateful I am to those who leave behind their organs and tissues to help people like us.

I am sorry that Amarpal's string has degenerated in this way into an exchange about whether people with grafts are able to donate tissue for onward transplant, and I deeply regret having taken part in the exchange. What has emerged is a muddle that seems to detract from the sentiment that Amarpal expressed and with which we all agree.

Neither has there been any definitive answer to the question. It seems that people who have had transplants cannot give blood, cannot give bone marrow but can donate organs for transplant, except sometimes.

As I said above, I still carry a donor card. I am pretty sure that when the time comes people will sort out the position; if they can use anything they are welcome to it. If they cannot, I shall be beyond taking offense.

In the meantime, there are, as Amrapal said so eloquently, simply no words that can demonstrate how grateful we are to those who leave behind their organs and tissues to help people like us.

Andrew

[dweezil1968]

Andrew- that's a bit harsh- 'degenerated'? 'deeply regret'?
this is a forum, and people want to discuss things that matter to them related to KC, no one was belittling anything Armpal said, I started by agreeing with him about the great gift we have received, merely pointing out that its a shame more people do not donate as there is such desperate need and not just for corneas, and adding the link so that anyone can check it out further.
The very nature of online discussion takes one thing to another.
Lots of threads here go off track!

[Amarpal]

Don't worry about the thread folks - it's interesting to hear everyone's views!
Funnily enough, I hadn't read the posts about blood donation and organ transplantation till just now. Earlier on today I went to donate blood at the donor centre, and was quite surprised that I cannot donate blood anymore. I never thought you would't be allowed too - the cornea has no blood supply... but I suppose there are ways of proteins etc getting across. It's a shame I won't be able to donate anymore, but it's just to be safe. Itt will be interesting to find out more about the organ donation issue.

[melissa]

interestingly- in SA they will take my blood (after 4 months), but I don't know about my organs... I agree with Andrew that they can use any parts they want for research.... not sure if my family would agree though-- and they would ultimately make that decision.
I feel that I have been given something so great that I would love to 'pay it forward'....

[rosemary johnson]

Melissa: I remember the rules in SA for blood donors are very different from here - maybe it is because SA has a far higher rate of HIV infection (for which there are tests) but doesn't have the worries about vCJD ("human form of mad cow disease") for which there isn't.
For example: here, you have to be 18, I think in SA it is 16? I remember some of the older students at the school where my friend taught talking about the blood donor clinic coming to school and about how they made the decision to volunteer.
I was banned from donating blood for a year after I got back from Africa because I'd been in a malaria zone. Without catching malaria, SFAIK!

To Andrew and others: apologies for being one of those who chipped in and diverted this thread. I signed up to be a kidney donor as son as the first cards came out, and to be a blood donor in my first term at college - almost as soon as I could. My mother had been a lood donor for years (and my father wasn't allowed to be as he'd had jaundice). It was the natural thing; of course one would and one does. It's a sadness, particularly in view of how things have turned out, that I now can't.
Thanks to whoever mentioned taking organs etc for research. I do hope they can do that. I haven't recycled my donor cards or written to pull out of the register, and now I won't, in the hope that science can benefit, if not a recipient directly.

To get back on topic: how is the graft doing now? Well, I hope.
Rosemary

[Andrew MacLean]

Rosemary

I still carry my donor card, but on the National Register (which may be unique to the UK, but it may equally be that other jurisdictions have an equivalent) there is a note that I have received two cornea transplants.

Andrew

[Pascalini]

brings back memories lol cant believe you had to carry the tissue though, that would of felt a bit weird. wonder what happens to the old cornea? maybe they just throw it in the bin lol