Vol. 1,     No. 2     March 15, 2001     http://the-ddic.com

An Option To Consider

Today’s Q&A Column on the back page deals with the options available to people for body disposition. Burial is the most popular and tradition with cremation becoming more popular. Two other options, mummification and cyronics are less known.

There is one more option, medical donation of body or body parts. This has come about due to medical technology. Tthe medical profession has been able to take skin tissue, organs, bones, etc from a deceased person and transplant them into a living person.

Body donations are for medical students in their schooling. A person may arrange this prior to their own death. Upon their death their body is removed to the facility that arranged with the deceased prior to death.

If no arrangements are made prior to death, upon the death in a hospital a staff person may approach the person responsible for the deceased and ask them if donation is possible. Ideally it would be good if the the deceased’s wishes about donation were known.

It is important to deal with a reputable organization when considering medical donation. (see box to right) It is also important to let those who will be responsible for you upon your death of your wishes and arrangements. They will need to know the name and phone number of the organization.

Regarding The Web Site...

The Web site offers news stories, articles, advice columns, speakers’ schedule and a resource page. A small site now, it will grow and become an excellent place for information on death and dying and accompanying issues presented in easy to read formats in an objective interesting way. Feel free to make suggestions.

People, Places & Things

ORGAN DONATION

All of these listed are national organizations. There are local organizations found in your home town.

Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program
    800-747-5527

United Network for Organ Sharing
    888-894-6361

National Kidney Foundation
    800-747-5527

American Heart Assn.
    800-432-7852

American Liver Foundation
    800-223-0179

American Lung Assn.
    800-586-4872

Local medical schools - check your local medical schools. They will be able to give you a name and phone number.

Q&A COLUMN

- by Judith Lee

What A Way To Go!

Let’s look at the options for body disposition. The most popular is burial, as stated. This means the whole body is put into a container and that container is placed under the ground. That is the traditional burial. But a slightly different "burial" is now being offered. It is above ground. With land becoming more precious today, mausoleums are being built at cemeteries and crypts (think of big drawers in a wall) are offered.

Cremation is the second most popular body disposition. The body is placed in a chamber that produces a very hot fire and the body disintegrates. The remains of an adult will fit in a container small enough to hold in one’s hands.

Mummification is less known. Yes, it is legal in the United States. Mummification is a way of preserving the body.

Cryonics is a way of flash freezing the body or body parts. It is very expensive and nobody has actually been brought back to a living state...yet. But people are signing up for it. Optimism never dies!

The last option is medical donation. The full body or body parts are always needed. This can be arranged prior to one’s death or arranged after death.

This is just an introduction to the varieties of body disposition. In future columns we will explore in depth these different options.


Helpful Hints...

Keep a short list of names/phone numbers of people that need to be called in case of death on your refrigerator or file cabinet.

DON’T put credit card info on the above list!

If you plan on body donation, have the phone number that is to be called upon your death on your person.

Get a Will made. Know if you can do it yourself in your state.

Chronic Illness

More and more Americans are finding that they must learn to cope with chronic illness. Half of all Americans today have at least one chronic illness and one in five have two or more. Granted, for some of the 125 million people with chronic illnesses, the problems are minor, such as allergies that can be stabilized with medications. Still, 60 million others have multiple chronic conditions, many of which, such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, arthritis, epilepsy, mental illness and others, are serious or life threatening.

Chronic illness exerts an emotional toll as well, and it is in that realm that researchers are looking to the hard-won wisdom of patients to find ways to help others cope with diseases that might once have been shrouded in shame or despair.

Initially, the big problem may be learning to live with the uncertainty about how disabled you may become and whether your life expectancy will be shortened. It’s a real struggle for people to figure out how to cope, how to do everything one normally does. And at the same time, if the prognosis is grim, one must keep in the back of one’s mind that no matter how well they cope, they may not be able to change the course of their disease.

Suggestions for those around a person with a chronic disease are: not to feel pity as that can come across as condescending; don’t turn that person into a hero as well. For example, going into a restaurant isn’t heroic. You’re there for a meal. Realize the person may be on medication that has strong side effects but don’t focus on that.

Some suggestions are: using the energy to fight the disease; finding support groups; find meaning in the face of disability or imminent death, reassess what is important; don’t let the disease define you; find moments of pleasure. Don’t make perfect health the measure of who you are because perfect health is an impossible goal.

There are organizations that can help you cope. Some are the National Chronic Care Consortium, (952-858-8999), and the National Organization for Rare Disorders Inc., at www.rarediseases.org.