ORGAN DONORS WANTED
Federal legislation directs the Secretary of the Treasury to place an organ donor card and pamphlet in every envelope containing an income tax refund check. Up to 70 million Americans receive such checks, so this should really help spread the message that organ donation saves lives.
Think about it. If something sudden were to happen to you, your posthumous gift could bring life and independence to several others. The wait is long for donated organs, and the current supply is about one fourth the demand. You can make a difference!
You don't have to wait for a refund check from Uncle Sam, to indicate your willingness to participate. Many states have a simple form on the back of their driver's license. That's a start.
But if you want to participate, make your intentions known--now! Tell your doctor. Tell your family members. Tell your lawyer, your priest, your rabbi, what you want to do! There is great need, and it would be sad if something happened to you, and donation could not proceed because they couldn't find your wallet. Your "next of kin" or authorized representative will have to sign a "document of consent" to allow posthumous organ donation--so it is critical these people know what you intended. Tell them!
Below are some questions you might have, and the answers:
1. Will it cost my estate anything?
Organ donation is free of charge. Any billing of donor, donor's family, or estate is illegal.
2. Will it delay the funeral?
No. The process is completed within hours of death.
3. Will it alter my appearance?
Not in any way. Any "viewing" can take place in the normal manner.
4. Can I change my mind?
You can alter or revoke this decision in the same manner as you can your Last Will.
5. Where can I learn more about this?
There are many sources, agencies, and websites. Start with your doctor. The Coalition on Donation, 1100 Boulders Parkway, Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23225; telephone: 1–800–355–7427; website: http://www.shareyourlife.org, has information and materials on all aspects of donation, both live and posthumous. Uncertain how to tell your family? They have advice for that too.
Q: I've had diabetes for years now, and all that jabbing of my fingers (for the blood tests) is making them go numb. Is there another place I can use to get an adequate blood sample?
A: I have some concerns about your numb fingers. Are you sure it's from the testing? Persons with diabetes can develop problems with nerve function, that can cause numb fingers. Are all the fingers numb, or just the ones you use to take blood samples? Any numbness of the toes? Has your doctor evaluated this problem? A simple test of nerve function in the toes is the monofilament test, and that test can be carried out by patients themselves. Information about this test can be found in "Diabetes Forecast," or by calling the American Diabetes Association. Could this numbness be a manifestation of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? It seems important to decide what is causing the numbness.
Despite my uncertainty as to the cause of your numb fingers, I also have concerns about using the fingers for testing. Certainly, I've seen persons who test a lot with rough, callused, and scarred fingers. Not only are there more sensory nerves in the fingers than in most other parts of the body, but the fingers are certainly more in contact with the environment than are most other parts of the body. As I am a physician frequently in contact with persons who may have infectious diseases, I have concerns about any penetration of the protective barrier the skin provides. Careful hand-washing and glove use can minimize exposure to infections such as hepatitis or HIV, but it has seemed prudent to further minimize exposure where possible.
I have used the area just above the knee for blood sampling for years. It is much less painful than the finger, and appears to be accurate. About five years ago, I decided to test that assumption.
I ran an experiment to see if blood tests from the knee area were as accurate as those taken from the finger. My experiment consisted of 40 blood sugar tests, done in triplicate. Each test consisted of a sample taken from the area just above the knee, another sample taken from a finger, and then, within ten minutes, a venous blood sample from which a plasma glucose was done in the Western Montana Clinic's clinical laboratory. I wished to compare the accuracy of the knee sample with that of the finger-stick sample, and I used the laboratory as the referent, a "gold standard." The results showed excellent agreement between the knee and finger, and both knee and finger compared closely with laboratory (venous blood) results. The area just above the knee is an accurate, painless site for blood sugar testing.
There are some problems with knee testing. Women seem to have more trouble than men getting an accurate sample. Skinny persons such as I am can get a fold of skin to squeeze it to milk a drop of blood to the surface easier than can persons whose skin is more tightly filled. Some meters do not allow the tester to invert the meter over the puncture site and touch the reaction pad to the drop of blood. I've had excellent results with the Precision QID and the AccuChek Advantage (using its Comfort Curve test strips).
As an inconvenience, there is sometimes the tendency for a bit of blood to ooze, after the test, and this may stain the knee of your trousers.
Blood sampling from above the knee can provide an accurate and painless alternative to finger-stick blood glucose monitoring.