Warning to Witnesses with blood cards = 11 bags blood but still alive!!!

by Witness 007 40 Replies latest jw experiences

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  BluesBrother

  I have to take exception with this passionate statement

  IF YOU CARRY A BLOOD CARD AND HAVE A "MAJOR" ACCIDENT OR INJURY- YOU WILL DIE!

  Nobody can say that if you refuse blood treatment you will surely die, or that if you accept it, you will surely live. Based on what we know, if you accept whatever the doctor recommends you are much more likely to live.

  I cannot help thinking of more than one example that I have personally known where dubs have had major accidents, the doctors wanted to transfuse , they refused and the family was told to expect their death - but they pulled through.. The human body is remarkable and very individual.

  Of course they were very lucky and would have had a much better chance of survival had they accepted it , but nothing is certain.

  Members of my family carry those key rings that boldly say "No blood"...We get odd looks if they flash them around in shops ...

  I have altered my medic alert pendant to say that I would normally prefer non blood treatment but if my life is threatened and I am not conscious the doctor should give it over the wishes of any family member whose conscience does not allow them to consent to it.

  Anyway, to the dubs it is supposed to be a spiritual decision , so even if they were going to die it should not make any difference. So what is all this about safety?. Were the early Christians kidded into believing that the lions in the arena would not kill them? No, but they still went in..
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  wha happened?

  I've red recently that Hemopure, (is this title correct), is made from cows blood and the WTB&TS is accepting it. Anyone heard of this?
• 

  The Oracle

  GREAT POST WITNESS !!

  I want to print this and slide it in to everyon's magazines order this month.

  THANKS for putting it that way! I am sure there are hundreds, probably even thousands, of JWs who frequent this site, and who know its a load of S*&* but still carry the blood card around - OR WORSE YET, allow their kids to carry that little unbaptized minor blood card.

  Hopefully this will be a wake-up call for all the fringe JWs who are dragging themselves to meetings still. ....

  BURN THAT EVIL CARD!!!
• 

  skeeter1

  Hemopure is made from cows blood, and Hospital Liasion Committee elders have helped JWs get it. There are even medical journal articles touting its use in JWs. ( http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/extract/347/9/696-a is just one example of such use of hemoglobin based products).

  As of this past Spring, Hemopure was not yet approved by the FDA for mass distribution in the US. The company that makes it was not giving it out for "compassionate use" either. I spoke with their spokesperson, and she told me that the company suspended its compassionate use program becuase the small company needed to devout its resources to filing the final paperwork with the FDA so Hemopure could help all. She said that the compassionate use program bogged-down the company's resources...and they could not concentrate on getting the FDA approval!!! To me, it sounds like many JWs must have been requesting it.

  As of this past Spring, the competitor, Polyheme, was still giving out hemoglobin on a compassionate use basis. Polyheme is made out of human blood. The patient's doctor had to contact the company, and apply for the program. Polyheme would deny its product if it thought the patient was not a good candidate. As of this past Spring, Polyheme was not FDA approved, either.

  I think some of these products are approved in Africa (due to the tainted blood supply & no need to refridgerate these products).

  Skeeter
• 

  Scully

  some of these products are approved in Africa (due to the tainted blood supply & no need to refridgerate these products).

  And due to the fact that there is no FDA in Africa to impede the approval process.

  I'm not saying that the FDA is a bad thing, because we do need the evidence based research to back up claims that these are effective and safe products. I just don't like the idea from an ethical perspective that African people who are already the poorest of the poor and dealing with diseases like HIV in epidemic proportions are essentially the human guinea pigs for this research.
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  skeeter1

  like HIV in epidemic proportions are essentially the human guinea pigs for this research.

  Yes, they are the human guinea pigs for this resarch. But, at least they are getting this drug. Aids drugs aren't hardly available in Africa. Africans have the misguided belief that having sex with a virgin will cure them of AIDS...thus many toddlers are raped 'for the cure.' The leadership does little to educate their people. Africa is in a terrible, terrible mess. But, the mess is largely the fault of its leaders.

  The African people are exploited by their leaders. The leaders need pictures of poor Africans, in order to get Western aid...to divert it into their own Swiss bank accounts. We give trillions to Africa, to no avail. They are worse off today than in the 1940's. At least back then, they had food. Now, the immigration is to the large cities ... where there is utter squalor in shanty towns. Best to be in the countryside - which can yield crops & food.

  Africa is a continent of vast resources & faming potential. In the late 1990's, Zimbabwe's African commercial farmers (albeit white) yielded so much food that the country was well fed & exported its surplus to other countries. Robert Mugave, the President, ousted the farmers from their land with military force, & gave the farms to select veterans. But, he didn't give them fertile seeds, machinery, or know how. Now, Zimbabwe has no food on the shelves, everyone is starving, etc. The commercial farmers escaped to Zambia. Now Zambia has a bumper crop. (Robert Mugave wears clothes with pictures of himself on them....he's the poster-child for an African leader).

  May there be a hell for the leaders of Africa. The millions of children who died, the millions of people who starve, the millions of people who are guinea pigs to be exploited by companies....all the while the leaders profit. Makes our political parties look saintly, in my opinion.

  Skeeter
• 

  AllTimeJeff

  Just a couple of general observations.

  Many here feel guilty. I hope in time that you will find peace. There is a saying that I think is true, and that our life is made up each individual decisions. Hindsight will always be 20/20. The fact is that the cult is culpable. We were all brainwashed into thinking that blood has to be viewed and handled in a certain way. Ingrained teachings are hard to overcome. Lets be honest, just to learn to think for ourselves is a major challenge......

  I cannot help thinking of more than one example that I have personally known where dubs have had major accidents, the doctors wanted to transfuse , they refused and the family was told to expect their death - but they pulled through.. The human body is remarkable and very individual.

  The exception proves the rule. Much depends on the individual, and it is an exercise in futility to consider every single variable, whether it the severity of the injury or condition, the health of the patient, any unknown problems, etc. The fact that the borg harps on everyone that survives doesn't in any way excuse the tens of thousands who have died. Furthermore, there are a small number of doctors who have been so stubborn they either want to treat with blood or nothing, and they need to get past their own egos. Doctors like that need to deal with cult members as best they can, despite their frustration. However, most doctors have no problem doing all they are allowed to do. The problem is that JW's are still allowed to do it.....

  Anyway, to the dubs it is supposed to be a spiritual decision , so even if they were going to die it should not make any difference. So what is all this about safety?. Were the early Christians kidded into believing that the lions in the arena would not kill them? No, but they still went in..

  The blood thing is a spiritual issue. Great point. What does it say about spirituality that in certain situations one can ingest a steak (where do you think the red color comes from, paint?) And organ transplants (no organ survivies a transplant unless blood is in it) but you can't have blood itself. Your illustration of the Christians and the lions I will let stand on its own merits, only to comment that the comparison is not the same thing.

  I know that there is a clear line of division between rationalists who reject "spirituality" because of the arbitrary nature of these "rules" of god and JW apologists. The reasoning of apologists is totally contradictory. Life is sacred to god. Suppsedly. Blood can save your life, only Christs blood. Your blood, or another persons blood is not allowed if you are a JW. What is spiritual about that? (rhetorical question JW apologists, I was an elder, I know their explanations all too well) I have a better question: Why is god so arbitrary about what methods you can use to save your present life? Why do symbolic and pretend things matter more to the deity then our actual lives?

  This is a ridiculous teaching, I have seen that now. If you are a JW, I respect your right to do with your own bodies what you will, but please don't inflict your beliefs on your kids and others. If you want to hurt yourself, hurt only yourself.....

  PS Small edit for BlueBrother: Just responding to your comments, nothing personal. You are not in an easy or enviable position..... I hope all works out with you....
• 

  wednesday

  go to the hospital and have them remove the tag , bloodless, from your records , or next time you come in it will follow you. I promise this is true. it could save your life you want blood if your life is at risk. once something is in a computer it stays there unless a person manually removes it.
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  Quandry

  BFD

  My last conversation with my father was that I talked him into taking a blood transfusion he did not want. The doctors all said that he needed blood. I was trying to save his life, I know but, the guilt is there and I cannot shake it. I've lived with this since February 2001.

  You said the doctors recommended that he receive blood. All any of us can do is follow the course outlined by doctors. They are the ones with the medical degree and years of training. Their job is to assess the patient and follow the best course of therapy and treatment. There is still no guarantee, but it is usually the best thing to do.

  You did your best. You were there for your dad till the end. None of us can do more than that. Still our parents die eventually. My dad died, and now my mom is old and ill. I hope you can feel less and less guilt as time goes on. You deserve to live without it.
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  Witness 007

  To clarify again {Bluesbrother} I'm not saying blood is a miricle drug that will "cure" anything. My point is, if as a Witness you lost 2 or 3 units of blood your situation would be critical near death...my friend lost 11 units! He would be dead 2 times over at least! He would not have lasted another hour had not a hospital been close. I know of one Elder whom I loved great bloke, was in a bad car accident, the medics gave him blood, not realizing he had a blood card. {no time to check he was dying} He died anyway since his injuries were too servere. I hope the family doesn't sue.