I was asked by a friend to go with an older sister yesterday to the hospital to talk with her surgeon about her upcoming major surgery. Hospital Liason Committee told her to watch the Society's video on blood, and if she can't get her surgeon to agree on non-blood treatments, then they will help.
It was the weirdest experience of my life. The sister looked at the surgeon as if he was Satan himself. He said she would only lose a unit of blood during surgery and he would recycle it back into her body. She asked him if the blood would "stop." He asked her for clarification. She said that if her blood leaves her body it has to keep moving. He tried to be nice to her but she kept on repeating words like "albumin" and "cell saver" although she didn't know what they meant. I cut in, because she had asked me to help her, and I said I am sure the surgeon will do fine, and she will be fine. He respects her position. But she didnt want to look at him and she kept on reading from her notes from the video. She would say, "Do you do hemodilution?" He would then try to explain, and then she would ask another one.
I then asked the surgeon what is his experience with Witnesses. He said we are all different, some reject some things and other Witnesses don't.
But the sister kept on getting mad at him, now she said, "Well, I really think you are a great surgeon if you refer me to another doctor who will respect my wishes." He asked her again what specifically she didn't want done, but she said, "I don't want you to store my blood." He said he wouldn't store it. Then she asked him if he would clean it, she wanted her blood cleaned with a machine that keeps the blood moving.
At that point I jumped in and said that since she had said she would accept blood fractions, and blood fractions have been stored, that I think it would be ok, but it is up to her. She said ok, finally. But she looked confused and angry.
The surgeon got out of there quick. He looked a little frustrated, he said at the end that he has a lot of experience.
Then the nurse came in and asked for a donation of blood. The sister said no.
When we left, I asked the sister what she thought of different Witnesses agreeing to different procedures. She said that we all have a conscience. I reminded her that blood fractions, which she said she would accept, are mentioned in the new "Keep Yourself in God's Love" book, and that they are made through processing the blood, so the blood would be stored during that processing time.
She ignored me and changed the subject.
She said she was happy to be faithful to Jehovah and even if she dies thats ok. And that so many doctors can test your faith because they dont care about God's laws.