I'm Still Torn About the Blood Issue

palmtree67

When I left the Org. the blood issue wasn't an issue for me. My best friend was on the blood committee for years and I could see many cases where either blood wouldn't have saved the person anyways (like when a person is in a serious car accident and their liver is in pieces), or blood actually killed the person and/or hindered recovery.

Then my little nephew got leukemia. He was given fractions and survived. All the other children on the ward with the same condition who were given whole blood, died. His survival was attributed to him getting ONLY what he needed from the blood, with no blood components that would interfere with his recovery. But if had he been born 10-15 years earlier, he would have been given nothing and certainly would have died.

Years before this, though, my grandfather died and I believe it was a blood transfusion that killed him. He had fallen and broken his leg, had to have surgery on it. He was mid-70's and an insulin dependant diabetic. He was not a JW. The doctor wanted to give him a blood transfusion to "pink him up". Those were her exact words. He agreed to it and immediately felt nauseous after getting blood. He couldn't really sit up, so when he vomited, he aspirated some into his lungs and it all went downhill from there. After he died, the surgeon who operated on his leg, said the leg was healing fine.

After reading some of the info and experiences here, I'm not sure how I feel about this now.

Is blood good or bad? Right or wrong?

shamus100

Good.

Did your grandfather really die from a blood transfusion, or did he die from his actual condition?

For the record, I have never heard of someone being given a blood transfusion to 'perk somone up'. I'd never have taken it if it was given to me with those words, but that's just me.

One ex-witness on this board lost her son because they denied him a blood transfusion. Imagine the guilt they have! I feel so sorry for her and her husband.

Blood transfusions and the behaviors behind it is nothing more than that - a behavior that you grew up with. It takes time to unlearn the behavior.

OnTheWayOut

Did your grandfather really die from a blood transfusion, or did he die from his actual condition?

We often rely on limited evidence from what we hear and from what we are exposed to. Some of what we hear is wrong.
Even in the best of anecdotal evidence, where we know we have the story straight, it is limited.

Perhaps one leukemia patient survived because of different treatment or perhaps he/she was just genetically stronger, diagnosed earlier in the progression, etc. etc. etc. Perhaps the small sampling of other children would have died anyway, perhaps not if only fractions were given.

I do believe that it was old school to give blood transfusions for no real medical reason but to "pink them up" and that would be wrong today.

I had to face this blood issue on my own with research to see if the WTS was at all right about it. I enjoyed what Ray Franz had to say, I believe in his second book- IN SEARCH OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM. I also enjoyed what jwfacts.com had to say and www.ajwrb.org.

Here's some food for thought- Either WTS is guided by Holy Spirit or it is not. If it is not, and I believe ample proof is found for that position, then their guidance on medical matters is not as competent as that of the professionals. Sure, we have to check the professionals and research it for ourselves still. But we are much better off starting from the assumption that professionals want what's good and proper for us than we are from starting at assuming that they give blood just because it's lazy or easier than proper treatment or there's some bigger profit in it for them.

We are better off looking at the overall data, not just our own exposure to stories. If enough doctors see that fractions for leukemia worked better than whole blood, they will change. We just want to research it to make our own mind up when doctors aren't sure. Will they err sometimes? Yes. But I imagine a phony-balony spiritual organization will err more often.

troubled mind

I consider a blood transfusion as I would any other medical procedure or medication ,with caution but well informed . It is never going to be 100% w/o side effects .

Anymore whole blood is rarely given ,according to my sisters heart doctor ,for surgery .Fractions of what is needed is given depending on each individual case . Will some be saved because of a transfusion YES ,will some have ill effects and die ,YES , it is up to you as a patient to make an informed decision for your health care ,and you should consider the educated experienced opinion of the Physican you have hired .

I find it irreparable that Jehovah's Witnesses have interfered with peoples medical well being by claiming falsely that Jehovah God is being hurt someway by the use of blood in a medical way .

SixofNine

Bad beliefs can kill.

I'd suggest studying up on the science, palmtree67.

bluecanary

I think the situation that happened with Mary's brother-in-law is a perfect example of how the medical community can screw stuff up and get stuff wrong. As advanced as we think medicine is today, there's still so much that they don't know and human error is always a factor. If you're going to worry about blood transfusions, you've as much reason to worry about every other medical procedure. If you have foreknowlege of a particular procedure, do your homework so you can keep an eye on what the doctors are doing to you or your family member.

Finally-Free

"pink him up"

Over the years I've learned to take the advice of doctors with about a pound of salt. If that was the best reason a doctor could come up with for a blood transfusion, or any procedure, my answer would have been no. I've experienced a few fuck ups at the hands of doctors, one surgical, and now I make them understand that I alone am the final absolute authority when it comes to my health care.

That being said, I have no residual cult objections about the use of blood. I've never had a blood transfusion, but I wouldn't object to one if I or my P/A was convinced it was necessary.

W

Elsewhere

A great way to get over the blood thing is to go to your local Red Cross or Carter Blood Care center and donate a unit of blood.

Regarding the bad things that have happened with blood... people also die from taking Asprin. Do you still take Asprin?

palmtree67

Thanks everyone, all good thoughts and suggestions!!

I thought that I HAD read up on it. As I said, my best freind wwas on the blood committee and we discusssed it in great length. I see now that I really only studied the WT "suggested reading list" on this.

And you're right, Shamus - it's a belief I grew up with, so it feels comfortable for me.

I think also, there's been so many advances in medicine that it's haard to keep up with it all. Troubled Mind - you make a good point. Perhaps each case needs to be looked at individually.

Incidentally, although my brother and sister-in-law conferred with the blood committee about giving their son fractions, they were EXPRESSLY told to NOT tell anyone what they had done, in case some were stumbled. I'm so sick and tired of hearing that word.....

Someone gave me an illustration about why the JW's allow fractions now: A cake is only a cake when all the ingredients are put together. Flour by itself or sugar by itself doesn't make a cake. Same with blood, it's only when all the compnents are together that it becomes blood. That made sense to me, until I started to think, "But you still have to start with whole blood to get the fractions. So are the JW's against blood or not?" None of their reasonings are making any sense to me now.

carla

Have you read Mary's posts about her bil? have you been to AJWRB?

I'm Still Torn About the Blood Issue

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