Still not allowed to donate, though. Right??
Bingo.
Letter to all Congregations - Synthetic Hormone EPO (Erythropoietin) now OK and NO longer a conscience matter
by LUKEWARM 16 Replies latest watchtower medical
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Mary
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troubled mind
Witnesses never hear the risks associated With EPO either they only hear what they want and believe it is some miracle drug . For older , diabetic patients it increases their chance of blood clots and stroke ! We learned this the hard way when my Mom had open heart surgery . She just believed the 'Brothers' and Watchtower information over what her Doctor was trying to explain to her . She was so confused by it all that she accepted EPO ,but then rejected Albumin after surgery !!! NO sense what so ever ....
We also learned from the surgeons that whole blood transfusions is rarely ever done . It is almost always fractions of what the patient actually needs such as Mary said packed red blood cells .
I think the society is moving that direction too, eventually red packed cells will fall under acceptable conscience matter fractions . Just wait and see ....
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wobble
In the mean time, people, children even, who have no concept of what the whole thing is about, will DIE !
As I said they are a callous , cold , hard -hearted bunch of calculating bastards, the Governing Body and the Legal Department of the WBT$/ Jehovah's Witnesses.
The only reason they will not change this killer-doctrine is to maintain their life-style and their credibility with the dumb rank and file who send in the dollars. It makes me sick.
The WT and the Catholic Church are just the same,evil, they need to be done away with.
Wobble
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parakeet
Mary: My own opinion is that the next step the WT will take is for them to still ban "whole blood" but allow "packed red cells" to fall under the category of "fractions" and make it a "conscience matter.
And won't that make those dub parents who let their children die feel warm and fuzzy with the WTS?
Well, maybe not. They'll find a way to rationalize it to avoid facing the fact that they virtually murdered their own children. Dubs are good at that.
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LUKEWARM
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Managed to get my hands on the letter - does anybody know when the say that EPO is now "completely free of human albumin," does that mean it has been replaced with a synthetic component or is taken from non-human blood?
I don't have a scanner so here it is...
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TO ALL CONGREGATIONS
Dear Brothers:
This letter is to acquaint you with a number of important matters related to our maintaining integrity in regard to Jehovah's law on blood, and in particular the need to 'abstain from blood' when seeking or receiving medical treatment.Erythropoietin:This is a pharmaceutical drug, often called EPO. It has been used to treat those who are anaemic or suffer heavy blood loss during surgery, it has the ability to prompt the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells and thus raise the haemoglobin level. Previously, the EPO available in Australia contained a blood fraction (albumin), making its acceptance a matter of Christian conscience. The manufacturer has advised us that their product (known as EPREX) is now completely free of human albumin. This means that your acceptance of this drug is no longer a matter of conscience. In the remote possibility that there is some of the older product still stored in hospital pharmacies, a simple check on the packaging label will show whether it contains human albumin or not. Please note that this may mean that you need to adjust the letter-size "Directive" form given to each dedicated publisher in the past whereby you could indicate your decisions on matters of conscience.Hospital Admittance Forms:These vary from hospital to hospital but due to the recent change in privacy laws, these forms no longer require you to state your religion. It is now optional. Therefore, we suggest that when completing such a form you make sure you state that you are one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Assuming you would like a visit from one of our Patient Visitation Elders, write that on there too. In this regard, you will need to write something like "I would like a visit from the Chaplain for Jehovah's Witnesses." If you fail to do this the hospital will not inform the Patient Visitation Elder of your being there and it is unlikely you will receive a visit. Although we do not normally use the term "Chaplain" in connection with our brothers, that is how the hospitals identify them.Refusal to Permit Blood Transfusion form:It is strongly recommended that prior to surgery you complete one of there forms and request that it be included with your medical records along with a copy of your Advance Medical Directive/Release card. It is also advisable to keep a copy of each of these documents for yourself. Congregation secretaries should already have spare copies of this Refusal to Permit Blood Transfusion form in their files, and if not they should request one from the Society and make the required number of photocopies.Alternative Medical Treatment:Brothers serving on Hospital Liaison Committees have noticed a trend developing among some doctors about which you should be aware. After a patient indicates he will not accept blood, some doctors have answered along the lines, "That's no problem. I can assure you I will not use blood in your case." That sounds fine. However, it might be the course of wisdom to express your appreciation for his assurance, and then, depending on the seriousness of the operation, ask him what he is planning to do to compensate for the fact that he will not be able to use blood? There are usually quite a number of steps a surgeon can take prior to, during, and after an operation to ensure you have the best possible outcome. When blood is, or is likely to become an issue, we want more than just a simple assurance that a doctor will not use it.Expressing Appreciation:Following the successful conclusion of surgery, particularly if it has bee of a serious nature, we suggest it would be appropriate to write the doctor a letter or card expressing your appreciation for his cooperation and help. This could reflect positively on his view of treating Jehovah's Witnesses in the future.
We would like to take this opportunity to commend all those brothers and sisters who have maintained their integrity on the blood transfusion issue, this reflecting their firm conviction to obey Jehovah's law and uphold his view of the sanctity of blood. In addition, we appreciate the excellent work accomplished by the one hundred brothers currently working on the fifteen Hospital Liaison Committees throughout Australia, along with the more than three hundred Patient Visitation Elders.
Please accept our warm Christian love and greetings.
Your brothers WBTS of Australia
PS to secretary: This letter should be retained in the "AUSTRALIA BRANCH" section of the congregation's permanent file of policy letters.
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wha happened?
Ok I learned the truth about EPO or Procrit with the illness of Mom. That's when I learned that it was certainly not an emergancy room drug. It takes 3 weeks to work.
I remember one JW asking why my Mom didn't use this when she was in emergancy. I told him that it takes 3 weeks to take effect and he just denied it. Could not get his mind around the fact that it is not an emergancy room option despite what the blood brochure said
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twinkle toes
My Mom used it when her blood count dropped so low she could hardly walk around. The Liaison Committee helped her get funding through a drug company for it. Although she did pay for her first week. ($1200). At first she had declined it thinking it had Human Albumin in it. She was informed by the committee that she was allowed to have it and then changed her mind. She died of blood loss 2 months later. Her blood count did not increase at all. She was bleeding internally and so it did no good. She will be dead one year tomorrow.
tt