by wednesday 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I just had a brief hospital stay and was able to do something important. I removed myself from the bloodless program. Now my chart will have no signs of me being a JW. .I have also found that going to another hospital in the area has been a wise move. No prying eyes of the bloodless program.
Did u know that if u are in the bloodless program here, the JWS assigned to it can just come in and look at your chart. It gives them carte blanche to do that. Not anymore.
weds
Good for you! I took steps last year to make sure my mom could not make any medical decisions for me. I had her listed as an emergency contact for like ever. If my dad is unavailable then my DF'd sister will make any necessary decisions. I know that will go over real well with mommy when/if she finds out.
Here in this area we have 2 hospitals that are in the bloodless program. The persons that oversee it are very aggressive. If u so much as admitted, they are notifed. Now they will have no knowledge of me. I have also told my hubby that if it is life or death, that he is not to refuse a transfusion for me. Any other elective surgeries, i'll make it on a case by case basis. I realize there are blood subsitutes, but they are not widely availbable, and would have to have much advance notice before u could acquire them. At least that is what i have been told.
Wednesday - I bet doing this felt liberating! I've been donating blood regularly and feel great! As I know each pint given is a step further away from being a JW!
pardon my ignorance, but what is a 'bloodless program?'. and does it really give permission to someone to come and look at your medical records? i've not heard of this here(in the uk), is it new?
Rush
as a side note, the nurse that admitted me ask what religion i was. I said i do not attend. he got very aggressive, and said, "well u are christian?" i said "Yes" so he said "so what is it?" I finally , after being bullied into it, said, " i was raised a jws, but am no longer active" I said not to put that down and he said yes he would not b/c it would activate the bloodless prograqm. It's scary out there.
Congrats on being a blood donaor, Spunky. Now that is a christian thing to do.
The bloodless program is run by jws mostly elders. Here in this area, they have a coordinator hired and this person. actually works for the hospital. They tag your chart and put a bloodless band on your hand. A number of docs agree to cooperate. (ie they agree not to force blood on lu or hassle u). The corrdinator meets with u when u are admited and will vist u and make sure u are being treated well(a nice provision b/c so many times medical people treat jws like dog poop).The cordinator will talk with the doc in your behalf if u want them to. They will argue with the medical staff for u. If your chart is stamped "bloodless" the cordinator can look at it anytime they want. Free acess to info. They try to educate the docs on surgery without blood.
The program was born b/c so many jws wre not being treated well at hospitals and also jws do not understand what they can and cannot have as regards blood. The coordinator does. It is actually not a bad program for a jws.It has been a help to educate docs about bloodless procedures.
but i'm out of it.
edited to add, i have seen , years ago, a video that gives an 800 number where u can call . They will give u names of hospitals and docs that are more or less pro jw. or at least not actively hostile). The elders do a lot of PR with the hospital admin. and docs. They hold luncheons for them and try to improve the jw image. As i said, it is really not a bad program.It still does not help for underage jw children. (thank God). They try an attempt ot educate the jws about what they can and cannot receive as far as blood fractions.
btt
