I would like to donate my body to medical science,after I die.I dont like funerals,and to me they are pointless.I have achieved a few weeks ago,one of my other wishes,which was to be an organ donor.I now carry a card,and am on the donor register ,.but I dont know how to donate my body after death.I suppose it would be to The Royal Hallamshire Hospital or The Sheffield University Medical School.It may seem rather a gruesome subject,as I am only in my middle sixties,but I feel that once Ive settled this subject,I can settle down comfortably in my retirement.Has anyone else already done this, or are thinking about doing it ?

Hi Pattricia, I have thought about this on many occasions but never got around to doing anything about it, if you get any feedback I would be most interested to know more. :thumbsup:

I would give them chuffin students something to work on. :hihi:

You could try Medico Centre on Watery Street (where they do post mortems etc) I am sure they will tell you who to contact.
I know they used to want bodies for various reasons - ie training.

I started the pickling process a long time ago for just such an eventuality!!:D


Relevant information from an old "Star" article:

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:TsnYBbJt9n8J:www.sheffieldtoday.net/ViewArticle.aspx%3FSectionID%3D58%26ArticleID%3D75 8153+%22donating+your+body%22+sheffield&hl=en

Some reading:

http://www.studentbmj.com/issues/01/07/life/249.php

Some of my friends are med students and frequently tell tales of 'mable on the table' or 'stan on the slab' when doing practical learning exercises.

They are generally preserved with formaldehyde as I understand, usually with internal organs pre-removed.

Enjoy :)

Yes me and my mum signed up for it a couple of years ago.
I would prefer my organs to be donated first if of any use but you are unable to do both.
Ive made it very clear to close family and friends of my wishes.

Originally posted by 1Man&hisBMW
Some of my friends are med students and frequently tell tales of 'mable on the table' or 'stan on the slab' when doing practical learning exercises.

They are generally preserved with formaldehyde as I understand, usually with internal organs pre-removed.

Enjoy :)

The mrs is a med student and is quite disgusted that anybody would want to donate their body to medical research. As I am! It sounds horrific, having yur body sliced up by some first year and having yur head sawed open with a hacksaw.

Just seems a bit gross and disgusting to me. Donating organs yes, body no way!

I heard that they give you the pieces back-- so if done to avoid a funeral, it seems as if it won't.
Also they are a bit picky about which body..
So those who gain favour in life may not in death and vice versa

A bit late to be specially chosen .!!

May not be right but that's what I heard.

hazel

Originally posted by hazel
I heard that they give you the pieces back-- so if done to avoid a funeral, it seems as if it won't.
Also they are a bit picky about which body..
So those who gain favour in life may not in death and vice versa

A bit late to be specially chosen .!!

May not be right but that's what I heard.

hazel

Yeah apparently according to the better half they return the "used" bodies (presumably in bits and pieces? :S) to the family. "Here's a box of your loved one".

They're apparently pretty careful at keeping all the same body together, so at least you don't have to worry about getting three hands, or two heads or something!

Apparently they aren't that picky either. If the body's abnormal in some way it's actually a benefit, those who've been operated on and stuff are more interesting and can be used to teach more.

Have you considered Plastination ?

http://www.bodyworlds.com/en/pages/koerperspende.asp

You'd need to arrange for funds to transfer your corpse to the people that do it, and get it done within a couple of days before you start rotting, but the process itself is free :thumbsup:

As I understand the remains of the body were burned as medical waste, unless requested to be buried / cremated after dissection.

Originally posted by 1Man&hisBMW
As I understand the remains of the body were burned as medical waste, unless requested to be buried / cremated after dissection.

Right, to disspell a few myths.

All pieces of the body, every single last little bit, are kept and returned to the family.

Cadavers don't have organs previously removed, they are whole intact bodies but with shaved heads. However different students may be dissecting different parts of the body at different times and may have a 'second hand' cadaver that has had a different part dissected previously. They are heavily embalmed.

If you wish to donate your body you need to contact Her Majesty's Inspector of Anatomy:

HMIA
Wellington House
133-155 Waterloo Road
London SE1 8UG
Tel: 020 797 4551

You cannot request a particular medical school, or indeed what type of research your body will be used for. It could be anything, not necessarily medical students, and could be anywhere in the country.

Although I very much appreciated the opportunity to dissect a body, I would urge anyone considering donating to think again. Donating organs is a far more worthy cause, and as previously mentioned, you cannot do both. There are reasons behind all this, if you're really interested then PM me, I don't feel comfortable putting them on a public forum.

On this subject, I notice there is a memorial to those who have donated their bodies for research, at Hutcliffe Wood.

I have donated my body to medical science as if nothing else it may give the students a giggle. All the paperwork was done a few years ago when I updated my will and I seem to remember it is organised by the Sheffield teaching hospitals.
I do remember that there are timescales for how long an entire body can be kept for although organs removed from the body can be kept for longer periods. Unless it has changed the body and organs can be disposed of by the hospital and so there is no need for 'bits' to be returned to the relatives incurring expense, [see I'll be stingy even when dead]
I'll have to see if i can dig my paperwork out and then I can probably add details that may be of interest.
One of my friends who got the chance to watch an autopsy and was invited by the guy doing it to take part and have a hands-on experience. She said the best bit was using an electric saw to remove the top of the skull and described all this in graffic detail whilst in her parents cafe to all the regulars, luckily I'd had chance to let my full english breakfast to digest a bit so I didn't go to green.

Originally posted by Hook
The mrs is a med student and is quite disgusted that anybody would want to donate their body to medical research. As I am! It sounds horrific, having yur body sliced up by some first year and having yur head sawed open with a hacksaw.

Just seems a bit gross and disgusting to me. Donating organs yes, body no way!

But.....

In the words of Lucretius (I am writing a presentation on this very subject for 10am tomorrow btw):

"Death is of nothing to us, of no concern whatsoever, once it is appreciated that the mind has a mortal nature...So when you see a man resent the prospect of his body's being buried and rotting after death...there lurks in his heart some hidden sting, however much he denies the belief that he will have any sensation in death...Instead of completely stripping himself of life, he is unconsciously making some bit of himself survive...he pities himself. He does not distinguish himself from it or adequately detach himself from the abandoned corpse..."

Basically: What the **** does it matter that scummy students are cutting our bodies up - they are not 'us', they are the empty shells of our living selves - we have no emotion or awareness/consciousness after death so whatever happens to our corpse will not affect us! Bring on the worms, I say!

yes wer'e doing same thing, we have a teaching hospital close by, i uderstand their a bit fussy what they take though, but seems to be the thing to do now a days !

Okay not promising that this info is up to date but if you contact the University of Sheffield
Department of biomedical science
I've just dug out the bequest form that is with my will and my relatives know about it.
The body can be kept up to three years and organs can be kept longer, the body will either be buried or cremated the cost being met by the university unless the relatives wish to for example have you buried in the family grave, any extra's the relatives have to pay for.
After death if there are any costs such asa moving the body to a chapel of rest before the university take it then these costs again are met by the relatives.The university can refuse to accept the body for a variety of reasons, major organs removed for transplant, severe obesity,, amputated limbs,extensive surgery, malignant conditions TB, gangrene, HIV/Aids
This as I have said is info that is now a few years old and so don't take it as gospel.

To be honest, I would much rather my body be used for organ donation rather than as a cadiver.

Organ donation is helpful for so many people. OK, I know my liver and lungs may not be of any use - but my kidneys are apparantly 'superhuman' quality (according to recent test results)! Also the eyes are useful for something (not quite sure what).

I'm on the organ donation register and have (after 10 years) finally convinced my husband to agree to my wishes. I think it is appaling that your wishes can be over-ruled by your next of kin!

When my brother was killed, he was only 21. He was on a life-support machine and my parents agreed to organ donation (they were both in the medical profession so were fully aware of the need/benefits). I found some comfort in knowing that his organs have been used to benefit other people as I know that is what he would have wanted.

Originally posted by noseyrosie
But.....

In the words of Lucretius (I am writing a presentation on this very subject for 10am tomorrow btw):

"Death is of nothing to us, of no concern whatsoever, once it is appreciated that the mind has a mortal nature...So when you see a man resent the prospect of his body's being buried and rotting after death...there lurks in his heart some hidden sting, however much he denies the belief that he will have any sensation in death...Instead of completely stripping himself of life, he is unconsciously making some bit of himself survive...he pities himself. He does not distinguish himself from it or adequately detach himself from the abandoned corpse..."

Basically: What the **** does it matter that scummy students are cutting our bodies up - they are not 'us', they are the empty shells of our living selves - we have no emotion or awareness/consciousness after death so whatever happens to our corpse will not affect us! Bring on the worms, I say!

But I completely disagree with all of that. And I'd rather donate my organs for a more useful purpose :thumbsup:

Originally posted by noseyrosie
...we have no emotion or awareness/consciousness after death so whatever happens to our corpse will not affect us! Bring on the worms, I say!
I can't help but wonder if you'll feel the same way over half a century from now, the nearer the possibility of meeting up with Pops, Jnr. & Spooky approaches, the more likely it is that one tends to reassess such long-held convictions...

Though in your case, I'll never know... ;)

Do you think thaat they prefer the ones operated on previously because they can see the mistakes that were made before ?

i e The reason he/she is dead

hazel

I might get somebody to put my body on the for sale section on here when i die;)

Originally posted by Pseudonym
I can't help but wonder if you'll feel the same way over half a century from now, the nearer the possibility of meeting up with Pops, Jnr. & Spooky approaches, the more likely it is that one tends to reassess such long-held convictions...

Though in your case, I'll never know... ;)

I am a lot closer to the grin reaper than rosie, but think she got it bang right. :thumbsup: They can do anything they want with me, but just make sure I am really dead before the saw gets plugged in.

Originally posted by owdlad
...They can do anything they want with me, but just make sure I am really dead before the saw gets plugged in.
Anything to avoid the expense of a funeral, eh? ;)

Wasn't Lecrutius the part that Jean-Luc Picard became when the Borg took him over??

All my organs will be donated, and anything else usefull, whats left can go to the university for the students to practice on.

My family are not happy with this, but tough, the last thing I do should be to decide what happens to my body.

After everone has finished I can be composted.

Originally posted by Pseudonym
Anything to avoid the expense of a funeral, eh? ;)

I wondered why Rlass kept shoving the forms in front of me.......along with the powdered glass and arsenic sandwiches. :(

I quite fancy the plastination idea...

All my family could come and visit me, or they could even buy me back and have me on the mantle :lol:

they can everything on/in me apart from my eyes- im going to need them in the next place :D

Originally posted by hazel
Do you think thaat they prefer the ones operated on previously because they can see the mistakes that were made before ?

i e The reason he/she is dead

hazel

They do like bodies that have been operated on to a certain extent because variation allows them to teach at a greater depth. According to the other half they like to be able to show what happens in a particular operation, such as heart surgery, knee replacement, etc.

Originally posted by nick2
All my organs will be donated, and anything else usefull, whats left can go to the university for the students to practice on.

My family are not happy with this, but tough, the last thing I do should be to decide what happens to my body.

After everone has finished I can be composted.

If your organs are donated, the universities etc. will not take your body they're a picky bunch

Do you think thaat they prefer the ones operated on previously because they can see the mistakes that were made before ?

Absolutely not. If someone dies in hospital or a certain amount of time after an operation, they have to have a post mortem examination. Again, if a post-mortem has taken place, the body will not be accepted for study or research.

Check out http://www.newscientist.com/home.ns
They put out a booklet "100 things to do before you die plus a few to do afterwards"
You can be a crash test dummy or be left to rot on an estate so that forensic scientists can study your decomposition.
Dont know which one I'll choose yet.....

Originally posted by Twiglet
If your organs are donated, the universities etc. will not take your body they're a picky bunch



Absolutely not. If someone dies in hospital or a certain amount of time after an operation, they have to have a post mortem examination. Again, if a post-mortem has taken place, the body will not be accepted for study or research. Well as I am now an Organ Donor,Im afraid donating my body is out of the question.Glad I started the original thread,as I wouldnt have know that.I will go for Organ Donation any time.

slightly different but anyone ever done medical trials? I have considered having my heart stopped and restarted. I think you get 100,000 but lose 10 years off your life (which is a bonus!) and could not restart. I think it's worth the gamble for the money.