Posted by ExDub [ExDub] on November 29, 1999 at 19:14:52 {DGglKT6Uj2x23u1HzB2QYwT5J/kZ46}:
In Reply to: Bloodless Surg. 1/8 Awake posted by Liberal Elder on November 29, 1999 at 17:02:10:
Thanks for that post.
My husband had a heart attack and quadruple by-pass surgery. They collected his own blood as he lost it, and put it back into him. Even at that he lost a lot of blood, but they didn't give him a transfusion.
we didn't sign for one before the surgery either. The surgeon was so confident that he said it was highly unlikely that he'd need a transfusion.
But what was amazing to us was that the day my husband was to leave the hospital, they tried to talk us into a transfusion! He was doing FINE and didn't need a transfusion. We turned it down, not on religious grounds, but on the basis that he didn't need one. They said, "He'll get stronger faster."
I'm not sure how fast they wanted him to get strong, he was back to work in less than a month, part time. He did remarkably well without the transfusion.
My point is, the WTS goes too far in denying blood, and is also inconsistent about their stand. However, there is a danger in going too far and listening too much to the doctors.
I fully believe that since we had medical insurance, a transfusion of one unit of blood would have been several hundred dollars more they could have charged us. Otherwise, really there was no reason for one.
I think it is important to be balanced. Never say never. But also don't blindly be lead by the doctors. Find out. we did and we saved ourselves the worry of having a transfusion. We don't regret our decision.
BUT, if they'd come to me while he was in surgery and told me he would die without one, I'd have signed without hesitation.
ExDub