dianeseattle
Member
I don't have a federal or medical resource to paste in here, just my words to share and on my wrist, a MedicAlert bracelet I engraved at a pet store with the words "CADAVER DONOR." Inside the bracelet I have more information on paper instructing the person who opens it to get my body to the University of Washington Medical School, where I had my RYGB back in 2008. I want them to have my body as a sort of full-circle moment. After all, they saved my life with the surgery. And when I die, I want to let them see how the surgery affected my body.
The deal in my state is that the school is allowed to dissect/bisect/etc. my cadaver for one year. At that time, they are required to cremate my remains and give them to my son, my one and only heir, in a plain can or box. I have instructed him to take my ashes to our favorite hiking spot, Desolation Peak over Ross Lake, which is the first place I was able to go after I lost all that weight and trained for a hike at the YMCA. He'll let my ashes fly over the peak of the mountain and over the lake so they'll be one with nature in my eternally favorite spot. I don't know if my ashes will do the environment any good, but I'm sure they won't do any harm.
This is all symbolic of my gratitude, to the team at UWMed, my son, my enormous weight loss and finally, the ability to be part of nature, including hiking, canoeing, camping, swimming and finally, becoming part of the Ross Lake Wilderness in such a subtle way that no one will ever know, but perhaps some good will come of it. And it will be the last moment with my beloved child, who means more to me than anyone in the world.
I won't be taking up any more space on the planet or spending eternity in a graveyard. No one will remember me or be forced to keep thinking about my life and health, except those who benefit from my death financially (I hope). I mention this with all subtlety, but I hope I'm inspiring someone else to consider this. Especially the idea of donating my body back to the medical school where my life was saved is a gesture I'd be proud of if I were alive. I respect everyone who considers this horrible, sacrilegious, obscene or <insert your own adjective here> and I hope you all respect my decision.
And honestly, I hope one person has been inspired by the idea of cadaver donation. If for no other reason, you'll save thousands of dollars disposing of something you'll never need again. It's one of the few decisions I really feel proud about.
The deal in my state is that the school is allowed to dissect/bisect/etc. my cadaver for one year. At that time, they are required to cremate my remains and give them to my son, my one and only heir, in a plain can or box. I have instructed him to take my ashes to our favorite hiking spot, Desolation Peak over Ross Lake, which is the first place I was able to go after I lost all that weight and trained for a hike at the YMCA. He'll let my ashes fly over the peak of the mountain and over the lake so they'll be one with nature in my eternally favorite spot. I don't know if my ashes will do the environment any good, but I'm sure they won't do any harm.
This is all symbolic of my gratitude, to the team at UWMed, my son, my enormous weight loss and finally, the ability to be part of nature, including hiking, canoeing, camping, swimming and finally, becoming part of the Ross Lake Wilderness in such a subtle way that no one will ever know, but perhaps some good will come of it. And it will be the last moment with my beloved child, who means more to me than anyone in the world.
I won't be taking up any more space on the planet or spending eternity in a graveyard. No one will remember me or be forced to keep thinking about my life and health, except those who benefit from my death financially (I hope). I mention this with all subtlety, but I hope I'm inspiring someone else to consider this. Especially the idea of donating my body back to the medical school where my life was saved is a gesture I'd be proud of if I were alive. I respect everyone who considers this horrible, sacrilegious, obscene or <insert your own adjective here> and I hope you all respect my decision.
And honestly, I hope one person has been inspired by the idea of cadaver donation. If for no other reason, you'll save thousands of dollars disposing of something you'll never need again. It's one of the few decisions I really feel proud about.