Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Not for the squeamish

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/03/kidney.vagina.surgery/index.html

Okay, just because there's a part of me that's 9-years old and can't help giggling about this stuff. I was raised in the age of children being "empowered" to use the "correct anatomical language". I knew all the good stuff by 4. But it still makes me laugh.

The headline kinda says it all: "Surgeons remove healthy kidney through donor's vagina." The kidney is terrific. The 'gina? Not so much.

I love the way the doctors didn't seem to think that describing a surgery involving a woman's reproductive system might need to be thought out just a little, just for maximum tactfullness. Therefore you get sentences like - "The woman was chosen to be the first donor to undergo the procedure because a previous hysterectomy enabled doctors to operate without a uterus obstructing their efforts." Don't know about you, but I've never really thought of my uterus as an "obstruction".

Of course the patient didn't seem to do much better - "If you asked our patient, she said it was like getting a tooth removed." Yeah. Like getting a tooth removed - through your vagina.

Oh, anyway, I think it's great. Anything that encourages organ donation. And if there's a woman who thinks having her kidney pulled out through her lady business is a less daunting prospect than traditional surgery, god bless her. She's a tougher broad than I.

Oh, and just one more time for fun - vagina.

6 comments:

WashingtonGardener said...

she is NOT selling it by comparing it to "tooth pulling" dang! the whole thing is freaking me out - but worse is that 6-finger.toe baby the parents trotted out on the morning shows today - WHAT are they thinking? This baby's life is going to be hard enough - what lack of judgement led them to believe it is okay to use their newborn like this?

FirePhrase said...

I thought the extra little piggies were cute. And I wondered if he'd be extra good at the piano. And I thought, if he was my kid, I'd name him Dodici (twelve in Italian). I was way more freaked out by the single mom of octuplets. Who already had 6 kids. Who does in vitro when they already have 6 kids? Whackadoodle.

WashingtonGardener said...

Yes and what DOCTOR gives someone essentially 14 kids!!!

FirePhrase said...

I know some women will choose to implant more than 1 embryo, assuming that not all will be delivered. Just because implantation is expensive, and they may have only 1 shot. But if you're so cost conscious that you can't afford multiple implantations, you definitely don't have enough money for 8 kids. The Time article on fertility clinic ethics was really eye opening.

WashingtonGardener said...

Good news - the Dr involved is now being investigated. I mean she was on DISABILITY and had 6 kids already. He should have referred her for counseling. If anything she hsould look into fostering and adoption to fill that void in her life.

FirePhrase said...

I read part of an interview where she divorced her husband because she was so depressed after the injury that lead to her disability, and she couldn't stand to hold him back like that. She didn't want to involve a consenting adult in her issues, but it was okay to drag 14 kids through it. Just defies comprehension.

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