A kidney donor at 18 now regrets it • Hacker News Board

Re: A kidney donor at 18 now regrets it

#31

Post by clifanatic » Mon, Oct 03, 2016, 8:39 PM UTC

snake117 wrote: post #15

My physiology professor told our class to never donate, especially at our age group (18-23). His presentation included some of the complications listed in the article. However, his reasoning was straightforward: Assuming a long lifespan, if you are in the position with your only kidney failing, you're screwed. He was speaking generally of course. Not every situation has an easy solution and Poulson took a noble route…

> if you are in the position with your only kidney failing, you're screwed

Well... unless you can find a kidney donor, that is...

Re: A kidney donor at 18 now regrets it

#32

Post by wbl » Mon, Oct 03, 2016, 8:39 PM UTC

snake117 wrote: post #15

My physiology professor told our class to never donate, especially at our age group (18-23). His presentation included some of the complications listed in the article. However, his reasoning was straightforward: Assuming a long lifespan, if you are in the position with your only kidney failing, you're screwed. He was speaking generally of course. Not every situation has an easy solution and Poulson took a noble route…

Kidneys tend to not fail independently. Most failures are the result of systemic causes.

Re: A kidney donor at 18 now regrets it

#33

Post by louprado » Mon, Oct 03, 2016, 8:44 PM UTC

criley2 wrote: post #16

danso wrote: post #11

I admire the author's selflessness. At the same time, it seemed easier to be selfless as a teenager, probably for similar reasons for why it's easier to draft 18-year-olds than it is 28-year-olds. Given young persons willingness to sacrifice for the greater cause without realizing that life extends well past your 30s and 40s, I wonder if more shouldn't be done to let young donors think of the risks, so that their naï…

>At the same time, it seemed easier to be selfless as a teenager, probably for similar reasons for why it's easier to draft 18-year-olds than it is 28-year-olds. Given young persons willingness to sacrifice for the greater cause without realizing that life extends well past your 30s and 40s I totally agree, the biological basis of this is Pre-frontal Cortex development. "The [prefrontal cortex] isn't fully developed…

Personally, I am less likely to take risks as I age because I have invested more in myself over time. It seems natural to value that which you have dedicated money, time, and effort. Before adulthood that investment came primarily from my mother and she valued my life waaaaay more than I did.

I get that this is a dissociative POV.

So often these discussions are about youthful feelings of immortality, more courage, foolishness, etc., but that never rang true personally.

Re: A kidney donor at 18 now regrets it

#34

Post by danso » Mon, Oct 03, 2016, 8:54 PM UTC

MrZongle2 wrote: post #17

zodPod wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is an accurate summary. One thing I'd like to add is that there was nothing that the receiver did that provoked the regret. I read this assuming that something happened that caused it to not be worth it. While this is a good view on this situation, the article is basically a guy saying that his comfort and security to have a long life is more important than the other guy's life. So I assumed that the other guy h…

"...the article is basically a guy saying that his comfort and security to have a long life is more important than the other guy's life. So I assumed that the other guy had done something to bring this to light but that is not the case." This is how I went into the article as well. I expected seeing something about the recipient being a substance abuser or otherwise not careful with his gift, or some related drama. B…

I thought the article has overall worth because it's an honest reflection about something we usually think of as a simple feel-good story. We pay attention to selfless deeds when they happen, but usually don't follow up with the aftermath. Apparently, according to the author, neither do hospitals, which means there's a lack of data to do more longitudinal study.

Re: A kidney donor at 18 now regrets it

#35

Post by dexterdog » Mon, Oct 03, 2016, 8:54 PM UTC

This may be a dumb question, but why are previous kidney donors not given a free pass to the top of the recipient list if they have a problem with their remaining kidney?

Re: A kidney donor at 18 now regrets it

#36

Post by frandroid » Mon, Oct 03, 2016, 9:09 PM UTC

linkregister wrote: post #25

M_Grey wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hardly bizarre, but it's not put in terms of cortical development either. It is however a bit of, "Give me a girl at an impressionable age, and she will be mine for life." Ignoring that reality, and why 12 year olds are more likely to pick up a machete than a 30 year old, is what's bizarre.

Is it true that 12 year olds are more likely to pick up a machete than 30 year olds?

Well, trigger warning: discussion of child soldier recruitment, and deadly violence.

Recruitment of child soldiers usually involves drugging the targets. 12 year olds are probably less susceptible to be able to realize that they're being drugged and to have the mental fortitude to retain their self through the grooming process. I suspect that even when drugged, a 30 year old will have a better sense of being drugged and is less likely to be brainwashed. There are also other shock-inducing factors that have a greater dislocating impact on 12 year olds, such as killing their parents (both it happening in front of them, and/or in some cases, them being forced to do it as part of the indoctrination process). I suspect that a 30 year old would be more likely to channel their anger at the "recruiter" than a 12 year old would.

Re: A kidney donor at 18 now regrets it

#37

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Oct 03, 2016, 9:11 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: A kidney donor at 18 now regrets it

#38

Post by treehau5 » Mon, Oct 03, 2016, 9:11 PM UTC

Reading these comments makes me believe the HN crowd no longer believes in human exceptionalism, something I believe fueled our predecessors into building mile long structures over bodies of water, landing on the moon, striving to colonize mars, and other giant leaps of technology. Makes me sad reading these comments.

Re: A kidney donor at 18 now regrets it

#39

Post by djtriptych » Mon, Oct 03, 2016, 9:18 PM UTC

sidlls wrote: post #29

linkregister wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it true that 12 year olds are more likely to pick up a machete than 30 year olds?

Humans are beastly, violent primates with marginal cognitive advantages over our cousins. Empathy is learned. I don't know if a 12 year old is more likely to kill than a 30 year old, but the former certainly has had much less social normalization toward empathy than the older one, other things being equal. Also kids are easily guided to do just about anything. They're easily impressed and even the brightest lack the…

No, healthy people are born with empathy. Which is why childhood animal mutilation is a standard test for sociopathy.

Re: A kidney donor at 18 now regrets it

#40

Post by sokoloff » Mon, Oct 03, 2016, 9:20 PM UTC

dexterdog wrote: post #35

This may be a dumb question, but why are previous kidney donors not given a free pass to the top of the recipient list if they have a problem with their remaining kidney?

Came here to post exactly that question/suggestion.

I could imagine that it might also be "and can put one blood relative or immediate family member into a high-priority category" to encourage donation/control for the "yeah, but I'm saving mine in case my kid needs one" objection.