Refusal of blood transfusions by Jehovah’s Witnesses not always detrimental, research finds

[Shawnster]

New research in the USA shows that Jehovah's Witnesses who refuse blood transfusions recover from heart surgery faster and with fewer complications than those who have transfusions.

 

Patients who are Jehovah's Witnesses had better survival rates, shorter hospital stays, fewer additional operations for bleeding and spent fewer days in the intensive care unit than those who received blood trans­fusions during surgery, a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows.

 

http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2012/07/refusal-of-blood-transfusions-by-jehovahs-witnesses-not-always-detrimental-research-finds

[kejedo]

Was talking with someone last night whose father was one of Jehovah's Witnesses. He was in the hospital adamant about no blood. (This was some years ago, and I am not sure about medical directives, at that time.)  She was pressured to override his request. She said, "No, those are his explicit wishes." Hospital informed her that without blood he would not leave the hospital except to go to a funeral home.  "Without your insistence on blood, it's his death sentence." She didn't budge. Without blood, he did in fact go home from the hospital and lived one and a half years longer than expected, and with a joyful heart and clear conscience. This daughter is now studying and making good progress. 

A sister in our local congregation had bloodless heart surgery a few years ago. She broke the record of anyone, male or female, for being released from the hospital earliest, and with quick recovery, I think she's in her 70s, now. 

[pholmes38]

Interesting, but at over 5 years old, is that "new research"?

[Mountain man]

There was an article getting emailed around a few years back about the army not using blood anymore for the same reasons.  The title said, "have Jehovah's witnesses had it right all along?"

[SoCal4me2]

On 1/26/2018 at 10:06 AM, pholmes38 said:

Interesting, but at over 5 years old, is that "new research"?

Ahhh, imagine how many individuals have joined our worship of Jehovah in the last 5 years. Quite a bit More than are members here, but doubtless some of them are here also. Sometimes a quick reference helps someone, and in this reference, older might even be better as it might show some current medical practice may be out of date if they are not familiar with this. Just a thought. 

[ElizaJane]

In 1996 my  father,  who was not a JW,  became very ill. He was 83 years old and was found to have a subdural hematoma--bleeding on the brain. After that surgery, while he was recuperating, his primary doctor began finding other medical problems with him. About three months after the brain surgery, my father  was "diagnosed" with gangrene and the doctors suddenly wanted to amputate one of his legs up to his knee.  My answer was No, Find another way. He just had brain surgery. You will not do an invasive surgery like an amputation on him.

 

Another time his doctor said he was severely anemic and needed a blood transfusion.  Of course my answer was No. The doctor couldn't believe I had the gall to disagree with him. His words to me were that I would cause my father to have a heart attack if he did not receive the blood transfusion. (I see in the article mentioned, the opinion is much different these days.)

 

With the help of Jehovah and the sister who worked in the bloodless medicine office at a local hospital in Dallas, some medications that could help my Dad without the use of blood were suggested to me.  Slowly but surely my father recuperated and also regained his thinking ability (resulting from the brain surgery). One day when my husband (nonbeliever also) took him for his monthly checkup, the primary doctor brought all of this up to my Dad and asked him how to proceed if these issues came up again. Without any coaching from my husband (I was not present), he told the doctor that it seemed like I had done a good job of getting him where he was, so he wanted me to continue making the decisions about his care.  All I could do was thank and praise Jehovah when my husband told me his reaction.  My dad lived for another two years only to be taken by pneumonia.

 

One reason I am telling this story is to warn others that doctors are not always truthful with their "diagnoses."  Don't get me wrong,  I am not putting doctors down--we need them. However, they are imperfect human beings. The vast majority are worldly people and don't have our ethics. Sometimes they have wrong motives and do not look out for the welfare of the patients. It seems that when they realized Medicare and Insurance was readily available, they wanted to welcome themselves to a feast.  I have seen this occur with other family members as well. Please research and get second and third opinions if warranted, when doctors give you or your loved ones grave or severe diagnoses.  

 

Sure, my father was elderly. But I have the satisfaction of knowing he was content and not in discomfort and agony his last few years. When he later found out they had wanted to amputate his leg, he was very happy I had said No.

[Omoyeme]

I genuinely appreciate your sharing your personal experience Sis. Eliza. I'm emboldened and encouraged as I now have aging relatives with several illnesses also. Over the years I've read many medical books, articles and journals (allopathic and naturopathic) and I've concluded that it's best to research, research and do more research when it comes to serious medical issues.  I'm my own health advocate for now..

 

Thanks again sis.

[kejedo]

On 1/26/2018 at 1:28 PM, Mountain man said:

There was an article getting emailed around a few years back about the army not using blood anymore for the same reasons.  The title said, "have Jehovah's witnesses had it right all along?"

I used this youtube (US army and Inglewood) recently with a Bible Student and it was "new" info for her, and very convincing. I might use this article as a refresher. 

[Jmystro]

On 1/26/2018 at 9:03 AM, kejedo said:

. She broke the record of anyone, male or female, for being released from the hospital earliest, and with quick recovery, I think she's in her 70s, now. 

 

Here is another record.

 

http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2018/02/newborn-first-in-western-us-to-have-bloodless-open-heart-surgery.html

[1MKnight]

Added to JW Library notes