Thursday, May 07, 2009

Think About It Thursdays #18....Face Transplant.

Great comments on last weeks question on Are you as you are in real life as your blog life?

Funny in my mind said...

I am much more outgoing and friendly in my blog. I am not a social person in real life because I have too many fears of rejection.

We must be twins. I'm more of an observer myself and don't volunteer for things, or jump in things because of the rejection factor.
The Demigoddess said...

I'm a lot more fun in my blog. In person, I'm probably boring.

I can't imagine that. Your blog is too fun for you to be boring!
Lisa said...

This is something I struggle with, but kind of in the opposite: I think I am much nicer on my blog than I am in real life, meaning I'm much more forthcoming and open if you know me in person.

I like to think of my blog as a better, nicer, and kinder version of me. :)

That's interesting. Who do you enjoy being more? The blogger or the real lifer?
debilyn said...

I'm just as snarkastically delicious in real life as I am in my blog. I speak just as grammatically correct as I write, and I never misspell any words in my head.

BUT, I like people in Blogland better than I do in real life. In real life, people tend to get on my nerves and make me want to blog about them=)

I love ANYONE that says they are snarkastically delicious!!!
Aunt of 14 said...

DEFINITELY NOT!! I don't think so. I am so much more candid and so much more open online than anywhere IRL. If you and I were to... like... suddenly bump into each other in the middle of the ocean, say... since you are in Hawaii and I'm in Seattle, just to be rambling like you... I won't even be able to CHAT with you. I'll be petrified with shyness... I may manage to squeak out "hello!" and then there'll be this uncomfortable silence. The silence will stretch on and on until someone says "Oh I have to go to the bathroom" and flee. Either you or me. I hate when that happens but that probably is what would happen with me. Several times... like 20 years ago that is... I was chatting with a guy (when AOL first came out) and the guy would want to meet me and I'll say sure... only to stand them up. I did this more than once. I literally turn into solid rock... no wonder I'm in my late 30's and still single. Too freaking shy.

Oh Ao14....your answer made me giggle and remember a time that I was (okay am still a lot) petrified of meeting anyone online. It goes back up to the rejection question. But, I tell you what. This blog has given me a confidence in myself that others who don't know me, like me (erm, my blog) which represents my thoughts, the funny side of life that I like to lead and if they don't. Eh, whatever. So don't worry. I ramble enough to make anyone comfortable. I'll give us a shot for sure if we ever get 'stuck' on a plane together :)

***********************

So this week's question came inspired from questions and conversation over the woman that received a face transplant.

"Could you go through with a face transplant? As a family member of the donor how hard would this be for you see to a face you once knew belong to someone else?"

An employee of mine and I discussed this topic tonight about the emotional crap this woman must be going through.

First, having a massive douche of a husband who only got 7 years in prison, Second, surviving such a horrendous attack and lastly living with another persons face that isn't yours.



20 ramblings of your own:

Mrs. M said...

Yeah - must be pretty hard stuff. I think I could do it, but hopefully I will never have to find out.

OliveStreetStudio said...

I haven't been keeping up much on this story, but I have to say, 7 years? THAT is a crime in and of itself. The poor woman - surviving such a horrendous attack and the transplant. I think it would take me years to 'see the light' and be happy to be alive...knowing me, I'd probably fall down that spiral into a dark depression, but one day, I'd turn the corner and climb back up. I wish her all the strength and courage....

Crazee Juls said...

I think that given the circumstances, although I think it is kind of strange... I could do it..

7 years is so flippin' redunkulous! Where is that guy? after day I had yesterday, I could take out some frustration on him...

Synergy Girl said...

Well...another face would be better than no face it seems. It is hard to put yourself in a situation like that and say how you would react. In reality, there is just no way to understand...

Anonymous said...

First of all, I'm an organ donor. It would be hard to see the face of someone I love on someone else, but I'd be ok with it knowing it could save someone else's life, figuratively speaking. If I needed a face transplant, I'd certainly consider it.

That lady's husband should be rotting in jail for the rest of his life. Grrr!

Anonymous said...

wow. i cannot even begin to imagine how awful that would be.

Mammatalk said...

Well, I guess the question is...would you rather have no face? Ah, no face doesn't work for me. ;-)

And, I did know someone who was an organ donor. (not face). And,yes, it is wierd. You just focus on how the donation can help someone....and hope you never run into them.

mo.stoneskin said...

It's terrible to think about, but I guess I would. But it would be so weird, an identity crisis.

Sapphire said...

Wait....I must be slow or something. I didn't realize it was actually someone else's face. I just thought when they said 'face transplant' that they meant 'face reconstruction'. I didn't take the transplant part literally.
Just wanted to share how slow I am.
With that said, yeah, I could live with it. It would definitely be an exercise in character development for me and my children and the rest of my family.
It would probably make me a better person. More important things to worry about.

MammaDucky said...

WHAT?! He only got seven years?

*Note to self: look up that douche bag's address*

I would imagine this will make her life SOOO much easier. Still difficult, but easier.
As for the donor family I would hope that they are pleased that their loved one's passing was able to give this woman a second chance. Plus, it's not like she's going to LOOK like the donor. Well, at least that's what I've gathered.

Martha@A Sense of Humor is Essential said...

I don't think I could do a face transplant, as a nurse I know too much. I am all about "quality of life."
The bone structure of the recipient and the antirejection drugs can dramatically alter appearance, so I don't think that would be too difficult in comparison to losing a loved one.
I am an organ donor, I guess that means my face is available if I bite the big one.

Martha@A Sense of Humor is Essential said...

After reading the other comments, it struck me that I am being selfish if I wouldn't at least try for my family's sake to have a face transplant.

Shawn said...

I could do a face transplant---especially if my face was so horrific that my family couldn't look at me.

What a sad story----I feel for this woman.

Stacey said...

It's such a tragic story.
I remember seeing an ep of Grey's Anatomy with someone who had it done. Now that I think about it.. maybe that's not what it was about. Anyways.. I remember a guy missing half of his face and people saw him as a monster. Any face must be better than that.

pan x 8 said...

I couldn't do it. I'd lose myself and no one would probably treat me like me!

Anonymous said...

Did you see the before picture of the lady who got the transplant? She honestly didn't have much of a face before hand. So in that case I would happily get a new face.

I'd be okay with donating a loved one face. I'm a big believer in organ donation and willing to do whatever to help someone live a fuller life.

Saskia said...

Identity is so much to do with what we look like, but it shouldn't be. It's what's inside each of us that makes us who we are. That lady with the face transplant will still see out of the same eyes as before.

I could go through with a face transplant and I would be happy if any of my family donated their face to help someone after their death. I am on the organ donor list. My husband does not share my view that my body is just my shell.

What a thought-provoking topic.

Saskia x

jmt said...

This is where my "life is just life" feelings come out. No, it's not her face BUT she's living. She gets to interact again, she gets to live. Prison on Earth for her ex-husband won't compare, so I wouldn't dwell. As the donor's family....I couldn't bring back MY family member, so giving to someone else a gift as priceless as living a semi-normal life would feel like a blessing for ME. Might sound sappy, but it's how I feel.

Muppet Soul said...

Oh my.

Well, of course it would be really hard to see the face of someone you loved that passed away. But, I think just like with any other organ donation, it would probably make me feel equal parts good that I could help someone, and sad because of whatever personal event led to it.

You know, if you're in the position to give something like that and you don't - I think it would make you feel so much worse to deny a living person that kind of enormous help. Especially since you would be associating your "No, I don't want to help you" with the name of the person that passed away.

But I also wouldn't expect the family who donated to want to SEE the person all the time...

Kalei said...

The lady said she "forgave him" also. Then they asked what she felt about him getting out in 7 years..."lets not go there".....That guy deserves to be shot in the pee pee hole then be offered a spot on the pee pee transplant list, just to be told "i'm sorry, but not one man is willing to donate THAT organ.