Can I have my appendix back?
The story (below) of the man whose spleen was removed and turned into a multi-billion dollar investment is not funny - it’s scary. But it reminds me of the time when my appendix was removed.
I asked if I could have it. (I had this idea of pickling it in a jar or freezing it or something.) They (the pre-op team) said no. I asked if they could at least hang on to it long enough so that I could see it. They said no. (I also asked “What does that machine do?”, “Is there going to be blood splatters on your scrubs? On the walls?” and “Can I stay awake for the operation? I’d like to watch.” The answer was “Okay, now start counting backwards from 100…”)
Okay, okay, maybe they didn’t take me seriously because of my state of Hospital-Heroin-Highness. But would they, under any circumstances, have given me back my organ?
I suspect not. And I wonder how it is that the ownership rights to our bodies, the most primary and tangible of all our belongings, can be revoked - without consultation, without consent, without even disclosure - by the medical profession.