• Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
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    1 day ago

    Honestly, I kind of wish I could have some kind of purpose for people like this after death. From what I gather, though, actually donating your body to something useful is fairly difficult with long wait lists and such. Which is a shame. I’d like to have some use after I’m gone. I have seriously considered trying to get myself to India to die and doing a sky burial like a few groups there do

    • Sergio@piefed.social
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      1 day ago

      My best friend donated their body to a local medical school when they had a terminal illness. It wasn’t that difficult, just filled out a form and told their doctor. We were told the bodies were mostly used for dissection practice for new students, tho there were no guarantees about how they’d be used. Afterwards they got a free cremation.

      • Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
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        1 day ago

        I’d be cool with that. Let some college kids cut me up and maybe in that way I’ll save lives haha

        Edit: just reread and realized. I’m so sorry about your friend <3

        • Sergio@piefed.social
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          1 day ago

          Yeah, my friend had trained as a mortician, so they’d embalmed people on donated bodies, so it was like “giving back.” Just check the web pages of your local med school. Personally, I’m thinking of doing one of those “natural burials” where they don’t embalm or cremate, just stick me in the earth and plant a tree overhead.

          • Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
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            1 day ago

            My best friend also did embalming. It’s weird being their friends. Haha. But I’d be devastated if I lost him, I can’t even think about it. I love that your friend gave back like that ♥️

            • Sergio@piefed.social
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              17 hours ago

              Funny thing is, my friend was worried that they wouldn’t be able to handle embalming. They’d been around death when they worked at a hospital, but they hadn’t cut anyone up before. The evening right after their first embalming session they were all wide-eyed and hyped, saying: “I did it!” They were so excited. They smelled slightly of formaldehyde.

              • Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
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                4 hours ago

                Similar scenario with my buddy. He was a Baptist preacher from the time he was old enough to be told by his family what he would be doing with his life, up until he was about 25ish when he left that. He had done funerals and been there to comfort families who had lost someone, but he was very nervous about actually doing the cutting up and such. He told me all about it excitedly when he had finally done it. Details I absolutely did not need haha

    • BeeegScaaawyCripple@lemmy.world
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      24 hours ago

      my older brother has been wanting a sky burial for some time. i would rather opt for composting (and then being used to fertilize a lemon tree), but honestly i’ll be gone. if a specific “burial” method brings more peace to my family, they should do that.

      • Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
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        1 hour ago

        That’s fair. I would love to be turned into a lemon tree, too. It’s my favorite food. Haha. I’m hoping I don’t have to live through losing the rest of my family, but I’m 10 years younger than the second youngest member of my family. I don’t know if there will be anyone to bring peace to by the time I go. Lemon tree would be cool, but if I can be used to teach to doctors or to somehow save lives, that would be amazing