There's nothing quite like having a telephone call wherein the person on the other end, filling out a form, asks not only for an emergency contact but "is there any religion you would like to list".
That was my guess also, although I am pretty sure I didn't get asked this question when I had oral surgery under general in the fall of 2001. Now I'm musing on what they'd do with the information. Do some religions require a blessing or some sort of ritual very quickly after death? If not, I'd figure they'd just call the emergency contact, and my family would be the ones to deal with those sorts of arrangements.
It's because some religions, like Catholicism have last rites that are to be performed as one is dying--It is actually one of the seven sacraments in the Catholic church. Also, many religious officials will come to pray with the dying person/family.
I'd thought of last rites, but with general, you don't know the person's going to croak until they're already dead. I don't know how Catholicism (or any other religion, really) feels about rites immediately AFTER death. My very limited understanding was that last rites required responses.
I suppose someone could make sure to get last rites before anaesthesia just to make sure. Is it okay to have last rites lots of times?
It's probably because you're having it done (I assume) at a place with some sort of chaplain, and your oral sex . . . oh my.
I won't go fix that typo.
I wonder where in hell that came from.
Let's start over.
It's probably because you're having it done (I assume) at a place with some sort of chaplain, and your oral SURGERY was at a place without a chaplain. Your religion was irrelevant.
There are certainly religions in which some sort of ministerial observances "in case something should go wrong" are preferred, including Catholicism.
Actually, I think it has more to do with last rites being a sacrament in the Catholic church--most surgeons would know to call a priest if a Catholic patient was dying.
Bwa ha haaa! I love it! I must admit, last time I performed oral sex there was no chaplain present. 8-)
Seriously, that makes sense - the other place having no chaplain. I didn't know this place had one, either, except that them asking me this question is a good indication.
Identifying the patient's religion is not just for the possibility of death. Hospitals have chaplains in residence, who visit patients. They identify patients who might have an especially distressing medical problem, or are elderly and have no family, or things like that. Some patients might consider it an intrusion, and others consider it to be part of the healing process.
That's odd that they'd ask that for an outpatient procedure. I had to answer that one with both my surgeries. "leave me alone" was my response first time around, i believe; gotta love those narcotics!!
Hospital chaplains can be quite helpful, even for heathens like me. When my grandma died, the chaplain was sent, sat with us for quite a while, and was the person i recommended mom call when she wanted to raise a little hell about why certain things were or were not done ~ he put her to all the right people. when my mom went into cardiac arrest, the chaplain was sent to sit with me til family arrived, and stuck with us til we were able to see mom in ICU. it was helpful to have someone who knew how the hospital worked and all, as we were not thinking clearly.
I was asked about religion when I pre-registered with the hospital prior to Alan's birth. (It was a secular hospital). I think they like to know what you might need just in case.
Yeah, I was never quite sure how to answer that one. I ended up just saying "no" most of the time. Except for my hysterectomy -- by then, I was attending the unitarian church fairly regularly. When I said Unitarian, she asked if I would like them to contact my pastor. I thought "wow, how cool is that??" but said "no", 'cause I was too embarrassed by the whole thing. I never thought of that -- that they might try to find some religious person of your denomination (if you had one) to come comfort you in the hospital or during your recovery. I always just thought it was a pointless, noisy question, or maybe related to what they would do if (god forbid) you died while in the hospital.
Yeah, I just answered "no", too. I figured an eclectic mix of Pagan and Buddhist would be hard to explain and equally hard to find a Priestess/monk for. :-) Plus I'm not very religious anyways, so... *shrug*
I'd be pretty surprised if this place found someone to come comfort patients. This place specializes in laparoscopy and plastic surgery. You get IN, you get OUT, and you are GONE.
Found out how much it's costing. The mind boggles. I am glad I currently have health insurance... I don't always. Haven't found the right person, however, to ask about video.
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I suppose someone could make sure to get last rites before anaesthesia just to make sure. Is it okay to have last rites lots of times?
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Yes, definitely. Any time there's imminent peril of death.
(This public service announcement has been brought to you by your friendly neighborhood dissident Catholic Knight of the Altar.)
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Does it require responses from the individual?
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You can receive at least as many last rites as Bush & Blair gave "final warnings" to Iraq.
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I won't go fix that typo.
I wonder where in hell that came from.
Let's start over.
It's probably because you're having it done (I assume) at a place with some sort of chaplain, and your oral SURGERY was at a place without a chaplain. Your religion was irrelevant.
There are certainly religions in which some sort of ministerial observances "in case something should go wrong" are preferred, including Catholicism.
You'll be fine, if a little gassy. ;)
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(I typed "last rites" several times and deleted it, not sure whether CJ would get squicky over thinking about the "what if" situations.)
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Seriously, that makes sense - the other place having no chaplain. I didn't know this place had one, either, except that them asking me this question is a good indication.
(I'm gassy either way, sad to admit!)
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remember it like it was yesterday.
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Hospital chaplains can be quite helpful, even for heathens like me. When my grandma died, the chaplain was sent, sat with us for quite a while, and was the person i recommended mom call when she wanted to raise a little hell about why certain things were or were not done ~ he put her to all the right people. when my mom went into cardiac arrest, the chaplain was sent to sit with me til family arrived, and stuck with us til we were able to see mom in ICU. it was helpful to have someone who knew how the hospital worked and all, as we were not thinking clearly.
hospital chaplains: a multipurpose tool! :-P
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I'd be pretty surprised if this place found someone to come comfort patients. This place specializes in laparoscopy and plastic surgery. You get IN, you get OUT, and you are GONE.
Found out how much it's costing. The mind boggles. I am glad I currently have health insurance... I don't always. Haven't found the right person, however, to ask about video.