We don't wish to have a funeral

[Warrigal]

Any metal bits in a body have to be retrieved before it is cremated as it can be dangerous if they aren't.

I hadn't thought about that. Between us, hubby and I have lots of metal bits. I have 5 joint replacements - 2 knees, 2 shoulders and 1 hip - and hubby has 2 knees and some extra framework in his lower back. Cremation is sounding perhaps a bit problematic ?

 

[C'est Moi]

Seems like more and more, people are forgoing formal funerals. I want to be cremated with NO viewing and NO service of any kind; all our children know this. My husband is going to be buried, so I suppose they can put my ashes in with him if I die first.

 

[Old Dummy]

I have, in my will, that no funeral be held, and no notice of my death be posted. My body goes to a med school. I never go to any funerals. The whole concept of "closure," I find nonsensical: Just because someone dies, and you attend a service/ritual with their body present/absent, does nothing for putting the person out of your thoughts. In fact, for me, I like to think of the deceased as still being around, albeit in a different way. Open casket funerals I find ghastly, beyond belief. The funeral business makes billions, each year, and so funerals are always pushed. Not for me. Life goes on: We stop by, we do whatever, we make our exit, no big deal.

I agree with your sentiments exactly.

I was always being dragged to funerals as a kid and I hated them. Viewing dead bodies is, to use your word, ghastly. I had a lot of aunts and uncles, all wonderful people. My favorite uncle's funeral I did not attend; I saw no point in it. I hope my (late) mom forgives me; nothing was ever said about it.

I also see no point in going to cemeteries to view headstones of loved ones -- although I realize this is a very personal choice and there is no right or wrong. My father died in 2000; I didn't go back until they buried my mother next to him in 2002 -- and that's the last time I've been there.

I think there's been a generational shift away from funerals, or at least open casket funerals -- which used to be the norm. All to the good, IMO.

 

[Furryanimal]

Funerals are not a legal requirement-I am sure many think they are.All that is required is legal disposal of the body.Nice to know I am not the only one who does not want a funeral.

 

[win231]

I hadn't thought about that. Between us, hubby and I have lots of metal bits. I have 5 joint replacements - 2 knees, 2 shoulders and 1 hip - and hubby has 2 knees and some extra framework in his lower back. Cremation is sounding perhaps a bit problematic ?

Geez...that's enough for a recycling plant.

 

[Warrigal]

Yes, soon we'll be worth more dead than alive. :lol:

 

[Aneeda72]

Cremated, urn, buried not spread. Joey will want to visit us. His place will be between us. No funeral.

Didn’t know about the mental parts being removed, thanks. I wonder how much that costs. We are both donors, so I suppose with the cancer, he can’t be one anymore, that’s too bad.

 

[debbie in seattle]

Cremated, urn, buried not spread. Joey will want to visit us. His place will be between us. No funeral.

Didn’t know about the mental parts being removed, thanks. I wonder how much that costs. We are both donors, so I suppose with the cancer, he can’t be one anymore, that’s too bad.

Aneeda72,
Yes, can’t donate anything with a history of cancer. Ran up against that with my husband.

 

[rgp]

Aneeda72,
Yes, can’t donate anything with a history of cancer. Ran up against that with my husband.

What about heart disease ? diabetes ?...etc. Seems to me the blood is the issue. In those cases can the organs be used?

 

[JimW]

Any metal bits in a body have to be retrieved before it is cremated as it can be dangerous if they aren't.

Pacemakers (because of their batteries) yes, but other metal parts such as pins, screws or artificial joints are removed after cremation, (but before pulverization). It's much easier to remove the metal parts after the body has been burned rather then extracting them beforehand. The metals need to be removed before pulverization because they can cause damage to the machinery that crushes the remaining bone fragments into a fine dust. The metals are usually recycled by the crematorium, but sometimes kept as momentos by the family members.

Sorry Butterfly, I hadn't seen your post (below) before I replied.

I was curious after this was mentioned, as I have two artificial hips. So I looked it up on the internet and it says that, except for pacemakers, they just cremate you whole and then get the metal out of the cremains with a magnet after the cremation has taken place. Pacemakers, it said, can explode and damage the crematory's apparatus. Weird -- I never thought about this before.

 

[fuzzybuddy]

The purpose of having a cadaver, in Med. School is to teach students anatomy. You really can't do that if every organ is destroyed by the cancer. After all, the patient did die from cancer. And as far as medical research, whatever is discovered will probably be tainted as being due to the cancer, which is such a devastating thing to the body. So it makes any research useless. I was a RN. And I had some cancer pts. who wanted to donate their bodies. I felt so bad telling cancer pts. that no one wanted their bodies.

 

[Old Dummy]

The purpose of having a cadaver, in Med. School is to teach students anatomy. You really can't do that if every organ is destroyed by the cancer. After all, the patient did die from cancer. And as far as medical research, whatever is discovered will probably be tainted as being due to the cancer, which is such a devastating thing to the body. So it makes any research useless. I was a RN. And I had some cancer pts. who wanted to donate their bodies. I felt so bad telling cancer pts. that no one wanted their bodies.

Interesting, and something I've never thought about.

What about people who have been cancer-free for years, and died of something else?

 

[retiredtraveler]

My husband and I don't wish to have a funeral when we are dead, we regard them as morbid events....... I haven't been to a funeral since my father died in 2005, he was a senior politician and as the eldest child, my presence was required, even Her Majesty sent a representative....

I thought I was the only one! I've had this discussion with DW a number of times. I go to wakes (a lot these days), out of respect, but refuse to view bodies in the casket which I really think is deranged. I go to the actual funeral too. I don't want to have one for DW either (if she goes first). But the family would have conniptions. I'm with TreeGuy --- I don't need 'closure'.
I'm not squeamish either. I was a CNA for 5 years and had to prepare bodies that passed in the hospital. I just think viewing dead bodies is, again, deranged. But I will have a problem with the family if there is no wake/service. I guess I'm going to have to hasten my demise and go first.