We recently overheard a candidate comment that, I have heard that they will kick you off the transplant list if you can not cope. After several years of work with the transplant programs at our hospital, it appalled us that beliefs such as this would still be circulating. But this comment should not have surprised us. Nobody should underestimate the degree of uncertainty, unpredictability and ambiguity that candidates for transplantation must face. This context is fertile ground for any comment that plays on a candidate's worst fears.
Gather a group of people together. Place their health at risk. Make their fate dependent upon others. Force inactivity. Al1 sorts of wild rumors and superstitions will fly. I hear if they don't like you, you will wait longer for transplant. If the surgeon is at a party, they pass up on donor organs. Deaths always come in threes. If you don 't take part in their research, they will stop prescribing Cyclosporine for you. As unbelievable as these comments may appear, these are all rumors that people have reported to us, seeking our reassurance of their inaccuracy.
Take any rumors that you hear with a grain of salt. Check them out with staff who will know the facts. Most important, don't pass along questionable information. The rumor may sound harmless to you, but have a threatening implication for another candidate. If you attend a transplant support group, mention any rumors that are circulating. This will clarify the facts for you and other candidates.