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He also noted that several teachers rely solely upon textbooks by authors who challenge Church teaching on important modern topics such as euthanasia and moral relativism, as well as who oppose Eucharistic adoration as outdated as unnecessary.
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“euthanasia”
Having been thru a very personal end of life discussion, this line triggered an emotion.
Ever watch a basketball game where the score is lopsided and the end not in doubt. Having seen more than our fair share of them, Frau Reinke would always regard the end of game foul and time out nonsense with disgust. “The time for them to try harder was much earlier. This is just wasting time and postponing the inevitable.”
When her kidneys shut down and the next day’s blood test confirmed the facts of the matter, the decisions were left to me.
Not that there was much of decision. The end was written. It was just a question of how much struggle and pain would the patient be put through postponing the inevitable. It took four days. In one of her periods of clarity, she asked me: “What’s taking so long? When does it end?” All I could say, through tears, was “Soon. Patience. It’s all OK.” One of the things that I stopped was the antibiotic. The medical folks were perfectly happy to put a bottle of antibiotics in every eight hours that would cure an infection two weeks down the calendar. She lasted four days. We saved 12 bottle of antibiotic for some one who could use it. She was left undisturbed by tests, poking, and prodding. And, eventually, time ran out. At the end, there didn’t seem to be any pain. But the outcome was inevitable. I can understand how a loved one has to be let go sooner rather than later. And, I understand that it’s a slippery slope. Who decides? Certainly the people who want the best for the patient might be in the best position to make those decisions. It has to be a collaboration. The burden of that decision is a heavy one.
Even today, I wonder what I could have done differently, sooner, better.
And, we know that the “Shouldas, couldas, and wouldas!” will kill you.
But, issues of life and death deserve the ultimate of care.
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Reinke Faces Life 