Saying No to the Culture of Death

A poster has left a message questioning my stand on voluntary euthanasia. The reader claims that he has ankylosing spondylitis and that he cannot cope with the pain. As one who has Ankylosing Spondylitis, and who is a member of support groups for people with AS or who think that they might have AS, I am well aware of the pain involved. Yes, it is not easy dealing with the pain of arthritis, but there are remedies available for those who have intense pain.

Suicide is a coward's way of dealing with a situation that involves pain and suffering.  Arranging for someone else to supply the means of suicide, and administering the drugs that would allow a death to take place is also a coward's way out - for in such a case it cannot be called suicide, but the one who has assisted in the death could face charges of intentional homicide or murder.

Acceptance of the condition that is causing the pain is the first way of dealing with the pain levels associated with Ankylosing Spondylitis. If someone is in denial of the condition, then a negative attitude towards helping oneself will only intensify the pain. It has been said that how we experience pain is all in the head, and yes, there is some truth to this statement, because if we cannot accept the condition, we feel more anxious about the intense pain that we feel.  The next step after acceptance is to set goals for dealing with the condition and to ensure that one does not end up being fused in the wrong position.

One of the keys for dealing with any form of arthritis, whether it is RA, OA or AS or some other form, is regular exercise at the level that one can exercise, on a daily basis. Exercise helps to maintain a healthier lifestyle, and it has a lot of major benefits for people with arthritis. One of the benefits is that a person ceases to feel sorry for oneself. In the case of someone with AS, one of the best forms of exercise is swimming, preferably in a hydrotherapy pool. There is a lot of benefit to be had from regular hydrotherapy.

Other ways of dealing with AS or any other form of arthritis is the regular administration of drugs such as those in the NSAID group, or the DMARD or the biologics such as Remicade and Humira. Most of these drugs have unwanted side effects, and it is important to make sure that one is able to have the required treatment. Even something as simple as Celebrex requires that one follows the given instructions very carefully, and that any symptoms of side effects are noted and reported. I have heard from many people who report getting relief through the use of Remicade and Humira. In my own case, I remain on Celebrex and an exercise regime that helps me to deal with the condition. 

Having a team of supporters is also helpful in dealing with the pain of AS. It is important to have family members understand what is happening and how it affects the individual. It is not easy dealing with daily pain. It is not easy dealing with fatigue, or the other symptoms of an auto-immune disorder. It is extremely difficult dealing with such a condition when one feels that there is no support or understanding from one's spouse or family members. This lack of support can also impact upon one's pain levels. Therefore, it is necessary to have supporters, even if that support is through an Internet support group such as KickAS. More than anything else we need understanding from people around us.

I am currently in an arthritis flare that has lasted for the past 5 weeks. The flare began on the weekend that we went to see Swan Lake on Ice. On the Saturday morning I had traipsed around the shopping centre buying some nice things to wear in the evening, as well as arranging to have my hair cut and coloured. The flare itself was very intense because of the pain in my feet. One of my signs that I am in flare is the retention of fluid, and yes this was happening because I was not getting enough to drink. The Lyric Theatre at the casino in Sydney is quite nice but the seating is uncomfortable. By the end of the evening with such magical skating on show, I needed help to rise from the chair. My feet were in intense agony. However, it was the next morning when things got worse, and not only did I have difficulty walking, but I found myself almost tottering as first one hip and then the other seemed to give way. For the past 5 weeks I have had intense heel and foot pain, mostly in the left foot. When I had work, I found that I struggled to walk if I remained sitting for long periods at a time. The drive to and from the workplace put more stress on my body as I strived to cope with this flare. Owing to the time I left work and then drove home, I did not have the time to get to the hydrotherapy pool, and yes I suffered as a result of the lack of hydrotherapy exercise. My flare has also meant that I have had the most intense head pain imaginable, for the pain is in fact coming from the neck.

As a Catholic, I have learned to deal with this level of pain by offering up my suffering for the sake of the lives of others. At the same time I need to use other coping mechanisms in order to deal with the intensity of the pain that I have been experiencing. One such mechanism is simply to acknowledge the pain, as well as the intensity of the pain, and then to relax. One can also use breathing techniques, yoga, Tai-Chi, and a variety of methods for deep breathing and relaxation so that one can cope better with the pain (I have not been using these methods).  Also, in my own situation I recognize that must continue the effort to lose weight.  This is a catch-22 because the foot pain prevents me from walking any distance, and I cannot cope with walking up and down slopes. I manage with the stairs at home, but even getting up and down these stairs on my bad days is difficult.

Feeling sorry for oneself due to such a disease is not going to help the situation. One needs to be proactive in regard to dealing with the condition of arthritis so that one stays in control, rather than the disease being in control. Feeling sorry for oneself and wanting to commit suicide is a negative way of dealing with the condition of Ankylosing Spondylitis. The self-pity shows that such an individual is extremely selfish and desires a high level of attention. One can remain active so long as the disease is being brought under control but to bring the disease under control there is a need for total co-operation with one's doctors. Being in the workforce is difficult because any form of arthritis has a tendency to slow down one's reflexes. It also means that the more able-bodied within the workplace tend to view a person with arthritis as being too slow, which is of course, a form of discrimination against that person. 

As a person living with the pain of arthritis in my back, I recognize that I have limitions. However, that does not stop me from giving service to others. In my own parish I am active as a reader, and I am co-ordinator of the readers. I am also active as a Special Minister of the Eucharist, and I serve those who are not able to walk up to receive the Eucharist. I find that I cope best when I am walking around finding those who are not able to walk too far, than standing in the one spot. The standing causes intense pain in my feet. So long as I am able to serve others in this way, then I will continue to serve them. There are times when the pain is so intense in my feet and hips that I am not able to stand during the Gospel and at other places where we are required to stand. I do my best on a daily basis. I prefer to serve God to be selfish by indulging in self-pity because of the pain of my arthritis.

Anyone who believes that the religious thing is "BS" is one who is so utterly selfish and such a person is free to remain in his or her selfishness but has no right to involve others in his or her desire to commit the ultimate act of selfishness known to mankind - suicide. Voluntary euthanasia is something that is totally selfish in that the people who propose such action do so for utterly selfish reasons. Even the notion of lack of dignity because of such conditions as Alzheimer's Disease or ALS is based upon extremely selfish reasoning.

In order to live with this form of pain one needs to stop acting out of self-pity and selfishness. One needs to learn to acknowledge the pain and get on with living, instead of wallowing in self-pity. We do not have a very long time on this earth and we need to always do the best that we can in order to serve others, and not just ourselves.