Freedom of Conscience, Catholicism and Nurse Midwifery

I am now considering an addition to my career: becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife. This would enable me to deliver babies in homes, birthing centers and hospitals. However, I am very concerned about the new legislation, passed by the Obama administration last week, which makes it mandantory for insurance companies to pay for abortions and contraception, and erases the conscience protections I currently have as a practicing and devout Roman Catholic, 1) to not refer women for abortions or perform abortions and 2) to not prescribe contraception.

Right now, in my job, as a Student Health NP at TTU, I pretty much HAVE to prescribe birth control, and that is a very sticky issue for me. Personally I try as hard as I can to talk the girls out of it. I tell them how unnatural it is to suppress their normal hormones. I tell them about the very real increase in breast cancer risk, infection risk (especially yeast and bacterial infections) and the miscarriage and abortion risk if they get pregnant while on the pill or other methods (which happens a LOT). If they are Catholic I ask why they are considering contraception in the first place?

These new laws take effect August 1, 2012, shortly before I will be entering the Nurse Midwifery Program. Will I be required to learn to do abortions and prescribe abortaficents like RU 486? Will I be mandated to assist or perform when babies die in the womb naturally?

If I am required to do these things, there is no way I can become a midwife. It is very interesting to note that, the roots of midwifery in Texas all began with Catholic nursing Sisters in the border areas who wanted to provide health care for the poor immigrant women they served. EVERY beginning nurse midwife in Texas going back to the 1950s and even earlier, was a Catholic sister....NOT a Feminazi who wanted to provide abortions! these Sisters would roll over in some of their graves, to learn what women's health has become.

Pray for me, that my venture into assisting LIFE into the world, can happen without any further participation in the culture of death!

Change

Ever since finishing my black belt test successfully on September 24th, I feel that my life is going through a time of intense and rapid change, all for the better. On October 7th I had surgery on my left foot to remove a bunion and re align my toe. I am recuperating well, but was not prepared to have to take an extra week off from my job to get the surgery done. I go back to work tommorrow after getting my stitches out today. I will be on crutches for 6 more weeks and can't go back to full karate workouts until then.

The hardest thing in all this has been the enforced idleness. I am now a very muscular and in-shape person who is used to extreme levels of physical activity and used to being active all day long. Sitting in bed with my feet up is the hardest part.

Also, I have a new grandbaby! Jack Dawson Johnson was born yesterday October 17th at 9:56 am. He is David and Jaime's son (David is my middle stepson of the three boys). He was 7.1 lbs, 21 inches long and looks just like his dad and my husband Jerry (IMHO). It will be so nice having another grandchild!

RAIN

Awoke this morning to a sight I have not seen since last summer - gentle rain, skies full of clouds and the ground overflowing! Praise you Jesus, Father, Son, Holy Spirit and all the angels and saints

Quitting Facebook

I have quit Facebook. Permanently.

I did this after going camping by myself this weekend and realizing that without my computer, cell phone, internet and other modern delights (I am a baby boomer who was raised on one house telephone which I WASNT allowed to talk on much) and 3 channels on TV) that I really don't have much use for all that.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if something were to happen to all this tech stuff, and life could be a little simpler?

Of insomnia and stress

I have insomnia. Let's face it, for years, unless I take benadryl I cannot sleep. Believe me. I've tried everything. Right now I am having a rough time of it because I am back at work after my summer vacation. I want to get up early, go to morning Mass, work out, and go to work. But since I can't sleep, it is a vicious cycle of barely waking up in time to get to work.

Summer Vacation

I am enjoying my summer vacation. Not growing a garden this year...doesn't seem very prudent in a year when we have had less than half an inch of rain since last September.

I am training for my black belt test which is tentatively set for September, (no official date from Master Downs as yet) and working on several quilting and sewing projects that people at work and others have asked me to do. That, and my church activities, are keeping me busier than I imagined. I am also doing the daily breviary (I have the four volume set) and going to daily Mass again.

Oh, and rediscovering the joy of swimming laps - I must be part fish. This past week I've been over to the TTU Rec Sports lap pool every day, swimming at least a mile a day (that's 36 laps or if you are walking or jogging, 4 miles). Only when you swim, you burn about 700 calories!

Now if I could sell some quilts, so my husband would let me stay home all the time and do this!

Are You an Emotional Eater?

Some of you know that I am and have been an eating disorder sufferer for most of my life. I have been to inpatient treatment two times and have lots of experience and recovery to offer. I would like to tell everyone to check out two wonderful web sites if you think you are addicted to food and cannot control it. Do you eat over things that bother you? do you eat for no good reason, when you are not hungry? Do you ever purge the food or exercise it away? If so, maybe you can join my family of hope.

This group is free. There is a very structured food plan at the Food Addicts Anonymous site. In 1995, Overeaters Anonymous decided that it could not dictate a certain way of eating so it changed a bit and now members are encouraged to find a sensible solution that works for them. I know many folks, for instance, who combine working Weight Watchers with OA meetings and tools to gain recovery from this addiction.

For me, sugar, flour, wheat and random snacking are my dangers. As long as I eat according to a written plan and give that to my sponsor, I am at peace. It is like the fence around the playground, within that fence I am safe and free.

Meetings are held online around the clock every 3 hours Eastern Time USA. 12, 3, 6, 9 and 12. (yes also in the wee hours of the night). In Texas the meetings are 11, 2, 5and 8. The nice thing about online meetings is that you don't run the risk of running into anyone you don't want to see if you are new and shaky. There are "face to face" meetings in Lubbock, but many people's schedules don't allow for this and as Lubbock is a big small town, some might not be able to handle this.

I invite you to check this out. It's made a world of difference to me.