End of Life Education will have three important meetings in October: one on Oct. 15 about the newest options for burial and cremation, one on Oct. 20 about Colorado laws allowing people options of ending life earlier if they feel it is necessary, and one on Oct. 29, when the emergency response team will try again on 911 calls.
I realize that this is no one’s favorite topic, including mine, but I cannot count the times that people have said to me how important and helpful these sessions have been.
For people who have led a planned-for and orderly life, it is so important to find out what options are available and make what choices you have.
The meetings will begin at 1 p.m. at the Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St., in the fellowship hall with a side door right off the parking lot. (The front doors are often locked if there are no other church activities.)
There is a basket for a church donation, or people can bring food for the church pantry.
On Oct. 15, Keris Meskimen will be in person with a detailed presentation on the many new more-natural options for burial and cremation. Our grandchildren will be using these new methods, but for now they are only easily available closer to big cities. It is getting more affordable to transport a body. People can do it themselves if the time of death has not been more than 24 hours. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn the latest techniques and the newest options that are available. It seems to give some peace.
There is so much to learn about end-of-life options. In the future we are also planning on having more time for large- and small-group discussions so you can explore your thoughts and feelings about many end-of-life issues.
On Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 1 p.m. we will be meeting at the Methodist Church to discuss the laws our state has made available to us to shorten the end-of-life process. You will learn about the actual laws, but, more importantly, we will go over the exact steps that are required.
If you want the help that the state has provided, you must follow the laws and regulations exactly, and you must have a doctor following the entire process. Unfortunately, it is not covered by Medicare. Even if you think you could never do something like that, it is good to consider what our state has given to us if someday we need that option. We will end with a small-group discussion to explore the possibility.
When you come to any of our meetings, you can get the booklet for end-of-life decisions that is given to you when you enter a hospital in Colorado. Now is a better time to get it and carefully read the choices that you can make.
We will spend extra time on Oct. 20 going over the three forms that Colorado law provides for our benefit to make the end of life meet our choices. Again, it is so much better to think about the options that are available before they have to be made. There will be time to go over each form and each choice.
On Oct. 29 we will try again to meet with the EMS team to find out what happens when you call 911.
You may hope your fairy godmother shows up, but it is actually a team of what I think are true heroes. This is when you need to have a do-not-resuscitate form on your refrigerator. You might ask why you would ever want to not be resuscitated. The truth of the matter is that if they resuscitate you, it means that you were actually dead. I have decided that if I am dead, I would prefer to stay dead. My life is over, and I am grateful for a quick and easy end.
Now, if my grandchild can be resuscitated at an early age, that makes sense. I know of a man who was resuscitated in his 50s and he is happy he did it. But if you have lived a full life, there comes a point that you don’t want to be resuscitated only to die again, perhaps a slower and more painful process. There is life and then there is also quality of life. So, there is much to be considered.
In September, the EMS team could not make our meeting because they had work to do. I always have back-up plans, but we spent the entire time with questions about many other things and the group left very satisfied. This is an incredible opportunity to explore the most certain experience of life with the choices we have.
I want people to know how important these sessions can be and help themselves by being as prepared as possible. It is not morbid to face reality, and it does not make you sad. It can make you love others and appreciate much more the life you have and available choices until the end.
>