Hi Rye,
We spoke several times on another thread which I won’t mention…I know NFP “success” is when you are able to avoid a pregnancy. I have one friend who just keeps having babies, and only one was “planned” the very first and very last the couple was using NFP that I guess they say “failed” However, she does NOT have an medical issues and takes no medications…so I would feel for people who are trying to be true to their faith but do really need to space their children out, especially if the woman’s life is at risk. I’m pretty sure it is against Church teaching but if for medical reasons the woman needed a hysterectomy due to horrible bleeding or cancer, that is acceptable. I wonder why doing it for the life of a woman who would say bleed internally and die if she were to get pregnant, before she even knew she was pregnant? I have a friend who when she had her baby via C-Section was told about this hole in her tube (the other tube had been badly mangled and removed years ago.) Well, while her uterus is sitting on her stomach, as they do with c-Sections…to make sure the placenta and everything comes out during the procedure…the doc said…you have this huge hole in this tube that is left and if you got pregnant, you would bleed out and die before you even knew you were pregnant! Of course she’s sitting in an emergent situation, and listens to the doc, to remove the tube that was left with the hole. I believe under those circumstances I would have listened to my doctor too…let’s not forget every hormone in the book is going on at this time and she’s in the middle of major surgery, with a doctor warning her of her future death. If we are allowed to treat major medical problems for the sake of the mother, wouldn’t this be one? she was told “NO” she had gone against the Church, as if she purposely sterilized herself. Why was the first tube treatable, but the second not? Just doesn’t make sense in that situation. I personally have to take medications and have some health issues, but nothing that would kill me silently in my sleep with a massive internal bleed,killing ANY child AND me… so who knows what you really do when your life is on the line?
