Question for you who are more experienced than me......

Hello! First let me introduce myself. My name is Tara and I am in the process of researching WLS. I am struggling a little with the whole concept of surgery being God's will, however. I have tried for years (haven't we all! ) to lose weight, and it just comes back plus more. For me, there is a certain amount of shame in even doing research on WLS because I keep feeling as if I should be able to take care of this myself, with God's help. I think, "If I was supposed to have a stomach the size of an egg, God would have made me that way". At the same time, I am getting so desperate and depressed about my weight. So can anyone give me some insight into yoru thoughts on this? Was this something anyone here struggled with in your decision making process? Any feedback you can give me would be great. Thanks and God Bless! :-) Tara

I resisted the idea for years, believing much the way you describe. Unfortunately, I tried eating disorder treatment and then had an ID photo taken for a job a year ago and then something just snapped inside of me. I prayed and researched and prayed and spoke with people, and prayed and began the journey. The Lord opened every door so fast, I was in awe of it. From the day of my consult to the day of my surgery was exactly three months. I had my initial consult on June 1, 2006. My surgery was August 28, 2006. The whole three months of waiting, and jumping through all the hoops, I had perfect peace about it all. I believe that was all of God. Hugs, Trish

Good am Tara, Welcome! I honestly believe we've ALL struggled with this and I came to the conclusion that God gives us choices in Life and we are given them to make ourselves the best person we can be inside and out. I think that we are given challenges in our lives to try and focus on them and learn and teach lessons whatever they may be. Sometimes we'll make good decisions and sometimes not so great but when it comes to bettering our lives we have got to step up to the plate. I too tried for many, many years to get the weight off. Pills, scripts from my docs, diets, excercising, less eating, more of this, less of that. Yeah nothing worked and I had actually gone through some of the WLS process BEFORE I finally did the entire process a full 1 1/2 years before. I also realized that something had to be done. My realization came from my oldest daughter being born 2 1/2 months early due to complications and she spent almost 2 months fighting for her life in the NICU/PICU and she is now 6 years old and in GREAT health. Ok, seriously? If SHE lives I will too. She needs me and I need her. So, when she was oh 2 I had WLS and here we are together. She is one of THE reasons. God gave her to me therefore I needed to give back to her. Hope this helps you! Keep us posted and God bless... Kat

Hi Tara, I think we have all struggled with this, but for me, I began to pray and ask God was his something that was right for me. I do have a peace in my Spirit about having WLS. I really don't think that having the surgery says that we don't trust God, because we still have to trust him each step of the way. I believe that God gave someone the wisdom to come up with a tool to help people like ourselves to have a better chance at "living" the lives I believe he desires for us to live. Its just like God giving someone wisdom to create the artificial heart, or someone needing knee replacements, or so many things that we have today in order to give people anther opportunity at LIFE. So, my advice would be to really pray and ask God if this is somethig that is right for you, if it is you will have a peace about making the decision to have the WLS. I hope this helps.

Tara- I totally agree with Donna. I had the same thoughts you did when starting this journey....should I be messing with God's creation intentionally. Let me tell you it took me over a year to make the decision....and it only happened once God gave me an overwhelming peace about it--finally! SO....take your time. God will guide your steps if you take the time to pray AND listen to him. Blessings to you, Christina S

Hi Tara, I posted this answer to someone about a year and a half ago. It stands just as true today as it did back then. I hope it helps. God bless, Annette If you are looking for Biblical answers to your questions, God gave us the answers. The others are correct in saying that God doesn't make mistakes. What He did do was give us free choice. Most of us have not used that free choice very well. The Lord always provides a way out. In the case of obesity he provided the knowledge of W.L.S. in the medical community. If you still are having doubt's, then please Pray about it, and Read Matthew 5:29. Then read Matthew 18:9. Then perhaps you could read starting at Mark 9:43 which says(and I quote from the N.I.V.) "and if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into Hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet, and be thrown into Hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes, and be thrown into Hell, where "their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched"." Now the Bible is telling us that if our body part's are causing us to sin then we should cut them off, or pluck them out. Is that fair to say? Yes. We as S.M.O., M.O., and obese people Are using our stomach's for sin (the sin of gluttony), therefore we should cut them off. That is what we are doing through our surgeons. Right? So what I say is ~If your stomach causes you to sin ~ cut it off, It is better to enter into life with a pouch, than than have a giant stomach and be thrown into Hell. I hope this helps. God bless you, Annette

Thanks to all those who have responded to my post. I am still praying about the surgery. I have an appointment today with my PCP for something else, and I was plannng on talking to her about surgery when I go. I appreciate all of the advice I have heard so far. God Bless, Tara