Welcome to the boards Lynn. Life can certainly be hectic but when we struggle with a morbid obesity weight problem the struggles seem much harder. Come to us when you need some moral support from anything like your children in the military to you estranged daughter. There's probably at least one of us that has gone through a similar problem. Whenever I went for my temple interview to receive a new temple recommend I was asked if I kept the word of wisdom. I thought long about that answer and had to truthfully answer "NO" because the word of wisdom teaches moderation in all things and as I was morbidly obese I wasn't following the teaching of the word of wisdom. My bishop and my stake presidency were very understanding and since that was the only way I wasn't keeping the word of wisdom they gave me my recommend each time. I, too, tried about any diet I could find. I did the cambridge liquid diet, I did the FenPhen diet, I did this and I did that diet, just about anything I could come up with. All the diets were successful AT FIRST. But as soon as the diet was over or the quantities were gone the weight came back on and I gained even more weight after that. My PCP finally told me that he wasn't going to help me yo-yo diet anymore. That was more harmful to my health than just being overweight. He agreed that WLS was the best option for me. I had a second opinion and then a third opinion and they all agreed that WLS was really the only option left for me that would be long lasting and hopefully permanent. Good luck. This journey isn't easy. It's a life-long committment. But like the Lord says of our time on this earth "I never said it would be easy, I just said it would be worth it". For me this WLS was definately worth it. Melody

Bren I prayed long and hard many times before I made the decision to have this surgery. Each time I received a peaceful feeling that my Heavenly Father approved of what I was going to do. Your thoughts of suicide concern me a bit. One of the pre-surgery tests is with a psycologist. That would be the time to express you suicidal thoughts with them. That can be enough to NOT make you a candidate for this surgery. Thoughts of suicide are terrible and very serious. Having this surgery may lead these thoughts to excalate. Please pray about this and be very careful. Good luck Bren, you can ask us anything. You may not like the answer but you can always get our opinion. Melody

I have posted several times here, but never really about my WLS stuff, just about Church stuff. So I would now like to talk just a bit about my WLS stuff. I am still Pre-Op. As you can see, I am due in on the 4th of Feb. The decision to have this surgery was a very difficult one for me. Partly because I kept leaving out the most important person--Heavenly Father. I think I had talked to just about anyone that would listen, but hadn't knelt down to pray about it. I sat down with a good friend one day and asked her to listen, respond, play devil's advocate, etc. I think my biggest fear was that Heavenly Father wouldn't approve of doing this. Like I was trying to cheat or something. I have struggled with depression my whole life, and when younger I even had suicidal thoughts. Now, I am so afraid of doing anything that might cause me to die, for fear that it might be misconstrued as suicide. So this was a big problem with me having WLS. If I was to voluntarily go in for this surgery that (I thought) had a death risk of 1 in every 100, then if I died, was that like committing suicide? Because I didn't have to have that surgery. Then I thought, Well, if I don't have the surgery I will die from being overweight. So I am still killing myself--only more slowly. I even brought this up at an appropriate time during a RS lesson one Sunday and got amazing responses. I realized that it was what was in my heart. I was not wanting the surgery for vanity issues, but for health reasons. I have PCOS and can't get pregnant. How can I grow the kingdom of Heaven if I can't have a baby? I then had an Aha moment and thought, DUH, pray. If I am so concerned about how Heavenly Father is going to think of me if I have the surgery, why don't I just ask Him?!! I can't believe I hadn't thought of it before. Well, I have prayed about it, and obviously I have felt like this is the right thing for me. Everyone from my husband to my extended family was against me having this surgery at first, but now they are all there to support me and I think some are actually as excited as I am and are even considering this surgery for themselves. He really knows the true intent of our hearts and can help us to know what the right thing is. He will prepare the we should go. I believe this with all my heart. He has made it possible for me and possible for my family to support me. I am so glad that I found this forum of other LDS WLS people. Let me know if you had similar thoughts/feelings. I don't want others to not get the surgery because they don't think it would be the "Mormon" thing to do. Happy Sabbath everyone!! Bren

Sherrie, Isn't it wonderful to think about going to the temple? I never realized how much I needed it until I went. Now I can't wait to go back. I was supposed to be going this next Saturday with the RS, but just found out today that the temple is going to be closed for the next two weeks...so, that means I can't go. I really wanted to go this next time because it will be the weekend right before my surgery, and what better place to be at that time?!! So, I guess I'll just have to wait until the next trip the last Saturday in Feb. I should be up and running by then and ready to spend the day there. Good luck on your temple recommend!! I always hear people talking about the feeling they bring home with them from the temple and I never really understood it. Right after leaving the temple I didn't necessarily feel a big change in myself (except that high of being in the house of the Lord) but later that night and the next day I really started feeling this wave of calmness and peace. In the last week my husband and I have not fought (with the exception of minor disagreements) and this is very out of the norm for us. We have a habit of having full-blown fights about the stupidest things. Instead he has been loving toward me. He wants to hold me at night and be near me, touching me. Usually he can't sleep if I am touching him or we are laying a certain way, but he has been either sleeping with his arms around me, or with his back smashed up against mine, so we can feel each other while we sleep. It has been such a great spiritual and emotional awakening for me. I hope to make a habit of going to the temple more regularly now and making use my recommend that has always just been hidden behind credit cards in my wallet. Again, good luck in your recommend. I hope you post and let us know if you got it. Don't feel bad if you don't feel like you are worthy to go to the temple right away. Just because I had a piece of paper saying I could go, didn't mean I really felt like I should be there. You will be ready soon and you shouldn't rush yourself and cheat yourself of all the good that will come from it. If you go too early you may have guilty feelings (I almost did) and then not be able to properly feel the spirit. I am so happy for you. Bren

Congrats on getting back to the temple! I can't wait to go back as it has been so long - about 12 years or so - I am seeing the bishop this week for a temple recommend. -Sherrie