Why Did Your God/s Give You PCOS?

PollySis · 12-26-2005, 07:08 PM

Here's an interesting one.

Wondering what the cysters here think about why they were *chosen* (or if they were chosen!) to have PCOS? Punishment? Self knowledge? Something you did in a past life? Fate is just random? Because you're tough enough to take it.... etc etc. It strikes me that we might have some interesting takes on it.

Here's mine. I'm a practising druid ovate. (That's kind of second of the three grades of druidry) Ovates are usually concerned with healing and/or divination). I'm a pantheist, so I believe the gods exist in the here and now, everywhere - in people, animals, the earth, rocks, trees etc. I don't believe in a god elsewhere, or in the concept of smiting, punishment or sin at all. I think those are human qualities, therefore the gods are absolutely indifferent to individual human beings, and their fates, their trials and traumas.

So, in terms of my belief system, I think it's just like a lottery - a random thing, encoded in the genes, and I struck unlucky, to be a woman with PCOS. It's not any god's punishment, and it's not my fault, or related to anything I've done in this or any other incarnation.

I was thinking about this today and it struck me as interesting that if I was, say, a Buddhist, I'd have a totally different take on why I have PCOS - than if I was a christian, or even some other sort of pagan.

Just curious what the cysters think about why they have PCOS and how your belief systems impact the way you think about your health?

Polly x

PS: My views are my own, and by no means typical of other druids!

ChelNY · 12-27-2005, 10:57 PM

Interesting question. I'm a Christian. I just took a class on the Book of Job last semester and we kinda asked the same question. "why does God allow suffering?"

My take is that 1. as a Christian, nothing can happen to me except the hand of God allows it. 2. we live in a fallen world. We are all sinners because we inherited that heritage from Adam all down through the generations. Therefore, there is sin, evil things that happen, illnesses, all the bad stuff. We're no longer living in the utopian Garden of Eden. 3. as long as I have to deal with bad things happening, my question should not be "why did God do this to me?" A better question to ask is "what can I learn from this?" Another question to ask is "how can God be glorified through this?" Sometimes we don't know the answers - God gets the glory, but we don't exactly see it, but someone else is able to see it. or we don't learn something from the situation right away, but as some point the lesson becomes clear. It may be to correct a sinful attitude in our hearts or it may be to build character but not necessarily as a punshment.

nicole47 · 12-27-2005, 11:11 PM

Episcopalian here-- my take, God didn't give me PCOS. That's some combination of genetics and environment and randomness.

God just helps in learning to deal with it if I allow Him to do so.

Ajani · 12-28-2005, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChelNY

Interesting question. I'm a Christian. I just took a class on the Book of Job last semester and we kinda asked the same question. "why does God allow suffering?"

My take is that 1. as a Christian, nothing can happen to me except the hand of God allows it. 2. we live in a fallen world. We are all sinners because we inherited that heritage from Adam all down through the generations. Therefore, there is sin, evil things that happen, illnesses, all the bad stuff. We're no longer living in the utopian Garden of Eden. 3. as long as I have to deal with bad things happening, my question should not be "why did God do this to me?" A better question to ask is "what can I learn from this?" Another question to ask is "how can God be glorified through this?" Sometimes we don't know the answers - God gets the glory, but we don't exactly see it, but someone else is able to see it. or we don't learn something from the situation right away, but as some point the lesson becomes clear. It may be to correct a sinful attitude in our hearts or it may be to build character but not necessarily as a punshment.

Well said. God doesn't give people PCOS. Disease is the result of the imperfection inherent in all of us, which over the years has been exacerbated by lifestyle choices, environmental degradation and other factors of our creating.

a-mac · 12-30-2005, 08:51 AM

the bible says that time and unforseen occurrance befall us all.

mrsteddy · 12-30-2005, 05:00 PM

I've wondered about this. I haven't decided whether I have it as a result of karma, or whether I am somehow not being true to myself, and my body has created this illness to tell me that I need to listen to myself more.

living 2 be alive · 01-02-2006, 02:24 AM

The PCOS wasn't from God - as the ladies before me have said. It is a wordly thing that has happened.

One day, there will be no more sufferring as we will be with him, in heaven.

sunnier · 01-02-2006, 02:45 AM

hi
i am a muslim, and i there is a saying " god gives no soul more than it can bear". i also believe this to be a genetic thing as my mom, and sister were fine and i am a skinny soul cysters. i can also look at this as a test from God and in the end he will reward me for my patience and he has by blessing me with DD.

tendaironi · 01-02-2006, 03:51 AM

I wouldn't say that God gave me PCOS but He is sure helping me to cope with it. I am reminded that this is my earth shell and it is just holding my spirit. It doesn't define me. I remind myself that this is my body not me, whenever a new hair pops out as soon as I am ready to walk into an important meeting! If anything, I think humans gave me PCOS. We are polluting the air, soil and water with a bunch of chemicals and it is having disasterous effects on our bodies. There are reports that the sperm counts around the world are decreasing and I know that statistics for women who are seeking infertility treatments are quite high. How can we blame God for what we have done to ourselves? We have a free will and we made our choices, and so some of us are starting to live with the consequences of others' choices, much to my dismay.

~Lisa~ · 01-02-2006, 08:37 AM

I don't believe God "gave" me pcos. It's part of this world we live in. Just like I don't believe God gave my best friend cancer. We live in a world of sickness, disease and sin. This world is not my home, my home awaits on me in heaven, I'm just passing thru to where there will be no sin or sickness or pain or sorrow or tears. God didn't do this to me. I think I got it from a cow personally. Probably to many hormone injections in all the food I've ate over the past 30 years.

hanshab · 01-02-2006, 08:06 PM

I truly believe that my PCOS is just part of the plan God has for me. Now I know that I wasn't meant to become pregnant. I was meant to adopt my daughter. She couldn't be more like me and her dad or look more like us. When we decided to adopt (with no money planned), the money "fell" out of the sky in just the right amount. Having to deal with all of the "stuff" related to PCOS has made me stronger and more educated. It has made me a partner in my health care and a better parent because I REALLY appreciate what I had to do to have a child.

maroon22 · 01-03-2006, 12:54 AM

i believe that god gives ppl different types of tests throughout their life..and that ultimatly how u deal with them is what makes u a better or worse person. i also think that it makes u more humble..knowing that its difficult for me to have a child is very humbling..especially when we come from a society that takes life for granted. so many women are having abortions and are trying hard not to get pregnant...and its in their control for the most part..we can chose to take axtra caution or get surgeries to stop pregnancy..but we cant chose to have pcos. and i think its very humbleing and reminds us that there is something greater than us. I also think that things happen for a reason..even if we dont know it and its for the best. im muslim by the way. just my opinion though. interesting topic

jennlynnmahan · 01-03-2006, 08:53 PM

I think it is interesting to read all your views on this subject. It has crossed my mind more than once. I believe that God has control over everything. He only gives us an amount that he knows we can handle. Only he knows our strengths and weaknesses and uses circumstances to help us learn about ourselves. DH and I have been ttc unsuccessully for over 2 years. PCOS has been the hardest thing I have ever dealt with in my life, but it has also provided some good experiences. For one, it has brought DH and I closer than I thought we could ever be. It has given us a need to be able to lean closer on each other and on God. It has also given me a chance to raise awareness about PCOS and infertility. I am not scared(anymore) to tell people about what I am going through...not to gain sympathy but just to raise awareness to others. And one of these days I am hopeful to say that it was because I could appreciate the child I have (whether biologically or adopted) much more than I would have before all of this. I do struggle with this belief of God having complete control when I see things like children dying, but I know that one day I can ask Him why everything happened.

Maddy · 01-07-2006, 12:26 PM

I believe it is genetic - and, from what I've read, would have proved advantageous at one point in history.

during periods of lack of food women with our genetic disposition would still have been able to ovulate and would have survived. So I see it as a "survival gene"

Unfortunately it proves difficult in today's climate with abundant food supplies and "fake food" - our bodies respond quickly to the kind and types of food we eat.

I don't actually see it in religious terms at all.