The story of July and Matthew

Feelings before the ligation

July and Mathew always wanted to have children, but July was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis caused by stress. Since July delivered two difficult births, she started dwelling on tubal ligation.

In reality, she was immediately against it, and she knew in her heart that it was not the right choice, because she did not have a deep understanding of the true teachings of the Church.

She then requested a tubal ligation in a non-calculated response to pain produced by her second delivery. She did so because she felt under tremendous pressure, isolated, and apprehensive while deciding for the ligation. Including some family peer pressure for getting her tubes ligated.

Feelings after ligation

Julianne started crying to her husband and trying to explain the complete and utter loss that she felt. She felt that something very sacred had been taken from her, as indeed it had. Also, it bothered her thought that she could have no more children. She felt that she had taken things out of God's hands when she had that surgery, and it left a mark on her soul so deep that only God's love could erase that mark.

Immediately she started wanting to reverse her surgery, but she found out that to reverse a tubal ligation was much more of an intricate job than the initial surgery. In frustration she would then break down and cry to her husband. This would happen about three times a year, and in between episodes she would try to go into denial.

The sterilization caused a resentment that she kept bottled up most of the time, and she somewhat held it against her husband. She then began to feel that she needed to talk to a priest to ask for God's forgiveness. For this, she started to offer up her pain to prevent those who contemplate sterilization from going through with it.

For just like women who have had abortions, Julianne had been through a traumatic situation that she could not change, and she did not know how to handle that loss. Eventually, she contacted the doctor’s office to begin the ligation reversal process.

Feelings after ligation reversal

Providentially, the ligation reversal was performed on her second son’s birthday. She had a tremendous amount of support from other family members and her Catholic friends, who were extremely encouraging and behind her 100 percent.

After the surgery, she immediately started crying out of spiritual relief. She experienced such a wave of relief and joy that she could not put it into words. She also felt a special bond with my husband that strengthened their relationship. She felt that the emotional scar left from her tubal ligation had been "erased" by the actions of those people that supported her and the forgiveness of our Lord.

After a year of trying for another child, they were finally able to conceive. Through a friend, they were given a rosary novena, and in August 2000, they began 54 days of petition and thanksgiving. Every night they prayed the novena as a family. It is a very powerful prayer, and about the twentieth day, they found out she was pregnant.

Reference: Long, John. Sterilization Reversal: A Generous Act of Love. One More Soul. Kindle Edition, Location 2681.

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