Dear OBGYN.netters,

I was looking through my Reflections from last year and came across this lovely letter from Kelly Shanahan MD. that I had included along with some other posts I had received from some of you telling me what you were thankful for. I am including it again this year because we will all realize when we read it that "Miracles" do happen!

Kelly wrote in 1997 this message to us all:

Dear Barbara

Although the last 12 months have brought a lot of disappointment (2 miscarriages), there are many, many more things for which I am thankful:

1. Jeff Turney, my husband, who loves me more than anything and puts up with my sometimes mercurial moods.

2. My mom, Barbara Shanahan, who is always so proud of her "daughter, the doctor" and who taught me I can do anything I put my mind to.

3. My friends who are there through thick and thin and who always give no nonsense honest opinions.

4. Shark, Cuda and Caymus, our 3 (!) dogs who give unconditional love in exchange for a pat on the head and the occasional biscuit.

5. OBGYN.net and the Women's Health Forum, where I have met such wonderful people and have gotten so much support. The thoughts and prayers that were sent my way after my last miscarriage did more than you can imagine to help me heal emotionally -- I thank all of you.

6. The little girl I have yet to conceive, but whom I know (and Barbara saw in a meditation) is out there waiting.

A very happy Thanksgiving to everyone

Kelly

Kelly Shanahan MD

Well it’s November 18,1998 today and Kelly is still waiting but this year the wait for that little girl will be over by Christmas! It all came true. Jeff and Kelly are having a daughter and they are almost through waiting for her arrival. What a Beautiful year this has been for both of them and for us too!

We all love you Kelly and can hardly wait to hear the wonderful news.

We wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving out there in Lake Tahoe.

I have had a pretty darn good year myself. I did break the leg and sat around in a wheelchair for awhile but I think I learnt something from it and that is always a good sign. I had a lot of family members help me out again and they did a wonderful job making sure I got moved into my new home in Austin, Texas and wasn’t lonely.

Roberta whipped me around in my car as soon as I was mobile and got all the pretty things a gal needs to make her first home of her own a real "chick home". You had to be there to see it! One night at 1:30am; after going to five hundred stores, she was making little pictures out of dried flowers to hang on my wall! Now that’s love!

I became the mother to my little Welsh Corgi, named "Baby" this year and she has been the most wonderful companion to me. I even got her trained! It’s nice to have something to sleep with again, cuddling up with me in the big king-size bed. She is a "bit" spoiled but heck that’s what a good dog is supposed to be.

I am going to Dallas for Thanksgiving and will see my grandchildren and that will be fun. They are looking forward to seeing their Aunt, the dog……. So I’ve gone a bit daffy but it’s Ok because it’s fun to be daffy.

My youngest son, Kenny will be home for Christmas so that will make all of his family happy. It’s been a year since he was here and we always think of him as Our Christmas Present! 

I am happy, content, healthy, and having a wonderful time so I can truly say this will be a Happy Thanksgiving for me this year. Now if I can just behave myself and stop falling out of the backs of trucks I might make it through next year without going to the hospital!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving in the USA and to all our friends all over the world I wish you the beginning of Happy Holidays.

See you soon,

Barbara
Editor, Women's Health at OBGYN.net
Barbara.Nesbitt@obgyn.net

Read more of Barbara's Reflections