Thank you!

[Guest guest]

Dearest group,

Thank you so much for all of the wonderful birthday wishes. I'm 47

now and proud of it. Each year on this planet has proven to bring me

new and interesting aspects of life that continuously raise the bar on

my curiosity for what the next year might bring my way. I typically

celebrate with champagne or sparkling cider (especially when

celebrating with my kids!) and give thanks for being here and having

so many incredibly wonderful loved ones. (Although, yesterday I

celebrated sans champagne and with vicodin instead! The car accident

from last month has left me with a bit of whiplash requiring physical

therapy and pain meds -- but I am hoping it will resolve itself soon.)

Birthdays mean more to me, these days, than ever before -- as the

multitude of years suffering from fibroids stole sooooooo much from my

heart and soul. Time spent in bed and dealing with bleeding, anemia,

pain, depression, fatigue, and all-around miserable suffering was time

away from sharing with my children, spouse, and friends. It's awfully

hard to smell the roses in this life if the majority of your time is

spent searching for the next bathroom, constantly anticipating the

need. It honestly couldn't have gotten any worse than it did the

month we moved to California and my kids begged me to take them to

Disneyland -- with the promise that they would help me scope out

restroom locations the entire time! Looking back on those years is

very, very hard for me. So, celebrating birthdays with love and lots

of gusto for the future and living onward has become indescribably

precious to me.

The only downside to this? My children know how important birthdays

are to me and sometimes...just every once-in-awhile...they do take

advantage of the birthday party options that lay before them.... The

upside? Getting to celebrate their lives for yet another year -- and

getting to do so as a healthy mom is icing on the cake. Is there any

blessing in this world greater than this? Not for me.

So, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and soul for your birthday

wishes -- and wish the same for each of you, as your own birthdays

roll around in the coming year.

Also, Pat -- those purple socks you knit for me are awesome!!!!

Totally, completely, awesome! Thank you for the other gifts as well

-- but the socks brought tears and touched me deeply. On behalf of

the National Uterine Fibroids Foundation, I will wear them with pride

for the multitude of women who have stepped up to the plate of helping

others in need who have fibroids. Thank you for all of your work on

our behalf.

My best to all the fine " ladies of list " -- and to all of those

lurkers -- male and female -- who also work behind the scenes to

support our goals and ensure we stay on track with providing objective

medical information in support of the NUFF mission. Simply knowing

all of you are " out there " and working to help one another is one of

the best birthday presents I never-in-a-million-years would have

imagined. Thank you!

Carla Dionne

Executive Director

National Uterine Fibroids Foundation