Hello and I am so sorry it has been so long since I've written on this blog. I've become addicted to Facebook and spend much of my computer time there. I've been able to reconnect with childhood friends and it's been so much fun. One old friend posted photos of us at her 6th birthday party. Wow!

I have been able to stay out of the hospital lately. I had two of the best gastrointerologist (stomach) doctors in Houston run test after test on me and there really isn't much wrong with my stomach other than the severe gastroparesis. That's something I'll live with the rest of my life and just have to adjust my diet and take medication for it. At least in all their tests they did not find any more cancer in the stomach or small intestines. Hopefully it stays that way for a long time.

I finally got up the nerve and started driving again. I still do not have all of my energy back but from what other chemo patients tell me, it can take around a year for the body to be back to normal. My hair is about an inch long. It grows soooooo slow! But at least it's finally growing now. It's very gray now so I have to color it every few weeks. The texture is different than before. There is a little bit of wave in it (for as much as I can tell since it's still so short). But wave works for me because my hair was so straight before.

Well, that's all for now. Just a short update. I'll try not to let the next one take so long. Take care and be blessed!!

Well.... it seems like I've spent most of the month of January in the hospital. I was in because of the problems with my stomach/intestines, my anemia and low white blood count. My friend joked on my Facebook page and asked if I had my own personal room at the hospital now. Ha ha. Speaking of Facebook, I'm on there as Kelly Bradford Muhl. Another friend talked me into signing up on Facebook. I was not interested in MySpace but Facebook is ten times better. I have reconnected with old friends from elementary school, friends I knew in Europe, high school friends, current friends, etc... It's so wonderful!!! Plus it's easy to post photos on Facebook and I've been able to look at all my friend's family photos. I need to post some photos of my cats on there.
Anyways.... I have a vacation coming up to Disney World and I'm praying my health will cooperate and behave.
My GI (Gastroenterologist) doctor referred me to another GI specialist. He is supposed to be one of the best in Houston and specializes in Celiac, severe gastroparesis and other problems with the intestines (problems I'm having). He is one of the few doctors that is able to actually go into the intestines and take biopsies. My initial appointment is next week so we'll see how it goes.
My hair continues to grow back very sloooooowwwwwwwwlllllly. I'm taking extra vitamins for hair growth but I don't know if they are working. I need to color it because what is growing back is coming in VERY gray! My hair seems to be growing back a thicker texture than before. I had baby fine hair before but it's different now. it'll be interesting to see what it'll look like in six months. Some of my friends think I should leave it super short but I just don't see that happening. I miss having a pony tail.
I'm on my bed on my laptop and all four of my cats are crashed out around the bed. Most of them are snoring and it's so cute.
That's all for now. Hope all is well with everyone. I'll post again soon......

Happy New Year!! Christmas sure did fly by this year. I'm currently in the hospital. I've been here since Saturday. My stomach/admominal pains have been hurting and my low white blood count and anemia are acting up. One of the doctors plans to put me on water therapy. I do not like to swim but I'll tread water next to a bunch of grandmas.
I'll either get to go home tomorrow or Thursday. David brought up my laptop today so I finally have communication with the outside world.
Christmas was nice. Christmas Eve day we spent with my mom and stepdad at my step aunt's house. Then we spent Christmas Eve with David's mom, brother and his aunt/cousins. David and I went to the Christmas Eve church service at 7:30, which was beautiful! Christmas morning we drove up to my grandma's in Conroe. My dad, stepmom and brother were there. My stepmom made this fabulous gluten-free dinner that I could eat and enjoy. Even the desert was gluten-free and very yummy. Veronica also made me some gluten-free chocolate chip cookies which I loved. I wasn't feeling too great because of the running around I did for three days so we left my grandma's around 2:00 and came home. I've had a few problems here and there. We were hoping 2009 would keep me out of the hospital but so far it's not happening. As long as I'm well by the middle of February when we go on vacation.
My hair is starting to finally grow back. It's coming in slowly and very gray. I'll have to color it soon.

Is everyone ready for Christmas????? So far I have all the presents purchased but haven't wrapped them. I also have not done my Christmas cards.... oh my!!!!
I spent last Tuesday through Thursday back in the hospital due to abdominal pains, low white blood count and anemia (the usual). My new year's resolution is to stay out of the hospital!!! After the first of the year I'll have a test done where I swallow this large capsule that is actually a camera. I'll wear a fanny pack for about 12 hours that contains the mechanism that records what the capsule/camera sees. It will check out my small and large intestine to see what in the world is going on in there. It will also check to see if there is any cancer in the small intestine. Today's technology.....

The weather here has been crazy. One day it's hot and the next day is cold. Everyone's allergies I'm sure are going nuts too. I know mine are.

Christmas will be busy this year as usual. Christmas Eve day will be spent with my mom and stepdad and my step aunt's house (she lives in the same subdivision as me). Then we'll head over to David's brother's house (luckily also in the same subdivision) and open presents and eat dinner. David's mom flew in from Pennsylvania last Tuesday. Then David and I will go to church for the Christmas Eve service (which is absolutely beautiful at our church). Christmas day we will get up and go to my grandma's for the day, then head back home that evening because David's mom is flying home the day after Christmas (we want to spend that last night visiting with her). So it'll be run, run, run.....

I finally set up an account on Facebook at my friend's urging. That website is so addicting!! I've gotten back in touch wtih many of my high school friends. I've had so much fun looking at everyone's photos. Facebook is similar to Myspace but I think a whole lot better. I don't like myspace. Facebook seems to be for an older generation like us. So if you are on Facebook or join it, email me and let me know so I can add you as one of my friends. email me at kbm927@gmail.com.

Well, that's all for now. If I don't get a chance to post again this week...... I hope everyone has a very MERRY and BLESSED CHRISTMAS!!!! And I hope Santa leaves you lots of terrific presents!

Who ever said "bald is beautiful" obviously was never bald. I think some woman came up with the phrase to soothe her husband's ego when he was losing his hair. Maybe men look good with no hair but women are another story. God have us hair to the end for a reason. As you can probably guess.... MY HAIR STILL IS NOT GROWING BACK and i'm getting really frustrated. I have even less hair now than in the picture on my prior post.
My internet has been down for over a week so I've not been able to post. It's like the world is ending when our internet goes down. We had to order a new modem.
Well, last month I spent a lot of time in the hospital. My stomach was really hurting bad and my white blood count was super low. I was in the hospital for about four days each time. My doctors put me on some new stomach medications and I'm feeling a little bit better. My energy is still lacking. I keep being told that it comes back slowly but my gosh... this is ridiculous.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I spent Thanksgiving in the hospital on a clear, liquid diet. So I imagined my chicken broth was turkey and that my jello was green bean casserole.
I'm sorry, I've got to make this posting a little more happier...... well.... my mother in law is flying in Tuesday. Lot's of cleaning to do before then. David is doing a lot of it today for me. Such a good husband. Christmas is almost here and I've done all my shopping online. Thank goodness.
The weather has been pretty cold here in Houston and we even had snow flurries the other day. Most of the day it was either snow flurries or sleet. Nothing stuck to the ground though. We never get snow in Houston so it was a nice change. I love cold weather but it makes my chest hurt where my sterum was cut open for my surgery two years ago. I can always tell when it's going to rain or when we are going to get cold weather.
I guess that's about all for now. I wish it was a happier post but just haven't been that happy lately. I thank God that I'm alive and well and in remission. I just wish He'd give me my hair and energy back soon! The good news is that thanks to all of you lovely people, I have lot's of hats and scarves to wear!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so blessed :-)

Will my hair ever start growing back?!?! It still continues to fall out, mostly when I wash my hair. Maybe I'll just quit taking showers!!!!!!! Just kidding. Luckily my eyebrows are tattoo'd so I don't look like a total zombie. But I have to be somewhat insane anyways because I post these ragamuffin looking photos of myself online for the world to see. Hopefully people will look at the earlier photos when I had HAIR!!!! People at MD Anderson (my cancer center) tell me I should just shave off the rest of my hair like everyone else does but I'm just not sure I can do that. I keep hoping it'll quit falling out and I can salvage some of it at least. I wasn't suppose to lose this much of it!! I was only suppose to have partial hair loss as a result of my chemo drugs.
I went to see my oncologist last week. She said my hair should not still be falling out since I finished my chemo on 10/27 so she ran some blood test to try to figure out what is going on. I'm still tired all the time and am still afraid to drive. I haven't driven in months! I'm just not secure with my reaction time on the road and I'd hate to get into an accident and hurt someone. So right now my present goals are to get some hair back on my head, start driving to the grocery store and walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes a day. If I can accomplish that I'll be a happy camper.
Only three more days until Turkey day!! So looking forward to eating a leg and some sweet potatoes! Yummy!

Not much has been going on this month. My hair STILL continues to fall out. I have very little left. Anyone out there know how long the hair will fall out after chemo is finished? I'm ready for it to start growing back. I still continue to be very fatigued all day. I'm still afraid to drive because I'm so tired. I was in the hospital earlier this month for a few days because of fever and my white blood count was really low. They have me these WBC booster shots called Filgrastim injections and it worked. My WBC got up to 7 from 1.4. But i had a doctor appointment yesterday and it had fallen again so I'm not sure if the shots will become regular or not. My Sjogren's Syndrome causes me have chronic low white blood count to begin with so the chemo didn't help it much. I have to be so careful about germs and getting sick since my immune system is so retarded. It fights my good organs but it doesn't know to fight simple colds.

We had a cool front come in so the weather is lovely. Thanksgiving is next week and we plan to spend it with my mom, stepdad, stepaunt and my cousins. They live close by so it won't be too tiring for me. I get to see my cousin Brooke's adorable baby Paige and play with her. She is just too cute!

I tried making some gluten-free sugar cookies last week. They didn't turn out too good. Does anyone have a yummy recipe for gluten-free sugar cookies or gluen-free snickdoodles??? Having Celiac disease, especially around the holidays, really is a bummer. I am unable to eat all the wonderful baked desserts everyone makes.

If I don't write again before next week, I hope everyone has a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving!!