3/1Phone Call from Mark...
Last night I was typing an e-mail to Mark to tell him I'd sent some magazines and Gatorade mix, when the phone rang. It was Mark! He sounded good...He's finished this round of chemo a week ago and didn't have too hard of a time with it, but the docs are talking about adding a new chemical in with the next round. The Thai medical system is wonderful for someone like Mark, because they aren't afraid to try various methods. Are other doctors like this, or are they too afraid of being sued? At any rate, the mix that they gave Mark the first time a year ago seems to have done well- he's lived almost a year beyond expectations.
Mark was happy that he had some friends coming over for dinner tonight. One British-Japanese friend is called "Retro" for his 70s-style attire. Another friend is going to help Mark get some form of internet at his apartment... again, people's kindnesses and thoughts mean all the world.
Apparently Petey-bird is not learning his whistling as fast as the lesson plans forecast. Mark says he stays on the balcony sometimes, and that he enjoys it, but apparently he has two bird-friends who come to visit him everyday, and one sports a bald head with a few feathers sticking up "like a punk-rock bird", Mark commented. He sounded a little like our parents, back in the day, when we would wear something that didn't meet with their ideas of suitable. Mark is thinking of adding a baby bird to the mix, in the hopes that the baby would wear off on Petey, rather than the other way around. Ah, the woes of trying to parent!
I'm planning to return to Bangkok for spring break, which will be Thai New Year again (see last April's blogs)... this time I will be prepared, with ski goggles, plastic shoes, and throwaway clothes! I probably won't take any water pistols with me - after hearing Mom's tales of the misunderstanding at the BKK airport, whereupon she had to have a flourescant sticker put on her suitcase because it held "unloaded WEAPONS" in it (call them water toys, NOT water guns!) I'm looking forward to celebrating the milestone of the one year past-expectations with Mark, and his second birthday after diagnosis will be April 20th. Again, he'd love it if y'all would take a moment to send a card or note. Stephanie