Mr. Mark is either up and down in the roller coaster ride of cancer or "sugar-coating" news to his sister so she won't worry. His mom is in charge of all worrying. I beg him to tell me the true news, as it is, so I can better help him. He has been telling me for a week that he is nauseated and vomiting. He reports that he is in between his largest waist pants and his smallest waist pants and has one pair that fits. He tells me that he rests a lot, feels great, gets up and goes to water the plants or goes a block or two to buy food and is exhausted. Hopefully he will bounce back like he has before. This is definately chemo at work. My friend Audrey experienced the same loss of energy when she was on chemo. I went to pick her up one time for a cancer support group and she could barely walk from her house to the street to get into the car. She desperately wanted to go but she decided she was too weak and could not go. There is a temptation to stop chemo in order to stop the weakness and the nausea and vomiting. My hat is off to Audry for finishing all her rounds of chemo. My admiration for Mark and his continuing to stick with chemo in spite of all its side effects, so he can stay alive, increases.
Licorice
Mark called today desperate for licorice as the only thing that he can keep down and occasionally it helps so he can eat something else. If you can send him some licorice it would be wonderful. Both Stephanie and I have individually sent some, but neither batch has arrived yet. We need some more mailings to keep it coming in. Send birthday cards and/or licorice to: Mr. Mark Richardson
Condo 6/11
Las Colinas Condominiums
6 Sukhumvit 21 (Asoke Road)
Wattana Bangkok
Thailand 10110
The Water Gun Story
In April 2005, I was in Bangkok for Songkran, which is the New Year's festival in Thailand. All over Thailand the Thai New Year is celebrated by spraying people with your water gun or a hose or bucket and putting talcom powder on people's faces. If you walk on the street you expect to get wet and have powder on your face. I bought the largest water guns I could find for Mark, Jin, Steph, a couple of friends, and myself. After Songkran, I decided to carry back to the USA one unused water gun in the package and one slightly used one. When I got to the airport in Bangkok, security was tighter than usual as the Miss World Contest was in town and there were bombings in the South of Thailand. Security had been tightened in the big department stores and the airport. I had to have my suitcases examined thoroughly before I could go to the counter to check in. Everyone entering airport had this extra check with several tables and lines set up. During my turn for check, the young man went through all my underwear and dirty laundry and then got real excited when he came to the guns. I explained they were water guns for Songkran. He got more excited and yelled for a supervisor who came running and made me fill out a form that my guns were unloaded: a flurescent orange sticker that went on the outside of my suitcase. There was another check at the line to go to the ticket counter and I went through one more round of gun hysteria until they sorted it out and let me pass. All these checks before checking in are not taking taking place at the airport now...just extra safety during the Miss World Contest...and to think I did not even get to enter the contest. This year, I don't think I will bring any water guns home.
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