Price of Treatment and Priceless Friend Petey: Mark continues to take care of Kuhn (Mr.) Petey Bird, the parakeet we found looking in the window of my 11th floor bedroom in Bangkok. He gives Petey a bath using a spray bottle. The little bird and Mark have bonded. As Mark has gotten better, his nerd skills have improved and he's now using Yahoo messenger for telephone calls computer to computer and using messenger e-mail for back and forth conversations. He has challenged me to get my technology more up to date and to get an avitar. He is putting music onto cell phones and making banana bread. He went to check out a restaurant he read about in the Bangkok Post and got nauseated and came home without eating there. I sent him an e-mail message and he wrote back: "I am busy being sick. Will e-mail later." Tonight he called and said he saw the doctor today and doctor T. tells him he is a poster boy and doing so well he should stay on chemo forever. Natuarally this does not appeal to Mark as chemo plays havic with his body and takes a toll financially too. Mark wants so much to hear that his cancer is gone and he can stop chemo. You can send him a card to encourage him. Cards and notes from friends and strangers mean a lot to Mark. If you are a stranger to him, tell him about yourself, your family, your job, your pets, etc. (Mark Richardson, Condo 6/11, Las Colinas Condominiums, 6 Sukhumvit 21 (Asoke Road) Wattana Bangkok, 10110 - 84 cents postage from USA).

Financial Concerns May Have surpased Worries About Dying. These past fourteen months Mark has worried about dying. In past months, it seemed a sure thing that he would die soon. Now that his cancer is responding to treatment, he worries about how he will continue to pay for treatment. We have spent a small fortune raiding our life insurance, bank accounts, and retirement funds to pay for treatment: enough to buy a fine car, small condominium and/or a boat (depending on the size of the boat). When diagnosed with cancer you can spend your money on such material things or you can spend it on treatment in hopes, against the odds, that you will get better. Mark is getting better.

Thanks to friends and strangers who have helped Mark
Some friends and a few strangers have contributed to Mark's care. You are wonderful. To these folks I want to say that we have appreciated, and continue to appreciate, your contributions toward the fight for Mark's life so very much. We love you for helping him while he is alive rather than saving your money for flowers in the event one of us dies. You are definately excused from sending flowers.

What does care cost in Thailand? Mark wanted me to tell you what care costs in Thailand. Here are some frequent and/or periodic approximate charges that are paid at each visit (At Bumrungrad Hospital, you can not return for care unless you pay your bill in full):
Oncologist's fee......$30.00
Radiologist's fee.....$50
Nursing service during chemo......$40/day
Chemo room........................$300.00
CBC...............................$30.00
X-ray.............................$7.00
24 hour urine creatine clearance $10.00
CAT scan.........................$600.00
1 nausea tablet sublingual .......$10.00
IV new nausea medicine.......... $30.00
1 neupogen injection.............$150.00
Ultra sound .....................$90.00
Hospital room ...................$100.00 - $125.00/day
Monthly 3-day chemo regimen .....$2,000 - $2,500
(including overnight hospital, doctor's fees, labs, nausea medicine, a neupogen injection, nurse's fees, IV's and chemo .....approximately)
Taxi fare to the hospital and back home .....$3.00

Many of you are asking...A donation of $30 to Mark's medical fund has paid for 10 trips to the hospital and back home or the doctor's fee for a visit or three pills to keep the nausea away. You can send a check for Mark's care to Highland Park Baptist Church 5206 Balcones Drive, Austin, Texas 78731 making the check out to the church; it's tax deductible. Put a notation on the check: For Mark Richardson Medical Fund. Enclose a note that your check is for Mark's medical expenses.