Mr.Mark is out of the hospital and we leave for Chang Mai today. Two days ago Mark got up and made himself a ham and cheese sandwich just like he likes it (Japanese mayo on one slice of bread and dijon mustard on the other) and prepared himself a sack lunch, headed for chemotherapy at Bumrungrad expecting to come home that night (Saturday), but Dr. Theera decided to keep him overnight. Mark had been sick, not eating anything without it coming up and/or out for a week, and was somewhat dehydrated.

The medication regimen has changed: Metochlorpramide 10 mg IV(Plasil), Paraplatin 450 (Carboplatin), Leucovorin two doses one of 100 mg and one of 50 mg., Mag sulfate, Manitol, Emend, Nausea, Benadryl, KCL, and one 1 mg tablet of Ativan (4 baht about 12 cents). Mark tries to refuse the ativan even though it is cheap, but says the Emend for nausea is worth every penny it costs (1 dose =1,615 baht= 46 dollars) as it stops nausea really well. The Leucovorin serves many purposes. It helps in folic acid deficency, potentiates 5FU (not sure if Mark is on 5FU or not), lowers levels of circulating estrogen, and is used in treating breast cancer in post menopausal women. Remember that men can get breast cancer. Men have breast tissue and circulating levels of estrogen as well as testosterone. Women have both hormones also but they don't get prostate cancer as that part is missing.

Without hospitalization the prior week, a weekly round of chemo was about 200 dollars, but with hospitalization, extra medication, extra IV set ups, out patient charge and inpatient charge, and the nursing fees, etc. the bill this week was 44,257 Baht. The exchange rate at the hospital into dollars is 35.3356 so one weekly round of chemo with hospitalization was approx. 1,320 dollars. nothing on the bill is as expensive as in the USA but everything adds up. This bill is in addition to two or three office visits to see Mark's two doctors (Sunantha for radiation and Theera Umsawadee for chemo). Mark is very happy with his doctors and his treatment in Thailand and wishes he could stay here but we must head for the VA in Houston soon to cut our expenses, get some additional evaluation, a treatment plan, and get it going. For those friends and family who have asked, there is a tax-deductible fund for Mark's care - see the link on the right side of this page. We have now spent over $200,000 out of pocket on this, and I am thrilled at the extra time it has given us with Mark. (From Mark's sister, Stephanie: for those who don't know, my mom has been retired but has also been working several jobs where she can to help pay for Mark's treatment. Even if you're just sending a dollar, it helps her to see that people care. Same for visiting the blog - she loves seeing the numbers go up, and for leaving comments here on the blog... it all just lets us know we are not alone in this difficult time. Mom doesn't know I am adding this, from the bolded sentence on, to the blog.)

We are taking our suitcases to the hospital today as Mark has an appointment with Dr. Sunantha. We're cutting it close as usual and must make a flying taxi trip to the new airport as Mark has changed our time of departure for Chang Mai and we are cutting it close. He is excited about the trip and it has really perked him up. We got cheap tickets of $108 each including hotel transportation. We have rooms at 25 dollars each including a full breakfast buffet. The international flower show is our big objective. More on that in next blog.