Mark Smoked a brisket for 10 hours and it was excellent.
Some days Mark has no appetite and has trouble eating. He often does well when cooking for other people which leads to eating more himself.

"Self-Selective Diet Theory of Gaining Weight in Cancer Stuffed Feeling Syndrome"
Mark has often used the word "stuffed"after eating one bite of food. In non appetitie periods he eats more when he eats what he wants no matter what other people think he should eat,however sometimes the small bite of this and that works well for him.
Note: Cancer stuffed syndrome: a phrase coined by the author of this blog. Mark thinks mom should come up with a more technical term for this experience but the idea is that people use the words: "I'm stuffed."

Jim, a physicist, friend from Sunday School , described having this stuffed feeling when he was battling cancer and going through chemotherapy. He started me thinking about food strategies for the person with cancer who is not eating enough to maintain or gain weight. He said "Everything to eat in the restaurant or at home looked good to me, but after one bite, I felt stuffed." He went on to say that he discovered if he ate one small bite of a food then of another food and kept on with the small solitary bites of each food available, that he could collectively get enough food down during the day.

Let me know if you or someone you care for has experienced with this stuffed feeling in battling cancer and how you dealt with it. Not every one with Cancer and chemo or radiation experiences this problem.

People from 61 countries have now visited the blog with Paraguay and Egypt being the latest. See below for list of other countries and see flag board on right to see the flags of countries people have signed on from. Keep telling friends, family, and strangers about the blog. Mark feels that people care about him when he sees the numbers on the blog going up.

Mark gives a lesson on chalking the sidewalk.

Marlin and his brother, Bryce, visited us this past week and helped to decorate the sidewalk with chalk. You will remember Marlin and Mark have been mentoring one another this summer. The day after their visit, Marlin's mom gave birth to a baby girl who is now named Monet (pronounced like the name of the French Renaissance painter ).

If you are new to this blog - The cast of characters are ordinary people leading extraordinary lives due to Mark's cancer, his quest for treatment, attempts to live life as fully as he can, and his love of adventure which is often "catching." We search for adventures that are easy on the pocketbook and energy; adventures that keep us enjoying our town Austin, Texas and the world. We look for opportunities to do good deeds, meet new people and things to put a smile on our face and yours. Thanks for dropping in and don't hesitate to contact us and tell us who you are.

People from 59 countries have visited the blog - The newest country to log on is Viet Nam. See flags of countries of visitors in the right hand column.

Music at the Texas State History Museum every Friday in July: Picture Taken July 13 by Betty Richardson
Mark and some of Mom's friends

Mark served wine, soft drinks, gormet cheese, etc. to 20 of Mom's friends, some who have known Mark for years and some who have tasted his gormet cooking in the past. Mark is the cook you want cooking for you. Memorable meals come to mind like those he cooked when we sailed in the San Juan Islands and had fresh seafood; oysters we harvested and fresh crabs we trapped (see early bologs in archives found in the right column). Even sick he adds an extra punch to the party food offerings. While Mom prepared some finger sandwiches and James prepared nachos, Mark served guests cheeses from igourmet.com - a Malagon with Rosemary, a second cheese with mustard and ale and a fig/nut cake all produced in Spain; cheeses he ordered on line. A party really perks Mark up.

The Flying Balalaika Brothers Band from Russia played on the plaza in front of the Texas State History Museum. There is free music every friday night in July at the museum and that is where you may find Mark and James, and Mom. Some young fans (see picture)enjoyed the music. On July 20 Stingers ATX play and on July 27 it will be Ghandaia. Music Under the Stars also includes free admission to the special space exhibit and exhibits on the three floors of the museum.

Lady Bird Johnson laid in state at the LBJ Library on the University of Texas Campus. There were people coming and going but amazingly no line when we went about 8:00 pm. We managed to get into the library quickly. sign the remembrance book, and go upstairs to pay our respects and see the closed, draped coffin. Lady Bird's two daughters and their husbands stood to each side of the coffin. National and international dignitaries were in Austin for the services. Lady Bird's coffin was taken to the Johnson ranch cemetery. People lined up all along the route, even in rural highway sections, to see the cortege in passing.

Past Rotary District Governor Clift and the ladies do back-up for Elvis, Elvis Sighted Again Standing next to Mom, Pretty Ladies and Elvis, and Pinetop Perkins the Blues Great (Click on any picture to enlarge it)

Mark was too ill to go to the Rotary Installation of Officers at Ralph and Penny Dellana's home and wouldn't you know it, Pinetop Perkins was a surprise guest and played the piano and Elvis sang. Past District Governor of Rotary Clift Price and the ladies gave the crowd a thrill with their back-up dance for Elvis.

Mark missed it all but he is now feeling much better and hopes to catch the next exciting sighting of Elvis or Pinetop. Mark is now taking pictures of wildlife, birds, deer and whatever he can sight off the deck, in the greenbelt behind the house. Will publish some of those pictures soon. He is thinking of doing some nature paintings in oils. Our neighbor accross the street is an artist and has offered to help Mark.

People have logged onto the blog from 58 countries now. Do you know that if you mouse over a flag, on the flag board in the right hand column on the blog, the name of the country of that flag will appear. The same is true of the circles below the flag board. The latest flags of counties where people logged on from are Haiti, Nigeria, Nepal and Iraq. People have logged on from: Austria, Afghanistan, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, Chile, China, Cote D'Ivoire, Czech republic, Germany, Ghana, Haiti, Hungary, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Guam, Haiti, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, India, Italy, Israel, Japan, So Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Madagascar,Morocco, Myanmar, Northern Marianas Islands, Mexico, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Singapore, El Salvador, Thailand, Turkey, USA, Serbia, and So. Africa.

Thanks for telling friends and family to visit the blog - Please pass the URL out to anyone and everyone! We are working on getting 10,000 hits on it Where else can you get such exciting news as well as updates on Mark?

Pictures: Mark on Saturday at a viewing of friend Jerry's new film, Mark, Jerry, Dave, and Dorie (click on any picture to enlarge it)


Mark was feeling ill on Saturday, but he took a handsome picture. It was taken after a spaghetti diner with an excellent wine brought by Jerry followed by a showing of Jerry's cultural film about the pouring of a concrete roof on the three story house he and his wife are building in Pharping, Nepal overlooking the Kathmandu Valley. check this link to read about the film : a must see for engineers, architects, anthropologists,nuclear physicists, and curious minded people http://www.mojotoons.com/roof.html

Dave and Dorie came to the second or third running of the film this same night and brought a pie party (five different pies). Today (Monday) Mark has gotten his Mojo back and has downloaded songs onto an MP3 Player sent by his sister to challenge our technological skills.



Kitten in the neighborhood. A kitten appeared and hung around our neighborhood meowing like it was looking for its mother. One whole morning the kitty watched James work then neighbor Keith came home and took it into his spare bedroom so it would not be a snack for coyotes. This kitten may be the reincarnation of his recently deceased cat. Keith got very attached to the kitten but he could not keep it because he is moving. Our other neighbor Laurie found the kitty a good home with her friend Meghan and her children. They gave the kitty a flea bath and found out it is a boy. Later I learned the kitty's new name: "Tank." because the cat's new family predicts he will be a really big cat when he grows up.

Steph (middle) and Houston teachers at the Great Wall of China.


Big News From Mark's Sister Stephanie Mom paid a dollar at the University Rotary Club of Austin meeting to share that Stephanie was named Department of Defense District Teacher of the Year. She has taught first year Japanese and Honors English at Kinnick High School on the Yokosuka Navy Base in Japan for several years. A couple of years ago, she selected a young student to work with. and created with him and other students, the successful school improvement program "CSIjuniors" which is now being duplicated in a number of DoDs schools. And as if District Teacher of the Year was not enough excitement.....
Today Stephanie called to say she has taken a new job Those of you who bet money she would never leave Japan, have lost your money. Stephanie will living and working about an hour from London. If I understood her correctly, she will be working on school improvement for England and three other countries (Belgim, Behrain, Netherlands) and will travel a good bit.

Stephanie started a love affair with Japan as a Rotary exchange student to Japan. She was sponsored by the Jacksonville, Ilinois Rotary Club. Stephanie continued this love affair with Japan later as a participant in the Japanese Embassy Teacher (JET) program, then with the Department of Defense.

A Little Chuckle

Stephanie is a little concerned about my mother's antique and rare furniture making another sea voyage. although the Japanese will pack it for shipping far better than the bizarre crew who came in Houston to pack it up for the sea voyage to Japan. We had a good laugh when we stopped to think about the fact that this furniture has seen far more of the world than mother. My mother had agoraphobia and in her later years refused to leave her house except to see doctors or go to the hospital. In her younger years a big trip for her was the annual trip to the Ozarks in Missouri to go fishing with Dad. My mother was the best cook when it came to fish or wild game. We miss her a lot, not only for her cooking, but she was one of a kind; a real character and so was Dad.

Saturday June 9, 07 Mark and I went to the cancer center at the Houston veteran's hospital June 5th for his second day of chemo and learned the doctor only ordered one day of chemo instead of the three he has always had. Yesterday Mark insisted in meeting with the doctor alone. He could not remember the doctor saying anything about changing to one day chemo and in fact can not recall what the doctor said. He thinks the doctor said he could have some oral chemo pills, but he is not sure and does not know if that was after the one day of chemo or on June 25 when we go back to Houston for apparently another one day of chemo. After going to the VA in Houston I always think of the Apollo 13 message to mission control: "Houston, we have a problem."

Monday June 4, 2007 Mark is in Houston at the VA getting chemotherapy as this is being typed.After chemotherapy three days in a row we will go back to Austin, Tx. on Wednesday. His doctor Dr. Xu (pronounced Shoe) who is from China, reported that Mark's liver tumors have shrank slightly between the recent Cat Scan and the prior one. His kidney function is slightly improved. Dr.Xu suggested getting two rounds of chemo and then get another Cat Scan. Mark is somewhat exhausted and looked very depressed today after talking to Dr. Xu. He told the doctor he was doing great but the reality is that he has not been eating or sleeping well. He will probably bounce back again soon.He has seen Dr. Xu twice but this is his last visit with Dr. Xu because Dr is leaving for New York at the end of the month.

Mark's treatment at the VA is not free. Mark pays co-payments for medications, which is not a problem. Almost everyone in America pays co-payments for medication. The problem is that the VA Benefits department wants Mark to retroactively co-pay on all doctor visits and chemotherapy and procedures back to August 2006 based on 2005 income which was already long ago spent for treatment in Thailand. After diagnosis of cancer in early Feb 2005 Mark never worked again. Social Security Disability began April 2005. Co-workers on Saipan donated sick time Feb to June 05, money that paid for treatment at the hospital in Thailand. He spent it all on treatment and ran out of money. He has had no income except social security disability since mid 2005, but his co-payments for 2006-7 August to August are based on his income in 2005 and his health care costs. Mom sent an official letter from the hospital in Thailand stating Mark's cash payments in all of 2005. That did not satisfy the VA so Mom is now copying a pile of receipts for each and every service in 2005. Nothing is free, sometimes it is less free, and sometimes it is not even reasonable.

Mark is growing a beautiful garden in flower pots on our decks
Mark has been quite sick off and on during the last two weeks, but he is still faithfully watering and fertilizing his tomato plants which consist of regular sized tomato plants, one tomatillo plant and one cherry tomato plant. They are in great shape and we are harvesting some cherry tomatoes.

Mark helped James build a stairway from a porch to the deck today.

May 31, 2007
Mark was up and working around the house inside and out. Yesterday he was vomiting and had to postpone a visit to the eye doctor. He wants new glasses to help him read better and a check up since he had some major eye problem in Bangkok last year that had him temporarily blind and required some painful procedures and being grounded from flying and having to sit and lie a certain way. At first the docs thought his cancer had spread to the eye, but it turned out to be something different.
People from 53 countries have now seen the blog. See below for list of 52 or check the flag board on the right. The new country signed on is Cote D'Ivorie. Do you know someone in another country that you could ask to click onto the blog? Let's add some more flags for Mark.


Mark and Jerry Barrett discuss books and films and a possible part for Mark in Jerry's next film. They are at our neighbor's retirement party. The retiree Keith got several lovely retirement presents; he tried on a gift retirement hat. Click on any picture to make it bigger.

Saturday June 2, 2007
Tonight our British neighbor Keith, who became an American citizen sometime ago, had a retirement party He is taking early retirment from Hewlit Packard and had a big party. Mark helped him with just a few party details as did his friends Valorie, Rachel, Jessie, and others. It may have been the social event of the year. He sets a new standard for the neighborhood parties.

Mark chases and catches an armadillo,brings it home, and shows it to neighbor Sierra and friend (Click on pictures to enlarge them)

Mark spotted four young armadillos on one of his walks around the block; walks he does to build up strength and endurance for his battle against cancer. After a wild chase and catching one which got away and had to be caught again, Mark brought an armadillo home, put it in a box, and showed it to Sierra and her friend. He wanted a picture of himself and the girls with the armadillo. When he attempted to take the armadillo out of the box, it got away again, which led to a chase down the hill in our yard and through an opening in the pool fence and through the garden and up the deck and down the deck and under the deck and finally another catch and pictures. Quite a show for a sick man. He claimed he was worn out after all this. Mark did take the armadillo back around the block to the hole in the side of the hill; a home he shares with the other three or so armadillos. It is never dull when Mark is around.
Story from the past: When Mark was in junior high school, I was driving him and his sister from town to our home in the country. On the edge of town he spotted a mink running in someone's yard. He yelled for me to stop the car. He jumped out and chased the mink and caught it by hand and put it in a paper sack in the car. Of course it got loose in the car. I was driving somewhat wildly expecting the mink to run across my body any minute and a state police trooper stopped us to see what the problem was. By this time Mark had caught the mink again and the trooper was amazed and let us go on. We put the mink in a cage. Mark caught a frog in our pond and fed it to the mink who ate the frog reducing it bones and all to the consistency of chewing gum. Minks have very sharp teeth. After a few weeks, Mark turned the mink loose in the country.
People from 52 countries have seen the blog - It was 51 for a long time and somehow Stephanie got someone from Panama to log on last night. People have logged on from: Austria, Afghanistan, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, Chile, China, Czech republic, Germany, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Guam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, India, Italy, Israel, Japan, So Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Madagascar,Morocco, Myanmar, Northern Marianas Islands, Mexico, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Singapore, El Salvador, Thailand, Turkey, USA, Serbia, and So. Africa.
Addendum: May 20, 2007 A friend Dies - just this morning we got an e-mail that Mike Walter died. About two years ago, he went to Bumrungrad Hospital for a heart problem and surgery. which had to be delayed because the doctors routinely run cancer markers and check for cancer at Bumrungrad. They found Mike's cancer which had been overlooked in the states. He was treated in the same Bumrungrad Cancer Center in Bangkok Thailand that Mark was treated in. Mark, Mom. and Stephanie spent time with Mike and his wife Sam. After many treatments Mike and Sam came back to the states. In order for Mike to get affordable treatment in the states, he and Sam had to divorce, but she still took care of him. Mike was blessed with Sam's good care and further blessed with a quiet death at a time he was actually feeling better and visiting his sister. He was greatly loved by family and friends and even those who knew him a short time.
MOM's Column in Austin Family (newsmagazine) Don't forget to read mom's articles in Austin Family. See link on right hand side under links. click on the words Austin Family to go to a picture of the cover of the newsmagazine. Click on Family Matters.You will be asked to sign up as a user or give your e-mail address but there is no cost. Mom has writen a monthly column in this paper for over 15 years. Another way to see Austin Family is to click on this link http://www.austinfamily.com/


Mark's niece Alyssa plays soccer (Alyssa on the right -click on picture to enlarge it)
Soccer has caught on in the USA and lots of young people play soccer these days. Alyssa is 7 years old and plays on the Bearcats team in San Antonio where she lives with brother Nathan and mom Linzey. Mr. Mark did not go to this game, but when he heard from mom that the family went out to a restaurant where you get all the snow crab claws you want, he decided he might go the next time. Mark is very fond of crab meat; not only the snowcrab claws but other kinds of crabs too (and lobsters and oysters too).

Mark stayed home from the game on San Antonio because he does not like to ride in the car that far and because the air conditioner repairman was expected. Mark took care of having our air conditioner repaired. It was not working for 24 hours or so. After not sleeping for a few days, Mark slept nearly the entire 24 hours the air conditioner was out. I thought about the times Mark and I volunteered with MEDICO in Honduras and Nicaragua in the Moskito Coast and slept through heat and rain awakening in sweat or lying in a puddle and bathing in lakes and rivers and even one trip drinking river water with government supplied chlorine drops added. A few days without air conditioning is not so bad when you think of people all over the world living in places as hot as or hotter than Austin Texas and not having air conditioning.

Cancer is a strange thing and so too are the effects of chemotherapy. One or the other of these along with the pain medication and regulating it seems to affect the heat regulating system of the body. Mark is sometimes chilled when it is scorching hot and hot when the house air conditioner is set to frostbite conditions. He sometimes can't sleep for days and then hibernates for days.

Marlin had a birthday. He is now 7 years old like Alyssa in story above. See story of Marlin below.


Mom's "girl friends" and Mark
Mom invited some women friends to come for an evening meal and a trip to the ballet. Mark helped James prepare the food, waited on everyone, and had his picture taken with Mom's friends. After the ballet, some of the women came back to talk to Mark. Quoting Mark: "Mom, I like your girl friends." Mark thrives on being social and having friends over, even mom's friends and their grown children, who are now his friends too.

Mark has taken over the kitchen ensuring that it is sparkling clean at all times. He waters and cares for all the plants. He has fed the squirrels each day and now we have a multitude of squirrels calling on us every day. Our trees and decks are often full of squirrels playing and looking for food. Our neighbor Keith had to have his kitty, Miss Ginger Fluffy, put to sleep. Mark visited Keith and offered his condolences.


Saturday May 12 was very busy. We picked up Marlin age 6 (almost 7) whom we are mentoring and took him to Dan's restaurant for pancakes. He was such a gentleman opening the doors for everyone. We bought toys for his little brother at a church fund raiser, made cookies, and went to a children's play, and went swimming. He showed Mark how good he is at putting puzzles together. Marlin volunteered to help Mark wash the car, water the plants, clean the pool. Mark was impressed with how good a kid Marlin is. "Yes, Marlin we do like you!"

Mark and neighbor on our porch having a wake for Keith''s cat (click on picture to enlarge it)

After we took Marlin home, we had a memorial service (wake) for neighbor Keith's cat. His 15 year old cat stopped eating and nothing the vet did would cause her to rally so Keith's veterinarian gave Keith's cat a transfer to the Eternal Care Unit (Heaven). Several neighbors attended the wake and several people spoke about Miss Ginger Fluffy and how she will be missed. Some neighbors competed in a quest to find Keith a new cat (one or more of their cats) but Keith is still grieving for his Miss Fluffy.

May 9 Mark and Mom returned from the Houston Veteran's Hospital. Mark expected three days of chemotherapy, but as usual on Monday we saw a doctor new to us, Dr. Xiou (Shoe)who was very personable. Dr. Xiou ordered another CAT scan which Mark had on Tuesday. He said he is thinking Mark's cancer could be fairly stable and he could stop chemotherapy for awhile since Mark has had so many days of chemotherapy over the past two years and concern about the effects of so much chemotherapy. The doc found some expiratory wheezing in Mark's lower left lobe of his lung but prescribed nothing for it. I could hear the wheezing with my naked ear i.e. without a stethoscope. Cause? Unknown. As always...no certainty that Mark is better or worse or the same. Life is very uncertain, but when unaffected by cancer, most of us don't worry about it. People with cancer do worry and those around them worry and uncertainty is their constant companion.

After a year and a half of chemotherapy and lab tests requiring access to veins in Thailand, Mark's veins were in very good shape. After a half a year of VA personnel trying to get venous access on Mark, the veins in his arms are in bad shape. He often wants to tell people at the VA, stop you are going about that all wrong and he wants to gather them and give them some instruction like he had in the Navy as a corpsman and then as a respiratory therapist. The lab work this trip was from a vein in his thumb and the cat scan venous access was through a small vein on the inside of his wrist. How painful is that? Answer: Very if you are the one getting the needle. Not so bad if you are the one inserting the needle.

We met some extremely nice people at the VA and elsewhere. In addition to Dr. Xiou I think that Bill in X-ray was one of the nicest people I have run into at the VA. I talked to him on the phone about getting Mark scheduled for a stat CAT scan rather than having us make a special trip back to Houston. He said he would talk to staff about that and get back to me. He called me back and gave me the affirmative and instructions for the prep and how and when it could be picked up. For once I did not have to guess or know the questions to ask. When I went to pick Mark up, I had to wait in line to ask if he was still back in the scan room or if he was done. I could hear this man at the desk being nice to everyone...It was Bill. He is now one of my role models.

We stay at the Best Western Reliant Park which gives a medical discount. Most of the people staying there seem to be patients or relatives of patients at the various medical facilities in the Medical Complex which includes MD Anderson and many more hospitals and treatment centers. We met two ladies from Oklahoma at breakfast in the motel, one has a daughter Debbie who has adrenal cancer. You may know that the adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and affect many functions of the body. I gave her the blog address. I hope she will write and tell me about this adrenal cancer and its treatment and let us know how she is doing.

May 6 Mark did not sleep for 48 hours or so after arriving home from his month in Thailand Was this due to the 12 hour difference in time, for example when it is midnight here, it is noon in Thailand? Or was it due to something else...thoughts on his mind perhaps. Maybe thoughts about cancer and death or perhaps other fears. He has a fear people will break into our house and this could be due to the mysterious death of a friend's father some years ago in which the father was apparently killed with an axe by an intruder. It could be due to multiple car vandalism on our street twice in recent years. When we moved into our current house 20 some years ago, we felt safe even if we forgot to lock the door or left the garage door up. Not anymore. Doors must be closed and locked. I used to dream of buying a convertible again but I changed my dream to a sun roof after vandals slashed my neighbor's cloth convertible top and stole his new music/radio system, given to him just days earlier by his wife. Finally Mark fell asleep in the middle of the night last night.

May 4 Latest News: Mark is back in Austin. Arrived Thursday evening after 26 hours on planes: Bangkok to Narita (Tokyo) to San Francisco to Denver to Austin. He looked great on arrival, which he attributes to no chemotherapy for two months and a month on a Thai Beach. Friday and Saturday are days of rest for Mark then Sunday we head to the Veteran's Hospital in Houston for blood tests and chemotherapy. This weekend in Austin (May 5-6) is the Pecan Street Festival which has several blocks of booths with artists showing their wares and some live music and food.

May2 Last day in Bangkok and Mark is on his way back to Austin
Mark e-mailed that he was sitting in a dentist's office in Bangkok and e-mailing from there. Reminds me of a time I went to a beauty shop in South Korea and there were free computers to use while waiting for service or waiting for someone. The East is ahead of us in using technology in a number of ways.

April 28-29 While Mark is taking a break from cancer treatment in
Thailand, -Mom and James Checked Out Festivals in and Around Austin





James and Mom went to two festivals in Austin in one day: the dragon boat races on town lake and the German Heritage Maifest. The Asian population and Asian food were evident at the dragon boat races while descendants of German immigrants to Texas and German food and beer were at the German festival. We were surprised to learn that there is a German Heritage Society in a beautiful old building with lovely grounds on a hill on 10th street in the heart of Austin. This was the home of John C. Meusebach (1812-1897) He was called Baron Von Meuselbach by the Texas pioneers, El Sol Coronado by the Indians because of his red hair and beard, and Senator by the Governor. He is said to have founded Fredricksburg.

Read about Meusebach above by double clicking or the left hand picture twice to enlarge it. In the Society's garden, one musician was playing the accordian and the other was playing a garden rake on a wooden bench using salt.

We ran into the young men from Austin Community College where they are studying German. The house is built sideways on a hill which was fascinating to Mom. There are several interesting activities in and around Austin Texas every weekend. We will try to keep Mark going to some of these fun things as we take his mind off of cancer.

If you are new to the blog, be aware you can read about medical care in Bangkok and about Thailand and Saipan in back issues of the blog by clicking archived entries listed on the right hand side.

Mark's report on the week in Jomtien Beach, Thailand: the week after his birthday - Mark e-mailed about an elegant opening of a new condo complex in Pattaya. Mark attended with Jin, Angel and George. Every one dressed up in evening attire for this soirée. The food included roast pig. When he feels well Mark loves to look his best and attend these kinds of events so he can mingle and act like a real person and forget he has cancer.
Mark reported that "the girls" (alluding to three girls) dug up about a gallon of the small coquina on the beach and are using these small shell contents to make a soup for dinner. Mark said he is getting brown from being on the beach morning and evening. Should I remind him of the dangers of skin cancer? Probably not, he already has cancer and this is his vacation from cancer treatment; a time to have fun and relax.
Mark will spend about 25 plus hours in the air flying back to Austin arriving this Thursday. Sunday he heads for the VA hospital in Houston.


April 20th Mark celebrated his 47 th birthday; the third birthday since docs gave him three months or less to live .Mark has made a lot of friends in Jomtien beach, Thailand and has just had his birthday party there complete with dancers and fire twirling and Thai food. Wish we all could have been there.
Amazing Coincidences - Mark is staying in a bungalow owned by an Englishman George Richardson (same last name as Mark) and his Thai wife Angel. George is also a survivor of stomach cancer and loves to sail. Mark loves to sail.
Mark is taking a month break from cancer treatment: a break from chemo killing good cells as well as cancerous ones; a break from chemo leaking into his arm tissues causing pain, redness, and heat as well as great concern about loss and use of what was formerly a good vein or veins and fear of loss of tissue. This is a break from pain and riding hours in our old car to Houston to get chemo only to be sent home because of the white blood count being too low and having to return the following week; a break from doctors and staff who are unpredictably either very kind or the exact opposite and from staff who convey a wish to be understanding and those who are not the least bit understanding; a break from the VA system which is a Godsend or a source of frustration depending on the personality or whim of who waits on you or what the rule is or might be that applies to your situation; a break from thinking about what to do next or different in the battle against cancer and how to pay for anything new or different; a break from being nauseated most of the time and weak from chemo. He is enjoying this break immensely.
What is Mark doing and what should he be doing?Mark is relaxing and meditating, visiting the temple, cutting back on pain medication, eating three meals a day, walking on the beach enjoying a calm view of the ocean that he loves surrounded by people who are gentle and a nation of people who tend to be very accepting and kind. Ever think about how judgemental many Americans have become? Nearly everyone of us spends time thinking about what other people should or should not be doing which raises the question: Should we be doing this? Having said this, I invite you to call on your good judgement and feel free to comment or send an e-mail of suggestions for Mark about what you think he needs to do at this time...two years after cancer diagnosis with medicare recently kicking in as his only insurance along with access to the VA system.

Mark's Mom went to Waterloo Records 25th Anniversary party - What a party on the parking lot with lots and lots of bands playing for about 8 hours. Things like this happen in Austin Texas, self proclaimed "Music Capital of the World". Mom and James are cleaning house and partying while Mark is on vacation.

Do you know that Mark's Mom writes a column in a parenting news magazine each month? Yes, Mom has written a column in a parenting magazine every month for the last 15 years. The column (department) to click on is Family Matters. You can read the magazine online at http://www.austinfamily.com/ In the May issue Mom discusses the phenomenon of Helicopter Parents which is a term coined in the early '90s for parents who hover closely over children in college and now is used in a broader sense and includes for parents of younger children who tend to over manage their children's lives and activities. There is an interesting article in USA Today about Helicopter parents hovering over children in the work place; parents who try to negotiate better salaries and circumstances for their child by calling the grown child's boss or human resource director.

People from 51 Countries Have Visited This Blog - Look at the flag board on the right side of the blog. When you touch one of the flags with your cursor it will tell you the country of that flag and in some cases it will bring up a map. Flashing flags are new additions to the board. Visitors have come from: Austria, Afghanistan, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, Chile, China, Czech republic, Germany, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Guam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, India, Italy, Israel, Japan, So Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Madagascar,Morocco, Myanmar, Northern Marianas Islands, Mexico, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Singapore, El Salvador, Thailand, Turkey, USA, Serbia, and So. Africa. Thank-you all for visiting the blog and inviting friends from other countries to visit the blog. Mark takes these flags as a sign of support from around the world and this is part of what keeps Mark going when cancer gets tough.

Belinda - We met a young English lady in the waiting room at Bumrungrad Hospital two years ago. She lives on the island of Koh Samui and has a Thai Husband and a darling little boy Bertie. She had never smoked and had no bad habits at all, but she had cancer of the throat. She came back and forth from Koh Samui to Bumrungrad for treatment. At one point she went to Hong Kong to get a pet scan which shows cancerous areas in red. The red color is because of the high metabolism and heat of the cancer. Her husband and Bertie went along and they went to the Disney Park in Hong Kong. She was found to be cancer free at that time. Recently she wrote and cancer is back with her. She has a positive attitude and is returning to treatment. Pray for Belinda and her family. She is a mighty warrier in the cancer battle....but needs all the help and support she can get. Cancer is all around us and the world is full of brave people like Belinda and Mark who are battling cancer.

Where is everyone?
Mark moved to a bungalow at angel's guest resort on Jomtien beach at a fraction of the hotel cost and has the use of a motorcycle. Mark is taking a vacation from cancer treatment which is like his work. Mark has worked very hard at battling cancer enduring more and complaining less than most of us would for over two years, but now he is on a break from it with his plan to make it a fun but low budget vacation . He reports the hour or so ride to the beach at Pattaya from Bangkok at a bargain of 1200 baht or about 34 dollars. Mark says he got 35 baht to the dollar in the Bangkok ATM and ate at a 99 baht ($3) all you can eat bar-b-que buffet.


Stephanie and Ron Clark, award winning teacher and key note speaker at Educator's conference. Phil in the background


Mark's sister Stephanie was in Chicago with Mom for four days where a lot of fun was had. Stephanie attended and presented at an Educator's conference which had 1200 attendees from every state, Europe and Asia. Jackie, who used to teach with Stephanie in Japan but is now a school librarian in a small town in Indiana, drove several hours with her husband and two year old adopted daughter Qi from China to spend a few hours with Stephanie and Mom.










There was too much excitement when Mom had her wallet stollen on the magnificent mile. Stephanie and Phil, a teacher/administrator from Yokosuka where Steph teaches, and Mom had an exciting cab ride to the police station in Chicago to file a crime report.
Stephanie is now in Japan getting ready to head for Bangkok to get her triple "Rs", Rest, Relaxation and Routine check-ups at Bumrungrad Hospital over Spring break from teaching. Mom is in Austin holding down the fort and writing her monthly column for Austin Parent. The next month's column is on Helicopter Parents. Have you heard of this phenomenon?

Stories from the past- When Mark was three to four, mom taught him how to swim in a parent-preschoolers class. By five he was on a swim team. At 16 he had his scuba certification and had his life guard certificate. Before Mark left for Thailand he was telling about when he was in the Navy and stationed at Great Lakes Naval Base how happy he was when the Navy found out he had been a life guard and assigned him life guard duty because had he not gotten this cushy job he would have been out working in the cold and snow with his buddies.

Cowboy James told a story about when he was a teenager and decided to wash his pet goat in the bath tub so it would look nice in an anual parade in his hometown of Olton Texas. He said his mother was not very happy about this goat bathing in the bathtub and his father did not like it much either when the goat walked on top of the family car and tried to eat the tires.

Stephanie (Mark's sister) is in Austin for two days. She lives and works in Yokosuka, Japan. A big excitement for Steph and Mom was seeing Sandra Bullock and her husband Jesse James and their son Jessie Jr. in the airport waiting for luggage. The next excitement was heading for Artz Rib House for baby back ribs and music. Art visited with us. He guessed that Sandra Bullock was in Austin for new Quentin Tarrantino film opening. Breakfast at Dan's Hamburgers on Lamar and a look at the tile wall being created by Jean Graham and the people of two Austin neighborhoods were the next adventures. Steph is squeezing in a lot of Austin things to do in a short time before heading to Chicago to present at an educator's conference.

Steph and Mark put a special homemade dry rub on a beef brisket and slow smoked it. Steph values this time with Mark, not knowing if he will survive cancer for two more days, two years, or twenty.

Steph's childhood friend, Kathy Lacey, from high school came up from the Woodlands in Houston and brought her mom, Norma, from Jacksonville, Illinois to eat brisket with us.

Betty, Kathy, Stephanie, Mark, and Norma

Dave,Dorie, and Mark: friends who came for bar-b-que and a visit (Dave's birthday is April 17 and Mark's is April 20

)

March 23, 2007
Tell (Mark's Mom) Betty Lou

HAPPY BIRTHDAY tomorrow or anytime in the next two weeks. She celebrates for a long time!!! And pass the address for this blog on to everyone you know; Mom loves to see the number counter and flag board change...!
(Stephanie, logged in as Mom)

Mom got a birthday cake surprise after a meeting of the staff from all shifts at the drug study clinic (CCRI) where she works part time. Even the subjects got cake (except for those in one study where the diet is tightly regulated). Bright and early on the 24th, 5 year old neighbor Jack was at the door with a great birthday card he had made. The birthday afternoon was spent at the Bob Bullock Museum volunteering to help children make a cartouche i.e. write their names in Egyptian hierglyphics, within an oval, using stamp pads with caracters for the letters.


Mark is resting for his trip to Thailand and he will be there for his birthday April 20th (3rd birthday since he was given 3 months to live. His arm where chemo medicine apparently leaked out into the tissues is much better. Pray that Mark is able to get to Thailand and back safely one more time. Mark got a hair cut after James threatened to mow it with a lawn mower and warned Mark that birds were going to nest in it any day.


Friend Frank reports he is recovering from surgery for similar esophogeal gastric tumor as Mark's - after chemo, radiation, then surgery removing part of his stomach and esophagus and some lymph nodes with anastamosis of the stomach and eophagus. This is a common approach to treating esophageal gastric tumors in major cancer treatment centers today. Frank says it takes a surprisingly long time to regain strength from the surgery, but that he is doing very well now. Mark had the chemo and radiation but not the surgery. Had Mark had insurance, he probably would have gotten surgery too.


Durrel (husband of Pam who taught with Stephanie in Japan) died of cancer at his home in Cloudcroft just days after leaving Houston where the medical centers could do no more for him. While teaching in Japan, Pam had gotten a dream assignment in Italy and she and her husband had moved there. Then Durrel was diagnosed with cancer in January of this year, returned to the states, was in Houston about a month, to Cloudcroft for days, then gone to a final resting place. Durrel will be missed; we were fortunate to have known him.
Keep praying for a cancer vaccine, preventative, and cure.

Another Trip to VA, Mr Really Nice Guy and Mr. Fussy, and the answer to whether Mark will go to Bangkok one more time or not, and the latest buzz in cancer research.
The Accommodations and Trip to VA to Get Chemo and Cat Scan
Mark and I went to Houston for his chemo the week before last and returned home without chemo because Mark's WBC's were too low. On Sunday, the guys had to drive down to Houston again and they shared a room in the courtesy quarters at the VA Hospital on the 4th floor. Two double rooms share a bathroom and Mark reports that he and James were locked out of the bathroom from 4 pm until 10 pm. Mark reports a fight breaking out on the floor which James did not even hear. They could only get this VA room for one night due to heavy demand so they went to the only motel that seemed to have vacant rooms for Monday and Tuesday nights. Houston Rodeo people still have all the rooms booked. The guys report that the ceiling in their rooms was falling in and a car had run into one room and it was left caved in, and the motel did not really have internet except one computer in the lobby which was used by neighbors and nearby schoolchildren and seldom available to guests of the motel, but otherwise it was ok. James went with Mark to Houston as Mom had a National League of Nursing assignment in Pine Bluff Arkansas from Monday until Thursday night.

Mark picked Mom up at the airport on Thursday looking like he was going to surf a wave in Hawaii. He has been boating on Lake Austin with his friend David the last three evenings. They boat down to the Hula Hut and get a bite to eat. What a life! Mark has gotten in all the boating he could as he anticipates being really sick from chemotherapy three days after chemo. Mark is trying to squeeze in all the fun and enjoyment in life that he can and not let cancer treatment consume all the time he has left. He plans to go to Bangkok for one more trip April 3 to May 3. He talked Dr. Breene, his doctor this week, into thinking it was ok: a small sabbatical from chemotherapy.
Mr. Fussy and Mr Nice Guy
There is somewhat of a pattern in which anywhere from one day to three days after chemo until several days before time for chemo again, Mark gradually becomes Mr. Fussy, until he is not happy with anyone or anything, slumped over, depressed, sick, dying, irritable, and worse. Several days before time for chemo again he gradually becomes Mr Really Nice Guy so thoughtful and full of energy, washing and cleaning up the car, cooking, cleaning the house, doing fun things, and positive about everything. Chemo is very crazy making.
Kris Brown's Father who has cancer and is at Sloan Kettering
Kris' father is doing better. He was accumulating fluid in his chest and having to have it drained. Some innovative doc in the ER found a way to fix the problem. ...so no more fluid accumulation. Thanks to Kris I learned that the big thing at Sloan Kettering and many other places seems to be immunotherapy. That is the buzz in research today. Check immunotherapy for adenocarcinoma (type Mark has) .Note: if you click on the words "immunotherapy for adenocarcinoma" above you will go to an interesting article on the latest research.

Mark (center Right) and Allen his friend center left: the two guys with hook em horns signs: the UT sign representing the horns of the Longhorn steer. UT vs A&M mens basketball

Busy Week

Mark and mom returned from the VA hospital in Houston on Tuesday night. Mark's friend Allen from Reno arrived on Wed around 4 p.m.My boss Dr. Brown had given me 2 tickets for the University of Texas vs Texas A and M men's basketball game. I had promised to take our own Aggie James (A and M grad X3) to the game for his birthday. Through a stroke of luck and possibly devine intervention, co-worker Leon gave me his tickets for Mark and Allen (both big UT fans). It was the best game I'd ever seen going into double overtime before A and M got outscored by two points (James says Aggies don't loose..they just get out scored). The game was sold out and scalpers were buying tickets and not selling except in rare instances. I saw 2 tickets selling for $500 which was the going price.

Dr. Eppner would probably get upset with Mark and me if he knew Mark was at a sold out basketball game crowd with his low WBCs and impaired immunity. I do worry some myself, but mark is determined to live life to the fullest. I rationalize that the arena is probably not as dangerous as the hospital waiting room where sick people cough on you.

Mark was on a natural high after the game. Mark and Allen have been alternating sleep and boating on Lake Austin these past two days and Mom has been alternating working three part-time jobs and social and business secretary to Mark with some other fun too.

Not living too high. Least you mistakenly think we are living too high, I am still driving my 10 year old Honda, using my tea bag twice and the guys are staying at no frills places on the quest for a cat scan and chemo in Houston.
Mark and mom in Houston This Past Week

Mark's doctor at the VA in Houston this past Monday: Dr. Chaiyarat Walailuk
This past Sunday when we went to Houston, we were concerned that we couldn't find a hotel room to reserve for Tuesday night due to the Rodeo being at Reliant Stadium and rodeo folks having booked up all rooms anywhere near the Medical Complex. Our hotel is full of cowboys and cowgirls in boots and cowboy hats(jeans and shirts too) .

Click on newspaper to make it big enough to read

We feared we might be homeless under a bridge tomorrow night, but it turned out we won't need a room Tuesday night. Mark's white blood count was too low today to get chemo so we'll go home Tues. after his bone scan rather than Wed. Maybe some of Mark's depressed mood, extreme irritability, and exhaustion is explained by his very low white blood count. Mark's doctor today is from Thailand and knows the doctor who cared for Mark in Thailand. She says Dr. Theera is famous and she was one of his students at the University in Bangkok. She was very professional and yet caring. She and Dr. Eppner are concerned that Mark wants to go to Thailand for a couple of months. They (we) are concerned about his compromised immune system and the risks of traveling with ill passengers and the stress of the long trip. They do not want to be caring for Mark, then not caring for him, and then caring again; viewing this as fragmented care at best. Mom understands their position and on the other hand understands Mark's love of Thailand and people there and his love of adventure and feeling mortal after years of feeling invincible. Could the trip to Thailand be delayed some and possibly shortened to facilitate his treatment for cancer and hopefully keep him alive longer or should he hasten to lie on the beaches of Thailand in case he has only a very short time to live regardless of treatment? The decision is Mark's and it is a tough decision for him.
And It's Not All About Mark - Mark often says "It's not all about me" so I am careful to add important information about other people.

Kitty Worley - All around us people have cancer. Our friend Fred Worley's mother Kitty Worley died of pancreatic cancer. She died a month after diagnosis. Eighty-three years young, she had taught Spanish in the high school at College Station, Texas for 32 years; a ray of sunshine and enthusiasm always. Mom and Stephanie were lucky to meet her and work with her on medical mission trips to Mexico. There were so many people at her service that when we arrived 15 minutes early, the very large church parking lot was full and we had to park 5 blocks away to arrive just after the service began. People were hiking in from greater distances for some time after us with standing room only
Kris Brown's Father - I work part time as a nurse for Dr. Brown and his wife Kris at their drug research facility. Kris is always so kind to ask about Mark and to tell me her family prays for Mark each night. Yesterday Kris reminded me that her father has cancer and is being treated at Sloan Kettering. She has a second family member with cancer. I must ask Kris for more information. It isn't all about Mark. Some of it is about all of you and the struggles you have with your own health problems and those you care for too.
If you have cancer or someone you know has cancer and you would like people to think kind thoughts or pray for you or someone else, let me know and I will write a little something for you.
Bush Presidential Library-Bryan College Station
We went to the Bush Presidential Library while we were in Bryan College Station. Unlike the LBJ Library which is free on the University of Texas Campus, the Bush Library at Texas A and M University has an entrance fee of 5 dollars for seniors and a bit more for younger upward mobile types. I like the LBJ library best because I find it interesting and being free, I am motivated to take visitors to Austin there and I go there often.
It is about you too! Internet Hoax and How to Find Out if Something is a Hoax!
Yesterday a friend sent out a plea to all her friends including me: a plea from someone claiming to have a missing 13 year old daughter and wanting everyone to circulate the message and picture of the beautiful young girl to all our acquaintences. I posted it on the blog then discovered the e-mail address for the mother would not work. Daughter Stephanie went to www.snopes.com and found out this particular missing girl plea was a hoax so we took the plea and picture off this blog. You can use the www.snopes.com to find out about hoaxes that are circulating.
A tad of additional information on Mark - About a week ago, Mark, his friend Bruce, James, Marisela and her sister and brother, Tomas a pastor on the East side and his wife Connie and I all went to see Sharks: a 3-D IMAX. Wow! The fish and sharks swam out in the audience and it was educational and not scarey at all. After the movie Mark told me that he was going to Las Vegas and asked: "Mom could you take me to the airport to catch a 6 am flight?" So I did. He had been telling Bruce he wasn't going to Vegas because he was not feeling well, but gave in when he found a cheap ticket and hotel combination. He came back Sat. and arrived at the airport at 3:45 am. He may have spent most of this time in Vegas in bed, but it was a different bed.
Mark is itching to spend some time in Bangkok. He continues to ride the roller coaster of cancer; feels good for awhile, sick for awhile, fears he is dying any minute then acts like he feels he is immortal, too sick to go somewhere, anxious to get moving while he still feels good enough to travel, joking and showing his sense of humor, irritable and Mr. Fussy.
A strange side effect of chemo: Remember Mark's face getting beet red for a few days before he went to Vegas? His face peeled like a sunburn.

Last Saturday night Mark was feeling so bad he didn't go with James and Mom to hear Pinetop Perkins at Ms B's Restaurant on East 11th. A real upscale place. Pinetop came to support some young piano students from the East side who were playing tonight. He and the band from Antone's played after the young pianists. It was great!
See picture of the world famous blues piano player and community treasure Mr Pinetop Perkins, in his chartreuse Hat, and mom. Taken outside Ms B's

February 15, 2007 - Ice Bats Hockey and Steak

Our friend Marisela, who is a whiz at knowing what's going on and how to get in when there aren't any tickets available, is taking Mark, James, and me (Mom) to see the Austin Ice Bats play tomorrow night. We are fortunate so many friends care about Mark and want to take him on adventures and fill his life with fun things. For those who may not know, that's Fang, the Ice Bats' mascot, pictured to the left.

Mark, always the gourmet cook, is cooking very good steak to build his blood up for next chemo and sticking close to home, except for short adventures with friends, although he would like to be working as a respiratory therapist or on a beach somewhere right now.

February 10, 2007 Chemo takes a toll, just as it has before:
Mark is not leaving the sofa or his bed today , except to periodically go on the deck outside. He has chest pain. His face was red as a beet for two days and he has been so hot he had the airconditioner on frostbite setting upstairs where he sleeps while the heat was on downstairs and I caught him outside barefoot and it was cold outside. He is a little down in mood at times and imagines the worst although it could be reality. He cheers up when one of his friends (Dave, Bruce, Frank) come by. Remember that chemotherapy attacks all the cells in the body and not just cancer cells. When drug research brings us a drug that directly attacks or enters just cancer cells and leaves the healthy cells alone that will be a day for real celebration.
Feb 18 - read this CancerCompass article... maybe they are onto something? http://www.cancercompass.com/cancer-news/1,12158,00.htm )

February 11, 07 Mark signed up for role in Jerry Barret's documentary: My friends Jerry and Christine had the first showing, at the Austin Alamo Drafthouse downtown, of a documentary they directed and produced. Mark is signed up for a role in the next film. His part could be filmed in Bangkok. Jerry and Christine are building a house in Shri Lankra and want to take a trip to Bangkok when Mark and Mom are there to show them around. Jerry is planning to film and show his films in lots of places in the world.

Did you hear about Mark's Teddy Bear Pillows? Chemo in Houston again, Making Friends in VA waiting Room, What's Going On With Mark's Sister Stephanie and his Mom?

Mr. Mark's Teddy Bear Pillows
Mark's hair is falling out again because of chemotherapy. He asked Mom for clean pillow cases because his pillows were "looking like Teddy Bears."
Another whirlwind trip to Houston, and Day 1 of chemo yesterday went well. On day 1 only, he gets Carboplatin 563 mg in 250 of normal saline. Days 1 -3 he gets 5FU 1000 mg. and Leucovorin 648 mg. Looks like doses are based on square mm of body surface. Mark's nurse this week is Maria.

Day 1 of Chemo: New Friends Arlene and Bill
Yesterday in the VA hospital waiting room, I talked for 3 hours with Arlene and Bill whom I had just met. Bill is a Viet Nam vet who served in Germany, too. Bill and Arlene go to motorcycle rallies all over the country where she sells "Do-Rags" and purses with feathers and beads that she makes herself. Because of Bill's cancer they are giving up the rallies to go into the paintball business and sell logo items. They'll still sell Do-Rags and purses, so let me know if you need one and I'll put you in contact with Arlene. Bill makes smokers out of dishwashers and has educated me on how to do this and how to dress and cut up a deer and smoke deer meat so it tastes really good. Life in the waiting room is an ongoing education if you pay attention and make new friends.

Day 3 New Friends - We met a young couple and their beautiful little toddler in the VA hospital waiting room. Melissa and Greg live in Austin, too, and have been coming to the Houston VA oncology clinic for some time, but Greg learned on this day that he doesn't have to return to the clinic for 6 months as his cancer is in remission. Greg tells me that he researched treatment options when first diagnosed with cancer and decided that the Houston VA clinic was the best place for treatment for him, even though, unlike Mark, he has insurance and the VA collects it. Keep in mind that the VA is relatively free with just small co-payments if you don't have large enough income or some kind of health insurance to collect from. Many of the veterans do pay with health insurance or larger co-payments. Since Mark lost both his job/income and insurance when he was diagnosed, he pays only a small co-payment (and whatever it costs to get to Houston and to stay over during chemo).
Greg tells me he started a successful business while undergoing chemotherapy and he fathered a beautiful healthy child: two amazing feats. Like Mark, he has lived nearly 2 years after diagnosis and being told he had 6 months to live. See picture of Mark and Greg below.

Mark will celebrate his third birthday (05, 06, and 07) on April 20th after diagnosis of cancer two years ago in Feb. and he was so fearful he would not live to see the first one. It seems like it should be only two birthdays but it is three. Higher math challenges us all.

Mark's favorite and only sister, Stephanie, and Mom - Stephanie is coming from Yokosuka, Japan to Austin on March 28th to be with Mark for two days and then head to Chicago with her mom for the national school improvement conference for four days. Steph will attend and present at the conference - her topic is getting students involved in school improvement. Maybe I will share with her how to make a smoker out of a dishwasher.

Advances in Medicine and small town drivers in the big city-
Being a medical as well as a psychiatric nurse, advances in medicine interest me. James' Aunt Rowena is hopeful she might get a new artificial artery graft with a heparin coating on the surface to improve her circulation. She has peripheral artery disease (PAD) and her doctors have warned her that in time she might have to have an amputation due to clogged arteries and poor circulation. She has had stints and failed stints and has poor veins. She came from her small Texas panhandle town of Olton, so small it does not have a stop light, to stay with her neice in New Braunfels, near San Antonio. It's in San Antonio that a doctor does these artificial artery grafts with a new type of material. Some of her nieces and knephews visiting from the panhandle won't drive on the interstate in New Braunfels. Niece Nancy said an emphatic "NO!" when I asked her to take me somewhere involving about a mile of interstate highway (US 35). She told me in the town she comes from (Abernathy) two cars can park in the middle of the mainstreet and the drivers can chat with each other without disrupting trafic. If you can't picture this happening, there's a photo of Downtown Abernathy to the right of this paragraph.

Yesterday I read about this new procedure/new graft , mentioned above. It is called a Gore graft according to an article in the Texas Medical Center News in Houston. An artificial artery or piece of artery coated on the surface with heparin is implanted to improve circulation and prevent blood clots. This technique may be a Godsend for Aunt Rowena. In addition to doctors in San Antonio doing this technique, there is a vascular surgeon Dr. Alan Lumsden at DeBakey Heart Center in Houston who is using this new graft.

January 29, 2007
We made a fast trip to the VA in Houston and back. I didn't realize how fast the car could accelerate from a dead stop to 80 until riding with Mark at the wheel. He has a sense of urgency to his life and tries to do lots of things fast as if running out of time and he could be. We just don't know how long he has. His sister asked me why I said on the blog that he was bored. "Didn't he just get back from a trip (see trip in blog below?" I explained to Stephanie that the person with cancer has a different perspective. Never knowing if he will get extremely sick or die in the next 20 minutes, 20 days or 20 weeks, Mark wants to cram in everything fun that he can. He feels better when he has some trip or event planned to look forward to. We were to stay in Houston until Wednesday late, but the chemotherapy was cancelled as Mark's white cell count was too low. His doctor this week was very easy to talk to (remember a different doctor each visit at the VA oncology unit). The doctor was Dr. Breene (spelling? It starts with a B and rhymes with Greene). On the way home Mark appologized for being cranky due to being in pain and expressed concern it was a wasted trip because he could not have chemo, but I encouraged him to think otherwise. Why was this trip not a waste of time? Mark learned his wbcs were down. He got a shot of neupogen to help bring them back up. He had a good talk with the doctor and with his favorite nurse Abraham Ferrer (see story and picture below about nurse Ferrer). We ate a lot of seafood again and I enjoyed the process and I suspect Mark did too the way he attacked those king crab claws and crawfish gumbo.

January 20, 2007
Mr. Mark Gets Time off from Chemo; Takes Solo Trip To Jackson Mississippi and to Antones in Austin to Hear Pinetop Perkins; a Music Legend

Jackson, Mississippi
Surprise of all surprises. Mark was scheduled for chemotherapy three weeks in a row at the VA hospital, but unexpectedly the plan changed and he was given two weeks off. Mark and Mom planned a trip to Jacksonville, Illinois to visit friends and relatives, flying into nearby Springfield; a weekend last minute special cheap fare.This plan was changed because an ice storm was expected in the midwest. Mom found Mark a bargain ticket to Jackson Mississippi to visit his friend Ken and Ken's brother Gary. The guys sat in rockers on Ken's cabin porch out in the country, visited Ken's mother, checked out the casino food, rode motorcycles, and fished. Austin got an ice storm too. Mom worked 26 hours straight at the drug study clinic because relief staff could not make it in. Mark stayed two extra days in Jackson because of the likelihood of cancelled flights or not being able to get home from the Austin airport due to road closures. Sleeping in airports would be too much for someone with cancer. Mom came home from the 26 hour work experience and slept 15 hours straight.
Mr. Mark is lucky so many people love and care about him and he wants to live every minute he can. Loving kindness makes all the difference in the world to Mark and to others who are seriously ill and those who care for them.

Pinetop Perkins - Mark and Mom got an invitation from Barry Nowlin Friday night to hear music legend Pinetop Perkins at Antones, a famous music club in Austin. . At age 93 Pinetop plays great piano and has a wonderful singing voice. Unfortunately mom had to work but Mark was able to go and enjoy Pinetop's presentation for a couple of hours. Thank-you Barry! Mom worked 3-11 and Mark beat her home. He was fast asleep in his bed when Mom came home. Mark requires lots of rest, but miracle of miracles he is getting out and about. Check out Pinetop's concert dates accross the USA at http://www.pinetopperkins.com/index.htm Did you know that Pinetop was the piano player for Muddy Waters Band for 12 years? In addition to being a blues man he plays boggie woogie which is something mom loves.

Mark is lucky to have people wanting to spent time with him and share special events with him and even luckier for being able to do this. Think back to a few weeks ago when he could not get out of bed long due to pain and had trouble riding in a car to Houston. Now he is up more, much less pain, and he is able to drive to Houston. Mark still has to pace himself. After the two hour visit to Antones, he did some major resting.

Addendum January 22
MEDICO
We are getting e-mails from folks who volunteered with MEDICO in remote areas of Honduras and Nicaragua at the same time Mark and Mom did in the past. We think about the astounding things our teams did in bringing medical, eye, and dental care to people in the Moskito Coast and other isolated areas and the wonderful adventures we had. Mark and Mom can't go to remote areas far removed from modern medicine now, but would love to hear from more MEDICO volunteers and maybe you would like to learn more about MEDICO http://www.medico.org/ or more about some of our adventures in remote areas of the world .
Addendum January 27, o7
Today Mark is bored and has been bored most of this week. He has energy to use and can't come up with anything to do other than work on the computer. He bought some new software and hardware for the computer and is playing with it. This morning he advised me that he needs something to look forward to and asked when was his mom getting around to planning a trip or something. We head to Houston tomorrow in preparation for three days of chemotherapy. This is not what he had in mind.
Instructions:
If you click on any picture on the blog it will enlarge and you can see the details; for example click on the picture of Mark and his nurse in the next blog and you can see their faces. There are links throughout the blog that you can click on such as MEDICO and that webpage will come up.