prayers for Mark:
i only learned tonight of what happened. how’s that for disconnected? i know him as Minnesota Mark, and, though i have never been a close friend, i’ve known him for my nearly five years here in taoyuan, meeting him here and there at the river or at a supermarket with his daughter.
you only have to see him once with his daughter to know Mark.
i don’t normally pray, but i think tonight i will.
Wow, now I understand better. No private insurance is indeed a very dangerous life here in Taiwan. NHI does only cover the very, very basics, but you need more to survive a real accident properly and recover.
Good luck again to Mark and a lot of strenght to his family.
Hello everyone,
Rachel and her Mom will be heading back tomorrow in the AM and I don’t know that they’ll be able to say goodbye to us here with their hectic schedules and spending as much last minute time as they can with Mark.
The tracheostomy has been performed, and although I’ve yet to see it, Thegingerman informs me that it’s such a huge difference to finally rid him of the breathing tube.
The doctors seem to think he’s pretty close to waking up. What happens next is anyone’s guess, but the next step is probably the most important.
So far, he’s had about six visitors on any kind of regular basis…With his Mom and sister heading home, it’ll be up to us to provide him with regular visitation outside his wife and kids.
Thegingerman and his wife, Wookie and myself will try to arrange a schedule of regular visitation, and I’m sure we’ll need help at some time or other with this.
You don’t have to be Marks best buddy to visit, indeed, I’ve probably seen him half a dozen times in as many years.
Come down and see him…
MJB
It may have been mentioned before, but what public transportation options are available for those who live in Taipei and wish to visit Mark? Thanks!
There are dedicated buses going right to the hospital running all day and late into the evening. I’m not a public transportation type but I believe you can take it right from the Taipei bus station.
Can anyone confirm this?
I believe the Rats know the ins and outs of the buses up there…
If someone knows the visiting hours offhand, can you please post them – I did a search and quick scan of the thread but haven’t found them. (I just returned from a holiday overseas and saw this thread. Mark and I were apartment mates briefly in 1989, but haven’t had any contact except one phone call since then, though I remember him, and his dad, fondly from that time.)
I was told 11 a.m./2 p.m./8 p.m and he’s in the blue building (back) in room 2602.
[quote=“sandman”]I’m presuming MJB will split these posts off as I guess they might be regarded as off-topic, or at least getting away from the thrust of the thread, but you don’t need a friend or acquaintance to sell you insurance. Trust me, there are many companies who’ll be only too keen to take your money.
Our principal insurer happens to be ING Georgia and they seem to have been pretty good over the past decade or so. Aetna is another one. There are loads.[/quote]
I apologize for taking the thread a bit off topic.
But, along with the prayers for MaKe’s full and speedy recovery, I think this thread is also a good place to talk about all the wonderful things he’s done for us all, the difference his presence has made in our lives. I’ve never met Mark–and I don’t have a tv, so I never would have even known what he looked like without those images someone linked earlier–but, he’s made a difference in my life. Ever since I read about his accident, I’ve been watching my spedometer, trying to keep it closer to 50 than the 80 I’d been edging up to. I’m even slowing down at yellow lights instead of speeding up to go through them 
. And, for the first time, I’m thinking about buying private supplementary insurance. As a child, my parents were too poor, so the only time I’ve ever had insurance in my life was when I was in college–and the school just had a standard plan I didn’t have to think about. It’s been a while since I graduated, but it wasn’t until I read about Mark that I found the motivation I needed to finally start taking control of my life. And, of course, I’ve been making more frequent phone calls home to connect with family! 
Thank you, Mark.
Hi all. Yes the trach has been done and it looks fine. It has made a huge difference in how he looks. No more tubes coming out of his mouth and hurting his throat and lips. He was out of it from the operation but was looking a lot better. At 2pm he had his eyes wide open and was responding. This was on Wed. afternoon.
To mom and Rachel, have a good flight home and don’t worry we are here for him. Maybe we are not as good for him as you guys but we will try and do our best. YOU made him improve so quickly and I know he thanks you for it.
The visiting hours are as vm said; 8am, 2pm, & 8pm for 30 min. each time. He is on the second floor of the “Medical Building”(the blue one, above the front entrance anyway), room 2602 I think. They may, if you are lucky extent it a bit for you because of who Mark is. But don’t always count on it.
About insurance, two things.
1.The NHI covers a lot. Those that think that it does not need to wake up. If this was USA he would have had to sell his house by now, or more. It does cover a lot but not all. No, it does not cover a private room or special things but for general care it is very good.
About the hospital care and doctors. He is in the best hands in Asia and probably some of the best in the world. The family would definitely not get any better in the U. S… This hospital deals with more brain trama patients in a month than any other hospital in the world(is that a surprise?). They are also giving special care to Mark that he would not get back home. The doctors are going out of their way to make sure that he get’s the best care possible.
I have had some hospital experiences here and everyone has been good. Not the cleanest places, but the doctors and care are exceptional(horrible food though). I think so that you leave quicker.
They had the press conference at 2pm today(Thurs.). Did anyone catch it? If you did, did you record it? Is there a link out there that could maybe be put up on here(I have no idea how to do that)? Any other news that is in the chinese papers also would be nice to be put up on here for all to see. Thanks.
Well, that is all from me for now so hope this helps. He is on his way to full recovery but still has a ways to go. My family’s full support goes out to him. Thanks for all the support and good thoughts. GO MARK!!!
I’d agree with Surf about the expertise side of things.
I went into ER last year with Kidney problems. 6 years earlier I had the same thing in NZ.
The contrast between the two places is incredible and I can best describe it as what is essential, and what is not.
I find the hospitals here are all about black and white logic of what is needed to be done, and way less about comfort frills of the west.
EG. When I entered ER and was there thinking I was going to die, the docs swooped in and did their thing right in the middle of the room. A shaved head foreign guy tends to raise eyebrows anyway, but a screaming one is a real side show. Anyway, these guys knew their shit. They had all the gear, and the drugs on hand, and sorted out everything faster and better than I ever had 6 years earlier in a place where I had my own room, and nurses coming around with hot towels etc.
When your life is in the hands of a different culture, and you don’t understand what they are saying, but are taking the best care of you they can, it can have an incredible effect to realise how vulnerable you are, yet so safe.
Probably doesn’t make much sense, but that was how I felt, and I am sure Mark is in the best care possible…
C’mon Big Guy.
It was something about Mark on TV last night.
My bether half told me they was saying he would newer wake up.
From reading this thread I get a impresion that is the oposite off the one presented by the media.
Maybe hear translation was not good since she seldom pay atention to annything.
[quote=“Stian”]
Maybe hear translation was not good since she seldom pay atention to annything.[/quote]
if she’s reading on here you’ll end up in ICU too 
And that surprises you? It’s easy for a bunch of twits who don’t care to write someone they dont know off.
:raspberry:
[quote=“dablindfrog”]
if she’s reading on here you’ll end up in ICU too [/quote]
I tell hear all the time since hear abilety to pay atention to things scare the shit out off me everytime she drive a scooter with me on it.
I expsect the media to give as corect information as posible when it’s this serious mather, but then there seams to be no moral regulation for them to folow.
Maybe they are planing a miracle wake up storry or something.
I don’t think you need to look much further than this thread for the real scoop.
About the media here. Ya they said a lot and most of it was BS. Yes, they said he would never wake up, BS. They said that Mark had not talked to his parents or family in 10+ years, BS. I could go on but I think you all get the picture. You know the funny thing is that they didn’t talk to anyone in the know, no family or doctors, they just made up a story. I was hoping that the new one on Thurs. ,which they invited the family to(a little late), would correct those things, but so far I have not heard. Anyone hear? Any links available to check out?
The real news is here, so stay tuned here for the right info… If you hear or see things on/in the chinese media then post them here so we can all get an idea of what BS they are saying. Mark would get a kick out of it I think to read what they said and what was really true.
GO MARK!!!
Maybe they are planing a miracle wake up storry or something.[/quote]
You know, maybe this is their angle. Wow, what a story that would be. We can all imagine what they would write about.
The media has been full of shit from the beginning…The people here are the ones that are spending time with him. Look no further than this thread if you want an inkling of the truth.
I’m heading up there in about 20 minutes if anyone wants to meet there. Pretty sure TheGingerman will be there as well.
Come up if you want to see the big guy.
MJB
Our buddy Scott was up there as well tonight.
Sadly, Scot’s gotta go home. Mark reacted the minute he was told that. He’s tired as hell, but he’s got the furious fight in his soul. He also reacted to the tape of his mom singing ‘You are my sunshine…’. Lots of right hand action. Great stuff!
[color=green]"Reggae Got Soul,
So much Soul…[/color]
And So Does Mark,
I Know This To Be True.
Amen.
And, Once , Thrice & All The Rest Unto The Breach, the stalwarts gather unto the fold. And fall back on all those classics. Oh, Yeah!
Of which this is one:
[quote][color=indigo]
In the beginning I misunderstood
But now I’ve got it, the word is good
Spread the word and you’ll be free
Spread the word and be like me
Spread the work I’m thinking of
Have you heard the word is love?
It’s so fine, it’s sunshine
It’s the word, love
Everywhere I go I hear it said
In the good and bad books that I have read
Say the word and you’ll be free
Say the word and be like me
Say the word I’m thinking of
Have you heard the word is love?
It’s so fine, it’s sunshine
It’s the word, love
b[/b][/color]
[/quote]
There It Is…