[i] "About a month ago, Mark got septicemia because of infection, he had very serious fever, non of the medicine could do anything about it. Doctor said Mark may had only about 3 months to live, unless they did another surgery to take out the artificial skull to clear out the infection area. The skull would never be put back again and there's only about 10% of recovery chance.
I was not ready for this result. I'd been working so hard, and this is all I got?! All the memories just came back to me, Mark's face was so clear and then turned into black and white. Back to the reality, "Xiaohui, you need to think about this very seriously, this surgery determines Mark's future, and your future. What result is the best for you all, especially you have 2 kids to take care of" Dr. Hsu let me know the real situation and suggested as a friend. I told him I couldn't decide whether he's going to take this surgery. If there's a better way to help him. Either way is not going to do any better. Taking the surgery, it could stop the infection, but the result is not the best. Not taking the surgery, worried medication wouldn't be able to control the infection to spare. It's a real hard call, especially at this moment. I couldn't find an answer, so I decided to wait, and asked my in-laws in America for suggestions.
My father-in-law came to Taiwan within 3 days, and mother and sister in-laws came within a week. Me and my sister-in-law think Mark may be too tired, didn't want to hang on anymore. This Chinese New Year wasn't easy for me at all. I kept asking god what I should do would be the best decision. Suddenly, the thought of taking him home came right to me. Maybe he had been in the hospital for too long.
One day, Mark got a little hole on his head, blood water came right out and colored the whole pillow to red. It was a very terrify moment. No one probably had ever seen that kind of scene. Doctors and nurses thought the situation was very critical, and Mark may be in danger in any time. Mark had fever everyday, slept on ice-pillow nonstop for days. It was cold out, so as in ICU. Doctor got all the blood water out of his head. Strangely Mark stop having fever, and his infection rate reduced from 207 to 27. Generally 5 is the normal infection rate. It was a miracle, even Dr. Hsu said so. But I still want to bring Mark home.
Mark's test report will come out this week, if the infection stop, he can stop using anti-biotics. And we are ready to bring Mark home.
I think Mark has been in the hospital for over a year now, it's enough, time to go home".[/i]
If you believe God is telling you take him home, and you have faith and trust God, then do it. God is in control and this will work out. I will keep you in my prayers.
We had some good news to tell you folks earlier, however, the good news didn’t last for long. Mark went back to Chang Gung hospital one week after he returned home.
Mark went home last Wednesday (3/12), he looked good and was alert. Started Wednesday (3/19), fever came up, rushed back to the hospital at 12 midnight. Doctors came out with a report said it might be meningitis and may be critical. Mark’s now in the infection department (the pink building)13K10, may move to another room later.
I had held that I would not have to post again in this thread.
Yet, even those negative creeps such as I, have to feel the flood.
Ma Ke is back in ICU. It don't look good. The family is remaining solid, yet there's a sorrowful tinge of realism.
This may be the last stand.
My own negligent soul is praying for him.
I'll be up there soon, to get his blessings for the Peacefest in Longtan.
He always knew, and still does, what the score actually meant, and means. He's been fighting for so damn long......
All I can say is:
Keep on keeping on, big buddy, and don't give in, yet.
[i]"I still gotta a long way to go."[/i]
I saw Mark last Friday, and not much as been reported as there has been much ebb and flow to get him essentially right back to where he was. It pretty much goes like this:
He sees some improvement.
He gets an infection.
He gets sick.
He recovers
He sees some improvement.
He gets an infection.
He gets sick.
…You get the picture.
One thing that is going in only one direction is his weight…He is incredibly thin. I hadn’t seen him for a few weeks, and the difference was remarkable. Keep in mind though, it’s been how long now? 22 months?
Through it all, he’s still fighting, which is pretty amazing in itself. The piece of skull that was replaced a few months ago once more had to be removed due to infection. He’s gone through innumerable surgeries, anyone of which could have killed him, yet he plows through pneumonia, infections, fevers and god knows what else.
I’m not really sure what else to report, except to say that he’s hanging in there despite all odds to the contrary.