The Life, Death & Resurrection of Mark Anderson

[Rich Klein]

Mark:

You are always welcome at my shows. You can set up and pay tables only if you make enough to cover them. We can get you help to get the items in and out as well. I always have room for you.

Rich

I did that at the last Adat show (with permission from the board when I explained the circumstance of why) and just as an FYI -- that person whom I did that for was the very first person to pay his table fees. And since that man had not worked in six months, we were giving him a hand to help him get back on his feet. I'm glad to say that worked. I know it sounds unorthodox (and I'm far from perfect) but sometimes the right thing to do is the right thing to do.

[Jobu]

Damn Mark, that is quite a journey. I am sorry that you had to go through all of that but glad to be able to read this post because that means you are here to write it. I hope that you continue to get stronger and make a full recovery.

[Ronnie73]

Sorry to hear about your ruff year Mark. All I can say is to try and stay as mentally strong as possible. That's the only thing that helps me. As far as hospitals go, you and your family need to try and educate yourselves as much as possible. Every trip to the emergency room or a hospital stay for me always ends with complications due to nurses and doctors just either not being fully educated, caring, or just being over worked. I've tried to explain to them that the rules in the medical book don't always apply to everyone. You really need to learn your body. I haven't had to deal with cancer yet myself but it is a definite thing for me in the future. I was born with Crohn's Disease which is an intestinal and stomach disorder. Spending years at a time in the hospital as a kid and being on so many different medications over the years, I've now developed other health issues over the past 20 years from the medication side effects. I'm now 44 years old and still sick every day. When medications stop working, you mentally have to stay strong and fight the issue to the end. We all at some point fall ill and at that point its a matter of making the best of the situation. Stay strong Mark, and everyone else on this message board, stay strong too.

[h2oya311]

OMG Mark -

I was just wondering a few days ago what ever happened to you (I think I was thinking about Santa Claus / Secret Santa or something along those lines)! This is horrible news (but I'm happy to hear you're still with us). I am so terribly sorry for you, your wife, and your daughter. This must be incredibly tough for them.

Posts like this make me think long and hard about life and what would happen should I pass. I am 40 and have a wife, 4-year old son, and 1-year old daughter. I can't imagine leaving them behind. I have spent the past three weeks seriously considering a complete sale of my collection, and a post like this makes me think I should make the move sooner rather than later.

You and I have done many deals together in the past. I can vouch for Mark if someone is looking to get a deal done with him for his collection.

All the best to you and your family on this extremely difficult journey. I hope you kick cancer's a$$ and make a full, speedy recovery! Either way, Mark, you are in my thoughts and prayers!

Regards,
Derek

[Orioles1954]

Originally Posted by h2oya311

OMG Mark -

I was just wondering a few days ago what ever happened to you (I think I was thinking about Santa Claus / Secret Santa or something along those lines)! This is horrible news (but I'm happy to hear you're still with us). I am so terribly sorry for you, your wife, and your daughter. This must be incredibly tough for them.

Posts like this make me think long and hard about life and what would happen should I pass. I am 40 and have a wife, 4-year old son, and 1-year old daughter. I can't imagine leaving them behind. I have spent the past three weeks seriously considering a complete sale of my collection, and a post like this makes me think I should make the move sooner rather than later.

You and I have done many deals together in the past. I can vouch for Mark if someone is looking to get a deal done with him for his collection.

All the best to you and your family on this extremely difficult journey. I hope you kick cancer's a$$ and make a full, speedy recovery! Either way, Mark, you are in my thoughts and prayers!

Regards,
Derek

I sold my collection (other than one sentimental item worth less than $500) and was constantly told I would regret it after 30+ years in the hobby. I have not, do not and probably will not. I do open packs of modern shiny cards with my young children and that is incredibly fun!

[glchen]

Hi Mark, really sorry to hear about your awful health issues. Hope you get better soon, and wish you the best.

[KCRfan1]

Mark,

I had 6 rounds of chemo, 1 every 3 weeks. I did not have any energy, and lots of fatigue.

However, post chemo, I slowly regained energy and strength. While I did have a major set back from the chemo, it put a hole in my intestine, you and I have had different cancers and treatments. Frankly, time has been my ally when it comes to healing in all areas from what I went thru. My obstacle is memory loss, or chemo brain. A lot of things I just do not remember as a side effect of chemo. Maybe my memory returns, maybe it doesn't, but time will tell.

I dealt with a stage 4 lymphoma and resulting blood clots along with every major complication including the above, but nothing close to what you have went thru.

[GehrigFan]

Derek, I am so glad you are still active on here! I still think about the awesomeness of the "Secret Santa" cards you gave me! They are still in my collection!!!

Originally Posted by h2oya311

OMG Mark -

I was just wondering a few days ago what ever happened to you (I think I was thinking about Santa Claus / Secret Santa or something along those lines)! This is horrible news (but I'm happy to hear you're still with us). I am so terribly sorry for you, your wife, and your daughter. This must be incredibly tough for them.

Posts like this make me think long and hard about life and what would happen should I pass. I am 40 and have a wife, 4-year old son, and 1-year old daughter. I can't imagine leaving them behind. I have spent the past three weeks seriously considering a complete sale of my collection, and a post like this makes me think I should make the move sooner rather than later.

You and I have done many deals together in the past. I can vouch for Mark if someone is looking to get a deal done with him for his collection.

All the best to you and your family on this extremely difficult journey. I hope you kick cancer's a$$ and make a full, speedy recovery! Either way, Mark, you are in my thoughts and prayers!

Regards,
Derek

[JEFFV96MASTERS]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

Mark:

You are always welcome at my shows. You can set up and pay tables only if you make enough to cover them. We can get you help to get the items in and out as well. I always have room for you.

Rich

I was alerted to Mark's post by several hobby friends and glad they did so.

Rich = You can send me a PayPal invoice at my jeff.verrier@gmail.com PayPal address and I'll personally pay Mark's table fees for any upcoming show he chooses your running.

Considering the friendship we developed while he was the director of BGS grading = I'll handle any expense he incurs table wise. He did me enough favors over the years to warrant me returning any favor he needs back.

I was wondering why the silence. Guess now I know.

Rich send me your mailing address again I have another batch of items to mail for the kids freebies at the shows ( tons of game used/autos).

I'll also donate some unopened Beckett Price Guides ( the big ones) for raffle prizes. Just shoot over the address please again so I don't have to dig it up.

Jeff

[Rich Klein]

Jeff:

Email sent. Thank you as always for all your help!

Rich

[Leon]

Originally Posted by JEFFV96MASTERS

I was alerted to Mark's post by several hobby friends and glad they did so.

Rich = You can send me a PayPal invoice at my jeff.verrier@gmail.com PayPal address and I'll personally pay Mark's table fees for any upcoming show he chooses your running.

Considering the friendship we developed while he was the director of BGS grading = I'll handle any expense he incurs table wise. He did me enough favors over the years to warrant me returning any favor he needs back.

I was wondering why the silence. Guess now I know.

Rich send me your mailing address again I have another batch of items to mail for the kids freebies at the shows ( tons of game used/autos).

I'll also donate some unopened Beckett Price Guides ( the big ones) for raffle prizes. Just shoot over the address please again so I don't have to dig it up.

Jeff

That is overwhelmingly nice of you. Good karma will come your way....thanks for helping a good hobby friend out...

[GehrigFan]

I am so sorry, I replied to all of this two days ago but it doesn't seem to have worked.

I just wanted to thank all of you for the amazing help and concern. You are a wonderful group.

I would normally take time to reply to all of you, but I'm afraid the "brain fatigue" or "chemotherapy fatigue" plus DVT's are absolutely killing me. As in... God had me feeling so great around Sept. 1st, then I did the final chemo, and 2 weeks afterwards I have truly wanted the Lord to take me home. I can barely walk, can't sleep, have no desire to do anything (or any energy), and there is basically no cure. Some people take a few months; others a few years. I continue to pray God will bring me healing faster than usual, and I hope to then be able to reply to all of you.

Many blessings to every one of you!
Mark

[Rich Klein]

Not the best thing I ever wrote, but still., better to let someone know when they are still above the ground

http://www.radicards.com/richs-rambl...-2017-national

Rich

[GehrigFan]

Again, not a message to say I suddenly feel any better. Still praying throughout every day that God will heal me. But I do have to admit that I am kind of finding that when I spend 24 hours sitting in a hotel bed, it sucks beyond anything... but when people ask me to do something (granted, that means sitting in a couch, eating out, other simple things, etc.), while I feel like a useless, horrible person, it does help me feel a little better.

I have a couple of appointments tomorrow (Monday), but might be free Tuesday or Wednesday. Would love to see anyone who wants to and understands I am 90% vegetable at this point!

Still waiting for my cards to be able to get that side going, too.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by GehrigFan

Again, not a message to say I suddenly feel any better. Still praying throughout every day that God will heal me. But I do have to admit that I am kind of finding that when I spend 24 hours sitting in a hotel bed, it sucks beyond anything... but when people ask me to do something (granted, that means sitting in a couch, eating out, other simple things, etc.), while I feel like a useless, horrible person, it does help me feel a little better.

I have a couple of appointments tomorrow (Monday), but might be free Tuesday or Wednesday. Would love to see anyone who wants to and understands I am 90% vegetable at this point!

Still waiting for my cards to be able to get that side going, too.

Wish you the best of luck finding someone to hang out with. If I was closer I would love to talk to you. With you history in the hobby you have to have some awesome stories to share.

From personal experience with my dad. I drove him 5 days a week for 6 weeks of chemo and/or radiation treatments to the closest hospital 50 miles away. The last 2 weeks he could hardly make it to the car before falling asleep. It took him close to a year to get back to kinda normal. He said the same thing about hating to do anything at first because after a few minutes of anything he was so tired he would just fall asleep in the middle of stuff. Now that it was a few years ago he says how the little things at first really helped him regain his strength. Without it he would have just laid around and taken much longer to get better. I wish you the best Mark.

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

Mark:

You are always welcome at my shows. You can set up and pay tables only if you make enough to cover them. We can get you help to get the items in and out as well. I always have room for you.

Rich

I did that at the last Adat show (with permission from the board when I explained the circumstance of why) and just as an FYI -- that person whom I did that for was the very first person to pay his table fees. And since that man had not worked in six months, we were giving him a hand to help him get back on his feet. I'm glad to say that worked. I know it sounds unorthodox (and I'm far from perfect) but sometimes the right thing to do is the right thing to do.

Very generous of you, Rich.

[Rookiemonster]

I wanted to say stay strong but I don’t know if you can be any stronger then you already are. What a nightmare of a story. I wish you and your family the very best.