Grateful Journeys: Mark Cohen

At Adventist Health Central Coast, exceptional care often begins with listening. Mark Cohen’s experience is a powerful reminder that expertise, persistence, and collaboration can make all the difference, especially when answers are not immediately clear.

Mark retired from CBS in 2014 and made his home in Atascadero with his wife, Robin. During his career, he traveled across the United States and met people from around the world, covering sports, major events, game shows, and politics. But none of those experiences prepared him for the moment he was suddenly confronted with a serious medical condition of his own.

It was Labor Day weekend when Mark and Robin attended a friend’s barbecue. During the gathering, he began feeling pain in his leg and arm. At first, he tried to push through it. Over the next several days, however, the pain intensified. Soon, he found himself using his wife’s walker, barely able to make it down the hallway.

Knowing something was not right, Mark went to the Emergency Room at Adventist Health Twin Cities.

The attending physician, Dr. Oma Knox, ran several tests and X-rays but could not immediately determine the source of the discomfort. With no clear diagnosis at that stage, Mark was treated for pain, and other physicians were called in to help determine the cause of the symptoms.

Those physicians conducted further testing and carefully reviewed his imaging. Despite these evaluations, the source of his symptoms remained difficult to identify, and his condition continued to worsen.

With no relief and increasing pain, Mark strongly advocated for answers, convinced something serious was happening.

When Dr. Knox saw that his symptoms were persisting, she returned to his bedside determined to dig deeper. After additional testing and a thorough physical examination, she carefully pressed on the area causing him the most pain.

“That’s it,” Mark remembers saying. The pain was unmistakable.

Reviewing his symptoms, Dr. Knox began considering a rare possibility. When she printed a list of indicators for what she suspected, Mark recalls reading through them and realizing he checked nearly every box.

An MRI was ordered immediately, and collaboration with an Orthopedic Surgeon Dr Bengs and infectious disease specialist Dr. Holland began.

The results revealed a rare and aggressive bacterial infection deep within the internal muscles of his arm and leg, requiring urgent surgical intervention.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Bengs and infectious disease specialist Dr. Christopher Holland were quickly called to assess the severity of the situation. After consulting together and collaborating with physicians across the state, they met with Mark to explain the seriousness of his condition. The only path forward would require immediate surgery.

Dr Bengs shared that, “Mark underwent immediate surgery, requiring radical resection of the infected tissue, as well as a complex surgical dislocation of his hip.”

Over the next eight weeks, Mark underwent five surgeries, followed by intensive physical therapy. Throughout his hospitalization, Dr. Bengs and Dr. Holland continued to personally check in on him, closely monitoring his progress and adjusting his care plan as needed. Mark remembers how reassuring it was to see them regularly at his bedside, not just as physicians, but as steady presences throughout his recovery.

Dr. Holland remained closely involved, overseeing the complex antibiotic therapy required to eliminate the infection and coordinating care to ensure it did not spread further.

Mark reflected on how critical it was to receive care close to home.

“I cannot imagine having to go somewhere far away,” he said. “My wife does not drive anymore. Because I was here locally, friends and family could bring her to see me every single day. That kept both of us going.”

In the middle of a frightening and uncertain time, being surrounded by his community brought comfort and strength during the hardest days.

The recovery was slow and demanding. There were moments of exhaustion and uncertainty. But during those eight weeks, there was one thing Mark remembers looking forward to each day: the Los Angeles Dodgers and their historic run to win the World Series. Watching the games from his hospital room gave him something steady to anticipate, a sense of normalcy in the middle of a difficult season. It became a small but meaningful reminder that perseverance pays off.

Eight weeks later, Mark returned home to Atascadero.

Today, he remains deeply grateful that this level of expertise, collaboration, and advanced care was available right here in his own community. Being treated close to home meant his wife could remain by his side throughout his recovery.

“It’s hard to put into words,” Mark shared. “The teamwork, the determination to figure out what was wrong, the care from the nurses and doctors, it saved my life. And it happened right here.”