I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

Wabbit

Welcome home Rosemary!  Glad you had a good time ... now I hope you have time to rest and recover for a day or two.  Maybe a trip to Australia in your future?  That would be cool.

Anne ... yes, the 'tasks' and the 'research' was my thing too.  It was all in the planning and preparation for each step ... focus on the practical works for some of us.  Hope all goes well for your friend.  I'm sure it helps greatly that she has you to talk to.

lassie ... I don't have arthritis but was feeling some knee glitches from the Femara.  It has 90% gone away after I quit taking it so there is hope. 

   

gardengumby

Chickadee - you'll love your cruise.  Many moons ago I worked for a cruise line and got addicted.   We try to go on a cruise every 3rd year or so.  My husband, who thought he'd hate 'em, actually likes them better than I do now.  I like going to one island and staying to soak in some of the culture - but he likes the feeling of safe eating.  His tummy gets touchy, so he isn't too keen on eating local. 

On one of our cruises to the Caribbean we couldn't get to one of the ports we were scheduled for, so spent two days in Cozumel.  My husband some 10 years after we were married purchased my emerald "engagement" ring there.    We spend most of our "island" days finding cool beaches with a little shopping in the morning (before it gets hot).  I remember one beach on Cozumel where there was a monkey that would steal anything that wasn't nailed down . 

WhiteRabbit - how long have you been off Femara?  and how long did you take it?  I've got some extreme hip pain and I believe it's from Femara.

Wabbit

Never been on a cruise but probably should huh?  It's the water thing with me.  Can't swim and am nervous when surrounded by too much water.  Maybe someday ... I know hubby would like to.

I took Femara for 4 1/2 years.  First 4 years no side effects at all.  Then the joint issue started up pretty quickly and I bailed about a year ago.  Disclaimer:  Not advising that for anybody else.  I took the risk based on the fact that I was lucky enough to have what gave all signs of being a 'lazy' tumor, had gone through menopause about 6 years before breast cancer and was close to being done with it anyway.  I believe the AIs do what they are intended to do very well and would never discourage anybody from taking them. 

Little side note.  I was having back and hip pain at one point and you know how that is ... we naturally jump to bad conclusions ... it's either the drugs or mets.  Then hubby mentioned same problem.  We were both 'cured' by a new computer chair.  Just saying don't forget to look at other possible causes also.

Going to break the 100 degree mark again here today.  I'm ready for winter!  Bring on the snow even! 

    

pupmom

We took our two daughters on a Caribbean cruise when they were 12 and 17. Everybody had a total blast! I highly recommend cruises for great family fun. 

RetiredLibby

WR, I can't swim either.  I positively LOATHE the water.  You are very far away from the water on a cruise ship -- you are actually in a building that just happens to drive you around to different countries.  I highly recommend cruises!

L

alexandria58

My DH and I are not cruise types.  We are planning/hoping to go to Paris in the fall to celebrate mutual bid b-days- 65 for him, 60 for me.

gardengumby

WR - yeah, I know that it's awfully easy to assume that it's the drugs (or worse).  I know that it's possible that it's a back problem, as I have a herniated disk, and the pain for the most part comes in spasms.  That said, I don't want to go to a surgeon, as I am sooooo not interested in any more surgery for the forseeable future.  The supplements I've been taking seem to help (I forgot to take them one day and had a REALLY bad day), so I'm keeping a somewhat open mind, but tending toward SE's...

HL and WR - I'm sorry you don't like water - I feel like I was probably a seal (or maybe a fish) in a former life.  It's not that I swim that well (or that much) anymore, but I could spend hours on hours floating in it.  It's so restful.

suzieq60

Alexandria - I went to Paris for the first time last year - I totally loved it!!! Yearn for it nearly every day especially the patisserie.

1Athena1

I don't relish the idea of cruises because I am too FAR from the water. I love small, fast boats. Even sailing bores me, I am embarrassed to say. Either a speedboat or a simple raft for me. I would love to learn to surf one of these years.

Knee replacement surgery....hmmm. I am very pro-surgery when it's an option, but for certain procedures I would really shop around for the very best in the field. Knee replacements are one of those things that are performed every day with too many success stories to count, but where things can go wrong too. My inclination in a case like this would be to get the doctor I feel most comfortable with, then go from there. It may be that you can try a plan A before a plan B.

I don't think surgery is half as invasive as some of our cancer treatments. What Tamoxifen and Lupron did to me not even Chenghis Khan could have accomplished. I consider BMX without reconstruction to be minor surgery and my TE and implant surgeries were nothing. However, some reconstructive procedures are quite major. My heart surgery was major but it had far less of an effect on me than some medications. (Besides, if you die, it's in your sleep. :-) )

But surgery that demands a lot of recover and physiotherapy also, IMO, depends on the patient. The patient has to do a lot of work and you should only undertake it if it seems like a good fit AND if you have faith in the medical wisdom of the thing.

Babbling away....

I think I am getting used to the heat, incredibly enough. I still hate it, but it won't ruin my whole day.

Wabbit

I am cracking up here.  Hubby just got the granddaddy of all junk mail.  An 8 page letter ... all about how he has been selected to become a member of some secret society and learn its 'secrets' to wealth, power and well anything his heart desires now that these rich and famous people (who can't be named of course) are inviting him into their group.  And OMG he will even be able to win at gambling!  He's invited because they checked him out and found him worthy and the cosmos says this is the time for him to make his move (so reply fast).  Well written with fancier language - guess I'll have to give them that.  Signed by "John" ... no names again cause it wouldn't be secret if everybody knew who they were.  Casebook appeals to ego and greed are nothing unusual ... but 8 pages (smallish font, single spaced typing even) ... LOL.

I think I am going to use their envelope and send them something like this ... "Johnny, Johnny, Johnny you poor dear boy.  Let me give you some advice.  The people who are gullible enough to fall for this kind of rubbish will not read 8 pages.  What you need to do is use short sentences and a lot of CAPS and !!! instead."

   

Chickadee

Athena, you might love what are called Cove Balconies on the Carnival boats. They are on the second deck, have a bit of wall area and closest to the water. Stick your head out and I understand you get hit by the spray. I opted for much higher up but they do sound fun.

pupmom

Speaking of travel, DH and I are going to India in December! We'll be stationed in Delhi. Anybody ever been there and/or have some sight seeing tips? I know we will be touring the Taj Mahal.

1Athena1

Yorkie - how amazing. I.d love to go to India. My father aleays used to rave about it.

pupmom

Athena, I've also wanted to visit there for a long time. DH got an invitation to attend a conference there, so away we go!

Did your father visit or live there? 

RetiredLibby

Yorkiemom, I lived in Pakistan 1984-86, and my then-husband and I visited India several times. Of course you will want to go to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. If you have time, you may want to take the first-class train there and back and overnight there. You should also try to see what they call the "Baby Taj," which is a smaller but also very beautiful tomb/memorial. I forget to whom it is dedicated, but if you Google it, I am sure that will come up. In New Delhi, the Tibetan stalls had some really nifty handicrafts, but I heard they knocked them down and built nicer ones somewhere else. You should ask or Google them to see where they are. Connaught Circus (a shopping arcade) was pretty neat when I was there, but it has been 27 years which is a loooong time in a harsh climate. We took the overnight train across to Calcutta (the Consul General was a friend of mine), but you probably won't have time for that. Calcutta was beautiful and really interesting. OK, that's all I remember right now! Oh... And there are state handicraft stores where they have very nice works by Indian artisans ... Paintings, fabric art, jewelry, sculpture, etc -- at reasonable prices.



L

pupmom

HappyLibby, thank you soooo much! I'm copying all that info for our trip! 

QuinnCat

Yorkie - how exciting, India.  I was lucky enough to spend a few weeks in Bengal (Calcutta, or Kolkata)  and Bihar (Bodhgaya - one of the 4 sacred Buddha sites) in 1997 working for a non-profit.  One might venture to this side of India for historical and spiritual reasons, but it is not the star of India and the crime/poverty rate is highest in the state of Bihar.  I hear Old Delhi is just wonderful and I'm sure for all of the reasons that I found joyous in the parts of India I visited, but 100 fold.  

I have weird connections to this place.  My Aunt and Uncle (with their 4 children) were missionaires in Mumbai for 20 years. They would always bring us back trinkets at xmas time....100 carved ivory elephants all put in a bean capsule..the size of a bean! My mother was always inviting over India students from Cal for dinner (I don't know what program that was under).  My niece is getting her Phd in India Media (anthropology U of Chicago)  and just finished her field year in Delhi (she also started a website called bollywhat.com) and my gf was a Hindi major at UC Berkeley and spent years in India ....they all love Delhi!!!

My friend with the non-profit tells me that things have changed radically since our trip to Bihar. Modernization has ocurred. I guess outsourcing has helped India....  One cultural difference is there is no polite waiting in line!!  Scramble and crowd out the person who might get in front of you--that's the algorithm...though generally, for us,  it is just easier to wait until the locals get what they want. 

It is just fascinating and I'm so happy for anyone that gets to see this country....not to say some things are very shocking to see and experience too....the poverty, for one. 

GatorGal

Hi everyone,

Sorry I've been absent. Somehow this thread was inadvertently removed from my favorites and I thought it was strange that no one was writing. In my mind I figured you had all decided to boycott bco. Yeah, Chickadee, for boring scans. Happy Birthday, Athena (well, I'm 2 minutes late). Hope you had a great day and will celebrate the week away! Okay, Blue, hope you and I both have boring scans tomorrow. Will you get results right away? I see my onc a couple of hours after the scan so will get the word tomorrow. I'm still very tired from the chemo two weeks ago. Don't know if they'll do this or not, but if my counts are still low I'm going to ask if they can give me another neulasta shot! My BIL has had both hips replaced and did very well for both of them. He was fairly young when he had them so that probably makes a difference. I, for one, will avoid any surgery that is elective. Have had my share and don't want anymore, thank you, ma'am. A cruise sounds delightful, Chickadee. I love being in and around water. Meeting my Long Island cousin and his wife on Sunday in Atlantic City for a couple of days. That's my big whoop for July! Night all!

suzieq60

Bike ride No 2 over - it is actually 40 minutes, not half an hour. I went flat out and only stopped when I got there, had a drink of water and came straight back. I was hoping it would rain all day

Momine

Yorkie, very cool. I have never been to India, but am another one with India-crazy relatives. One of my cousins (in Denmark) converted to Hinduism, and my father has been there many, many times.



My parents always said to be careful about eating western foods like salads, because they may have been washed in unsafe water. They always stuck to local curry houses.

alexandria58

Good morning all.  Drinking my coffee quickly so I can get out.

SusieQ:  Good for you!!  You inspired me to get off the stationary bike and back on the trail, but it helped that the temps were perfect yesterday here in NJ.  Afraid it's back to the old stationary bike this afternoon - back up to 95 and humid.  

 Yorkie - What a wonderful trip! One of my bestfirends at Cravath, my old law firm, was an ethnic Indian, from London via Nigeria, but her sister moved there and she just loved visiting.  My favorite food style, too. And almost everything you eat will have turmeric in it - how healthy can you get? Wear your gold, if you have any.  Just watched a long thing on 60 minutes about how central gold is to image in India.

White Rabbit: LoL about the letter.  Not only con artists, but stupid con artists. 

 Glenna and Blue - I'm bored already, which has to be a good sign.  Hoping for more boredom to come.

I'm generally not interested in cruises.  I prefer to spend two weeks really getting to know a city or an area, but there's one exception.  There's a cruise in Alaska, which I've heard has the best views of the Alaskan mountains that I'd like to go on someday.

Well, off to Philly to visit the hand doctor to find out if I have arthritis, tendonitis, carpal tunnel or whatever.  My left hand around the thumb is quite painful, which does inhibit guitar playing, among other things.  On the good side, I'm up to page 239 in my YA novel.

pupmom

Kam, wow, you have so much info about India, and seem to have a long history with the country as well. I've got to start taking notes and making an India file. My daughter is a yoga instructor and is already "instructing" me to visit the holy sites. It will depend on how far they are from Delhi and if we have the time. But it sounds like we can find similar places right in Delhi.

Momine, I feel that my belief system, though officially called Christian, resembles Hinduism more. Main difference is my beliefs, don't embrace the idea of reincarnation, although acknowledge its existance within the dream. Will definitely remember that advice about the food. Sounds like Mexico.

Alexandria, Indian is probably my favorite food too. And yay for healthy as long as you don't use Ghee. For once I won't have to fight to get vegetarian food, like in China where they think pork is a vegetable (not kidding). 

Chickadee

Alexandria, see Alaska any way you can. We drove our RV there in 2000. Jaw dropping gorgeous all the way through British Col., the Yukon and then the circle around Alaska. Our friends who drove also had done the cruise and they said either way was fantastic. I'd love to do the cruise of the inner passageway. Calving glaciers, wow! Whales, wow!



Maybe I can do that cruise some day. Memo to self, add to bucket list.

1Athena1

Susie - congrats! How do you feel?

Yorkie - my father visited India several times as a young man on one of his trips around the world. I have always wanted to go, although the poverty there is awful and some of the contrasts in large cities like Mumbai are said to be heartbreaking. I don't think I'd like the overcrowding either. Traffic is said to be hell on wheels. But I would love to see the country. I have always been fascinated by India. Have a great time!

Glenna - Here's hoping you get a chemo break.

Bren-2007

Hi Friends!

I'm panicking ... I can't remember when Blue's scan is.  Is it tomorrow or today?

It's so dang hot today.  I've walked the dogs and mowed two of the fields.  That's enough for one day in this heat.

Libby ... You've had such an exciting life!  The furthest I've been from the U.S. is Mexico and Canada.

Chickadee ... I'm glad to hear your scan was stable.  Yay for good news.

Glenna ... When do you get your scan results?  I'm keeping you in my thoughts.

I need to get going and jump in the shower.  My mom is here visiting me and we have a bunch of stuff to do today.

hugs to all,

Bren

QuinnCat

Yorkie - I think there is one thing I would be remiss not mentioning about India, which can be a real downer.  The air. It makes for great sunsets, but if you spend too much time in the densely populated areas, especially in the back of a taxi, or driving without A/C, you might get headaches.  Most of the taxis, atleast in the 90's were old Internationals....kludged and glued together over the years.  No A/C that I recall. (btw, they will rip you off if you are foreigner...find out what the locals pay for a taxi and bargin before getting in, or send them on their way.  We would sometimes hire them for the day...back then 500 rupees worked for that...they wanted to charge us 900 rupees....they will just sit and wait for you from stop to stop.)  I was there in December and January, it is still warm enough on most days to want the window rolled down, atleast in Calcutta.  My friend brought a gas mask for me, but I think they really have to be properly fitted to work.  It won't be a problem out in the countryside (there is still smog, and bad comparative to any any thing we have in the US, or you can remember pre Clean Air Act), but it is extremely obnoxious on the roads of any city there.  I'm not sure if an N-95 mask will help or not.

riley702

Oh, those N-95 masks are so hot! I work in a hospital and have to get fit-tested every year to make sure I can move my head, talk, etc., without the mask leaking and letting in some germs.

Cross your fingers and toes for me. A lady is coming to see Lovey tomorrow morning! Hope she likes her and vice versa. 

pupmom

Yikes, Kam, that sounds ominous! Right now, being very unadverturous seniors, we're leaning toward canned bus tours, at least for part of our excursions. Although we usually don't like that type of touring, this might be a good time for it. We went across Scotland in a tour because DH was afraid of driving across that country (needing to be on the left side of the road made him nervous plus the rough terrain and limited road development).

Riley, soooo hoping Lovey gets the lovely home she deserves!! 

bluedahlia

Bone scan done.  Now we wait.  My GP is on holidays until the 20th.  I'm so tired. Nap time.

ETA - Just called the scan ppl and they will send a copy to my onc. so I don't have to wait until 20th. I see him the first week of August.  

QuinnCat

Yorkie - I do love India, but you are bringing up issues!!  Now remember, I haven't been there for 10+ years, and things have improved greatly in India and I was in the poorest of areas, but driving in India was problemmatic...narrow roads, dodging buses, motorcycles, put puts, but I can't tell you how white-knuckled I was in the backseat of any vehicle watching the buses coming head on and dodging us or vica versa.

Really, the only two ways to travel away from cities, in my book, again with my caveat above, is FIRST CLASS train or plane.  Plane doesn't have to be first class.  I only took Thai airways from Bangkok to Calcutta, so I can vouch for that airline.  Inter-India airline travel I cannot speak for.  Thai, flew in and flew out...no proper hangers for mechanics, etc.  The airport scared the begeezees out of me (though watching Amazing Race, things have improved).  Trains are great...on time, but you have to make reservations, definitely, to get FIRST CLASS.  We once rode Second Class. It is doable, but we found out "reserved seats" with a seat number mean nothing.  The toilet was a hole cut into the floor of the bottom of the train.  I was the only woman in my car and 2 Indian women had been raped on the train in Second Class that week (in the news and in Bihar...poverty, most crime in that state).  First Class is very controlled.  Criime did not seem to be a big deal at that time, nevertheless.  Once on the second class train, our seat for 3 has 6 people crowding in.  We had a former investment banker from NY turned Buddhist monk traveling with us (I think he still had the values of an Investment banker)...he got in to an argument with an Indian man about our "reserved seating."  My bf, a pacifist, tried to stop him from escalating things and he obviously picked on the one Indian that looked very westernized (by his clothing).  This was at a stop.  Soon we had a crowd of Indians surrounding us, inside and outside of the train.  That was the only time I felt very threatened in India, other than the occassional croach grab (yes, that happenned once or twice).

btw, Bodhgaya, Bihar, is where the Buddha sat in the cave for 7 years and the "river" in the Siddhartha story.  We had to walk across rice patty fields to get there and when we arrived, in the middle of nowhere, at this mountain sticking out of the river plain (a tributary of the Ganges?) a nice tourist bus of Japanese were arriving, so nice tourist buses do exist.  I never saw them otherwise, but I suppose if you are going to "tourist attractions" they are available.

I will add to what Momine said - be careful where you eat.  No street vendors of any kind. I made that mistake ONCE and got 100% failure rate.  Bring Cipro.  Though they have bottled water, it seems to be Indian generic and I wonder about that. Maybe they have more international brands now - stick to those.  I took some chances with foods in small cafes...didn't have a problem with those, but maybe a matter of time.  The Monk told us that he saw one of the Chai Tea vendors (they get on the train and say "Chai" "Chai" "Chai") get his water from a dirty water puddle.