OK - that has to remind me of the joke about the little old lady who asked her Dr. about the best way to commit suicide.  He told her to shoot herself 2" below her breast and she came back with a hole in her kneecap. Sorry - just had to do that!

Sigh - I guess if I had "girls" as perky and pretty as hers are, I’d want to show them off too!

Sheila said it the bestest - Bravo!

Yes Victoria - I too remember the glorious days of train travel - my father was a minister and we traveled a lot for his work. All the conductors treated me like a princess and nothing was better than getting to eat in the dining car, watching the world fly by! I’d go back to that time in my life in a heartbeat!

You are the first th ing I want to read in the mornings, and all throughout the day whenever you appear. You bring much joy, wittiness, great fun and above all integrity to your work and to my life! Long may you write!! Happiest of birthdays and many many more! (or as my daddy would say “happy hatch day”). I LOVE Candice’s idea of a National Holiday for you!

I don’t have to write a thing - you said it all perfectly! Her brains, her humor and her enjoyment of her job is pure joy to watch!

My first thought was “who the hell cares”, then I realized how cruel this is to her and to all the rest of us who are attempting to look that good and be healthy on top of it!! The whole Hollywood-body thing is out of control as far as I’m concerned - my darling boyfriend says he’d disown me if I EVER looked like one of those “stick-women”!!

Thanks for the info - and I certainly know what you mean about “mainstream doctors” etc - I’ve worked for and with them for almost 50 yrs and there are very very FEW of them that I trust! Too many of them are in the pockets of the big pharmacutical companies - and push the latest drug that the last detail man has left samples of on their desk! I’m fairly new to AZ so will spend some time researching what’s available in my area .

To your knowledge - is the oral chelation as satisfactory as the IV type? I’ve taken oral for some time now - but can’t find anyone (in the medical field anyhow) who knows anything about it or the diference in type. Thanks.

Just in time for the festivities next week!

At least I didn’t invest in Madoff - so I guess that’s one disillusionment I don’t have to worry about!

Dear Joan - Being of a “certain” age - I grew up with books by the gross (started reading at age 4) and have never and will never stop - no matter what comes along!!! Still read newspapers, two a day to be exact (can’t keep up with Ms Liz!!) a couple books a week and many magazines - plus the backs of cereal boxes if nothing else is available. Nothing - and I mean NOTHING will ever take the place of reading in my life - or my children’s for that matter! Their homes are littered with books everywhere - including the infamous “reading room” and I’m thrilled that I was the one who instilled that joy in them when they were very little. I confess I enjoy my web browsing and my wowOwow and The Daily Beast and all other forms of information, communication with friends and even playing games now and then! But nothing - nothing - will ever take the place of a good book - be it novel, historical, political, biographical or humor! So for now - and as long as the eyes hold out (then I guess audio-books will take over) the written word remains my best friend. I’m NEVER alone!!

Thanks for the thoughts Becky - I drink maybe 2-3 cups a WEEK - sometimes not even that. So it’s probably not a caffiene thing - although I’d gladly give all of it up if I thought it was. I’ll quit for a couple weeks and see if that helps - but I have NO headaches, and only sensitivity around and into one breast and from the armpit down on the other side. The two weeks of Valtrex has seemed to help, but it sure isn’t completely gone yet.

No - no more than usual. I do quite a few upper body exercises - but have been doing that for a long time so that’s not new. And this is a weird pain that goes “into” the breast and the nipple area. A few years ago a Dr. called it herpatic neuropathy, prescribed Valtrex and it went away. Have taken Valtrex for two weeks this time, and so far no relief. May just have to go on another series. Thanks for your input - had to have the mammo just to be safe - and thankfully it and the ultra-sound were negative.

Having just had one of these joyous experiences (due to pain in the breast and down my side froom my armpit doen) I can sympathize fully with all the above article!!! My only complaint is the oft-heard “if they can send a man to the moon, why can’t they make a mammogram that doesn’t squeeze you into a size AAA-?” Thankfully, (again!) mine was clear and normal - but the pain hasn’t gone away and noone seems to have an explanation. Ah yes, the joys of medicine.