Now for something completely different

[Blackduck59]

@Mareblu Thanks for the weather report. It is lovely here. I haven't been to Butchart Gardens in several years. Right now the Tulips are up everywhere and are quite spectacular. The Magnolias are stunning and the Dogwood trees (Our provincial flower) are starting to show their spectacular displays. We are on the second group of ornamental flowering trees now. There are pink pompoms all over the place, when they start to drop it will look like a pink snowstorm. The Rhododendrons are starting to bloom and soon they will be putting on quite a show. We were going to try doing some photography at Government house today but there was something going on and the parking lot was full.

[valantine80]

20 hours ago, cruisine21 said:

How do you go getting cover for melonama with the Credit Card travel insurance?

I too have had two melanomas, 2010 and 2018, both early with no further treatment required. I don't need cover for it but on occasions when I have added it to past medical conditions, never sure whether that is necessary or not, it makes no difference to quoted cover cost with some companies and others will charge extra.

[Aus Traveller]

20 minutes ago, valantine80 said:

I too have had two melanomas, 2010 and 2018, both early with no further treatment required. I don't need cover for it but on occasions when I have added it to past medical conditions, never sure whether that is necessary or not, it makes no difference to quoted cover cost with some companies and others will charge extra.

I haven't thought about adding melanoma to past medical conditions, because as far as I am concerned, they are done and finished. I certainly haven't thought about asking for travel insurance cover for it. If another I became concerned about another possible melanoma while I was on a cruise, I wouldn't be doing anything about it until I got home anyway. That  happened in 2016 while we were on a six-week cruise.

Edited April 24, 2022 by Aus Traveller

[valantine80]

Maybe I over think things but the problem as I see it is if you get secondary spread and you never know if that may happen. Also some companies want to know everything and also anytime you may have been hospitalised even for day surgery which one of mine involved because of the need for skin graft. Am thinking will just ignore that in future.

[Aus Traveller]

4 minutes ago, valantine80 said:

Maybe I over think things but the problem as I see it is if you get secondary spread and you never know if that may happen. Also some companies want to know everything and also anytime you may have been hospitalised even for day surgery which one of mine involved because of the need for skin graft. Am thinking will just ignore that in future.

I haven't had an insurance question about hospitalisation for day surgery (four lots of day surgery for me). I have a check-up every three months. I don't think I am going to find secondary spread while I am on a short cruise. It is unlikely because my advanced melanoma was in 1995 and my latest one (0.38) was in 2016. Even on the last one I have passed the five year mark. My main risk now is new melanomas appearing. If I become suspicious about a spot (as I did in 2016) I will be at the doctor's surgery as soon as I get home.

[Mareblu]

8 minutes ago, valantine80 said:

Maybe I over think things but the problem as I see it is if you get secondary spread and you never know if that may happen. Also some companies want to know everything and also anytime you may have been hospitalised even for day surgery which one of mine involved because of the need for skin graft. Am thinking will just ignore that in future.

Once an "in situ" (top dermal layer only) melanoma is excised, it's gone.  They always go deeper and wider and longer.  The first one at base of my neck near shoulder was subsequently redone by a whizz of a Plastic Surgeon.  Impossible to see the line.  The second, on my back, my GP did, and it's quite neat apparently.  I can't see it so it doesn't bother me.  However, melanoma patients always need to be on the lookout for any further little friends appearing, so regular skin checks are essential.  I actually rang our travel insurance office, and they advised that it was unnecessary to list any such skin cancers that were totally removed.  Hope that helps.

[Mareblu]

1 hour ago, Blackduck59 said:

@Mareblu Thanks for the weather report. It is lovely here. I haven't been to Butchart Gardens in several years. Right now the Tulips are up everywhere and are quite spectacular. The Magnolias are stunning and the Dogwood trees (Our provincial flower) are starting to show their spectacular displays. We are on the second group of ornamental flowering trees now. There are pink pompoms all over the place, when they start to drop it will look like a pink snowstorm. The Rhododendrons are starting to bloom and soon they will be putting on quite a show. We were going to try doing some photography at Government house today but there was something going on and the parking lot was full.

Sounds like God's back yard🥰  I simply adore dogwoods, and hated having to leave some when we moved to our present home several years ago.  We have many magnolias, which are beautiful when they bloom (through two seasons, actually).  Rhododendrons put on such a wonderful show.  Some of the glens in the Scottish Highlands are lined with them, and the steep sides they line look like vertical carpets.  Sadly, they're considered a noxious weed there, and they have intense eradication programmes in place.  Enjoy your beautiful springtime.

[NSWP]

14 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

@Mareblu Thanks for the weather report. It is lovely here. I haven't been to Butchart Gardens in several years. Right now the Tulips are up everywhere and are quite spectacular. The Magnolias are stunning and the Dogwood trees (Our provincial flower) are starting to show their spectacular displays. We are on the second group of ornamental flowering trees now. There are pink pompoms all over the place, when they start to drop it will look like a pink snowstorm. The Rhododendrons are starting to bloom and soon they will be putting on quite a show. We were going to try doing some photography at Government house today but there was something going on and the parking lot was full.

I am not a garden lover, in fact I detest gardening and flora, but even I was impressed with Butchart Gardens back in 2006, post Alaskan Cruise.

[Blackduck59]

26 minutes ago, NSWP said:

I am not a garden lover, in fact I detest gardening and flora, but even I was impressed with Butchart Gardens back in 2006, post Alaskan Cruise.

I like looking at flowers and gardens, tending them is another matter. 

[onlyslightlymad]

16 hours ago, Mareblu said:

Once an "in situ" (top dermal layer only) melanoma is excised, it's gone.  They always go deeper and wider and longer.  The first one at base of my neck near shoulder was subsequently redone by a whizz of a Plastic Surgeon.  Impossible to see the line.  The second, on my back, my GP did, and it's quite neat apparently.  I can't see it so it doesn't bother me.  However, melanoma patients always need to be on the lookout for any further little friends appearing, so regular skin checks are essential.  I actually rang our travel insurance office, and they advised that it was unnecessary to list any such skin cancers that were totally removed.  Hope that helps.

Not always true, I'm afraid.  I had a melanoma removed in it's very early stages (0.4mm).  Five years later, Stage 4, was given three weeks to live.  Plainly I made it (very long story).  I know a lot more about melanoma now than I ever thought I would need to know.    Melanoma can occur anywhere in the body where there are skin cells, inside and out.  Hopefully, it will appear on the outside of the skin and be detected.  If it is removed in the early stages, there is a good chance (about 95%) that it won't have spread but there is a reason that the symbol for melanoma is a dandelion.  Those pesky weeds have a habit of seeding everywhere.

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, onlyslightlymad said:

Not always true, I'm afraid.  I had a melanoma removed in it's very early stages (0.4mm).  Five years later, Stage 4, was given three weeks to live.  Plainly I made it (very long story).  I know a lot more about melanoma now than I ever thought I would need to know.    Melanoma can occur anywhere in the body where there are skin cells, inside and out.  Hopefully, it will appear on the outside of the skin and be detected.  If it is removed in the early stages, there is a good chance (about 95%) that it won't have spread but there is a reason that the symbol for melanoma is a dandelion.  Those pesky weeds have a habit of seeding everywhere.

I'm so sorry your melanoma spread 😢 and glad you are now OK. I agree. I have learned much more about melanomas than I ever wanted to. Two of mine were around the depth you mention, one was only 0.1, but my first was 1.75mm. Doctors tell me that I am very, very lucky. I ask for three-monthly checks because if something is missed on one check-up, hopefully it will be caught on the next one. With six-monthly check-ups, it could be too long.

[NSWP]

11 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I'm so sorry your melanoma spread 😢 and glad you are now OK. I agree. I have learned much more about melanomas than I ever wanted to. Two of mine were around the depth you mention, one was only 0.1, but my first was 1.75mm. Doctors tell me that I am very, very lucky. I ask for three-monthly checks because if something is missed on one check-up, hopefully it will be caught on the next one. With six-monthly check-ups, it could be too long.

I go back to the Docs on Friday re my latest excision, not looking forward to diagnosis. .  Last time they took a chunk out of my arm arm and had to take 2 lots, lucky it was OK. Danger is going into the Lymph nodes, right?  I don't know a lot about these things and I don't not really want to know. My son reckons I am a dead man walking, lol.  He is about to land at LAX on QF17 on Albatros business.

Edited April 25, 2022 by NSWP

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, NSWP said:

I go back to the Docs on Friday re my latest excision, not looking forward to diagnosis. .  Last time they took a chunk out of my arm arm and had to take 2 lots, lucky it was OK. Danger is going into the Lymph nodes, right? 

Yes. The danger is that it will spread, but the lymph glands act as a filter. That is where the spread can be detected. (This is a non-medical explanation). With my first melanoma, I had an x-ray because they said that the lungs would be the first place it would spread to. I was in my late 40s and found it confronting to be told my odds of surviving. My children were teenagers or in their very early 20s.

 

I suggest you ask your doctor how deep the melanoma was. This is an indication of the long-term prognosis, but not a certainty. The melanoma 'Onlyslightlymad' had wasn't deep but it spread, when that would have been unlikely. There are no certainties with these nasties.

 

Keep up with the regular check-ups.💘

[OzKiwiJJ]

Also beware of Squamous Cell Carcinomas (SCCs). I developed one on my leg when I was on the Panama Canal cruise in 2018. I noticed it about a week after we boarded the ship in SF. it was just a tiny red spot which looked like an ingrown hair but wasn't. It wasn't itchy so I figured it wasn't an insect bite. It grew during the remainder of our trip and was about the size of a marble when we got home and I went to my doctor. Usually SCCs are slow growing but this one grew very quickly. I ended up having three surgeries on it, the last by a oncology plastic surgeon, before they were happy they'd taken enough margin out. They don't like doing radiotherapy on lower legs which is why I had to have more chopped out to be safe. So far so good.

[MMDown Under]

On 4/15/2022 at 7:41 AM, Blackduck59 said:

Well we have a much better sea state, things are much more pleasant. This ship is not really stable in even a moderate sea.

We abandoned eating in the "Restaurant" which is what they call the main dining room. At these prices people expect a fine dining experience. Perfectly prepared meals, plated to impress. In the one lunch and 2 dinners we had the plating was akin to Chuck's diner. Although the food was okay it was just chucked on the plate. The last time we ate there I ordered the "Rib eye steak" I had visions of a nice thick cut with heavy sear marks for the grill and an appropriate array of sides. What I got was a half inch thick chunk of meat looking rather grey with a slight hint of grill marks (anything more and the steak would be overcooked it was so thin)

After informing our TA, our customer service person on board and writing a very pointed note to the head of guest relations we actually have the 2 "guaranteed" meals in the Specialty Restaurants. 

We will be happy to get home on Saturday, I can do a much more impressive plate at home.

Cheers everyone Lyle & Lynn 

Sorry to hear Viking has been less than impressive Lyle.  I would have been so disappointed.  I hope you are going to give them constructive feedback from the top.  I shared a table with a Dutch cook and his Italian wife on a MSC cruise.  I ate well because they recommended what to request and the cook sent back meals which didn’t pass muster!  and MSC is not an expensive cruise line like Viking.  

[Blackduck59]

39 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Sorry to hear Viking has been less than impressive Lyle.  I would have been so disappointed.  I hope you are going to give them constructive feedback from the top.  I shared a table with a Dutch cook and his Italian wife on a MSC cruise.  I ate well because they recommended what to request and the cook sent back meals which didn’t pass muster!  and MSC is not an expensive cruise line like Viking.  

 

I filled out the survey they gave us, I tried to be fair and I'm also doubtful how much weight it will hold. I opened a thread on the Viking board called "unfortunately that's one and done for us" it seems I'm not alone with my displeasure of a recent Viking cruise.

Oh well moving along we think we will try Holland America for our New England and East Coast Canada cruise next year.

[Porky55]

4 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

I filled out the survey they gave us, I tried to be fair and I'm also doubtful how much weight it will hold. I opened a thread on the Viking board called "unfortunately that's one and done for us" it seems I'm not alone with my displeasure of a recent Viking cruise.

Oh well moving along we think we will try Holland America for our New England and East Coast Canada cruise next year.

A fan of HAL - had a wonderful cruise in 2016 on Koningsdam.
Would love a cruise on either Nieuw Statendam or Nieuw Amsterdam 😻 

[MicCanberra]

I really enjoyed my HAL cruise, 22 nights aboard the Zaandam

[Blackduck59]

1 hour ago, MicCanberra said:

I really enjoyed my HAL cruise, 22 nights aboard the Zaandam

Zaandam us the ship on the cruise we are looking at Mic. We are thinking about a Vista suite.

[MicCanberra]

6 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

Zaandam us the ship on the cruise we are looking at Mic. We are thinking about a Vista suite.

Sorry, it was the Maasdam not the Zaandam. 😀  We had an ocean view cabin for that. We do have a balcony for the Oosterdam cruise in 2024.

[Mareblu]

21 hours ago, onlyslightlymad said:

Not always true, I'm afraid.  I had a melanoma removed in it's very early stages (0.4mm).  Five years later, Stage 4, was given three weeks to live.  Plainly I made it (very long story).  I know a lot more about melanoma now than I ever thought I would need to know.    Melanoma can occur anywhere in the body where there are skin cells, inside and out.  Hopefully, it will appear on the outside of the skin and be detected.  If it is removed in the early stages, there is a good chance (about 95%) that it won't have spread but there is a reason that the symbol for melanoma is a dandelion.  Those pesky weeds have a habit of seeding everywhere.

That must have been a terrible time for you.  I should have been more specific about my experience:  I was extremely fortunate that there was no depth to measure.  When I said "they always go deeper and wider and longer", I was referring to the doctor removing the initial melanoma for immediate pathology testing, and not, in my case, the melanoma itself.  Both my GP and Specialist Surgeon said another couple of months would have resulted in a totally different scenario.  I'm so grateful I was spared further worry.  This has been my experience:  when the results are available, and if they are hopefully  "in situ" (no depth only sitting on the top dermal layer), patients wait two weeks for the initial wound to settle, and then you are given a choice (at least at my local family practice) to choose your same GP, or a Plastic Surgeon,  to perform the necessary and precautionary incision, which is more enlarged in depth, width, and length than the first.  It certainly doesn't mean other melanomas won't appear anywhere on the body, and in my case, a second one was detected during a scheduled skin check.  It was equally, thankfully, treated similarly and with the same result.   It is absolutely vital to schedule regular and frequent skin checks.     I'm surmising you were involoved in the relatively recent immunotherapy procedures, some of which have produced amazing results.  I'm so very glad your treatment resulted in obvious success.  

[NSWP]

8 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

Zaandam us the ship on the cruise we are looking at Mic. We are thinking about a Vista suite.

Lyle, HAL is good, only done one HAL cruise, mid 2019, on Noordam, Sydney to Honolulu then a week at Waikikki. Great trip.   What impressed me on HAL was the ambience, service, food, entertainment and pax stuck to dress codes, formal nights spot on with the Tuxedos and dark suits.

[Mareblu]

22 hours ago, NSWP said:

I go back to the Docs on Friday re my latest excision, not looking forward to diagnosis. .  Last time they took a chunk out of my arm arm and had to take 2 lots, lucky it was OK. Danger is going into the Lymph nodes, right?  I don't know a lot about these things and I don't not really want to know. My son reckons I am a dead man walking, lol.  He is about to land at LAX on QF17 on Albatros business.

Good luck for your Friday visit, Les.  I'm sure it will be like your last one, and okay.  They watch you closely after one find, so this one would have been detected early, I'm surmising.  Thinking of you.

[onlyslightlymad]

3 hours ago, Mareblu said:

That must have been a terrible time for you.  I should have been more specific about my experience:  I was extremely fortunate that there was no depth to measure.  When I said "they always go deeper and wider and longer", I was referring to the doctor removing the initial melanoma for immediate pathology testing, and not, in my case, the melanoma itself.  Both my GP and Specialist Surgeon said another couple of months would have resulted in a totally different scenario.  I'm so grateful I was spared further worry.  This has been my experience:  when the results are available, and if they are hopefully  "in situ" (no depth only sitting on the top dermal layer), patients wait two weeks for the initial wound to settle, and then you are given a choice (at least at my local family practice) to choose your same GP, or a Plastic Surgeon,  to perform the necessary and precautionary incision, which is more enlarged in depth, width, and length than the first.  It certainly doesn't mean other melanomas won't appear anywhere on the body, and in my case, a second one was detected during a scheduled skin check.  It was equally, thankfully, treated similarly and with the same result.   It is absolutely vital to schedule regular and frequent skin checks.     I'm surmising you were involoved in the relatively recent immunotherapy procedures, some of which have produced amazing results.  I'm so very glad your treatment resulted in obvious success.  

Yes, the Stage IV disease was in my abdomen.  No way of knowing if it came from the mole of my back or was independent of that.  I have met people who had melanoma appear as a lump in their breast or a tumour in their lung and never had a mole removed from the outside of their body.  It can appear anywhere not just on the outside.  That's why i prefer referring to the disease - melanoma - rather than the plural melanomas.  I had targeted gene therapy and immunotherapy and was a good candidate for both.  I was sent home from the hospital in an ambulance on a Friday to die.  My family were told i"d be dead by Monday.  Really long story.

[Aus Traveller]

2 minutes ago, onlyslightlymad said:

Yes, the Stage IV disease was in my abdomen.  No way of knowing if it came from the mole of my back or was independent of that.  I have met people who had melanoma appear as a lump in their breast or a tumour in their lung and never had a mole removed from the outside of their body.  It can appear anywhere not just on the outside.  That's why i prefer referring to the disease - melanoma - rather than the plural melanomas.  I had targeted gene therapy and immunotherapy and was a good candidate for both.  I was sent home from the hospital in an ambulance on a Friday to die.  My family were told i"d be dead by Monday.  Really long story.

What a story. 😢 I am so glad you beat the odds.💘