Originally Posted By Mr X Just to update, the U.S. Embassy Japan page continues to issue travel warnings to the following prefectures. ***U.S. citizens should defer non-essential travel to the following regions: Tokyo (Tokyo Capital Region), Yokohama (Kanagawa Prefecture), and the prefectures of Akita, Aomori, CHIBA, Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki, Iwate, Miyagi, Nagano, Niigata, Saitama, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Yamagata, and Yamanashi*** ***Areas of Japan outside these above regions of concern include: the islands of Hokkaido, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa, and the prefectures Aichi, Fukui, Gifu, Hiroshima, Hyogo, Ishikawa, Kyoto, Mie, Nara, Okayama, Osaka, Shiga, Shimane, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, and Yamaguchi on the island of Honshu. Travelers to these prefectures should bear in mind that transit through Narita (Chiba) and Haneda (Tokyo) airports may be required*** In addition... ***The situation regarding the Fukushima nuclear plant remains serious. We strongly encourage you to understand the facts about how to protect your family. Please see our website at <a href="http://japan.usembassy.gov" target="_blank">http://japan.usembassy.gov</a>*** <a href="http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-20110331-travel-warning.html" target="_blank">http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/a...ing.html</a> Just saying...many people on other Disney websites were cheering the fact that TDL will be opened up provisionally, and happy that they can take their vacations, but anyone traveling to Japan should keep aware of the ongoing risks going on here. Up to and including several major earthquakes in the past 2 days...and more to follow, most likely.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper We are having a little bit of a radiation discussion at our house right now. It seems that my wife is having some thyroid issues that will result in her having to swallow a radioactive pill that will kill the thyroid. The doctor is telling her that she will have to stay away from the children for three days immediately following the ingestion of this pill. Now, I don't claim to know much about radiation but if her swallowing that pill is such a cause for concern that she needs to stay away from our children for three days you can be darn sure I'd be concerned about traveling to these areas in Japan...and my little ones would be drinking the bottled water too, X. I can appreciate folks wanting to have some sense of a return to "normal". And, the reopening to TDL can certainly be a mental break...if nothing else. But I think the fact that the US News in particular has moved past the Japan story has sort of taken our collective eyes off of what is still a significant and serious issue.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***I can appreciate folks wanting to have some sense of a return to "normal". And, the reopening to TDL can certainly be a mental break...if nothing else*** Yes. And I can understand the people of the Tokyo area wanting to get "back to normal" as much as possible. And opening up Disneyland is a big part of that, really (despite the ongoing troubles even in Disney's host city of Urayasu). I do understand that the company is between a rock and a hard place in so many ways with this (now, they have to contend with some employees getting back to work, while there counterparts at DisneySea remain sidelined and receiving only a fraction of their pay). ***But I think the fact that the US News in particular has moved past the Japan story has sort of taken our collective eyes off of what is still a significant and serious issue*** I noticed this, and I continue posting and informing as much as I can because Japan is still in dire straits. The news cycle is such an interesting thing to observe. They latch on to any crisis with both fists and milk it for all they can, then when it gets "boring" they move on to the next thing. For the first few days, there was amazingly captivating and shocking reports about the dire situation in Japan. THEN, as the nuke plants started to blow up, they moved on to that (even though there were still countless tens of thousands suffering and dying in the northern regions). Then, the Lybia thing came up and they dropped it entirely.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***It seems that my wife is having some thyroid issues that will result in her having to swallow a radioactive pill that will kill the thyroid. The doctor is telling her that she will have to stay away from the children for three days immediately following the ingestion of this pill. Now, I don't claim to know much about radiation but if her swallowing that pill is such a cause for concern that she needs to stay away from our children for three days you can be darn sure I'd be concerned about traveling to these areas in Japan...and my little ones would be drinking the bottled water too, X*** First of all, I HOPE that your wife's condition will improve soon, and I'm sorry to read that you guys are going through that Wahoo! Secondly, I appreciate you sharing that info. It's important to be aware of such things (and particularly over here in Japan right now). Thank you for sharing an obviously worrisome situation with us, even though you didn't have to! Thirdly, yes I've read up on those iodine pills and they're none too healthy for people in otherwise good health. They can be lifesavers, though, for people in danger. And so, it's not as though everyone in Japan (or in the world for that matter) should suddenly up and swallow one of them. I'm trusting the international community enough to wait and see if such a thing might really be necessary (in your wifes' case, she has a medical need and should follow the docs' orders for sure! even if it's heartbreaking to have to stay away from the kids for a while (that, too, breaks my heart just reading about!). As far as the bottled water and frozen veggies are concerned, we are still keeping at "status quo" for a while. I don't know if we'll ever get an "all clear" message, but I'm not trusting the government assurances for now and I'm being extra careful. For the moment, that's all I can do really.
Originally Posted By Roger55 Thanks for the links. Very frustrating that the latest travel warning is from March 30. Why can't the embassy update more frequently than that? Wonder if it us because Clinton is visiting Japan this Sunday?
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< many people on other Disney websites were cheering the fact that TDL will be opened up provisionally, and happy that they can take their vacations, >>> <<< ***U.S. citizens should defer non-essential travel to the following regions: Tokyo (Tokyo Capital Region), >>> It says "non-essential" travel should be deferred - it doesn't address a Disney resort visit for a fanboy one way or the other.
Originally Posted By Malin The British Embassy has posted an update on its website today. There is no longer any restriction on travel to Tokyo. But it still advises against travel to areas north east of Tokyo most directly affected by the earthquake and the tsunami. I am sure other countries like the US will follow soon.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<We are having a little bit of a radiation discussion at our house right now. It seems that my wife is having some thyroid issues that will result in her having to swallow a radioactive pill that will kill the thyroid. The doctor is telling her that she will have to stay away from the children for three days immediately following the ingestion of this pill.>> All of my best to your wife and family, wahoo. I've been hypothyroid for two decades now (take both iodine and liothyronine each day), and our cat had the radioactive iodine treatment for his hyperthyroidism, caused by a tumor. We couldn't let him in the bedroom for several days, plus we had to dispose of his litter in a special container for two weeks. Yeah, that was fun. I felt terrible for the little guy. He wanted to crawl up in my lap while I was watching TV, but I couldn't let him. How do you explain to a cat that you'd rather not have your genitals glow in the dark? Hopefully, your kids will understand better than our cat did. 8^)
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<We are having a little bit of a radiation discussion at our house right now. It seems that my wife is having some thyroid issues that will result in her having to swallow a radioactive pill that will kill the thyroid.>> I'm not to that point yet, but I'm supposed to have a thyroid scan next week that will involve taking a radioactive pill. They've told me I should be careful not to touch my urine and to be sure to flush right away for several days afterward. I'm not real thrilled about the whole deal and may back out. I've already had three CT's and two X-rays in the past year... I'm not sure how much more radiation I want to deal with. It doesn't help much when the news stories tell about the radiation in Japan but then go on to say that the amount they would absorb in a years is less than what you would get in ONE CT. Just what I wanted to hear...
Originally Posted By Mr X ***They've told me I should be careful not to touch my urine*** Er...isn't that one of those "common sense" kinda things anyway?
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Er...isn't that one of those "common sense" kinda things anyway?>> You try not to, but splash-back can be a problem with urinals.... LOL Guess I'll be sitting and peeing like a girl for a few days.
Originally Posted By Mr X Radioactive splashback, eh? That's a new one! Good luck with your medical stuff RT, I hope it's not as serious as it sounds!
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Good luck with your medical stuff RT, I hope it's not as serious as it sounds!>> I'm sure it won't be too bad. I've been told in the past year that I have 50% kidney function and severe emphysema. Neither have slowed me down at bit. In fact the pulmonary rehab folks are amazed at how good my oxygen levels are. You just gotta keep going... they can't do anything to reverse that stuff anyway,
Originally Posted By Mr X lol. A personal weapon of mass destruction! RT, sounds like you are taking things in stride, and I'm glad to hear it! But do take good care of yourself, much like myself you're not as young as you used to be.
Originally Posted By paulyahoo ** Er...isn't that one of those "common sense" kinda things anyway? ** Normal urine is sterile and I suspect that radioactive one is even more so
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder In extreme situations such as combat or any other type of survival mode, urine can be used to clean wounds until other methods are available. Imagine what radioactive urine could do.
Originally Posted By DlandDug Radioactive urine? Sounds like a key item in a plot for a really icky sci-fi film.
Originally Posted By barboy2 ///Radioactive urine?/// The CIA should have went with that idea to 'de-Castro' Cuba in the early 1960's instead of lacing cigars with 'botox'.
Originally Posted By barboy2 ///urine can be used to clean wounds until other methods are available./// Good to know----thanks for the tip. Reminds me of a scene in Ben Stiller's movie "Heartbreak Kid": While honeymooning in Cabo Ben's new wife drops her bikini bottom and pees on him to save him from jellyfish stings.
