Sorry for the misspelling -- it's MaureenB! :">

Great advice folks. Just what I was looking for.

My doctor has asked me to walk at least once every hour when on the plane - so this rules out the possibility of sleeping even if there are empty seats available in economy.
Other than that, I have been asked to stay away from non pasteurized cheese and stick to bottled water. I guess they did not have to worry about the meats since I am a vegetarian. They also advised me to carry a copy of my medical chart/history. I tried to talk to my doc about whether cheese that had been baked/heated (e.g. on a pizza) would be ok but he insisted that it still had to be pasteurized. Going by that, I guess I better keep some Italian phrases handy. For me, some of the best 'tastes' of Europe come from the little cafes and pastry shops on the streets so I think I will feel a little out of place asking in every cafe if the cheese is pasteurized. As mentioned earlier, usually I am a pretty go with the flow person. But .... whatever it takes. And yes, I am very excited about this trip. Our last one alone before life changes.

I cannot thank you all enough. You folks are the best.