Happy Days are here again!

Hello All!

Just an update. I have successfully completed my ramp up of Lamictal for my mood swings, and I am currently at 150mg/day.  I have had great success with it with NO side effects (as of yet...knock on wood), and find it to be a wonderful addition to my Lexapro regimen.

Also in addition to my ditripan (oxybutrin for urinary urgency/incontinence), I was put on avadart to help. I have currently been on it for a month, and my day to day urgency issues have eased but I am still struggling with night time incontinence. Not only is it embarrassing, but it also disrupts my sleep and prevents me quality sleep that i need to function with.

As of tomorrow at 6:00pm we will be on the road for our annual trip to the coast of North Carolina (we live in New York). Normally we go to the Nags Head on the Outer Banks,NC every year, but this year we are trying something different and going further down the coast and staying on Topsail Island, North Carolina which is a small island about 1/2 mile wide and 26 miles long off the southern coast near Wilmington,NC. Our friends and their 1 year old daughter are joining us and we've rented a 5 bedroom Oceanfront house.

2009 has not been that great of a year for me considering the "mono"  and major flare up that affected my ability to walk (fortunately it returned after a round of prednisone). My Ms diagnosis, family health problems, financial hardship due to cost of healthcare and numerous co pays for meds, mri, tests, ER visits and office visits. Also we lost a close dear friend to a tragic motorcycle accident on July 3rd. With that being said I am really really REALLY looking forward to this trip and the TOTAL relaxation it will provide!

In the meantime if you want you can look at my previous years ocean sunrise photos as well as a collection of some of my other photographs, I have created a web page gallery to share them. The address is

http://s2hphotography.smugmug.com

Also upon return I will be expanding and updating my gallery of photos as well as adding this years sunrise photos.

Until my return I wish you all health, happiness, and answers to your questions. I will be back on the forum October 11 or 12.

Thanks you from a *newbie* for accepting me as a family member of this forum and the ability to see I AM NOT ALONE!

Health and Hapiness
~Scottie

[essdipity]

Have a wonderful vacation! North Carolina beaches are lovely in the fall. Warm sunny days and chilly nights. I hope your rental house has a fireplace--that makes it extra nice.

You have an extremely long ride from WAY upstate NY, so I hope you'll be taking it in stages.

Enjoy yourself and take photos of more glorious sunrises over the Atlantic.

ess

[Lulu54]

Hey Scottie, since you have 5 bedrooms, are any of them empty?  I could use a break! LOL

Seriously, please take a moment and watch a sunrise for me.  I don't like early mornings, but that moment of the sun breaking over the horizon and beginning everything new again for us is certainly special.

Enjoy your break and don't forget to come back to us.

be well, Lulu

[Nancy_LA_MA]

I was thinking the same thing as Lulu.  :-)  

On two different summer vacations we drove down from New England to Holden Beach NC (also a very small island out from Wilmington) with our two teenagers, while my in-laws drove up from Louisiana to meet us there (once with cousins from LA & once with a friend from here).  

Love that area - though, since I'm the least of the beach goers (can't do a lot of it), I do find myself at loose ends, wanting to go out to a bookstore or antiques store or flea market or crafts store - and there are None to be found within driving distance once going off-island.  I can spend only so much time reading or watching television - plus, there are no radio stations I enjoy.  

All that said, I'd definitely go back - taking plenty music CDs & movie DVDs - & some sort of handwork or crafts with me.  I'd most like to have computer access, but doubt it could be arranged.  

Glad you're looking forward to this trip so - have a Great Time!!  

[Ufrustrated2]

you and family have fun! love the area there, though it has been a few years since i've had my toes in the sand there. good memories of diving off the coast from the outer banks and hanging about hatteras.

happy you and your meds are agreeing with each other. a great place to be when those things come together and work well, huh!

looking forward to viewing some of your pictures.

cya about here when ya return

[poker247]

Thanks all for the well wishes! The drive is a 13 hour drive for us. We can't check in until 3pm Saturday, but we are leaving today. The couple that is going with us have a 1 year old daughter, so between my MS and their baby there will be no *rocket run*.We are driving 6 hours today and staying at a hotel. Then tomorrow morning we will take our time, eat breakfast and then drive the remaining 7 hours

Nancy, the house we rented comes with WI-Fi access and we purchased a netbook 2 months ago so I will be able to sit on one of the 2 decks, watch the ocean, and surf the internet :) Even though it is a small island with not many attractions, I am perfectly content just relaxing on the beach and watching the ocean. Also some of our friends live 45 minutes away so we will be doing stuff with them as well as a day trip to Myrtle Beach(2 hours away) for the Ripleys Aquarium and Medieval Times Dinner Theatre. As long as I am NOT in New York, NOT at work.... it could rain and be cold the whole week and I would STILL be happy! :)

The forecast states it should be in the upper 70's low 80's, low humidity, with overnight lows between 56 and 64 degrees. :) I can't wait considering it is FREEZING here in New York! I almost turned the heat on Wednesday night!

We return next Saturday and I don't have to go back to work until Tuesday, so I have 2 full days to recoup from the drive.

Bye for now
~Scottie

[poker247]

Had a very relaxing first night on Saturday with our friends from Wilmington coming out to the island to visit. I have wi-fi access but it can be spotty at times. I also forgot my photo software so I could edit and crop my photos. Other than that lots of relaxation!


[img]http://i662.photobucket.com/albums/uu342/scottaearl/moon1.jpg[/img]


Be well
~Scottie

[Janette2836]

Scottie,
How wonderful for you to be able to get away & relax a bit!  Enjoy those sunsets for us  :)  Can't wait to see the pics when you return.

Janette

[Lulu54]

Isn't wifi wonderful?  We can stay in touch and still be away.  I hope you put the computer down and go take a walk on the beach for all of us stuck at our desks working.

enjoy!
Lulu

[poker247]

Yes I have spent alot of time strolling the beach! It has been cloudy the past 2 days and Monday was a complete washout, but the ocean is still there and I had plenty of time for naps!

Today will be 81 and partly sunny. Its still a little more than an hour before sunrise, and the cloud cover is not as thick so I should be able to get some decent shots.

The past 2 mornings have been too cloudy for sunrise pics, and I guess Sunday mornings sunrise was beautiful, but I was so exhausted by the 16 hour trip I slept in and missed it :(

[poker247]

Morning All!

I am back from vacation and well rested! I had a great time Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday ended up being beautiful days.

Saturday when we left the Island it was 83 degree with 90% humidity, When we got home to New york it was 38 degrees BRRRRRrrr with my yard full of leaves :o(

I never knew how much of my symptoms were related to work and stress, until I had 12 days off! I was almost symptom free and no fatigue the entire vacation! :)

I have edited some of my photos and posted them at this link if anyone is interested

http://s754.photobucket.com/albums/xx184/S2HPhotographicMemories/

~Scottie