A Little Vacation

Lobster Pot, Lobster Pound, Lobster Claw, Lobster Pit, Lobster Shack, Lobster Shanty, Lobster & Clam Bar, The Laughin' Lobstah.  These are names of real restaurants I passed while driving around Cape Cod on a little vacation this past week.  Being slightly warped I started collecting names of lobster places even though I hate lobster.  (I prefer my fish served without the legs and eyes still attached.)  I couldn't get over the sheer number of lobster joints down there.  You would think that is the only type of food available.

Before I went on vacation, I was really worried about crashing.  Crashing from the drive.  Crashing from the activity.  Crashing from the new sleeping accommodations   You name it, I was worrying about it.  Including worrying that hubs would have an awful time from taking me on a trip where I couldn't participate in activities.  This is my first vacation since contracting CFS/ME so I had no idea what to expect and after the horrible reaction to the trip to York ME I was seriously stressing over things.

Now, one odd thing I've noticed and been playing with is the use of coffee for car trips.  It appears that if I drink coffee right before a car trip I have a less adverse neurological reaction to the trip.  Maybe it has to do with the blood vessel expansion keeping blood circulating in my head but that is a sheer guess on my part.  So before I set foot in the car I drank a large cup of coffee.  This seemed to work.  I would still have a degradation of my neurological function during the trip but it wasn't as severe and it decreased my recovery time.  This delighted me to no end since it meant I could legitimize drinking my favorite beverage again.

Another thing we did was stay at a resort with an ADA room (outfitted for persons with disabilities) .  This meant really comfy accommodations so that it was pleasant to stay in the room during rest times.  It was also really nice grounds so hubs could go walking while I was resting.  He took several long walks on the beach while I was snoozing.  Having an ADA room also meant that I was safe in the shower since it had grab bars and a shower seat and a handheld shower head.  I still can't stand while showering so this was great.

We kept the day trips short with lots of stops so it wasn't continuous driving which kept my neuro symptoms down.  We also looked for restaurants that served real food so we weren't eating junk.

Oh and National Parks are the bomb for people with disabilities.  They are very handicapped friendly.  There are ramps and all sorts of special access for people in wheelchairs such as mats on the beach and dunes.

Results:
We had a great time.
I got to rest when I needed to in a really nice room.
We stopped at many beaches and lighthouses.
Thanks to the National Park Service, I got to sit on the beach in my wheelchair with a kite tied to my armrest while hubs took a walk.  I got to listen to the surf, watch the gulls and clouds and get really strange looks from the tourists.
I got to eat lots of yummy food including the best fish and chips I've had in many years.
I got  to visit the  house where I grew up.  It is way tinier than I remember and the tree I used to climb as a kid is now gone.  Bummer.  Other than the tree it is just the same.
I got to visit the new ice skating rink that replaced the one where my parents worked and I learned how to speed skate.
Hubs got to walk around a nice place while I was resting.
I bought a new ring to replace my wedding band that no longer fits (I don't want to cut my antique band since I'm planning on loosing weight once I'm doing better).
We drove far more than I thought possible and covered way more miles than I thought I could tolerate.
I got to drink lots of coffee!  And even had some handcut donuts with it.
We visited monuments and drove through the dunes.
And after three days home I'm writing again.  This is miraculous.  I'm so happy!

So here is to resorts, coffee and National Parks!  Love you guys!

You wouldn't think going on vacation is legitimate when all I do is sit around the house but the change of scenery and pace has done wonders for my mood.  If you can tolerate it and plan for the CFS/ME weirdness then I highly recommend it.