At the seams it seems

Remember when I was all, “Working out with kettlebells is the greatest exercise ever. I’m going to do it all the time and be superfit” ? And then got the most debilitating headache of my life and realized that I use my neck and shoulders way too much and continuing with that form of exercise was a bad idea?

I fear that I am not designed for physical fitness.

I hurt my right foot in step aerobics a week ago Friday. I blame bad shoes and I’m having orthotics made. My podiatrist said there are some people who just can’t do step aerobics, but maybe I’ll be just fine with orthotics. Still I can’t work out again until my foot stops hurting. It’s slightly swollen even. The ball of the foot just below the big toe. I’m superbummed about missing Zumba. I just bought two pairs of Zumba shoes. (I think orthotics might fit in one pair. The other I may have to return. Thanks Zappos!)

Also, I just paid to join two gyms!! I can “freeze” the membership at the one near my work, but I decided to do that only if I’ll be out for closer to a month. I’m not in excruciating pain or anything, but my foot hasn’t gotten perceivably better, and I don’t feel like I should do any exercise involving the flexing or pointing of my right foot. So no yoga either.

At the other end of my person, I have a cracked tooth. Went to the dentist today for the crown prep. Time will tell whether I get to have another root canal for this one.

I didn’t remember this about myself, but evidently, I am hard to numb. It required five shots of anesthesia before we could begin, and even then I felt a little heat when the drilling started. The dental assistant asked if I wanted nitrous. This struck me as funny. I said I’d never had it and didn’t think I needed it.

While we were waiting for the tingling to give way to numbness, I ran out to use the ladies room. I felt jittery and noticed in the mirror that the left side of my face (the numb side) looked normal when I smiled, but the unnumb side looked weird. Maybe it was compensating by trying to move the numb side. I wondered if anyone ever tried to bolt with their face half numb. After another shot, my right eye wanted to close, but the left eyelids seemed unable to touch. Like the lower eyelid was being held down. I made a conscious effort to blink a few times, because I thought it important to lubricate my left contact lens, and you know, my eyeball.

I was uncharacteristically anxious, and considered asking for nitrous after all. Instead I took a deep breath and felt better once the procedure actually got going.

A few weeks ago, when I found out the tooth was cracked, but we thought a filling might hold it together, they asked if I wanted to listen to music. The dental assistant handed me a list of CDs to choose from, and I said, “Ooh! I’ll take Phantom of the Opera.” The dental assistant seemed to think I was kidding.

Today I took my iPod and was pleased to discover that I could hear my music over the drilling. When I first felt some heat, they asked whether I wanted yet another shot of Novocaine, but Gwen Stefani told me she was feeling Hella Good so let’s just keep on dancing. So I did.

Afterward, I had a lunch of a root beer float and macaroni and cheese. The numbness has mostly worn off and all I feel is a slight buzziness in my lips. My contacts and eyeballs are fine. My jaw hurts where they gave me the shot, but they tell me that’s to be expected.

Tomorrow, I get fitted for my new orthotics. In the meantime, I bought some Superfeet. The Superfeet cost about $30 compared to custom orthotics, which can run in the hundreds of dollars. But my insurance will pay for the custom orthotics, making them less expensive to me than the Superfeet, which I realized after I got the Superfeet home.

Oh well, it will take a few weeks to get the orthotics and I have many pairs of shoes.

Maybe by Saturday I can go back to Zumba.