Running & Numbness

run, kindra, run
I went running yesterday for the first time since February, 2007 (which is the month we found out I was pregnant). Ouch -- both for the length of time it has been and for my physical state. I was doing fine the first two blocks. And then it started to hurt. I plowed through and did 2 miles -- walked the last .1 mile or so. It took me a looong time, like 23 minutes to do those 2 miles, but I got through it. I'm hoping to get myself up tomorrow morning to do it again. I know it just gets easier the more you do it, but man, it's hard to motivate yourself to get out of your warm cozy bed in the morning!

comfortably numb
I had a dentist appointment yesterday to get a cavity filled, an appointment that I was NOT looking forward to. I have only had 3 small cavities in my entire life. Apparently I have really good enamel, or so says my dentist.

I really hate having Novocaine applied. I had a bad experience once where the dentist must have put it directly on a nerve because it hurt like the Dickens. Beyond that, I just don't like that numbness sensation. However, I'm so thankful that we have that now -- I have had one of those small cavities filled without it and it was really painful! I can't even imagine how horrible it would be without it -- as people had to endure in the days before anesthesia. It really wasn't bad, all in all. I didn't feel any pain, not even in the application of the Novocaine.

It did get me thinking about how to improve my oral hygiene so I don't have to go through this again. I brush twice a day, floss sometimes, drink lots of water and chew sugarfree gum. I don't really limit my sweet intake though.

I also think about how to improve my children's oral hygiene, beyond just hoping they have my good enamel (and not Chris'). Ben LOVES candy (actually, any junk food). He also loves chocolate milk, and for awhile, that was the only way he would drink milk. I normally give him one cup/day of chocolate milk (with only one scoop of chocolate powder). He's been to the dentist twice already and has great teeth, though I do feel guilty about how much sweet stuff I give him. I really need to try to limit it, though I wasn't really limited as a child and never had a lot of negative repercussions (weight gain, teeth issues) because of it. Though I definitely want to spare my children the negative experience of having to have a cavity filled, particularly at a young age.

Dental health is pretty important to me -- I was always taken to the dentist twice/year as a child and plan to take my children that often. I'm thankful we have insurance to cover it.