Not a Happy Camper

This morning I had my four wisdom teeth removed. Right now, I am not a happy camper. I feel generally queasy, probably from a combination of the anesthesia and the fact that I couldn't eat for 6 hours prior to the surgery. Since then, I'm only allowed to eat cold foods that require no chewing (this help create a good blood clot over the open wound), so my nutrition for the day is low. I've had 2 Jello sugar-free puddings, a sugar-free lime Jello, an applesauce (from Granny Smith apples, my favorite!) and right now I'm drinking a smoothie of banana, chocolate protein powder, skim milk, and stevia.

On top of the that, my face and tongue and inside of my mouth are still mostly numb. And yet my wisdom teeth wounds hurt when I swallow. I feel groggy and dizzy when I stand. I need to ice my face just about all the time, which is something I intensely dislike. As a result, I'm really chilly.

The worst part is, though, that I can't get out and do anything. I hate just sitting, waiting for my body to heal. Today was beautiful, sunny and clear. A perfect day to hike with the pups. And I had to stay inside, icing my face. I refused to stay in bed, at least, because that made me feel like even more of an invalid. I (obviously) blogged, Flickr-ed, Facebook-ed, and played some Little Big Planet.

Okay. Breathe. End rant.

My situation could be far worse, I know. I'm a healthy, able-bodied young woman with a lot of good stuff going for me. And in a day or so, I'll be getting back to normal, eating more of what I like, getting outside and hitting the mountains for some short day hikes.

Hiking is something I've always enjoyed, especially since moving to western Montana about 4-ish years ago, where good hiking is so readily available. That's one thing I love about the city I live in -- in just a few minutes' drive, I can be scaling the side of a mountain. Where else in the United States can you find such a blessing? And it's not just a single hike -- there are many trails of various intensities and elevation climbs within 20 minutes, as well as opportunities for long-distance running, cross country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing, and the like, depending on conditions.

(On an ironic note -- I decided, since we were having an awesome snow season this year, to invest in a set of cross country skis. The day I picked up my skis, the weather turned warm and all the snow turned to ice and slush. Bah! Soon, though, I will break in my brand new skis. I'm excitied!)

Back to hiking. Since we brought a second dog into our home, Jackson, the Best Husband Ever and I have found ourselves out of doors more frequently than usual to get him (and Cody, of course!) exercise. Jackson has vast reserves of energy and ideally needs to be taken on a big run/hike/jaunt daily. We've been doing pretty well, and I've managed at least every other day for a hike since the hubby has been laid up from hernia surgery. When it's cold and gross out, it's hard to get myself out in the inclement weather to get the pups some exercise. But when I do, I never regret it. It's almost always wonderful, and more than worth the discomfort. Besides, it's great exercise for me as well as the dogs!

Do you ever have experiences like that? When you want nothing to do with a certain high-energy-expending activity, but love it once you motivate yourself and just do it? Please share your stories in the comments. And, of course, dont' forget to vote in the Muffin Love makeover poll!