Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Overshare

There two half-inch in diameter blisters on the back of each of my heels. One is actually oblonged into a three-quarter-inch oval. I just pulled the loose skin off of two of them tonight so they wouldn't get any bigger, and so they would have a chance to heal up before I go dancing again.

I got new shoes before Christmas. They were perfect for dancing: rubber on the back of the heel for traction and leather everywhere else. The toe and back sections were shiny leather, while the middle, where your foot bends, was soft, which means you don't need to break them in for them to be comfortable dancing in. It took me a few times to be used to their slickness in comparison to my previous shoes, which were all rubber on the bottom, but I was getting the hang of it, and they were a lot of fun. The problem was, now that I had broken them in, they were too big. I had to tighten the laces all the way, so that the tongue was completely covered, and still they were loose. They were starting to give me blisters. So, I returned them, or rather I exchanged them for the same shoe, but a half-size smaller. These ones I hadn't bought initially because they pinched my toes a little bit, but I was convinced that that was only temporary, and that they would adapt to my feet like the bigger ones had, only these would be the right size for my feet, and actually fit once they had been broken in.

I still think I'm right about the shoes, it's just that should have broken them in a bit more gently. Gently on my feet, that is. I shouldn't have worn them for a two nights of intense dancing, the second of which was in a very crowded, very hot and sweaty ballroom. I had bought shoe goo for my previous, rubber-soled shoes. Why hadn't I worn those after being slightly blistered on Saturday night? In stead, I wore my brand spanking new shoes, the heel of which was so stiff, that every time I stepped on my toes, it would push the skin on the back sides of my heel down, and every time I stepped on my heel, it would push the skin up.

Eventually, I gave in and switched to my Sketchers, which felt like pillows compared to what I had just put myself through. I have a pretty high tolerance for nagging pain. I can pretty much tell it to go away, like hunger. It's a skill I honed running for soccer, track, and cross country, but sometimes when your body is yelling at you that you're abusing it, you should listen and stop doing the stupid thing that you're doing to it.

Anyway, tonight, I peeled off the soggy skin that was covering the gaping holes in my flesh, and sprayed on some liquid bandage. That was also intensely painful, but it was short, and hopefully this time the suffering will be worth while.

4 comments:

  1. Ouch! You should get some mohair to protect your heels until the shoes are broke in.

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  2. I recommend sheets of molefoam (from a drug store) - cut to make a donut hole over the raw area to keep pressure off. ~Beck's Mom~

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  3. i just threw up a little in my mouth...

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  4. THat was absolutely disgusting to read....geez!

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