Um, I broke my foot.

Last night, Martin and I enjoyed a date night.  However, our initial plans didn’t quite pan out.  We were going to go to a sort of local rec center where I was going to watch him show off his mad ping pong skills we were going to play ping pong.  But the place was overrun with tweenagers, none of whom were “seriously” playing ping pong.  So, we left, unsure of what to do next, besides eat.  Then… we passed by a bowling alley.  Martin grew up bowling with his dad, and has some serious-looking bowling style.  However, he is also Bionic Man with super-sensitive senses, and absolutely cannot stand to be around cigarette smoke, which bowling alleys are typically full of.  So, in our 12.5yr marriage, we’ve gone bowling about three times.  But, since the Smoke Free Arizona law went into effect a couple of months ago, it came to me that even the bowling alleys no one would be smoking!  So, we went.  Well, we went after dinner, and after a trip to Wal-Mart to get some socks, because neither of us had socks on.  We had a lot of fun, with Martin “only” getting 151 on his best game, and me getting barely half of that.  (Note to bowling alleys:  You need to get 8 lb balls with large thumb holes for the big-thumbed, occasionally-bowling wimps.)

Anyways.  It ended up being a late night.  After we were home for a bit, Martin went off to bed, and I went out to the family room to watch the news, which I like to do late at night.  Sometime close to 1:00, I found myself dozing off, and I started myself awake.  With an unfortunate mix of adrenaline and drowsiness, I stumbled, badly stubbing the pinkie toe of my right foot on a nearby heavy chair.  Not wanting to wake anyone up, I writhed in quiet pain for a while, then crawled off to bed.

Morning came, with me awaking to my dog whimpering at my bedside to be let out.  Martin, who usually is the one who lets the dog out, was already on the back patio for a time of quiet prayer and Bible reading.  I leapt out of bed, and promptly crumbled on the floor.

I have birthed four children with no medication, and have shed no tears doing so.  I was, however, in tears over my dumb stubbed toe.  It hurt like the dickens.  (Whatever “the dickens” are, they must be really painful.)

Martin, by the grace of God and some hard-won maturity, now handles unexpected and stressful circumstances much better than he used to.  Blessedly, after a short walk to collect his thoughts, he kicked into action, taking care of everything this morning, including making scrambled eggs (with pepperoni, of all things, which everyone loved).  We decided that I would still go to a scheduled girls’ worship team practice at church, and afterwards, I would go to urgent care.  I did just that, making it to urgent care by 11:45.

When I emerged at about 20 after 1:00, I was sporting a soggy splint (it’s made of water-activated mesh, the kind they make casts out of), feeling oddly relieved.  I had felt awfully, awfully silly walking into urgent care saying, “I stubbed my toe.”  But, when the x-rays came back showing that my toe wasn’t broken, but my 5th metatarsal was, the med tech who had been treating me with a casualness that suggested that my situation wasn’t serious quickly altered her demeanor, and whipped out the preparation to splint up my foot.  (The doctor, blessed may she be, never did exhibit an aura of stubbed-toe-belittling.) 

They said they couldn’t tell from the x-ray if the break is displaced, and that I’d be getting a call from a radiologist after s/he reviews the x-rays for more info about the break.  I asked to see the x-ray.  The break extends in a diagonal line an inch or so long from the inner side of the bone up to where it meets (or nearly meets) the joint with the bottom bone in my pinkie toe.  I’m to call an orthopedist on Monday.  The urgent care doctor said that it was likely that I’d get some sort of cast, but that it was, of course, up to the orthopedist how to treat the break.

I guess I can’t say now that I’ve never broken a bone.  This is the first one, at age 34.

Add this to the long list of weird cr@p that has happened to our family the last few weeks.  After I emerged from the urgent care center, I had a *great* conversation with my pastor’s wife about the last month or so.  We agreed that whatever the enemy had in mind, like if it was to drive a wedge between Martin & I, or if it was to upset the peace of our home, or whatever, it wasn’t working.  In fact, I am feeling increasingly grateful for my very dear hubby, who now is even more than what I longed him to be 5, 10, 12 years ago, and despaired of him ever becoming.  IOW, if this is a test of, “How are you going to handle stress???” he’s passing it with flying colors, and I have nothing but love for him in my heart.  🙂  I’m very proud of him.  Plus, he’s cute.  😛  And we had a great time last night, not playing ping pong.  😀

No bowling for me for a while, though.