My Real Introduction to Gout

First, you should leave if you don't like pictures of feet. And cats.

This is a long read. I'm sorry.

I was familiar with Gout prior to this event. I have friends, coworkers, family of friends, and so on, that have Gout. I've seen the painful swelling and redness, discussed diet solutions, and acted like I understood. Nothing prepared me for just how painful it can really be.

I'm getting a little emotional just writing this. This is something I will have to experience again, and I am NOT looking forward to it.

First, let me explain what Gout actually is.

GoutEduction.com - Gout is an extremely painful form of inflammatory arthritis caused by an accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints. These crystals can also deposit in other tissues throughout the body, such as the kidney, which can lead to kidney stones. 

I was aware that Gout was common in men that are overweight, have poor diets, drink excessively, etc.... I was under the impression that it is rare in women, at least women who were premenopausal. Imagine my surprise....

I have IBS-A; this means I already avoid dairy, red meats, veggies/beans that cause gas or constipation, wheat/gluten products, etc...

My fiance and I will occasionally partake in junk food, but for the most part, we are healthy eaters. We prefer homemade to canned or boxed. Fresh everything. Poultry only, with the occasional dabble in beef, lamb, or pork. We don't drink alcohol excessively or even with any sort of frequency. And while we're both overweight, neither of us is morbidly obese. We also work-out regularly in an attempt to manage our weight.

On to the story.... (dun dun dun)

_________________________________________

Friday was a fun day. Potluck at work. Lots of great food! I will admit, I had a meatball and some little sausages. I was full, but unlike my coworkers, I'd been careful not to over-do it. I think I was the only one that didn't need to be wheeled out of the building.

Went home, and hey it's Friday night. So after my 15 minutes on the elliptical, I had a glass of water, and then a hard-cider. We ordered a pizza, and relaxed.

I remember waking up at 3:13am. My right foot was killing me. Thinking it was just my over-doing it on the elliptical in the wrong shoes, I took some ibuprofen and went back to bed.

I woke up early the next morning, still in some pretty significant pain, but nothing unmanageable. I took some more ibuprofen, which did absolutely nothing, and parked on the couch. Conversation was had that I'd likely bruised my foot in my workout the night before, and just needed to relax. Alrighty. I hobbled around periodically to do things around the house (I get bored easily), but for the most part, I spent the day with my foot up on the sofa.

When we went to bed Saturday night, I couldn't put my foot under the sheets. That was awkward. The weight of the sheet, just the sheet, was unbearable. I mean, searing, throbbing, pain. I found a way to position my feet so I could sleep under cover. I was in and out all night, while my foot throbbed excessively.

Sunday, back on the couch. I would clench my teeth every time a throb came on. Fiance went to our favorite restaurant and got take-out. Fresh Mediterranean food and lots of well-wishes brought home. After we ate, I started connecting the dots. My foot was showing similar redness to that which I'd seen on coworkers and friends before. I started to worry.

The throbbing was getting so bad just prior to dinner time, that I was done trying to hold out for Monday. And to the hospital we went.

I'm going to rush through this part a bit, because it's bad. Really, really, bad.

30 minute wait. See the "Baby-Doctor", so young, so new, and the "Attending". I'm told that a blood test may come back inconclusive. The only definitive way to diagnose Gout, is to attempt to pull uric acid crystals from the affected joint itself.

*cringe* I don't care, stop the pain. Do what you need to do.

People wonder why I fear Doctors. This is a perfect reason why. Instead of doing the obvious basic blood test first which WOULD HAVE SHOWN THEM WHAT THEY NEEDED, they opt to go for the absolute certainty.... This was the single most painful event of my entire life. I've had broken bones that didn't hurt this bad.

One "Doctor" pulling on my swollen toe to open the joint. The other "Doctor" shoving a needle in to the joint.

I'll let that sink in for a second.....           .....               .....              .....


There was yelling, crying, and my poor fiance holding my arm and tugging on my pant leg while I writhed in hysterics on the gurney.

My experience aside, I wish I could take the memory of all this away from him. He said, he was so helpless. Seeing me in so much pain, and being completely unable to do anything.

I will never be returning to that hospital.

After the tests were unsuccessful, they gave me a prescription for pain meds and sent me home. I was told to contact my Primary Physician within 48 hours. No, let's try a blood test. Or, let's treat for Gout. Let's just break this patient, then shove her out the door with a narcotic and instructions to go see someone else. Oh, and tell her to take Ibuprofen along with it.

What in the actual F......


Anyway, I went home, took a handful of pills, and groggily went to bed. Still careful to situate my feet just right to keep the sheets off of my toes. 

Fiance spent Monday morning getting me situated, and then went off to work. Maggie parked on the couch with me, preparing for the long wait. I got caught up on my favorite shows, hobbled occasionally to the kitchen or bathroom, but spent 95% of my day on the couch. It sucked.


The next day, the swelling really kicked in to high gear. My foot had doubled in size. My toes no longer tucked under each other properly. They each demanded their own space. Bruising from the needle work had begun as well. My foot still slightly blue from the cleaning solution they'd used, and with the redness, I couldn't tell where the bruising began or ended. The throbbing started to ease up a bit, but my foot still felt like I'd gotten a severe sunburn along with the deep joint pain.

On Wednesday, I'd managed to get an appointment with my Primary Care Physician. This man is very blunt, very honest, and sometimes he cracks jokes. I appreciate his open, honest, no BS approach. That is the only reason I continue to see him. Albeit rarely.

Fiance in tow, we headed in. I was walking better, but still very carefully. Some of the swelling had subsided, but it was still very obvious gout. I still had permanent marker on my foot from the procedure at the hospital, and the bruising was a lot worse, creeping across the top of my foot below my toes. I couldn't directly wash my foot. Any pressure was still excruciating.

Doctor took one look and said, that looks like Gout. We'll do a blood test to confirm. I'm sorry they fell flat on their faces at the hospital. I'm unsure why they would do such a painful test when a blood test would likely have provided the needed result.

SERIOUSLY?!

I asked some general questions, and we discussed the addition of cherries/cherry juice in to my diet. He gave me a prescription for Prednizone, and I went down for my blood test and then home.

Maggie joined me on the couch as soon as I was situated, and Fiance and I discussed my returning to work the next day. He was not having it, and I wasn't staying home another day.

I went back to work.

It was hard. Painful. I think I may have set myself back a day or two, but the weekend was coming, and I needed to get some work done. Bosses had already discussed providing me with the tools I needed to work from home, if necessary. It was nice to come back to that level of understanding.

Blood test results are in. Gout. Yay.

By Saturday, only some slight swelling, bruising, and residual pain from the "test" remained. No more deep throbbing. I was finally able to bend my toes. The pop that echoed through my apartment when I bent my big toe, both startled me and hurt like hell. The warm feeling afterward was absolutely wonderful.

At 9 days, my poor toes were showing their battle wounds. Stretchmarks from the swelling. My whole foot feels like a bad sunburn. I'm walking, but it is painful.

Using aloe gel with vitamin E,  lotion, and vitamin d creams. Seems to be helping with the pained skin.

Two weeks today. Still sore. The pain is similar to the joint pain I feel after a bad pop of the wrist, or a few days after throwing my shoulder out. Just very sore. This I figure is the result of the "test" and unrelated to the Gout. Still a little redness, but no longer obvious.

Our friends have weighed in:

• "Welcome to the club!"
• "I'd rather have kidney stones than another Gout flare!" - From someone who'd just had his 3rd kidney stone removal procedure done, including a catheter and weeks in and out of the hospital. *cringe*
• "You get your cherry juice yet?"
• "Drink tons of water. TONS!"
• "No more meat, eh?"

The life and diet changes have begun. My already limited diet has shrunk even more. And, now I have uncontrollable pain to look forward to.

Joy.