NOT ME!

Let me tell you about a little story that happened to me. My joint on my big left toe hurt so bad that I couldn't walk without feeling a sharp pain. So I went to see my doctor, as this wasn't the first time the pain had occured. My doctor informed me that I have a condition called Gout (if you don't know what gout is, look it up on wikipedia). The interesting part of the story isn't that I was diagnosed with Gout, but that my doctor looked at me and said, "I've never seen this condition in someone so young in reasonably good shape." As a former college athlete, I wasn't in good shape for my standards, and I knew my diet was not exactly balanced. However, I was shocked to hear these words from my doctor. I asked her how I got the condition of Gout. She asked me if my diet is high in red meat, seafood, and beer. I responded, "Well, yeah, those are three of my personal four food groups." I chuckled for a second, and my doctor gave me a sarcastic grin. She then informed me that these items are very high in purines, which is the cause of my excruciating pain (there is a process for the pain, but if you want to know it, once again, look it up).

I knew that I ate too much red meat, probably could've drank a few less beers. However, my youthful ignorance told me that I could do it. I still had a fairly high metabolism rate. I could do it. Reality check. Gout sucks. Gout is the most painful experience of my life. I actually bought myself a cane to walk with. Why did I buy a cane? Because the slightest pressure of the joint that was attacked with Gout felt like someone taking a a chissel, and hammering it into my joint with each passing step. I hate Gout. The worst pain ever! I suppose that it is actually a good thing for me; as I now watch my diet and balance what I eat. But Gout still sucks! Since that latest attack that led me to the hospital, I have kept my gout under control, and have not suffered any attacks since then. Bottom line: DON'T GET GOUT!