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Had to go to the urgent care today, because out of the blue, my left big toe swelled up, hurt like a motherfucker, and was throbbing. Can't really walk on it. I thought maybe I dislocated it without noticing - I've heard that can happen sometimes.
The doctor took one look, and asked me if I had a history of gout. I said no, and she said "Well, you do now." Gout is a build up of uric acid crystals around a joint, almost always the big toe (occasionally the fingers). It's not really dangerous, and I like the fact that it cannot be effectively treated by diet and/or exercise - the strictest diet is only 10-15% as effective as the normal drugs.
So she gives me a dose of prednisone, mostly because that's what she has on hand, and writes me a scrip for Indomethacin, one of my all time favorite drugs (it's an uber-NSAID, it's almost impossible to have a headache with this stuff), which I have to fill tomorrow. She says gout attacks go away by themselves in about two weeks anyway. So I'm probably going to have to stay home on Monday because I won't be able to put on my shoes.
Why is this illness disgusting? Because (a) it makes my foot swell up; (b) I've always thought of it as an old man's disease (my grandfather had it bad); and (c) I share it with Jesse Jackson, who apparently has frequent attacks. I'm outside the modern age range for it (in men, 30-45), but I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.
What disgusting afflictions do you guys have? I know BFinSF has some goodies, and I suspect some of you could tell me abot things that'd put me off my dinner.
The doctor took one look, and asked me if I had a history of gout. I said no, and she said "Well, you do now." Gout is a build up of uric acid crystals around a joint, almost always the big toe (occasionally the fingers). It's not really dangerous, and I like the fact that it cannot be effectively treated by diet and/or exercise - the strictest diet is only 10-15% as effective as the normal drugs.
So she gives me a dose of prednisone, mostly because that's what she has on hand, and writes me a scrip for Indomethacin, one of my all time favorite drugs (it's an uber-NSAID, it's almost impossible to have a headache with this stuff), which I have to fill tomorrow. She says gout attacks go away by themselves in about two weeks anyway. So I'm probably going to have to stay home on Monday because I won't be able to put on my shoes.
Why is this illness disgusting? Because (a) it makes my foot swell up; (b) I've always thought of it as an old man's disease (my grandfather had it bad); and (c) I share it with Jesse Jackson, who apparently has frequent attacks. I'm outside the modern age range for it (in men, 30-45), but I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.
What disgusting afflictions do you guys have? I know BFinSF has some goodies, and I suspect some of you could tell me abot things that'd put me off my dinner.
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