Hobbling, hobbling, hobbling ....

Last two days I have been hobbling about thanks to a swollen ankle. I have weak ankles and nope, it's not because my youthful days were spent playing some sports that weakened my ankles. Instead it's because of my many many occasions of gout attacks that have weakened my ankles. Doctors may disagree but this is based on my own observations.

Yes, I have gout which basically means my uric acid level is high and it usually attacks or accumulates in the joints and cause swelling and extreme pain. I googled some and this is what I found.

Gout is a form of arthritis, an chronic form of inflammatory arthritis that causes intense and painful swelling in the joints, most often the feet, especially the big toe, but can also affect the legs as well of other major joint areas. (American College of Rheumatology, 2006). Gout is characterized by intense and very severe attacks of pain, redness, and tenderness in one's joints. (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2005). I can vouch on how painful it can be.

Now, gout is also known as the 'Disease of Kings' or 'Rich Man's Disease' because of the rich food that is high in purines (a type of protein) that one eats that can lead to gout. But for me, it's not because of the expensive food but the more peasant like food that I love that leads to my gout attack. For example, I love them internal organs like beef tripe, liver and the whole works. I love 'Satay Babat' or 'Paru Goreng' and just a few meals of these (staggered of course) and I am SURE to get a gout attack. I am a meat person but last year I was overseas for three weeks last year and had to take seafood for all my meals, I came down with a severe gout attack that left me in pain and hobbling miserably around. Even showering was such a chore because it meant getting out of bed and into the showers!

Alrighty, what kind of food should I be avoiding. Just google and you'll find many websites and I got this from wiki to share.

Food to avoid: (Foods high in purines)

• limit food high in protein such as meat, fish, poultry, or tofu to 8 ounces (226 grams) a day (avoid entirely during a flare-up)
• sweetbreads, kidneys, liver, brain, or other offal meats
• sardines and anchovies
• seafood particularly shellfish such as clam, oyster, scallop, shrimp, crab, lobster, and crayfish.
• asparagus
• cauliflower
• mushrooms
• spinach
• dry beans (lentils & peas)
• meat extracts, consommes and gravies
• foods high in fructose
• all soft drinks (non-diet) wherein HFCS is second ingredient next to water
• fruit preserves, jam, jelly
• syrup
• candy
• to lesser extent, depending on fructose content, ice cream, cakes, and cookies
• foods high in sucrose, which is a double sugar consisting of glucose and fructose

Can you see how impossible it is to avoid the list of food above when there are so many yummy food there. Yeah, I am useless!

Anyways, the swelling has gone down some. I am not hobbling as much though my ankle is still a little sore. I had to get a jab to bring the pain down quickly because I couldn't get away from work. Will try and behave for a little bit now since the memory of the pain is still fresh in my mind ....