It was on a summer morning in 1995, I was leaving for work and I was slipping in my sandals when I noticed that my left toe was a bit swollen and stiff. I ignored it thinking it was a just another bruise I got while jogging. It was six months later that I got my second gout attack, I woke up and headed for the bathroom when I noticed the same old swelling welling up my toe and I still remember what a great ordeal it was to put on my shoes. I finally decided to visit my doctor and discovered I had gout and since it was in the initial stages, therefore, I could work on it and bring it under control. I started ransacking book stores and libraries to get more information on gout and one day I came across painful stories that described the agony of people who didn’t exercise proper. I felt broken and shattered as I could see myself in the shoes of those people. That was the turning point and I made sure I wanted a comfortable life and did everything to keep the gout under control.

The story of my gout experience is probably a mix of the same reasons why you too suffer from gout. Firstly, there is a hereditary predisposition from both sides of my family and the second was my own lifestyle. Skiing, swimming, running, jumping, etc all day long and not consuming water I made my way partying at night without eating proper meals and this finally lead my knees, toes and fingers swelled up with a terrible pain. I was no longer active, my sporty life came to a halt and I was often at my doctor’s clinic panting with unbearable pain. He told me medication would be beneficial, but if I did not change my lifestyle nothing much would improve. Tired of being home and staying in bed all day long I was resolved to change my life and I did. I followed a strict diet regime along with a proper medicine schedule. Today I live in comfort although I am not that active, but I guess I have some great memories that still linger around making me happy.

I have played different roles in the sporting television industry being an executive producer at one point in my career. It was during this time that my job demanded me to wine and dine with potential sponsors all the time. Such lunch outings had become my lifestyle and transformed from a skinny boy to an overweight bulky man. One summer day when I was 30 I woke up to find that I had broken my foot while I was asleep and the pain was terrible. Then such incidents became a common place in my life and I was diagnosed with gout and the doctor gave me a container of pills that I refused to take and decided I would fight it without medication. I resorted to the use of indocid and drinking of plenty of water. I also keep my weight under control by eating a healthy diet and avoid alcohol completely.

I was first diagnosed with gout when I was 32. An unbearable pain struck my foot, like someone had just stamped hard, making it shine like a red snooker ball. I used to actively cycle across the desert without drinking enough water. Also I used to go for parties in the evening where I would over indulge drinking beer. This dehydrated my body taking the levels of urate too high in the blood stream. I was put on colchicine and for three years it saved from further attacks. Then in 2007 I was walking on the streets of London by myself, when suddenly my feet seized and I tripped over the pavement and was just a second away from being tramped under a bus. When I came back home and visited my doctor again, I was put on allopurinol and I started recuperating well. Today I make sure I stay away from alcohol, exercise a bit and eat healthy vegetarian food.

I had surprised doctors when I showed them signs of gout when I was 37. My fingers had started curling up and my toes and claws were always in pain. I remained tired all day and refused to go for work. The doctors told me this was the result of the hysterectomy I’d had about a year ago due to which the oestrogen levels in the blood had dropped and levels of uric acid had gone up. I was put on medication and followed a regular schedule of having allopurinol with breakfast. One weekend I was invited by a friend for a party and forgot all about my gout. I ate fish and drank beer and my gout was triggered. The weekend costed a lot, on Monday morning I was unable to move. The joints in my fingers and toes all got affected and I was numb. It felt like a car had knocked me out and rolled over my legs and that my eyes had been punched. That was the day I decided I would take good care of myself. I no longer take alcohol and eat a strictly vegetarian diet.