GOUT
My Drinking Partner’s Diagnosis Proved Correct
Gout is a type of arthritis that causes sudden, severe joint pain. That is the official description, but let me describe how it happened to me.
I had been trying to lose weight and had noticed that my lifestyle needed a change. I had signed back with my favourite Gym, where they have personal trainers that make you put in the work during a one-hour session.
My Doctor had sent me for blood tests because my Blood Pressure was a little high. They came back as pre-diabetic, so I knew I had to do something. At seventy-four years, I felt I was at a crossroads; it was either sink into old age and various medications or put in the effort to change my lifestyle.
I wasn’t prepared for this attack of Gout, though. I had never had it in my whole life before. I had always been a heavy drinker in my youth. I was a rugby player and did other sports for general fun rather than being a committed athlete, and I was a party-goer throughout. That youthful fun developed into a job as I got older. I worked in many countries, and as a business development guy, I had to eat and drink with many clients.
I ate at the best restaurants and stayed out clubbing, all on expenses. I always looked much younger than my years, and I guess you could say I abused my body more than most. I had…
