This mornings visit to the clinic went much better than the previous two trips. I was able to see my regular doctor and to have a good, long discussion with him about where I'm at with my gout and the best way to continue with my treatment. My Uric Acid level from my test last week came back at 4.9. This is a very good thing and let's me know that the dose of Allopurinol that I'm taking is continuing to work. I mentioned to my doctor that I would be buying some self-testing UA strips in order to perform home tests and monitor my levels a bit more frequently. He liked this idea and agreed that we would still do the monthly tests also. He also mentioned to me something he had learned about the benefits of Vitamin D. There is an ongoing discussion about Vitamin D on the Gout-Pal forum that I need to more thoroughly check out. I'm not sure what the benefits are for gout, but the doctor did mention that it might help brighten my mood a bit. Hey, I'll try anything to lift my spirits. I also did receive a prescription for Tramadol to help deal with my chronic pain. Besides the gout, I had the doctor take a look at my back. He couldn't believe how tight the muscles were in my lower back and recommended that I go and visit a therapist at my old German orthopedic clinic. I will be checking that out next week.
What else...? Liver levels were a bit elevated but this was expected due to the 600mg of Allo per day. Nothing to be alarmed over, however. Kidney functions were normal. Blood Pressure was good and is slowly coming down which is really good! He did mention that the 24 hour pee test was not a good idea, disagreeing with the previous doctor I had seen. I would have to go off of Allopurinol for two weeks before doing the test which is a BAD idea.
One other thing to mention. I told the doctor about my body's reaction to the 'exercise' I've been doing (sorry for quotes, just never thought such light activity would be considered exercise by me). He said I should hold off for a bit and just let my body rest. I agree. Maybe in another month or two I can try again and see what happens. It's all trial and error at this point.
Pain-wise, I'm about where I was at yesterday. My achilles and ankles are still bothering me quite badly and my back is still a total mess. I'm hoping the Tramadol will help with this somewhat as the past four days have been miserable.
This will be the last update until next Tuesday. The wife and I are leaving for Vienna, Austria for a break from the real world early tomorrow morning. The plan is to buy a ticket for the tourist 'hop on, hop off' bus for Saturday to help me avoid walking too much. Sunday we will either drive or take a boat over to Bratislava to check that city's core out. Monday we will explore Vienna a bit more and then head home. I will be taking it as easy as possible, letting myself rest often when we are out and about. We're looking forward to the trip. Even if we just end up spending time in one of Vienna's great parks lounging in the sun, I will be happy. No computer, no phone, no work, time alone with my beautiful wife...... I can dig it.
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