The trip to Vienna went well on some fronts and not so well on others. We really enjoyed checking out the city and we thoroughly enjoyed our side trip to Bratislava. The weather was lovely for most of the trip and the people we met were great. However, my fun was somewhat tempered by my bad back and my gout. We tried our best to use public tranport when possible to help us get around, but it still wasn't enough for my gout-damaged joints and my newly persistent bad back. Each day ended with me being in horrible pain, barely able to get off of the bed. My lower legs, from my toes to my insteps to my ankles to my shins, hurt like never before. This was a different kind of pain and soreness from the usual gout attack, however. Even though my ankles, feet and my right achilles tendon were feeling very gouty, they still weren't horrible as far as gout attacks are concerned. Yes, they hurt like hell, but it was the combination of all of these joints hurting along with the shin splints and sore calf and hamstring muscles that made things so bad. Throw in the bad back and at times, the pain was almost unbearable. By the end of each day, I was waddling around like a penguin.
I really tried not to overdo things while on the trip. I rested whenvever things started feeling too bad, drank plenty of water and maintained a healthy meal plan. I just don't think my body can take much walking anymore. It makes me really fret for the future. It seems no matter what I do, my body continues to get worse as far as activities are concerned, being able to handle less and less stress as time goes on. Even last year when I was suffering through horrific gout attacks, I could still go ski or bike or do long, rough hikes when the attacks subsided. I never felt this kind of nagging pain in my joints and muscles after partaking in these activities. Now, just walking for an hour or two wears my body down to a point where I either need to stop doing what I'm doing or rest for a prolonged period of time. It's very, very frustrating!
I do know that my back isn't helping things and may be making me walk a little different than normal adding some stress to my joints. Still, it shouldn't impact me this bad. One weird note about my back - it was killing me after the first two days in Vienna. I even had to leave a concert and go sit outside for an hour because I couldn't stand any more. Even leaning against a wall and watching the show was too much for my back (and my sore feet/ankles) to handle. However, I woke up the next day and my back felt fine. I went from barely being able to walk or stand due to my back to having it feel almost normal 8 hours later. It still is feeling decent a couple of days later. I don't get it, but I'll take it for now.
I actually had to take work off today (Tuesday) due to my gout. Again, I'm not in the throws of a full-scale attack, but my achilles and my left ankle are so sore and painful that I can't even put shoes on. I'm having a really, really tough time just getting around the house right now thanks to them. My body as a whole just feels completely worn down too. I expended so much energy over the weekend just trying to get around on my sore joints and with my sore back that I have nothing in reserve today. I feel wasted. My mind still feels sharp but my body feels like a rag doll. It will be interesting to see what tomorrow brings after a day off of my feet. I'm nearly out of sick time so I don't think I will have a choice about going to work. Just getting up the two large flight of stairs to my office could be problematic, however. We'll see.
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Nate, of course, you got my message too late. You were already having a good, gouty time seeing the world. I hope all those tourist/sight-seeing trips will be of comfort to you when you are permanently laid up, because your body said: I HAD IT!
ReplyDeleteNate, I ain't going to feel sorry for you.
First, I don't do "sorry", and second it wouldn't do you any good anyway.
So all I am going to say/ask: Does it take a sledge hammer to get it through your thick skull that you SHOULD take those 200+ pounds of your feet and give your body a chance to heal. Your back is the second "person" who is telling you to lay off (or down).
You can tell me that it none of my goddamn business, and you are right. And since it does not give me any rewards, compensations I’ll keep on hammering down on you: Goddamn, listen to your body and quit misusing it. Yeah, that’s what you are doing. At the rate you are going, you never will make to my age and start getting crabby at 75, 77. You’ll be crabby in 4-5 years if you keep it up. And I am going to quit right here, before I’ll say something you and I would be sorry about.
As I said earlier, don’t listen to me, listen to your body instead!!!
Hans
Perhaps I'm a slow learner. That, and 'relaxation' hasn't been a prominent word in my vocabulary for most of my life. For over six months now, I thought I was taking it easy. I never thought just walking around was something that I would have to consider as a taxing activity. I actually wrote a book this past December asking the question, 'what is the point of life if you can't do the things you enjoy?' I still have yet to figure that out and I guess I'm going to have to give it more thought because what I'm doing sure isn't working. How long is it going to take me to 'heal'? I put heal in quotes because the word would lead one to believe that you would regain health and be back to where you used to be. In my case, I don't know if that is even possible.
ReplyDeleteI definitely need a change in my life. If I can't do any of the activities I love for who knows how long, I at least need to be spending time doing something I enjoy. My job ain't cutting it in that regard right now and definitely is not beneficial health-wise and is not helping me recover.
Hans, I wish you had been around in my life 10 years ago to hammer me with this type of stuff. I don't take any offense to what you have written and appreciate it. I've made so many damn changes in my life over the last 6+ months. I guess I have one more big one to make - learn to relax, learn that I don't always have to be on the go, learn that taking it even easier is a necessity for me. I get that.
thanks for the comment.
Thanks, Nate. I didn't think that you would take offense. You struck me as a person of integrity and sincerity. I learned from past experiences that someone else has to bring us to our senses since we ourselves are too much involved in ourselves. The only drawback is when it is Mother Nature who is bringing or trying to bring us to our senses. You know yourself how often we ignore, negate, ridicule, or whatever when another human being, regardless of who, is telling us something. And, quite often, we get away with it, but not so with Mother Nature. What I mean is, listen to your gut feeling. Don’t ignore it. Men are famous for that because they are by other “men” considered sissies or whatever if/when they do. That’s where women have one up on us.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, you can’t do as I do: “I am sooo busy not doing anything, I don’t have time to do anything.” You still have 30+ years left where you are forced to do something, like making/bringing in money to live. You need to work your grey matter overtime to figure out how to do that and at the same time deal with your gout. I or anybody else really can’t and should not tell how or what to do. YOU need to do it yourself!!!
However, never be afraid to ask me. You know me by now, that I always have something to say: Right or wrong.
One of these days I’ll tell you what I am doing right now. It ain’t pleasant, but it is not along YOUR gout line.
So long,
Hans
Thanks, Hans. I look forward to hearing more about your experiences.
ReplyDeleteNate