02 May 2010 - Feeling a bit more chipper today.....

.... but still a bit worn down.  I'm starting to suspect that I may have contracted a mild illness while in Vienna.  I just spoke with my wife on the phone and she sounds horrible.  Probably nothing more than a bad cold, but she does not sound good.  She's slowly been getting sicker since our last day in Austria and I'm hoping that this will be the worst of it.  As for myself, I did have a few bouts with sneezing this past week and my nose has definitely been more snotty than usual.  I also was experiencing an annoying background headache that made staring at a computer screen painful after a couple of hours.   This, combined with the general malaise that usually accompanies a moderate to severe gout attack, was probably enough to knock me down a few rungs on the 'feel good' ladder.  My mood has also been a bit darker than even I'm used to this past week, even while getting plenty of rest, eating well and generally relaxing.  But, I do feel as if I'm on the mend now - and the blasted headache has finally mostly disappeared.

My foot and ankle are feeling a bit better today as well.  It is still quite painful to walk and I doubt I'll be wearing any normal shoes for the next couple of days, but the swelling is slowly subsiding along with the redness in my foot.  If the past indicates future recovery success, I'm expecting to be feeling the lingerings of this attack for at least another week and a half.  It's always good to be on the downward slope of the pain bell curve, though.

I'll leave it at that for now.  I think the couch and the book I'm currently enjoying are calling to me right now.  Enjoy your Sunday!