After two weeks of very little to no activity, I've come to the conclusion that I would make a horrible hermit. Sure, I've always dreamed of getting away and living in some remote cabin situated along a bubbling brook teaming with wild trout, but a hermit I would not be. My fantasy includes a lot of hard labor, hiking, fishing, exploring the surrounding terrain, and in the winter, skiing un-skied peaks and climbing un-climbed mountains. So, yesterday, after sitting on my ass for two straight weeks, the wife and I headed to Regensburg to grab a bit of sushi and to slowly stroll through the ancient streets of the old city. I knew I may be pushing things with my just-healed gouty ankles and feet, but I had to get out. Besides, I was out of picture material for art projects and never had been successful at photographing Regensburg well in the past.
After eating at the sushi joint, where I admittedly had very little actual sushi (raw fish and gout? not the best combination), we ambled amongst the cobblestone alleys and along the Danube River under a blanket of gray and ominous looking clouds. Still, I was able to get a lot of good pictures and we were able to access some unique vantage points with great views that most people visiting the city probably don't know exist. For the first two hours or so, I felt pretty good. We were walking slow and I was being as careful as one possibly can on old cobblestone. My back was actually the first thing to start hurting, and when it did, I was ready to call it a day. There was absolutely no need to push things. I had already got what I had come for.
On the walk back to the parking garage, I did notice both achilles starting to ache. They didn't feel gouty, but just sore. Upon waking up this morning, I felt like an older man than I actually am. I think I actually heard my back creak when I sat up in bed. Yes, my ankles are sore, but it feels more like overuse than anything. Today will have to be an easy day, once again, for me. Again, no need to push things. The weather sucks outside again anyway. Spring in Germany is just so lovely........
So, now I sit here thinking, what is going to take to get myself back in any type of shape if my activity is limited for another six months? A year? Two years? After only two weeks of inactivity, my energy and endurance are ridiculously low. Is that the tradeoff? Feeling like a lethargic slug instead of having gouty and painful joints? I think that the tradeoff is worth it and it may just take a complete change in my frame of mind and how I approach my day to day life. It's depressing, though. A complete departure from what I've been so used to in my life. I think it says something about me that I have actually been researching the off road Segway human transport dealybobbers. I'm still not ready to give up.
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You really are risking your progress doing raw fish/sushi, Nate.
ReplyDeleteBetter off wrestling a brown bear in the woods.. ;~)
Haha! Nah, I only had one - just one! - piece of salmon. I then stuck with the cucumber rolls, yakisoba, and a few spring rolls. I didn't eat all that much. I love sushi, too! Oh well.... ;)
ReplyDeleteI think sometimes the reaction to food takes very little. Almost like an immune response
ReplyDeleteI just got gnat bite last night, it did a sneaky on my back calf, while I was fiddling with an awning on the front garden.
Today,a 5 sq" area is really solid, oozing yellow fluid- and it will take a long while to go, from experience.
Immune response is easily triggered by foreign dna- it doesn't like, AT all!
Nate, have you ever considered how many BIG cities, not to mention LITTLE cities, there are in Germany, and not to mention Italy, France, Spain, etc. where there are lots of pictures to be taken??? Forget about England, there is only water around and fog and rain above and dreary, dark, ominous castles in between. (Trev, you did not see or read this!!!)
ReplyDeleteI guess Vienna was NOT impressive (in gout terms). Mother Nature gave you a sign as big as a barn door. How much bigger must the sign be???
Since She has been pretty good to me for most of my life, I’ll give Her a hand and I’ll send you a few more PHOTOGRAPHS, that’s what you appreciate, (don’t you?) to show you where gout will take you if you don’t listen to Her. And as you look at them, don’t forget that you have 43+ years to catch up with me!!!
It’s Sunday and I’ll get off my soap box.
Hans, I think I have been listening to my body. My body (and my head) told me to get off of my ass and go for a gentle walk. I needed it and nothing bad has come from it. The funny thing with gout is that you never know exactly what causes an attack. It could be one thing....or it could be a multitude of things acting together. I've done a pretty damn good job of mitigating the situation and doing what I can to minimize anything that might cause an attack. Every signle gout patient is different in what they can tolerate and what they can't. I have cut back on activity probably 95% over the past seven months. Still, I NEED to get out every now and then just to keep my sanity. Depression is a real problem I'm tinkering with while being couped up. If a short, easy walk does something to alleviate that depression, then I'm all the better for it.
ReplyDeleteIn short, I am listening to my body. I am light years ahead of where I was seven months ago and I see this as a huge positive. I will still get attacks here and there no matter what I do, be it sit on my ass for three months straight, eat healthy, whatever - they are going to happen as my body cleanses itself. Yes, taking it easy on my joints is important and I'm doing a good job at staying off of them for the most part. Truthfully, what I have to do to get to and from work takes the biggest toll on me but I don't have any choice with that.
Those pictures you sent - Damn! I feel horrible that you are going through that. What are the doctors and what are you doing to treat such horrible attacks?
Alright, back to work. This is a busy week for me!
The doctors aren't doing anything. I ain't gotten a good doctor, yet. Hope to find one after I am back on Medicare (7/1/10) In the meantime, I am doing my own doctoring. I think I told you about the Manuka Honey. Have been putting that on my open wounds and it did what nothing else has done: It's taking the UA out and at the same time is healing. I'll have some pics to show you. (Later) I am also taking Probenecid, a uricosuric drug that increases uric acid excretion in the urine.
ReplyDeleteNate, I agree with you: Depression is nothing to joke about. Luckily, I am not affected, however, don't let it get YOU off balance. There is goddamn little we know what kind of tricks the mind can/will play on us. The main thing is, you are aware of it and I am sure you are working on it.