To the Pain: Days 7, 8, 9

The last three days have been good, overall. I was on one pill daily of prednisone. My pain and inflammation have been minimal. The experiment seems to have worked and that's good. At least the first part of the experiment has been a success. The idea of taking down the swelling and inflammation in order to get a level start on the gout medicine was what sold me on taking the allopurinol in the first place.

I had heard the diagnosis before; gout. Immediately I didn't believe. My grandpa had gout. I saw him suffer, what seemed to me to be, a continuous attack of gout from the time I was small. My grandpa ate pork sausage, ham, hamhocks (whatever they are), and bacon every day of his life. He knew it was the pork that gave him gout. He said so and I believed him.

I believed it so well that when my doctor said that I had gout, my first reaction was disbelief. I don't eat pork like my grandpa ate pork. Therefore, how can I have gout? I don't eat rich foods. I don't drink alcohol. I don't have any of the usual suspects for gout in my diet. My conclusion was I don't have gout. And my solution was I'm not going to take the medicine for gout.

A series of doctors and PAs gave me alternating diagnoses; gout, osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel, tendinitis, gout. Along with the varied diagnoses came varied solutions; allopurinol, ibuprofen, ice, heat, lose weight, exercise, bah, blah, blah. Any wonder I was confused? The kicker was; they never did a lot of testing. All this was based largely on clinical diagnoses; you know, "doctor, it hurts when I do this" "so, don't do that anymore". OK so it's an old joke. But I'm telling you that's the way I was treated.

The latest doctor was no different. He listened very politely. Then said, "You have gout."

...It's not that I want to be disrespectful, but good grief. Have some imagination, already.

Then he did something different. He suggested an experiment: run though some predisone and then introduce the allopurinol. Then he spoke condescendingly to my wife. Which we'll cover in a separate blog. It is not a career ending move. But it is a fatal flaw in his care for me, his patient. I'm searching for yet another new doctor at my beloved HMO. I'm not searching because he didn't provide me with the answer I wanted. I'm searching because... I just don't like him.

So, the experiment goes on. And I'm looking forward to the next phase.