I have Gout

I have gout. Whenever I say that, someone, however good his or her intention is, will tell me any number of the following.

• Oh, you have the Rich Man’s disease.
• You must have been drinking beer.
• You must have been living the high life, living vicariously and eating the good food.
• Avoid proteins! <- most popular, fucked-up advice ever! (tell you why in a moment)
• Avoid beans! Avoid nuts!
• Eat more berries.
• Drink apple cider vinegar
• Drink bitter gourd juice

and so on and so forth …

Gout is seen as a social disease, something that is self-induced & self-inflicted. Only gout sufferers themselves know the humiliation, yes humiliation, we have to go through just by saying, “I have gout.”.  Before we start to reveal how we get it, we are judged. All sorts of assumptions conceived and no holds barred advice start getting thrown at us.

Contrary to popular thoughts, we KNOW what not to eat. We KNOW what is best for us. Yet, it still does not stop this, well-meaning friends of us, from offering their advice.

My advice to you is – stop, and listen to yourself. Oh and that bit above about avoiding proteins being the most fucked-up advice ever, it is because, it is NOT the proteins that is affecting the gout sufferers, it is the PURINE content that is in protein food that is affecting us. Telling me not to eat protein is like telling me to stop eating, ever.

Fine with me if you want me dead.