might be gout

Back in 2019 I did “something” to my foot.  I thought I had over extended my toes and it was enough that I was limping and needed a cane. 

I made an appointment with a podiatrist who was able to get me in right away. He did an exam, did an x-ray, and decided that I had “capsulitis of the middle toe”.  The doctor taped my foot and put me on a prescription – and sent me on my way. 

It got better in a couple days and since then I’ve tried to be careful on how I move my foot.  If I moved wrong, I might have to tape my foot for a few days, but recovered quickly each time. 

Fast forward to a few weeks ago, when I moved “wrong” again.  It was worse than before, far worse, and enough that I couldn’t sleep. 

I called the podiatrist to make an appointment – but that doctor was not available until March.  They suggested another doctor in the same health system who could get me in that week, but his office was in Cuyahoga Falls.  (The original doctor was 3 minutes from my house. Sigh.)

I set the appointment, got my cane back out, and hobbled my way through the days – trying to reduce the alarming swelling and taking ibuprofen for the pain. 

The day of the appointment I arrived early, hobbled into the lobby, and found the office.  And then, of course, an irritating amount of completely useless paperwork.  I mean, really, no one is ever going to look at that shit again. I filled out everything and then sat to wait.

The assistant saw me right away and I listed my symptoms as I carefully removed my shoe. When the doctor came in, things went downhill pretty fast.

He poked my foot for a few minutes until I said “ouch”.  He decided that it was mostly on my big toe and that capsulitis rarely happens on that toe.  I agreed that it was different than last time – hence my visit – and he next guessed it might be gout.    Emphasis on “guessed”.

He would next need me to have an x-ray done to learn more about what was going on – but his office didn’t have an x-ray machine.

“There’s just no room,” he explained, as though the very notion was absurd.  I didn’t point out that the other doctor at the other office had managed to find room for an x-ray machine, but I was deeply annoyed when he suggested I could just get one done “anywhere”.

“like the post office?” I thought to myself, but he was already ushering me out of the exam room. I got the printout with the order for x-ray and a prescription for a complicated anti-inflammatory.  The clerk at the desk suggested that I could have it taken at the hospital down the street. 

I got to the hospital, parked out front, and limped my way inside and to the front desk.  I told the guide there that I needed radiology and she told me that it was…at the back entrance to the hospital.  When I visibly deflated, she quickly told me that I could go through the hospital to get there.  She gave me directions and I got lost midway there anyway.  I got more directions, found the radiology office, and had more paperwork to fill out before I got checked in. 

Then sat down to wait.

When I finally got called back, the radiologist was a student trainee from the program at Kent State.  (UA used to have a top-notch program, but they got rid of it.  Sigh.)

The trainee and their supervisor did a good job and were compassionate when it hurt as I tried to put full weight on my foot for the scan.   When they were done, I got sent back to the lobby to wait on the disk with the x-ray of my foot – that I would need to take back to the doctor for my follow up appointment a week later.

I managed to limp back to my car without incident and then went to the drugstore to get my prescription. 

And then, before heading back home, I stopped and got two doughnuts and some hot chocolate. Because I needed it.

At home, I started the medicine and fed the dogs.  And then went on into work.

The swelling went down a bit over the next few days as I worked my way through the complicated prescription.  (6 pills the first day with 2 at breakfast, 1 at lunch and dinner, and two more before bedtime. Then 5 the next day with 1 at breakfast, 1 lunch, etc.)

The day of the follow-up appointment, I hobbled my way into the office and waited with CD-Rom in hand.  The doctor was able to bring this up online so that disk was a waste, but you just know if I hadn’t had it I would have needed it.  

Nothing really showed up on the x-ray, so, “might be gout”.  I got another prescription order and was sent on my way – without much guidance.  

I went to the drugstore – and they were out of the medicine. Of course.  I signed up for the text messages and waited. 

Jim went with me when I got the message to pick it up so we could go to KFC afterwards – and while I was getting the prescription filled the only good part of this whole thing happened.

It was $.75   For the the 30 day supply of the anti-inflammatory.  Even the clerk was taken aback.  I paid with cash – which I haven’t used in ages – and started it the next morning.  I’m halfway through the supply and it’s done its job – my foot is better and I’m not limping.  

So, I’ll save the rest for the next flareup and spend some time on the internet trying to figure out how to prevent this or minimize it when it does happen.

I’m also not going back to that doctor – it was a frustrating experience and I can get better care elsewhere. 

$90 in co-pays, 6 bucks in medicine between the two, and 1 total sick day.  Along with 2 weeks of not sleeping well and…being slow.  

And there we have it.  I might have gout.