Platform 327

The days is numbered in more ways then you mite think. Ridiculous.

Okay, well maybe “getting back on track” is an overly optimistic way of looking at things. Maybe more like I’ve started the search for where I think the track might be. Today I managed to get in my second consecutive day of exercise. I know that doesn’t seem like much to most of you, but after the year I’ve been having the fact that I managed to do 20 minutes on an exercise bike without severe abdominal pain, back spasms, joint inflammations, a blinding headache or a debilitating coughing fit is a freakin’ miracle to me. It started out a bit shaky since I overdid it a little at the driving range yesterday, but I’ve got to get the exercise in. Otherwise my weight will keep going up, the gout will keep getting worse, and nobody wants either of those things to happen, least of all me.

This is also looking like the week to take the ol’ bicycle in for a tune-up. I’m looking forward to many rides along the waterfront, through the ravines, and around the Toronto Islands this summer.

I’ve also been thinking of moving. The one-room living situation provided by my bachelor apartment, no matter how convenient it may be to work and other amenities, is starting to get to me. I’ve found a couple of places to look at, one of which is a 3-bedroom place for not much more than I’m paying now. I’ll keep you posted.

… I forgot to mention I have broken down and joined Facebook. Not that I wanted to, but there were a few people I was looking to get in contact with, and the only thing that came up for them on Google was a Facebook profile that I could only read if I joined. I find it baffling that someone in this day and age can go through life without creating some kind of presence on the regular Internet. I guess I’m just a bigger web whore than most.

The reason I’m not asleep as I should be is because I can feel another gout attack coming on. Guess who’s pissed off. It’s not really bad, and I may have caught it in time for excessive amounts of water and a little baking soda to nip it in the bud, but it means no sleep for me tonight. And I thought I was doing so well. It’s possible I didn’t stay hydrated enough when I was at the driving range with Mr. Cool today. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK! I really hope the whole summer isn’t like this.

I’ve got the internet at home again. That was a rough week. I got me a little piece of hardware that lets me access the downtown wireless network reliably from inside my concrete building. It’s a little cheaper than Rogers, and a whole lot faster. I think I chose well.

Regular blog entries will resume at some point… and as much as you could have called them “regular.”

Thank you very much. Still not happy, but the drugs have eased the pain and they don’t make me quite so sick anymore. Hopefully I’ll stick to the diet this time and avoid any more painful gout flare-ups.

Had a little bit of fun yesterday, though. My parents came over, and we had a bit of a pre-Mother’s Day outing. My dad has wanted to take one of those scenic double-decker bus tours for a while, and yesterday we did one better: we did a bus and boat tour. If you’re ever looking for something touristy to do in the T-Dot (I can’t believe I just said that), it’s a good way to spend the day. The boat tour goes through the canals and byways around the Toronto Islands, and the bus goes all through downtown, past Queen’s Park, the museum and Yorkville, all the way up to Casa Loma. If you want to hang out and see the sights, you can get off the bus and then hop on and continue your tour later.

Oh, just as a warning, this is my last week with the internet at home. My last days with Rogers are upon me, and I have to hand in the cable modem. For the next little while, contacting me after working hours will have to be done the old-fashioned way: the telephone.

Go see Iron Man. Go see it. See Iron Man. Go now. Go. SEE FUCKING IRON MAN NOW!!!

‘Nuff said.

For those of you who haven’t been taking this gout diagnosis of mine very seriously (including myself), here are a few tidbits from random gout websites.

Gout is a progressive illness, with attacks becoming more frequent and damaging over time. Early and consistent treatment along with avoiding things that can trigger a gout attack can significantly reduce the progression and severity of the illness as you age.

Check and check. This last attack spread from my foot, up my ankle and into my knee. My wrists were doing a little odd cracking on Saturday as well. Progression and severity: check. The fact that I was in my early-to-mid 30s when my first attack hit, not in my 50s when it usually hits, means “as I age” is a much longer time frame than most gout sufferers get. Lovely.

And…

If hyperuricemia is left untreated, the interval between attacks may disappear, leaving patients with persistent low-grade joint inflammation, joint deformity, and tophaceous deposits of urate crystals. The discomfort of chronic gout may still include episodes of acute arthritis.

Tophi can occur at various locations, generally, but not always, within the same joint affected by acute gout. The tophi may not be painful, but periodic acute inflammation can occur around the site, causing intense pain. Extensive joint damage and the formation of very large tophi can lead to crippling deformities, particularly of the hands and feet, and chronic, constant pain.

So basically, chronic arthritis and painful skin disorders if I don’t get this shit under control. All it takes is sticking to a diet, staying off the booze, and doing a wee bit of exercise every single day. I know this, and still I’ll grab a beer at any opportunity. Does that make me an alcoholic? Some would say, “Yes,” and at this moment, in the amount of pain I’m in, I would have a hard time disagreeing with them.

This attack wasn’t going away on its own, so I had to go to the doctor and get some nasty drugs. The drugs to treat gout flare-ups are so nasty, in fact, that I need other drugs to protect my stomach lining from them. I’ve got a headache, feel sick, can barely stay awake… and these are “normal” side-effects of these drugs. And it’s still going to be a couple of days before there are enough of the drugs in my system to actually start working on the gout pain.

Hey, let’s go for a few beers. Woo-hoo!

If you’re out and about with your laptop computer, you might find a wireless access point called “Free Public Wifi.” While the first instinct would be to connect to this network (hey, it’s free and public, right?), don’t do it. For all the reasons, read this.

Don’t say I never done nothing for ya.

Find out all about it here. I just got back from getting my pile o’ comics.

And that trip made the gout mad. Going to lie back down now. And read comics.