THE PAIN OF GOUT

Dear Auntie Patti Koh,

I was awaken from my sleep from a surging pain in the area of knees. I cannot stretch it out, and the pain is too much. I stood up from bed and the more painful it was for me. I have severe attack of Gout problem. It was before in my right achilles heel, now it is in my right knee joint area.

I still went to work. It was so hard to drive, and getting off the car. My car is an SUV and so it is a little bit higher than the ordinary car. I was really limping from my car to the door of the office. We have a big parking lot, and it was an agony for me to walk. I did not use my walking cain, because it will be a burden for me. I was going to the second floor and decided I will just walk. And this was another agony for me.

It was a very stressful evening for me at work. I plugged into the computer at 5pm and has to endure an 8 hrs of work until 2am listening to all the whinings on the phone.

My co-worker who sits beside me in our cubicle is asking me if I need something, like ice or pop from the machine -- just to tell her so that she will be the one to get it for me. She can see the pain I was undergoing.

When I arrive home from work at 3am, I just eat some light meal and took my medicine. I dont want to get out of bed, but have to force myself because I have an apppointment today to see a Rhumatologist.

I tell you, Auntie Patti Koh --- it is so hard getting old. But I cannot figure out some people back home, when they get old -- it looks like they don't have the aches and pains that I am undergoing. Sometimes I was asking myself, maybe it is the food that we eat in America that is causing this.

ARAY KO NANAY!