One of the main drivers for me quitting alcohol (my epiphany) was having gout. Since I quit just over three years ago I have never had gout again, until this week! Yes, it was back!!
The cause this time was massive dehydration due to a nightmare journey home from the City where we were thrown off the train due to emergency works, and then driven to our destination station by replacement bus. The drive was through narrow twisting back streets not normally used to seeing a bus, and the driver was a maniac. I can only liken the journey to a ride on a fairground ‘waltzer’ although this one lasted nearly two hours. I have never felt so sick in my life. I sat in my seat sweating heavily – the sweat was running down my face, I was desperate for a drink of water and I was in danger of throwing up any second. It was so bad I didn’t have the strength or even the will to say anything to the driver – I just wanted to roll up and die.
That was last Friday and this weekend my foot started to play up. By Sunday night I was in constant pain with the occasional bout of agony if anything touched my foot, and Monday I spent laying on the sofa feeling sorry for myself and like a depressed and useless old man. It was just like I used to feel so often when I had been drinking too much. This morning I managed to get an appointment to see my GP and he gave me some gout tablets (my old stock had been thrown away as being out of date and assumed no longer needed) and by lunchtime today I was back to my new normal. I even cycled to swimming, completed a kilometre swim and then cycled home the long route along the seashore. I now feel fantastic again.
It was a very scaring reminder of what I used to be like – all the time. So if anyone ever asks me would I ever drink again (and they often do ask that), I know for sure what my answer would be. Never!
You can find out much more about why I quit drinking on my workshop videos at www.idontdrink.net
The cause this time was massive dehydration due to a nightmare journey home from the City where we were thrown off the train due to emergency works, and then driven to our destination station by replacement bus. The drive was through narrow twisting back streets not normally used to seeing a bus, and the driver was a maniac. I can only liken the journey to a ride on a fairground ‘waltzer’ although this one lasted nearly two hours. I have never felt so sick in my life. I sat in my seat sweating heavily – the sweat was running down my face, I was desperate for a drink of water and I was in danger of throwing up any second. It was so bad I didn’t have the strength or even the will to say anything to the driver – I just wanted to roll up and die.
That was last Friday and this weekend my foot started to play up. By Sunday night I was in constant pain with the occasional bout of agony if anything touched my foot, and Monday I spent laying on the sofa feeling sorry for myself and like a depressed and useless old man. It was just like I used to feel so often when I had been drinking too much. This morning I managed to get an appointment to see my GP and he gave me some gout tablets (my old stock had been thrown away as being out of date and assumed no longer needed) and by lunchtime today I was back to my new normal. I even cycled to swimming, completed a kilometre swim and then cycled home the long route along the seashore. I now feel fantastic again.
It was a very scaring reminder of what I used to be like – all the time. So if anyone ever asks me would I ever drink again (and they often do ask that), I know for sure what my answer would be. Never!
You can find out much more about why I quit drinking on my workshop videos at www.idontdrink.net
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