I’ll never forget it. It was the night of April Fool’s. I wish the pain I felt that day was a joke, but it was all real. I remember laying in bed around 10:00 pm and feeling this burning sensation on the side of my right big toe. As tired as I was, sleep was suddenly not an option. The pain intensified. The feeling escalated until it felt like someone struck a match inside my big toe.

I had never experienced anything like this before. So, I decided that maybe it was a pulled muscle from a cross fit class I did a few days prior. I got out the bed and tried to walk it out. The pain intensified. My toe began to throb. What the hell was going on? My toe was the same color and size as normal but I was in excruciating pain.

Fast forward to Wednesday of that same week. The pain had lessened that day, but by nightfall it was in full swing. I had the bright idea of taking an Epsom salt bath to help soak my foot. That had to work. Epsom salt cures everything, right? Wrong. Now, the pain was even worse. So bad to the point that I had to crawl out of the tub. Don’t tell anybody, but I may have even shed a tear.

This feeling was not right. So, I hobbled down the steps and drove myself to an urgent care facility. The lady at the front desk was very nice, despite her struggle trying to hide her chuckle. I guess I probably did look funny hobbling in there with all my weight on my left foot. As soon as I went in the room to see the doctor, she said. I never thought I would hear this four letter word in relation to my health: Gout! Now, the burning sensation and the pain in my big toe (where most gout symptoms start) made sense.

Stay tuned for next week’s blog, detailing my next steps and all the misconceptions I learned about this condition.