So much for my commitment to cycle at least a short distance each day. Yesterday, towards evening, my gout and arthritis started to flare up. Cycling then became an impossibility as just shuffling around the house sent waves of agony radiating from my right big toe joint and left ankle. My back was sore too, as was my right elbow and thumb joint (hello RSI). I took some Cataflam and went to bed. Being immobile helped the pain but it took me a while to fall asleep. Although I wasn’t uncomfortably hot (the fan helps) it felt as if I had waves of heat radiating off my face. Thinking I might have a fever it crossed my mind to take my temperature but the thought of getting upright on my sore feet again to go to the bathroom for the thermometer put paid to that idea.
This morning I am still sore but thankfully not as bad as last night. I have somewhat blocked sinuses and a post nasal drip so I probably have some virus that is causing all this to flare up. I’ll do my usual of trying to ride it out but if the gout persists without getting much better I’ll go along to the doctor on Tuesday or Wednesday for a Voltaren shot; that always does the trick, giving rapid relief. In any case, it seems my cycling aspirations are on hold for at least a day or two.
Image from Wikipedia Commons, is a 1799 cartoon depicting gout.
craniac's place 
Genade, Steve! Too many weird injuries you have got there. What is “gout” in “Afrikaans” (sounds like a “pitseer”?)
Why not try swimming (I remember vaguely you have a swimming pool?). It is actually one of the few places at home which is perfect for all kinds of exercises. It is not so strenuous on the body (water helps with the weight, resistant and endurance).
And best of all, it keeps you cool in this terrible heat wave we are recently experiencing.
Thys, I believe the Afrikaans word for gout is “jig”. I do swim but more to cool off than for exercise. Not so easy to swim laps when it’s just five or six strokes end-to-end.
Jig sounds like a very appropriate word for gout !