In Recovery

Following my psychic surgery in Medan to address my thymoma problem, I'm feeling quite good with only some lingering stiffness in my right hand and a sensitive left foot that I need to be careful to not subject to sudden stress. These are the residual effects of my DOMS and it's quite unusual that should have persisted for this long. 

My symptoms bear some similarities to mild gout but I doubt if I'm suffering from that condition. I just don't fit the profile (somebody who eats a lot of organ meats, seafood and alcohol). Here is what Google's Gemini had to say about gout:

Gout is a complex form of arthritis that causes sudden and severe attacks of pain, inflammation, redness, and tenderness in your joints. Here's a breakdown of the symptoms and risk factors:

Symptoms of Gout:

Sudden and severe pain: Often described as excruciating and debilitating, gout attacks typically strike at night and can wake you up. The pain usually affects one or more joints, most commonly the big toe, but it can also hit ankles, knees, hands, wrists, elbows, or even feet.

Inflammation and swelling: The affected joint will become swollen, red, and hot to the touch. Even slight pressure, like the weight of a bedsheet, can be very uncomfortable.

Tenderness: The joint will be extremely sensitive to touch, making even minor movements painful.

Limited range of motion: As the attack progresses, the inflammation can limit your ability to move the affected joint.

Risk Factors for Gout:

Several factors can increase your chances of developing gout:

High uric acid levels: Uric acid is a waste product created during the breakdown of purines, which are found naturally in the body and certain foods. When uric acid levels become too high in the blood, it can form sharp crystals that deposit in your joints, triggering gout attacks.

Diet: Consuming excessive amounts of certain foods and beverages high in purines, such as red meat, organ meats, seafood, sugary drinks, and alcohol (particularly beer), can contribute to high uric acid levels.

Obesity and metabolic syndrome: These conditions are associated with increased purine production and difficulty eliminating uric acid from the body.

Certain medications: Diuretics, low-dose aspirin, and some immunosuppressant drugs can elevate uric acid levels.

Medical conditions: Some health problems like high blood pressure, kidney disease, and psoriasis can increase the risk of gout.

Genetics: Having a family history of gout significantly increases your susceptibility.

Age and sex: Men are more likely to develop gout than women before menopause, but the risk for women increases after menopause.

It's important to note that not everyone with high uric acid levels will develop gout. Conversely, some people with normal uric acid levels can still experience gout attacks.

It's interesting that the Gemini article describes gout as "a complex form of arthritis". I simply don't know what I've got but I've been placed on a diet that restricts the amount of fried food that I consume and that forbids the consumption of many other foods that I was formerly fond of. The details are still being worked out.

I smile when I think how the so-called medical professionals in Australia would react if I said I'd had psychic surgery to address my physical problem. Hopefully I'll never be at their mercy and, if I was, I'd be very careful about what I disclosed to them. It still staggers me how brainwashed the majority of medical professionals are in Western countries and what little real help they are able to offer. 

Meanwhile I have done some walking and intend to do more as my strength returns. I probably will never return to the physical level that I was at before my fall but I can try to arrest any further decline. My weight is slightly under 71 kilograms at the moment which is good. I'd like to stay around that weight.