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In Denial

I saw a rerun of Everybody Loves Raymond last weekend. In that one, Ray found out that he's shrunk by a quarter inch. Thereafter, mid-life crisis sets in and he started to list out things to do before he dies.
(http://www.tubeplus.me/movie/912046/Everybody_Loves_Raymond/season_2/episode_22/Six_Feet_Under/%22).

But, I am not talking about living your dreams, or about dying, what really got stuck in my mind was what Debra (Ray's wife) said towards the end of that episode. She said that having a proper mid-life crisis is not to start planning for your death, but by going into denial, "like a normal person".

I am a normal person. Last year, I had a niggling pain in the joint of my right big toe. I went to a doctor and he said it's probably gout. I said, it can't be. He said, ok lets do  a blood test. And, sure enough, my uric acid was very high, and I guess the symptom fits.

Then, there isn't any more attacks. I still buy a Big Mac one a week, but whacked prawns and crabs like nobody's business. And, no gout. And, therefore, I re-convinced myself that that little big toe pain was definitely not gout.

Today, in my room, on my bed, I write this blog on a hazy balmy Wednesday afternoon, I have to concede that I have gout. It came over a week ago, and had stayed on in that joint at the end of my big toe until yesterday, when I thought it was going away, but the irresistible prawn fritters my wife make, turned it around and settled itself right back where it seemed the most comfortable.

Here I am, on medical leave, browsing the internet for remedies and diet plans, and guess what, Roti Canai and Teh Tarik is not on any of the recommended food. Neither is, oxtail soup, nasi lemak, spaghetti bolognese, cantonese noodles, masak lemak cili padi, asam pedas..... NOTHING!!

Ok, there's oatmeal, and fresh yougurt, and surprisingly, eggs are ok... One website recommends multi-grain bread for breakfast with a pack of Milo and chicken with rice for lunch and multi-grain bread with Milo like a snack and for dinner, multi-grain bread .... with Milo....

Or, I can have omelette with spinach and fetta cheese, served with honeydew for breakfast, for lunch salmon salad with crispy potatoes served on wholemeal pita bread and for desert I can have a sugarless fudgsicle (whatever that is) and a cup of skim milk.... hummus and carrot sticks (4 ounces only) for snacks and for dinner, we are having 2/3 cup brown rice with steamed spinach.... how loverly.... NOT!!

Ahhh... what the hell, as soon as this pain goes away, I am going to have a whopper burger at the newly reopened Burger King at section 13.....




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