Two Sundays ago, I wasn't able to attend church because of a gout attack. My right toe got reddish and swollen, and every step I make is painful. Even a simple twitch and minimal movement feel excruciating. It was a nightmare. 

I have been diagnosed with gouty arthritis, I believe for almost a decade now. I know which foods are good for me and which are not. I know my triggers. But somehow, I still eat my trigger foods because - just because.

But as much as possible, I consume my trigger foods in moderation. I seldom eat red meat and organ meat. I even have to let go of my favorite gatang tambakol and sinaing na tulingan. What a sad reality :(

But I had a terrible mistake! I lost track of my beverage intake. I enjoyed C2 and Smart C too much that I forgot that they contain a high amount of fructose which is also a NO-NO. 

And as a result - tudum. Excruciating pain in the last two weeks... and counting. 

I have been limping on my right foot for two weeks now, after more than a year of being "clean." As a result, I wasn't able to bring my wife to the mall, or to the park. Our jogging sessions need to be postponed until my walking gets better. 

These two weeks got me thinking about how I make my food choices. Reflecting upon my ordeal, I learned that:

Your choices have consequences

In my case, I am free to choose which food will I consume. But this freedom to choose doesn't give me the freedom to choose the consequences of my choices. I ate too much of what's not allowed and healthy for me, and I have to suffer the effects. Pleasure now, pain later. That's life. We cannot choose the consequences of our actions. 

Same thing with life in general. You are free to do what you want according to your convictions. Obey or disobey rules, it's up to you. But don't be surprised by the consequences. You reap what you sow. 

Your pain has a purpose

I hate pain. Who doesn't? I hate limping and breaking into tears whenever I twitch my foot. But it serves a purpose, and I'm thankful for it. Pain is an indication that there's something wrong and I have to do something about it. If I feel numb, unable to feel any pain, I may be comfortable but I will never know that I am already deteriorating inside. 

If you've watched Derek and Coleen's movie Ex With Benefits, it was explained how pain plays an important role in our body. 

My pain now is an indication that I have been abusive with myself. I have to work my diet out. It's a painful reminder, I know.  

You'll know the importance of a thing once you lose it

I miss the feeling of being able to eat my favorite foods to my heart's content. I miss bopis, sisig, dinakdakan, and papaitan! But because I have to consider my health and my joints, I have to be careful with what I eat. 

Before this predicament, I eat too much organ meat and drink a lot of high-fructose beverages. YOLO. You Only Live Once. But I forgot about YAGO. You Also Grow Old. And now I have to live with it.

Always do things in moderation. It never fails. Don't be too obsessed with things and people. Have a healthy amount of intake and occasional breaks. Not because you are fond of something does it mean you have to put everything you have on it. Live in moderation. Do things in moderation.

I'm getting better. I can now walk. There's still pain, but at least I can manage to move now. Hopefully, this will be the last gout flare I will have.