Hi, I am Matt: a sprightly, happy-go-lucky young man who has recently been diagnosed with gout. 

Around Christmas 2017, I started to feel a lot of pain in my feet when walking. The discomfort increased, day by day, until I was barely able to stand because my feet were so swollen and uncomfortable. It felt like my feet were broken. I went to the doctors and, following X-rays and blood tests, learnt that I had a form of inflammatory arthritis. As a result of my unhealthy high-purine diet, centred around red meat, green veg, oily fish and alcohol, uric acid was crystallising in my feet. If not remedied, not only would I be in serious discomfort, but the crystals would ultimately grind away at my bones and joints. 

Thankfully, with a change in lifestyle and an allopurinol prescription, I have been reborn and I, once again, can run and dance and skip again. Nevertheless, the shock of being diagnosed with gout at the age of 26 has made me want to teach others of how easily one can find themselves in the situation I am in as a result of bad life choices.

As my car will be off the road for the day for it’s MOT, I will be walking to work, from Farnworth to Bolton, to raise awareness of my condition on National Gout Awareness Day, the 22nd May. The event will be live streamed on my Facebook account. 

Please feel free to sponsor my quest via my Just Giving page. Any proceeds will be donated to the UK Gout Society, so please give generously.

:)

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