I, like my father and grandfather, suffer from gout. A number of things can trigger it – alcohol, caffeine, high fructose corn syrup – and I get a serious flare up about once a year. Usually, it hits me in my feet, I have trouble walking for a day or two, and it goes away. The past couple of years, tough, I’ve been getting it in my knees. I can walk okay, and it can hold my weight, I just can’t bend it. I got my flare up last night, and it was so bad that at the end of the evening, I couldn’t get into the car normally to drive home (we were at a friend’s birthday party). It took me five minutes of careful maneuvering to finally get into the driver’s seat, at which point I just had to deal with the shooting pain that occurred every time I changed from the gas pedal to the brake pedal. Good times.
Sketches From Memory 
Not to pick on you specifically, but I’ve always found the phrase “I suffer from…” odd.
You know…because its not like there are people out there who are enjoying any of those things.
Think of it as to tolerate or put up with.
Me too re: Gout. Who knew a throbbing big toe could be debilitating? And we’re not even old yet, jeez. You also know about the protein causation, yes? Acids build up from protein sources, made worse by dehydration, hence double up water intake with any alcohol. I also find massage of the affected area in between flare ups to help prevent build up. Good luck.
I know, it’s kinda ridiculous. I’m not Henry VIII, after all!
And yeah, the protein causation is frustrating, but the high fructose corn syrup is what always does me in.