Well, saw the scleroderma specialist last week and he burst my happiness bubble by saying he thinks it ISN'T gout, and that the lab must have confused calcium crystals for uric crystals, so it's back to the drawing board I'm afraid - such a shame as reading up on the symptoms of gout it sounded so much like it: the excrutiating pain, weight of the bed covers being almost unbearable, etc. At least if it was gout it is treatable, but sounds like I just have to live with it for months until the calcium deposits have been expelled, whilst dosing myself up with a selection of increasingly stronger painkillers and anti-inflammatories - I'm not happy :no:
At least it means I can have a glass of my chocolate port now and again...